by Emily Selby
'So, Erin’s recommendation came as no surprise. Plus, it's likely that Joe Brown, or whoever he really is, was talking about the house at Stream Drive, whether it was a renovation project or a search for a hidden treasure.'
Okay, so now, the suspicions were pointing at Erin and Joe Parker. But was it enough?
'Do you have any more reason to suspect Erin?'
Chris' shoulders slumped. 'No, sadly.'
'Have you checked her ex-boyfriend's alibi?'
'Yep. He showed me his return tickets to London, and his friend confirmed he was staying with him.'
'Apparently, he was doing a photo job for someone?'
'This was a hobby project,' he explained. 'He lied to Erin about it because she didn't like him spending time and money on things unlikely to bring money.'
'Yeah, Erin is quite pragmatic. Not much fun,' Katie admitted, remembering some of their conversations in the Paper Crafts Club.
'He hinted this was one of the reasons why they broke up,' Chris added. 'He does come across as someone who likes a bit more spontaneity in his life.'
'So, he's off the list as well,' Katie said, unable to keep the disappointment from her voice. Jason did make sense as a suspect, but his alibi appeared solid. 'Our suspect list is shrinking. What about our doctor with the grudge?'
'Apparently, she denies having a grudge against Archie. But-' Chris paused, lifting his index finger and waving it, no doubt for a dramatic effect, 'she admitted Archie told her about the job he was offered.'
Interesting development.
'How come? When did he do that?' Katie asked.
'During his last consultation, mid-November, I think. He told her an old friend had contacted him, asking for a favour. He appeared excited about it but didn't give the doctor any details.'
Katie chewed on her cheek. 'Hang on a second,' she said, suddenly remembering a comment made earlier. 'Didn't Ric Marino say it was Archie who contacted him to invite him to the birthday celebrations?'
Chris looked at her with a glimmer of something in his grey eyes – something she interpreted as admiration.
'You're right. Is the doctor lying then?'
'No,' Katie corrected Chris. 'Ric’s the one who might have lied here. The doctor would only know what Archie Blackburn told her, and if Archie told her it was this way-'
'Not necessarily,' Chris cut in. 'Archie might not have told her about the friend at all. She might have made it up once the word about the mysterious friend was out. This town is teeming with gossip—'
'Oh!' Katie hunched. 'I can see the logic now. You're right.' She thought a little more about the situation. 'Did the doctor know the job had anything to do with the old house?'
Chris shook his head. 'She says she had no clue, and she didn't ask. But we have no one else to confirm or refute her statement.'
Katie nodded slowly. This seemed to be a theme in this case: all their witnesses admitted openly to have interacted with the victim but had no one else to confirm their words. Just as Ric Marino could have lied about the purpose of 'the little job' at Stream Drive, or who invited whom, Erin - about her connection with Joe Parker, Dr Burns could have omitted the crucial information shared by Archie during the consultation or made some up.
With the suspect list shrinking, potential motives not holding water and witnesses not bringing much to the investigation, Katie grasped at one of the remaining straws.
'I hope Jack can find out something useful during his little chat with Joe,' she said. 'I'm glad he's exploring this trail.'
Feeling assured the investigating team was exploring the same hypothesis she was, and knowing she would be seeing Jack later, Katie returned home. On the way, she collected Julia from her drama club, and decided it was too late and too slippery to drive to the allotment.
23
Julia wasn't happy.
'But mum, you promised we'd do the table decorations for the living room and something for my bedroom. Why couldn't you bring those branches? You've had all day!'
Julia moaned all the way home.
After two or three attempts at explaining how busy she’d been at work, Katie gave up. There was only so many little white lies she could tell.
To sweeten the pill, Katie suggested Julia could choose the new spot for the door number and the wreath.
Although she had to drive to the community centre during the rush hour, at that point, her mummy guilt was bigger than her reluctance to be stuck is slow-moving traffic.
The moment they arrived, Julia jumped out of the car.
'Christmas lights!' she squealed. 'Oh, Emma and Rochelle,' she added a second later.
Indeed, the Christmas lights over the square were blinking. Michelle, both her daughters and an older couple were standing across the square.
'Mum, I'll go and say hello to Emma,' Julia shouted, while running towards the square.
Katie waved at Michelle's family. Michelle waved back, showing that she was okay with Julia joining them.
'I'll be in the crafts room,' Katie called to Julia.
Katie put the key into the lock only to discover the door was already unlocked. She pressed the handle and walked into the dark room.
Who had left the room unlocked?
'Hello, anybody here,' she said, feeling the wall for the switch.
A dark silhouette emerged from the walk-in cupboard storage space behind the tea-and-biscuits corner.
'Who’s that?' a female voice replied.
Katie flicked the light on.
It was Erin! Standing by the door to the storage area, shading her eyes.
'It's you, Katie,' Erin said, with a mix of surprise and - what else – annoyance?
'Yes. What are you doing here?'
'Looking for my old craft knife. My new ones haven't arrived yet and I have some Christmas decorations to make.'
Doubt tugged at Katie's stomach, which had become her makeshift lie detector.
'But you said the blade was unusable.'
Erin nodded vigorously. 'Yes, the blade is too blunt. But the knife has a fancy function - it can cut twine safely. It's really cool. Look, I've cut myself twice today.' She lifted her right hand to show the sticking plasters covering her two fingers.
'I see.' Katie relaxed her jaw a little. 'I think you put it in the bin last night before the party.'
'That's right,' Erin replied. 'But it's not there now. Someone must have emptied it.'
'Of course, with all the food leftovers and dirty paper plates, they would have.'
'Where do you normally put the rubbish bag?'
'There’s a big bin, in the car park, in front of the main entrance,' Katie replied.
No matter how motivated to find her old craft knife, Erin would not dare to rummage in a rubbish bin in front of crowds admiring Christmas lights. On top of that, it was too dark to see anything in the bin anyway.
It was also too dark to see there was another bin, much closer to the crafts room, in fact, just around the other corner. And this was the one used by the Paper Crafts Club.
What was suddenly so special about an old craft knife, no matter how fancy, to look for it in rubbish bins, in the dark?
'You may need to use scissors,' Katie said, heading for the shelves with her boxes.
Erin's pale face twitched.
'I've tried. They're not as good,' Erin replied, watching Katie attentively. 'What are you after?'
'I need a screwdriver to remove the door number, so I can put up the wreath.'
'Have you tried a knife?'
'Yeah, broke it. I'm not risking another one. The screw is rather rusty,' Katie threw over her shoulder, squatting by the shelves. 'Who could have a screwdriver in their craft toolbox? Any idea?'
'No, not really.'
Katie turned her head and glanced at Erin. 'What about you? You're a building specialist. Do you have any heavier tools here?'
Oh, my ... she hoped it didn’t sound like a question about potential murder weapons.
E
rin laughed nervously. 'No, I don't keep anything like that. I don't generally have to use tools on site. And if I do, I improvise. Screwdrivers are easy to replace unless you need a special one. I often use knives. But if the screw head has a wide slot, you may need something thicker. Like a coin.'
'A coin?' Katie asked, her voice breaking into a sharp pitch. She swallowed and carried on calmer. 'What type of coin?'
'Try different sizes.'
'That is a brilliant idea,' Katie said, slowly rising to her feet. Her head was humming and her heart was galloping again. 'That'll work for sure. Thank you.'
Katie crossed to the window, pretending to look outside, but in fact, checking the content of her inner pocket through the lining.
'I can't see Julia yet,' Katie said slowly. The coin from the crime scene was still there! Thank goodness! 'I'll hang around here waiting for her. What about you, Erin? Are you going to go and look for the knife in the big bin?'
Erin's face twitched again. 'No, I'm not that crazy,' she said, giving another nervous laugh. She walked up to the door. 'I'll go and suffer with the scissors, I suppose,' she added and stepped outside.
So that was how it was done! With a coin. Would Erin go and search the bin? Should Katie ring Jack? Now?
Having checked all the nooks and crannies to make sure the rubbish bags weren’t hidden somewhere in the room, Katie stepped outside and locked the door. Erin was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Julia.
Katie discreetly checked the corner where the bin was. It was dark and quiet. She should get the police to check the place.
Katie trotted around the building to the community centre side. Julia, Emma and Rochelle were chasing one another and pretending to catch the lights above their heads. Michelle waved at her, making 'T' letter with her hands.
'Julia, we're going back home, baby. We still have work to do,' Katie yelled. She probably should have said hello to Michelle's parents, but she didn't want to leave the craft room entrance unattended. She'd apologise for her impolite behaviour on Boxing Day.
Katie retreated to the crafts room side and pulled up Jack's number. 'I know who did it and how, but I'm not sure about why,' she said simply when he answered her call.
'What? Are you alright?' he asked with a note of concern in his voice.
'I'm in the top form,' she replied. 'I think your team should check a rubbish bag.' She explained where to find it and what to look for.
'Noted,' Jack's voice turned official. 'I still don't know who you're talking about.'
'Erin Blackburn, of course. I bet she damaged her fancy craft knife on the plastic ties and screws in the attic hatch. And, by the way, I also have the coin she used to loosen the screws. You may be able to find her fingerprints on it. Hopefully, not too mixed with mine,' she added a little less confidently, making a solemn promise to start carrying a pair of tweezers and a stash of plastic Ziploc bags in her handbag. Just in case. Oh, and a pair of surgical gloves.
'This is crazy, Katie.'
'I know. That's why I need you to trust my hunch and find the evidence.'
'This is crazy, Katie.'
'You're repeating yourself, dear Inspector.'
'It's because you sound crazy, dear Watson. Why do you think she did it?'
Katie sighed.
'I can answer the question "Why do I think she did it", but I can't quite answer the question why she did it. You may have more information than me. After all, you've talked to Joe Parker, haven't you? I suspect this is all related to the missing treasure trove.'
'Sorry, I don't follow. You lost me at the initial explanation.' A note of frustration crept into his voice.
'I'm trying to answer your question logically. Why do I think she did it? Because she just explained to me how she uses coins instead of a screwdriver to undo rusted screws, and she was far too keen to dive into a rubbish bin to find a blunt craft knife that can cut through twine and other things. And on the day when we discovered the body, I found a coin by the fence, behind my workshop, right beside the loosened plank. That was the place where Ric Marino heard the killer.'
'Katie, I can't act on a whim like that.'
'A whim? I thought it was a piece of crucial evidence. Ask Roy Dunbar about the coin. He saw me picking it up.'
'Why didn't you give it to me earlier?'
'Because I didn’t think it was relevant. At the time, I thought I was lucky to find some money. I would have normally given it to Julia, but I completely forgot. A lot happened that day.'
'Mum, I'm back. Are we going?' Julia's voice pulled Katie back into the here and now.
'Just a second, baby,' Katie replied to Julia. 'Jump into the car. It's open.'
'Do you have to go?' Jack asked.
'Yes. Can you send someone to check the bin?'
'I really don't think it's relevant, Katie, but if you insist—'
'I do insist. And what about the coin?'
'I'll get it from you when I come over tonight.'
Well, at least that was something.
Katie finished the call and rushed back to the car and headed home. She needed to hang the wreath up before she earned any more 'bad mummy' points.
24
Back home, Katie unscrewed the door number using a fifty-pence coin. It did work. Erin clearly knew what she was talking about.
They still couldn't put the wreath up as they didn't have a hammer, but at least now, there was enough room for it on the door.
Then, they ate a quick dinner, after which Katie's anxiety kicked in. With a little time still to go, she tried cleaning the kitchen (which was already reasonably neat and tidy), while trying to sum up her thoughts on the case, and making sure her thinking was logical and supported by evidence. She wished she'd spent a little more time reading the book she'd bought.
Thinking about the book made her realise she had forgotten to buy a little something for Jack! This was shaping up to be a rather disastrous Christmas. But what could she get him? Her head was spinning, and it already felt like a well-stuffed Christmas stocking. There were no spare grey cells left she could charge with present-for-Jack thinking.
Exasperated, Katie set a reminder on her phone. Maybe she'd have more headspace tonight, after chatting with Jack. Or maybe transferring all the case-related thoughts from her overwhelmed mind onto a piece of paper would help? She'd definitely used her notebook much less during this investigation.
Katie grabbed her notebook and forced herself to sit. Her body was bursting with excess energy - a mixture of excitement at the discovery she made, even if she wasn't able to find evidence, and the anticipation of Jack’s arrival.
This case had been crazy. Everything had been happening so fast. She’d only found the body, what? Three days ago, and she was already closing in on the killer.
But then, she might be jumping to conclusions too early. Maybe, she was wrong.
Katie opened her notebook at the page with her recent jottings. The questions she’d written there only a few hours ago remained unanswered.
She drew a line and froze with her hand hovering above the page. What should she write? Erin did it? The statement felt incomplete.
Erin and Joe, then.
But why?
Because of the money. The fabled loot Tony Marino had supposedly hidden in the house.
Katie took a deep breath and gazed at the empty space at the bottom of the page. The familiar tugging in her stomach came to her attention again.
Her intuition was telling her to jump to one conclusion, but her newly discovered analytical process was resisting. She had still a lot to learn in the holistic investigation department.
Katie gulped. Now she understood how Jack must feel when she jumped to conclusions without any supporting evidence.
It was so darned frustrating!
She slammed the notebook closed and put it back on the counter. The clock was ticking and the mince pies wouldn't get themselves ready.
Katie set a couple of pies aside for Julia and took
them to her bedroom. A notice on the door said, 'Do not disturb, secret work in progress'. Katie left the plate on the floor.
'Left you some mince pies,' she shouted and ran downstairs, as the doorbell rang.
In the warm light coming from her landing, Jack's face looked soft, despite the dark circles under his eyes and the deep frown line dividing his forehead. A mist had gathered on his glasses, and a few droplets shone in his hair.
'Snow?' Katie asked, her heart making a tiny flip.
'I think, there is a little,' he said, following her inside. 'But not enough for a white Christmas. Where's your door number?'
'We've taken it off. With a coin, if you can imagine that.'
Jack inhaled sharply behind her back, but he didn't say anything.
'I've got a visitor,' Katie called when passing Julia's door. 'We'll be in the kitchen, baby.'
The plate had disappeared. At least the elves at work would be well fed.
She led Jack into the kitchen, and while he cleaned his lenses, she put the kettle on.
'Earl Grey?' she asked.
'Yes, please. No milk or sugar with this one. Oh, you made mince pies,' he added with a note of pleasant surprise in his voice.
'I have. I'm trying to get our first Christmas here organised as much as I can. The worst part are the decorations.'
'Cobblers' children and doctors' wives?'
She chuckled. 'A little like that, although, our handmade decorations are all up, mainly on the tree and in Julia's bedroom. It's the other things we have to get sorted. Like tools and fir branches. I still have to go and get them. Maybe tomorrow,' Katie sighed.
'You have some stars here.' Jack pointed to the decorations hanging from the kitchen curtains.
'Yes, a few. How about you? Where are you spending your Christmas?'
'I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. I was looking forward to a bit of a light week, having just closed Keith Starr's murder case. But it looks like your little town is a magnet for murders.'