“Yes,” replied her husband’s strained voice from a room on the right-hand side of the hallway.
Gillian smiled and wrinkled her nose, as she ushered the two women into the room.
“Sit anywhere you like ladies,” she instructed, “except there - that’s mine.” She pointed at the largest armchair.
Debbie and Karen sat down on a small two-seater chintz sofa closest to the door. They exchanged another swift, meaningful glance.
Ten minutes later, three more of Gillian’s team sat in the reading room. A teenage girl and boy who’d arrived together, and a fragile-looking woman in her late 40s called Dawn.
They’d all accepted their drinks from Kevin with thanks, but the conversation had floundered. Only the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner broke the silence. As three more minutes passed, the ticking seemed to get louder and louder.
Gillian shuffled the agenda papers for the seventh time. She smiled awkwardly at Debbie and Karen on her left, and the other three colleagues on her right. To Gillian’s increasing annoyance, two chairs remained empty.
“Well, I suppose we have waited long enough,” she announced. Her high voice cut through the silence and made the young boy and girl jump.
“I was rather hoping to have us all here tonight, given we’d finally found a Sunday evening we were all available.”
Gillian paused and stared at Debbie and Karen. She knew they’d tried to avoid the meeting, ever since she first suggested it four weeks ago.
Their eyes darted downwards, but they did not respond. Gillian didn’t push the matter further; after all, at least they had bothered to turn up.
“So, I take it…”
But before Gillian could continue, three loud bangs reverberated down the hallway, into the reading room.
“There is a bell,” muttered Gillian, with a roll of her eyes.
“Kevin!” she shouted, then turned to the others in the room with a wide smile.
As Kevin moved towards the door, he felt his chest and neck redden. He paused to wipe the sweat from his hands and delay the moment he’d come face to face with the woman behind the door. He usually couldn’t wait to see her, but tonight was different.
Three things happened in quick succession. Another bang echoed through the house, Gillian shouted ‘Kevin!’ again, and Kevin swung the door open too quickly. It crashed into the console, knocking the neat line of badges onto the floor.
As he glanced up, he saw someone unexpected standing there.
“Ah, Marie, is it?” he asked, wiping his top lip in relief. “Come on in.”
The short, weighty woman looked up at him with a rogue smile. She narrowed her eyes behind patterned glasses and a thick, strawberry blonde fringe and stepped towards him.
“Oh, I wouldn’t close that yet Kevin,” whispered Marie, as he leaned behind her to close the door. “She’s just coming.”
Kevin tightened his grip on the door, as a familiar aroma wafted through the gap; a concoction of Marlboro Gold and Chanel No.5. His neck began to redden again.
He turned away, but within seconds, the door swung open and crashed into the console again. A tall, thin figure stepped into the hallway and cast a shadow over the portrait of Kevin and Gillian on the wall.
She flicked the base of her cigarette with a long, red nail, then smirked as the burning ash dropped onto the welcome mat below. As she threw the end of the cigarette back out of the door, Kevin looked at her coyly, and Marie gazed up in awe. Renee Beck had made her entrance.
“We’re down here!”
Gillian’s shrill voice punctured the tension. Her head poked around the door of the reading room, as she waved her short arm up and down. Renee grabbed Marie’s coat from her, and threw it, along with her own, at Kevin with a wink.
“Big smiles, Marie.” Kevin heard Renee whisper, as her long, golden-brown hair swayed behind her. She sashayed down the corridor, her stiletto heels still on.
“Gillian!” exclaimed Renee, as she leaned down to embrace her much shorter boss.
“Lovely house,” she continued in her low, husky voice. “What an amazing use of space here, lovely colours on this portrait, don’t you think, Marie?”
Gillian withdrew from the embrace, which she’d neither enjoyed nor expected. In the reading room, the young boy and girl eyed each other nervously. Debbie and Karen whispered to each other while Dawn stared into space. Gillian’s jaw twitched; she needed to start the meeting as planned.
“I’m so sorry we’re late,” apologised Renee, as she spun round to address the room at large. “My cat, Princess, went missing. Always happens when I’m in a rush, luckily Marie found her in one of my kitchen cupboards!”
“Lucky indeed. But let’s move onto business,” interrupted Gillian, with a pointed glance at the grandfather clock.
“No, thank you, Kevin.” Gillian waved away her husband, who’d appeared at the door to collect new drinks orders. He didn’t need telling twice. He turned on his heel, marched back down the hallway and stomped up the staircase.
“Marie, why don’t you sit down here?” suggested Gillian with a smile, as she pointed at a single dining room chair, between herself and Karen.
Karen looked as though someone had put something unpleasant under her nose.
“And that leaves you over there, Renee,” continued Gillian.
She pointed to a hard-backed chair in the corner of the room. It was opposite Marie and almost hidden behind the young boy and girl on the squashy velvet sofa.
Debbie and Karen exchanged another smile and glance, as Renee and Marie grudgingly took their separate seats.
“Let’s try this again,” said Gillian to the now full room. “I take it you all know why we’re here?”
“Anyone?” she continued after a few seconds of silence.
“Because you invited us,” answered Karen, though she received a sharp jab in the ribs from Debbie.
“Yes, thank you, Karen,” replied Gillian with another hint of impatience.
“I invited you all to discuss our performance in this ah, informal, setting. It has been a slightly challenging time, but…”
Seven heads turned in Renee’s direction as she attempted, and failed, to pass off her snort of laughter as a sneeze.
“Oh, come on,” laughed Renee. “It’s a bit of an understatement to describe two murdered colleagues as a ‘slightly challenging’ time, isn’t it? It’s been hell!”
Marie raised her hand to her head as Gillian glared at Renee.
“That may be, Renee,” replied Gillian icily, “but it certainly isn’t funny either way. If you don’t want to take this seriously, you can leave.”
Renee frowned, folded her arms and sat back in her chair. She stuck her tongue out at Marie, who shook her head in return.
“I,” continued Gillian, “I mean, we, used to run the most efficient customer service team in the region. And we can do it again if we can learn to get along. But before we get into that, I’d like to welcome Jade and Ethan to the team.”
Gillian inclined her head towards the young girl and boy sat together on the velvet sofa. They both blushed under the gaze of the older women in the room.
“As everyone is well aware, since Janice and Caitlin, well, you know, we have struggled to cover all the hours. Renee going full-time has helped,” admitted Gillian, with a slight twitch.
“But the addition of Jade and Ethan should solve this fully and help make our work environment less tense. I wish you both the best of luck.”
The other women in the room nodded solemnly in agreement.
“Does anyone have the latest from the police on what happened? Have they caught anyone yet?” Karen asked the room at large. Gillian rolled her eyes; this wasn’t on the meeting agenda.
“You know, I think we might have heard something if they had,” replied Marie.
“Well, not necessarily,” retorted Debbie, as she leant across Karen to defend her. “There might be things the police don’t share wi
th the media.”
“Or with suspects, like some of us?” interjected Renee from the corner; she leant as far forward as she could, to get close to the conflict. Her large, amber eyes reflected the light from the fire.
“This is what I mean,” shouted Gillian suddenly. “We’re not suspects, for goodness sake.”
The room fell silent again. Renee slunk back into her chair and stared at her bright red nails.
“Renee,” sighed Gillian.
“What?”
“Why, whenever I hear reports of rows and inappropriate behaviour, is it something to do with you?” asked Gillian bluntly, though she kept her tone light and smiled.
“I couldn’t tell you, Gillian. I don’t go looking for trouble, but trouble always finds me. Story of my life.” Renee laughed and paused for a reaction, which she didn’t get.
“I wasn’t aware there had been complaints about me, Gillian, and unless you’re willing to share them with me, I don’t know how you expect me to defend myself.”
Gillian’s eyes narrowed, and her cordial smile faded. Renee held her glare from across the room.
With a cough to break the tension, Marie paved the way for her entrance into the discussion.
“It’s like Karen was saying the other day, it’s you two who need to keep your tempers down. But then, Karen is the only one here who does have formal complaints against her.”
Gillian’s gaze switched to Karen, who looked nervously at Debbie on her left. Debbie stared at Marie with a look of loathing.
Renee exhaled, stood up and tip-toed past the bookcase towards the door with a swish of her hair.
“Bathroom,” she whispered, and she smiled and winked at Marie as she left the room.
Upstairs, Kevin heard the sound of Renee’s high heels against the wooden floor.
He leant on the doorframe of one of the guest bedrooms and watched Renee float up the carpeted staircase. She was smiling to herself, revealing small dimples on both of her cheeks. She withdrew a pack of cigarettes and lighter from her trouser pocket.
“You do know it is forbidden to smoke in the house?” he asked with a smile.
She reached the top of the stairs and looked deep into his eyes, with one of her dark eyebrows raised. His voice was more confident now, and he felt a different kind of tension as she walked towards him.
“Oh, you know me, Kevin,” grinned Renee, as she grabbed his waistband. “I don’t like to play by the rules.”
Excerpt: Interview with Gillian Prince. Tuesday 7 August 2018, 15:00
Officer: Can you describe your relationship with Mrs Janice Locke and Ms Caitlin Murphy?
Gillian: I am, or should I say, was, their boss. Both of them.
Officer: Did you have any kind of personal relationship with either woman?
Gillian: No.
Officer: No after-work drinks, social dinners, children playdates?
Gillian: No, I don’t tend to socialise with colleagues. As the boss, my relationships should be professional. And I don’t have children.
Officer: Did you like Janice and Caitlin, get on with them?
Gillian: *Pause* Yes, as much as you can like and get on with colleagues you know very little about. They worked hard; I never argued with them at work.
Officer: Do you have any idea why anyone would want to harm these women?
Gillian: No.
Officer: Did they ever mention any personal problems to you, ever ask you for money or appear troubled?
Gillian: They never mentioned personal troubles. Janice asked me for a pay rise a few years ago – though I don’t think that would be relevant. It was long overdue.
Officer: I have to ask, Gillian. Where were you on Friday, 3 August, between 21.30 and midnight?
Gillian: At home. I always spend Friday nights in, with my husband, Kevin.
Post-interview officer’s notes: Alibi confirmed. Neighbour recalls seeing Kevin drawing curtains on the front windows at The Manor at 21:00. Kevin confirms Gillian was at home for the entire evening with him, in their reading room, lounge and bedroom.
2: Thin Ice
Sunday 30th September 2018 - Renee
Adrenaline coursed through Renee’s veins as she perched on the end of the guest bed at The Manor. Next to her, her boss’ husband pulled up his trousers.
She watched him and wondered, as she often did, how Kevin had ended up married to Gillian. He was tall, dark and handsome, and in good shape for a man in his early forties, whereas Gillian was short, stocky and rather stern in the face.
Renee looked away before he turned towards her. She reached over to the balcony door, pushed it open, and lit a cigarette.
“Shouldn’t you go back now? You’ve been gone 15 minutes,” Kevin suggested, as he pulled his shirt back over his head.
“Now now, Kevin, we both know it hasn’t been that long.”
Kevin rubbed his stubbly chin and blushed.
“Won’t they be wondering where you are?”
“Oh, they’ll be too busy arguing to notice I’ve gone. Marie said it would be better if I dipped out for a bit. I need to let Gill focus her anger on Debbie and Karen, or something like that. Anyway, I’d rather be up here with you.”
Kevin raised his eyebrows and looked at Renee. He couldn’t entirely hide the glimmer of hope in his dark brown eyes.
“Oh,” said Renee in a dramatic tone, “come on now. Don’t look at me like that.”
“You’re all I think about. I want you to feel the same; I want you to be honest with me,” he muttered.
“Well, it’s been a year, Kevin. You’re my longest relationship ever, and I keep coming back for more, don’t I? Yet, I notice you’re still married.”
“But what if I wasn’t? Do you think...”
“Well, who knows,” interrupted Renee with a wave of her hand. “You’d have to roll the dice and find out, wouldn’t you? But until you do, this is an affair with no attachment, nothing else.”
Renee stood up from the bed and moved away from a deflated-looking Kevin.
She admired herself in a full-length mirror, next to a large wardrobe. Her long hair, good looks and perfect-ten figure made her look considerably younger than her 35 years.
“You’re the one who keeps talking about ending it anyway,” remarked Renee. She met Kevin’s sullen glance in the mirror.
He looked at his feet, ran his fingers through his short greying brown hair and sighed.
“I don’t want to end it, and you know that. It’s just that, when we met, you were at the other store and you didn’t know Gill. It was easier. But now you’re at Melwood and she’s your boss,” he sighed.
“Oh, but that makes it more fun!”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Hurt? What do you mean by that?”
Before Kevin could answer, Renee held her finger to her lips. She could hear footsteps; someone was marching purposefully up the stairs.
She remained rooted to the spot, but Kevin acted decisively. He scooped up Renee’s clothes from the floor, passed them to her and steered her towards the balcony door.
As she stepped out, she flinched at the coldness of the floor against her bare feet. Her heartbeat quickened as she pulled up her trousers and watched Kevin disappear into the wardrobe.
She hoped that whoever was now at the top of the stairs, would pick another room to enter. Yet, almost inevitably, the person turned right, as Renee had done, and entered the guest room.
“Oh God,” muttered Renee under her breath. “Please, not Gillian…”
Whoever it was, she was sure they would notice the unmade bed and the open balcony door. As quietly as possible, she tried to put on her blouse, despite the newly missing buttons. An agitated voice sounded from inside the room.
“I am at a work meeting, Mum, so unless it’s super urgent will you stop calling and messaging me because I can’t talk now.”
Renee breathed a silent sigh of relief; the young female voice was not Gillian’s. She
edged towards the open balcony door, to hear more of Jade’s conversation.
“I’ve already explained to you, I know what I’m doing,” Jade hissed down the phone. “Well, how else am I going to get the money for you?”
After another brief pause, she continued. “I’m not ungrateful, stop saying that, I’m under enough pressure as it is. I’ve got two jobs now, but I’m still behind on my rent. Ethan won’t leave me alone. And I do not need you judging me when you’re the one who comes begging for money every time you want drugs!”
On the balcony, Renee’s eyes widened with interest.
“Mum, please, I know you’ve stopped, and I know you worry about me. Look, I got a promotion at the supermarket. I’m a supervisor now. I’ll do more overtime, clear the bills and stop the other job, OK, then I’ll lay low for a bit.”
Jade was talking through gritted teeth. Renee was not surprised to hear a raised voice the next time she spoke.
“I’ve got nothing more to say, now I’ve got to get back to this work meeting, it’s important!”
Without warning, Jade hung up and stomped onto the balcony, causing Renee to jump and Jade to gasp in fright.
“Hi,” said Renee sheepishly, and she rearranged her grin into a more sombre expression.
“What are you doing here?” asked Jade. She looked Renee up and down, her eyebrows raised.
“I was smoking, of course,” replied Renee, as she took her packet of cigarettes and a lighter from her pocket. “And taking a break from the row downstairs. Would you like one?”
They lit their cigarettes and turned to look out from the balcony on the front of Gillian’s house. A similar mini-mansion stared back at them, two water fountains on the front lawn.
“A bit different to where we grew up,” commented Renee, sensing Jade’s thoughts.
“Just a bit different from the New Grange estate, yeah,” replied Jade with a sigh. “You heard the phone call?”
“Um, yes. Sorry, Jade, I should have let you know I was here, I thought I’d let you get on with it and then not mention it.”
Killer Princesses: Gripping and gritty, a twisty and tantalising thriller... Page 2