by Ruby Loren
Derek seemed to sense it, too. “What do you think of the new detective? Apparently he’s moved up from the Brighton force. You’d think that would be a demotion, wouldn’t you? He seems a little young to be seeking the quiet life, eh?”
“Maybe he realised it wasn’t that quiet,” I said, my mind immediately drifting back to my own questions about the detective’s past.
“I bet he thought it would all be missing pets and domestic disagreements,” Derek chortled. “Although, there has been a good number of missing pets recently. It’s been all over the papers. I’ve had to write several reports myself.” His voice made it clear that he didn’t believe it to be the best use of his journalistic talents.
“I wonder who’s taking them?” I said, willing to discuss this topic.
“I don’t know what’s worse… that they’re gone, or that they haven’t reappeared again. The mind goes to dark places.”
“Someone should do something to catch the thief.”
“Someone should,” the journalist echoed with a smile in his voice before hanging up.
I stayed looking at the phone for a few moments after he’d gone, wondering if the seed he’d planted would grow into something good, or something very, very bad.
“Who am I, Nancy Drew?” I muttered, thoroughly bemused.
13
Open Season
Even though the police had let her go, the local gossip kings and queens were pinning the whole thing on the house-hunter. The reason I knew that was because it was ‘locals day’ at both zoos. The special day was something Auryn had introduced this year as a way of giving something back to the local community, who made up most of our regular clientele. The zoos were still open to the general public, but people who could prove they lived within ten miles of the zoos gained free entry for the day. We’d also put on a few more special offers, including discounted food at The Wild Spot. But as special events went, it was a low-key one.
It was at this event that I heard about the Rachel Masters theory. Even though the police had discounted her due to lack of evidence, the locals were convinced that she was responsible for both deaths. They blamed Harry Farley’s indiscriminate choices, Josh’s youth and innocence, and - most importantly - the fact that Rachel was an outsider. Beyond those three things, they had no compelling evidence to offer, and by the end of the day I was sick of hearing it.
Worse than the gossip was the presence of many members of Auryn’s odious club. When Auryn had initially suggested the locals’ day, I’d welcomed it but worried it was rather late notice. It was only now that I’d seen all of the well-to-do men snooping around that I put two and two together. Auryn had put this day on for them, so that they could visit and make their own minds up as to whether our businesses were worth their patronage or not. That thought made me angry enough that I seriously considered barring them all.
However, the biggest surprise of the day was when Rachel Masters (suspect number one herself turned up. To my surprise, she headed right over to the zoo information stand I was helping to run.
“You’re Madi, aren’t you?” she said with an unreadable expression on her face. I was already wondering if she had some reason to be angry with me. I certainly hadn’t said anything to get her into trouble with the police.
“I am,” I replied, trying a sympathetic smile.
“You found those poor men, didn’t you? I was shown pictures from the scene. I think the police thought they would shock me into talking, or something, but you can’t talk about something you don’t know anything about. Poor Josh,” she added looking deeply sorry.
“Were you friendly with him?”
The woman nodded. “We met when I was looking over some new houses. It might sound a little sad, but I do it for the company. I know I have money and a big house, and when I go out riding I suppose I have friends, but no one actually lives with me. My family and friends are back in America, and I’m lonely.” She smiled and gave a sad little shrug. “I guess it’s because I’m an outsider. I reckon that’s why everyone here thinks I did it, too.”
“Not everyone,” I said, hoping to reassure her that the entire local community wasn’t against her. Just most of them.
“Thanks,” she said, accurately reading what I meant. “I wish they would find the actual killer. If I knew how to help, I would, but I really know nothing. I did see Josh a few times. He was a nice man. But that was several weeks ago, and it sort of fizzled out. I got the impression he’d found himself a better offer elsewhere.”
My ears pricked up at that, but it was obvious that that was all Rachel knew.
“Have you thought about getting a job locally?” I asked, wondering if there was anything to be done to help Rachel’s lonely state.
“I suppose it never occurred to me. As I said, I have money, but you may have a point. Loneliness and boredom go hand in hand. I’ve no idea what I’d do. Are there even jobs to be had around here?”
I assessed the woman in front of me for a moment. “I’m often hiring new people. I’m currently looking for more waiting staff for my restaurant. I know it’s not exactly a fancy job, but it’s pretty sociable.”
“I think I’d like that. I’d like to apply, if I may,” she said.
“Pop a CV into the zoo and I’ll take a look and call you in for a chat,” I promised her, already knowing she would most likely end up with the job. A large proportion of the working-age people who lived in and around Gigglesfield worked at the two zoos. That meant there wasn’t exactly huge competition when new jobs came around, because most people were already employed. Aside from that, local residents tended to be retired, or wealthy, or both. I thought darkly of The Lords of the Downs for a moment.
“Thanks again, Madi,” Rachel was saying. “You have a lovely zoo here. I’d better be getting back to my horses. I don’t like leaving them alone for too long these days, not with all of those thefts that have been happening. Someone must do something about that,” she said, echoing the sentiments of everyone I’d spoken to about the missing animals.
“Hopefully someone will,” I replied, more resolved than ever that I would be the one to investigate. After all, I’d done a pretty good job when I’d investigated the Abraham family’s disappearance, hadn’t I? I desperately hoped that this little mystery would have a happier ending, but either way, someone needed to do something. Otherwise the thief would keep thieving.
Rachel’s mention of riding had sparked something else in my mind. As I handed out leaflets and smiled inanely at people I recognised from my weekly shop, I was wondering how the killer had arrived at both properties. Harry’s car had been the only vehicle spotted arriving and leaving the first house. The obvious answer was that he’d given his killer a lift and then they’d driven themselves back, but I wasn’t so sure. If Harry had picked up his murderer, someone could have seen him do it, which would land the killer in a lot of trouble. Therefore, I was more apt to believe that the killer arrived at the property on foot. With that deduction made, I would have assumed that the second victim would be very nervous indeed if someone offered to meet them on foot at a property. The only exception would be if it was someone Josh wouldn’t think twice about if they said ‘that’s on my dog walk’. Or riding route, I mentally added, remembering the rampant appreciation for equestrian pastimes there was around here. As to who the person was, I couldn’t say.
I bit my lip and handed out some fresh flyers. If I assumed that Josh really did know who killed Harry, why on earth would he not see them as a threat when they turned up to see him? I was stumped.
My mind moved on to Felicity Farley and her implications that she knew more about her husband’s killer than she was willing to confide with the police. Had Josh told her something when they’d left the restaurant together? Did she really not realise the danger she might be in?
As if summoned by my thoughts, Felicity Farley herself walked past, glancing into the raccoon enclosure without much interest. She turned around and saw me, her f
ace brightening in recognition, before she marched over.
“I cannot believe they let that awful woman go! It’s outrageous! I’ve been watching her every move, and she’s definitely got something to do with my poor dear Harry’s death.” To my horror, she let out a dry sob. “He was everything to me. At least now, he’ll be faithful.” This conversation was getting weirder by the second. “Everyone wanted him, you know. He had everything going for him. The looks, the charm… the money.” Now she choked out a laugh. “But he was mine. He chose me! The others didn’t matter, not really. Now it’s down to me to make things right. I’ve got to settle the score for him. It’s what he would have wanted.”
“Felicity, you should go to the police,” I said, hoping to talk some sense into her. “The conversation you had with Josh at the restaurant could contain some vital piece of evidence that will allow the police to catch your husband’s killer. Don’t you want the murderer to be brought to justice?”
“Of course I do!” Felicity snapped. “But that useless lot won’t do any good. I know more than they do and I’m going to make things right.”
“You can’t really think that it’s Rachel?”
She shot me an unreadable look. “Everyone else thinks it’s her.” There was something smug in her voice that actually hinted she didn’t believe it was the American outsider. She was happy to spin other people a line, but she was keeping what she believed was the truth to herself.
“Who killed Harry?” I asked again.
“Someone who is going to pay for it,” she repeated, and then marched off without saying goodbye.
I was left with a heavy sense of dread and the feeling that Felicity somehow did know something about the killer. She knew enough to be a problem. And that meant her life was in danger.
I didn’t know what good it would do, but I called Officer Kelly and tipped her off that Felicity Farley was probably quite high up on the killer’s hit list.
A shiver went up my spine. I was standing in the middle of The Lucky Zoo. The lions were roaring their final farewell to the last light of day and the tigers were answering them. Usually, these nighttime sounds soothed me, but tonight I felt jumpy. Lucky was at home and Rameses had gone with Auryn.
All of a sudden, I felt very alone indeed.
I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, even though the evening was a warm one. It was probably paranoia. Anyone who’d spoken to me would know that I was clueless as to who the killer on the lose might be. Of course, there could be many other people who were out gunning for me right now, given my past and even what I was currently dipping my toe into, but I didn’t think my edginess was a specific fear. I was just feeling shaky.
“It’s all starting to get to you,” I muttered, trying to reassure myself that everything would be okay. I sighed. Maybe I should get a dog, I thought, but then dismissed the idea. Rameses was already my dog. He loved Auryn, too, but his true affections were reserved for me. For the most part, Auryn and I divided our time with him equally, but tonight I’d really have valued his company. Or company of any kind.
Like a scene from a bad dream, Bernard strutted into view, flanked by his peacock posse.
I swiftly revised my desire for company of any kind.
14
Violence and Vacuums
I took the next day off in order to enjoy the weather and make good on a promise to a friend. Katya was joining me for a lunchtime barbecue. While I was glad of the opportunity to meet up with a friend for the sake of friendship, I also guiltily knew I would be asking for her professional opinion before the day was through. I only hoped it didn’t get me, or anyone else, into too much hot water.
Katya complimented me on my teriyaki chicken wings that I’d thrown together using a recipe I’d found on the internet. I was privately quite pleased as well, as beyond burgers and sausages cooked for various events at the zoo, I hadn’t ever got to grips with barbecued food. I had considered just serving the usual fair, but honestly, I’d wanted something a little more impressive. Fancy chicken wings had seemed like just the ticket.
With a bit of luck, no one would get food poisoning.
Over lunch, I filled her in on the local drama, knowing that she would have to keep most of her own life private, due to her job working for British Intelligence. When I was through telling all, I asked her who she thought might be responsible for the murders.
To my disappointment she shook her head. “You’ve got a lot of raw facts, details, evidence… whatever, but where’s the motive?” she said, raising her eyebrows at me.
I shook my head in return. “My first thought was that it was a kinky session gone badly wrong, but Josh’s death doesn’t back that theory up. His killer wanted us to believe that he’d ended his own life. I guess that doesn’t entirely rule out the first death being accidental, but I do think it suggests that this person is always planning ahead.” I thought some more. “I actually think that the killer wanted everyone to assume Harry Farley’s death was an accident - maybe just on the off-chance they were caught.”
“They’re definitely a planner. Someone who premeditates murder tends to have a good reason for it. They won’t have acted out of passion or rage. These crimes speak to me of someone cold and calculating. They’ll have believed their reasoning behind it.”
“But what could that reason be? If it’s nothing to do with passions running high, or even love, that leaves property. Perhaps there’s something going on between estate agents that we’re missing?”
“You said that dogs went missing from the property where the first killer was found?”
I nodded. “Yes - although it was strange that they left one behind but took the other two. They weren’t the first either. I’ve started looking into it and there have been a whole spate of thefts. At first, I thought they were only being taken from properties that were up for sale, which would suggest what you’re thinking, but it’s not always the case. However, whoever the thief is, they seem to know when the owners of the animals aren’t at home. The other thefts have taken place whilst people are away on holiday, or even on business trips for a few days.”
Katya frowned. “So, it’s someone who’s close to these people. One of their own.”
“I think it must be. And perhaps Harry Farley knew who that person was.”
Katya wiped her hands on the paper napkin and set it down on the table. Both of us stared down the garden as we mulled over the impossible problem.
“He can’t have known that this person was thinking about killing him. He must have trusted them enough to drive to the house of his own accord,” Katya observed. “If the scene is to be believed, then he probably found his killer attractive enough for a roll in the hay.”
I nodded, having figured that much out already. Although the mark around Harry Farley’s neck had been livid, the scene was practically tattooed on the inside of my eyelids, and I knew I hadn’t seen any other marks on Harry’s body. There’d been nothing to suggest he hadn’t got into that position of his own accord.
“You said this Harry Farley had a reputation for liking women too much. If he was known to have jilted lovers, the killer probably wanted to play on that. They’ve done everything they can to make everyone look in the wrong direction…”
“Perhaps the same was true of Josh. He trusted the person enough to not be alarmed when they turned up without a car, even though he surely must have suspected what they’d done to Harry,” I said, finding it maddening.
“Blinded by his feelings I bet. Whoever she is, she must be quite talented.” The way Katya said it, she made it clear that it wasn’t a compliment.
“Oh, how sweet!” Katya exclaimed, surprising me with her sudden show of sentiment. Rameses had stayed back with me today, and I was unsurprised to discover he’d just woken up one of the fox cubs - although, they were definitely closer to adult size. The disgruntled cub barked at Rameses, but the Pharaoh Hound wasn’t a quitter. He just wagged his tail and bounced from side to side until th
e cub decided to join in. It wasn’t long before the second fox put in an appearance and the usual game began.
“They’ve become quite good friends. The foxes aren’t too bothered by humans, either. Auryn and I assume that someone local must be feeding them.” I looked around, wondering who. We didn’t have many neighbours, as the house wasn’t in direct proximity to any other property. A little bit of snooping would probably soon yield an answer.
“My point exactly,” I said when Rameses and the cubs all arrived to beg for food scraps.
I shook my head at them. Chicken bones were a recipe for trouble in my experience. I knew that foxes and dogs would both take whatever they could get, but I didn’t want anyone getting a chicken bone stuck in his or her throat. Not to mention that it broke the house rules of no people-food!
“Lucky!” I shouted when a black and white blur landed on the table, pausing only to seize a meaty chicken bone before tearing away with it. His swift theft dislodged the plate of bones in the process and they scattered on the ground. Before I could do anything to stop them, the dog and the foxes raced over, taking their own bounties before retreating.
“Lucky!” I shouted again, but my naughty cat did not care. He had what he wanted and all I got was a very smug look in return. “I give up,” I muttered, considering telling them that if they got into trouble I wouldn’t call the vet - as it was their own fault - but who was I kidding? Rameses and Lucky were my babies, and the foxes were growing on me, too. In this very traditional rural environment, they needed to have someone on their side.
“Do you think Harry Farley might have found out who was stealing the animals and arranged to meet them to talk about it?” I mused.
“If by talk you mean talk,” Katya said, waggling her eyebrows, “then yes, I think that might be a possibility. If Harry Farley was threatening blackmail, even if it was just blackmail by way of a few kinky romps around clients’ houses, that could definitely be a motive for murder.”