by Ruby Loren
My hands clenched on the tablecloth just as Blanky Country Houses was read out as the first runner-up. I watched as Sophia rose to her feet, blushing with pleasure, as those around her congratulated her as she walked up to the stage.
None of them knew they were congratulating a killer.
16
To Catch a Killer
Are you all right?” Auryn whispered, noticing my white knuckles.
“Sophia’s the killer,” I whispered back, as quietly as I could. Fortunately, everyone else was too busy applauding the murderess.
“Why would you think that?!” Auryn looked positively shocked and I had to remind myself that he was a local, born and bred, and knew pretty much everyone here, to some degree.
“I just watched her tie a fancy knot in a piece of string - the same kind of knot that was tied in the rope that bound Harry Farley, and I bet she was also responsible for the Celtic knot on Josh Finnigan’s tie.” We spoke in hushed tones, knowing that we were in danger of being overheard.
“But why would she do it?”
I took a moment to appreciate Auryn for not doubting my knot theory. “I’m not sure,” I said, feeling stumped. “Maybe she and Harry had a thing going and then he went off with another woman. Unlike his wife, she might have snapped.”
Auryn shook his head. “I doubt it. She could have most men,” he said with a great deal of respect. “Harry Farley was hardly a great catch.” He cleared his throat and looked around, worried that he might have said it too loudly, given the present company.
Fortunately, everyone was hanging on Nigel Wickington’s next words.
I glanced back across at the estate agents, avoiding looking at Sophia for too long. I knew what had happened to the last person who’d figured out she was the killer
“We have a very special winner tonight,” Nigel was saying, to the surprise of no one. “After much deliberation, we’ve decided that tonight’s award will go to Farley and Sons and Herriot’s Houses for your excellent personal service record this year.”
The room erupted in applause and Tristan’s sour expression turned upside-down when he realised that The Lords of the Downs had decided to honour both Josh and Harry, instead of just their old club member. I silently marked it down as a small point in the club’s favour, but I definitely wasn’t satisfied with the level of power they held.
I shook the thought from my head and returned my attention to the far more pressing issue - my knowledge that Sophia was the killer.
“What about the animal thefts? You said Sophia taught you to ride, right? We saw her hunting…” I whispered.
“What are you saying?” Auryn replied in his own whisper, a trifle defensively. I thought he already knew what I was getting at, it just hit a little too close to home for him to want to be the one to say it.
“I’m just saying she probably has quite a few contacts in the hunting world. How hard would she find it to sell a few dogs and horses? She used to be a breeder, didn’t she?” I remembered.
“I suppose it would be possible, but why would she do that? The thefts have only started relatively recently, but Sophia’s been working in real estate for years. And that doesn’t explain the murders.”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I think she did it. You said it yourself - she could have any man. Harry got around with everyone, but Josh seemed like he was in love. I know she’s got some years on him, but I could certainly see a man like Josh falling for a woman like Sophia. If he really felt that way, I bet she could have told him any cock-and-bull story and he’d have bought it. Perhaps she said that she’d found Harry Farley’s body and was afraid that she would be suspected for his murder, which was why she needed Josh to return the keys she’d accidentally come into possession of.”
“You really think he’d have believed that?” Auryn whispered.
“From a woman like Sophia… yes,” I replied. I had the same respect for her looks and charisma that Auryn did. “She must have known that Josh was close to cracking.” I was remembering the meeting at the restaurant. Poor Josh must have said all of the wrong things to Sophia after that. She arranged a meeting with him, only for Josh to meet the same fate as Harry Farley.”
I took a deep breath, knowing I hadn’t yet covered the motive for murder. “What if Harry somehow found out about the thefts and decided to blackmail Sophia? I know it’s bad to speak ill of the dead, but Harry Farley was a scumbag. He might have seen it as an opportunity for him to have a woman who’d normally never look twice at him. Perhaps Sophia even went along with the blackmail for a bit, so Harry would trust her. All the while, she was planning his death with meticulous precision - in such a way that the blame would never fall upon her.”
“It’s an interesting theory,” Auryn agreed, “but you could apply the same logic to any of the female estate agents around here. They’re all fairly nice looking and have that confidence that might have appealed to both men. What evidence do you really have? Why would Sophia even need to steal animals? It’s not as if she’s struggling…” He gestured to the award she’d snagged.
I bit my lip, knowing that Auryn was annoyingly correct. “She tied the knots…” I began and then frowned as something jumped up and down in my head, wanting to be noticed. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.
“And the final category tonight is for the businesses who have done the greatest service to our local community this year,” Nigel Wickington ploughed on, completely unaware that below him in the audience sat a killer and a couple who knew the truth.
I was still trying to rack my brain for that elusive something when he read The Lucky Zoo out as one of the nominees.
Auryn turned to me and grinned, raising his voice now that our secret discussion was over. “That’s the biggest category, Madi! You’re going to have a great year!” he assured me, looking thrilled by the news.
To my surprise, I felt a flutter of relief in my chest. As much as I hated to admit it, I did care about whether or not my zoo would be persecuted by the boys’ club. I cared because I cared about the people who worked for me, the animals we looked after, and the business I’d been proud to build.
I was still smiling at Auryn when the runners-up passed by and the winner was called out.
“The Lucky Zoo!” Nigel Wickington shouted out.
I froze in my seat as the applause rose around me.
“Go on! Get your award,” Auryn said from behind me when I sat there like a lemon. Obediently, I got to my feet and walked up onto the stage, shaking the hand of Nigel Wickington when I did so.
“Well done, Madi. May it be another year of smooth sailing.” Nigel Wickington raised his eyebrows a little when he said it and then, as if I needed more help understanding his meaning, he added: Don’t rock the boat.
I accepted my award and returned to my seat whilst a sea of people gathered to offer their congratulations. All the time I was shaking hands and smiling bashfully I was wondering whether this award was a blessing or a curse. Or more probably - a bribe.
All things considered, I doubted Nigel Wickington would be best pleased to discover that I was about to dive right back in to a murder investigation.
After the club’s president had ended his speech, everyone stood and began to make noises about leaving. By chance, I found myself face to face with Drew. After exchanging pleasantries about our awards - or near-misses in Blanky Country Houses’ case, I managed to steer the conversation on to how terrible the two deaths were.
“Who did you first hear about Harry’s death from?” I asked, hoping I was being subtle.
“I don’t really remember. You know what it’s like with gossip - it just sort of happens and everyone knows.” He grinned at me and I felt compelled to turn and see where Auryn had got to. He was talking to a woman I didn’t recognise across the room. “Having said that, I think Sophia was the one who broke the news. She came into work and told us that someone had told her that Harry Farley had been murdered at the Pickford hou
se. He’d been found all trussed up like a Christmas ham. I remember her using those very words.” He kept smiling in a manner I found vaguely inappropriate.
I recalled they were the same words he’d used to describe Harry’s condition in front of Felicity Farley. Now I knew their origin. The only spanner in the works was that Sophia claimed to have been informed about that salacious piece of gossip by someone else. It had been clear that news of that had not yet reached Felicity Farley’s ears when Drew had blurted it out - but that didn’t rule out anyone spilling the information to Sophia. I’d witnessed firsthand how estate agents couldn’t keep their mouths shut when it came to murder.
I knew it only hinted that Sophia might be the killer, but I was certain. It was gut feeling combined with those knots.
It wasn’t going to be enough.
“I have to try,” I said when I’d finally slipped loose from Drew’s clutches. I still didn’t know what he wanted from me. I’d been forced to assume that he gravitated towards successful women like Sophia and Poppy - and I was one of them, wasn’t I?
I waited by the huddle around Detective Gregory until it dispersed. When Detective Gregory saw me standing there, he looked far from delighted. I recalled that our most recent meeting had been at Tiff’s house when a man spouting all kinds of strange allegations had broken in.
I regarded the detective carefully for a moment before I decided that there was nothing for it - I had to jump straight in. “I know who the killer is,” I said in a hushed tone.
The detective sighed. “You and the rest of this crackpot town. I don’t suppose you have any evidence to back it up?”
“Sort of,” I said, knowing that it wasn’t much. I looked around to make sure that we wouldn’t be overheard. “I saw Sophia tie a knot in a piece of string and it looked like the same knot that was used on the ropes Harry Farley was tied with. I bet she tied the Celtic tie knot, too!”
“Tying knots isn’t a crime,” the detective said, close to rolling his eyes.
“I also think she told Drew and Helen more information about the crime scene than she should have known. You asked everyone who saw to keep it quiet. Felicity Farley didn’t know that her husband had been found tied up, but Drew did… and he says it was Sophia who told him.”
The detective sighed again. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but most of this town struggles to keep its mouth shut - and the estate agents are the worst of the bunch.” He eyeballed me when he said it.
“I know it’s her!” I said, desperate to make him understand. “Can’t you at least question her, or check her alibi?”
“On what grounds?” The detective shrugged and looked away. “I think you should focus on your own life and stay away from this kind of thing. There are dangerous people out there in the world… you should know that.” We made eye contact and I was certain that both of us were wondering what the other knew.
The detective frowned as if suddenly thinking of something. “What have you been up to with Tiff? I feel like there’s something she’s keeping from me. Is she having doubts? We’re supposed to be getting married in two weeks!”
I clammed up. “I wouldn’t know. Anything like that is between you and Tiff.”
The detective gave me a look that expressed disbelief but I refused to budge. Tiff was my best friend. It was for her to tell her fiancé in her own way and in her own time.
Although - I did hope she plucked up the courage to tell him before they met at the alter.
“Look… I think Sophia might also be the one stealing all of the animals, and maybe that’s what brought about Harry’s death. He might have found out the truth and then tried to blackmail her in a really nasty way. Sophia got her own back and Josh was caught up in the crossfire.”
The detective shook his head. “That’s not the way the police work. Logic must prevail,” he said, but I noticed he was gritting his teeth when he said it. All of a sudden I remembered that the detective himself was currently under some sort of suspicion, probably brought on by the allegations of the man they held in custody right now for breaking and entering. I wondered if he knew what people were thinking and decided that he probably did. Alex Gregory was a shrewd one.
As if summoned by my thoughts, a sudden stream of uniformed police ran into the room, heading straight for the detective.
“Have you found something?” he asked, but his voice told me that he knew the real reason they were here.
“Alex Gregory, we’re bringing you in for questioning regarding the murders of Harry Farley and Josh Finnigan,” Officer Ernesto read out. His voice was apologetic and I noticed there were a couple of other sheepish faces amongst the collection crew. This decidedly public course of action hadn’t been everyone’s idea.
“Who gave that order?” the detective asked, sounding mildly curious.
Right on cue Detective Treesden walked through the door. “I did. Recent events have led our superiors to deem it necessary for me to return.”
“Bet I know who told those superiors what to do,” Alex muttered, darkly, leaving me to wonder again what the detective was really tied up in. “Would you mind telling me what evidence you have that makes you believe I have anything to do with these terrible crimes?” he asked, raising his voice.
Detective Treesden looked uncomfortable. “It will be discussed down at the station as part of your questioning. For now, I am suspending your position.”
“I suppose our superiors also told you that it was essential to make this into as much of a public scene as possible,” Detective Gregory continued with an expression as hard as marble.
For just a moment, Treesden hesitated. When he’d been on his way out to retirement, he and Detective Gregory had come across to me as potential cronies, but with this single embarrassment, I knew that Detective Treesden had forged himself an enemy more powerful than he knew. “Just come with us,” he said, and there was a plea in his voice that already hinted of regret.
I watched as the whole parade left with Detective Gregory in their midst.
“My, my! What a surprising turn of events. We all thought he was a good sort,” I heard a well-spoken voice say. I turned to find it was a couple of men whom I recognised from The Lords of the Downs. They were in the midst of exchanging knowing smiles. I realised that they’d known all along that the detective himself was under some sort of suspicion. They’d wanted the drama to add some spice to their night.
I made myself a firm promise there and then that their manipulation and power play would come to an end. I was going to go up against The Lords of the Downs, and to heck with the consequences!
I looked down at the piece of glass in my hand and recalled Nigel Wickington’s words of warning. With a secret smile I resolved to bin the stupid award as soon as I got back home. It was a small act of rebellion, but for me it was just the beginning.
I looked around for Auryn and discovered he was deep in conversation with Nigel Wickington and a few of the other club cronies. With a deep breath I walked over to their group.
“We’re going out for a few drinks together,” Auryn called out when he saw me approaching. “I’ll be back later on.” He had an easy smile on his face, but I saw the truth written in his eyes. Despite winning a much-coveted award, Auryn was still worried that his new ‘friends’ might pull the rug out from beneath him at any time.
Inside I was boiling up with rage but I pasted an equally care-free smile on my face. “Have fun and don’t drink too much!” I gently chided as surely any dutiful partner would. On cue, the men laughed and nudged Auryn for being ribbed by his missus.
I turned around and left them to it. As I walked across the car park back to the car, I felt a steely resolve to right the wrongs that were going on around me. If it hadn’t been for that look in Auryn’s eye and the way the detective had been manipulated along with everyone else, I wasn’t sure I’d have acted the same way, but all of the injustices had got up my nose. There was a murderer on the loose and I knew her ide
ntity. I wasn’t about to let her walk free - especially when I suspected she was also responsible for the theft of many much-loved pets. No matter what I thought of some of the people who owned those animals, I was not about to let their fates go unknown. It was time to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Sorry Auryn, I silently apologised as I searched through my emails and found my old tenancy agreement, which contained all of the contact details for Sophia herself - who had been employed to field any calls from tenants for the landlord. Her address was listed right along with her phone numbers. With grim determination, I set off to catch a killer.
I pulled my car off the road down a quiet lane around a quarter of a mile away from Sophia’s house. In all the ruckus, I couldn’t recall whether I’d left the meeting before or after she had, but I didn’t remember seeing her on my way out, so I had to assume that she’d already left with Andy Wright. With a bit of luck, she’d be spending some more quality time with him, but I wasn't going to bet on him being anything other than a convenient date.
I hesitated on the lane when I was only a few hundred metres away from where my sat nav claimed her property was. We were in a rural location and here I was, walking down the only access road. It was hardly subtle. And what was I going to do when I arrived? Knock on the door and ask her politely if she had any evidence that might prove she was the killer?
“Think, Madi!” I said and made my first decent decision by getting off the road. Once I was on the other side of the hedge, I found myself on the edge of a field that had been left to become a meadow. Long grass and wild flowers came up to my waist and I hoped that they would help me appear less visible to anyone looking out of a window. The night was in my favour, as it would be hard for anyone in a lit room to see anything beyond the darkness outside, but I wasn’t going to make the mistake of underestimating Sophia. She was a resourceful woman, as she’d proven in the first murder, and I didn’t want to be caught out.