by Emily Selby
'No, but Miss O'Reilly rang me to apologise she had not been able to visit her nearest station with the phone because she had been sick and spending time with a relative. She said she posted the phone to me, care of Sunnyvale police station via her sister,' Jack said, his face deadpan.
'That's bizarre.'
'The phone turned up in the reception this afternoon,' Jack added.
Katie laughed nervously. 'This is crazy. Why?'
'No idea. I've passed the phone to the forensic team. It's been wiped clean, no fingerprints at all.'
'What you're going to do now?' Katie asked, still surprised.
'I'm not sure, but I need to cancel my appointment with Mrs Fischer Number One and have another chat with Mrs Fischer Number Two.'
'Ava?'
'That's right. What about you?'
Katie glanced at Julia, who looked like she was reading her book.
'I need to get home, feed my daughter and wait for her dad to come and pick her up. It's his turn to have her for the weekend.'
Jack's face lit. 'Does this mean you're free tonight?'
'I am,' Katie said, smiling. 'And you?'
'I can't promise, but I'll do everything in my power to make it happen. I'll let you know.'
'I'll prepare dinner.'
'No. The dinner is still on me. Probably a pizza if you don't mind.'
'Not at all, as long as you’re there to share it with me.'
'I'll take you out to a proper nice meal once this all over.'
'No problem, Jack. I'll be delighted to just spend time with you.'
'So will I,' he said. 'Sorry, I've got to run,' he turned on his heel.
She watched him stride to his silver Vauxhall. He bent to open the door and ... blew her a kiss.
Was she imagining things?
Her heart skipped a beat and then trotted off into a dancing thump-pump.
Katie drove back, with her head full of confusion and her heart thumping a happy song.
Katie was relieved to have leftover pie in the fridge - just enough for Julia.
Katie had a hunch she’d be eating pizza later.
30
Once Julia disappeared in Barry's flashy red sports car, and the car drove into the dark and cold January's evening Katie jogged back to her kitchen, which was warm, cosy and full of light. She washed up the dishes and put away whatever needed to be put away. With a cup of freshly brewed Earl Grey tea, she sat at the table, thinking.
To be fair, she’d felt a little inadequate earlier, when Chris and Jack exchange their professional comments. She should have really thought about DNA! How could she forget?
Maybe it was a good idea to start learning about forensic science more than just sporadically reading online articles?
She'd read the book Jack gave her for Christmas from cover to cover, but that was about the psychology of criminal behaviours. She needed more. Jack mentioned online courses, some of which might be free. She could maybe ask him for recommended topics to start with.
And no, she reminded herself, she was not choosing the future direction for her studies. She hadn’t even decided to pursue further education. She was simply trying to get better at what she's been doing - investigating murder mysteries to help get justice for the victims and their families.
And to help Jack, of course.
Perfect. She'd ask him tonight.
With her pride hurting a little less, Katie reached for her notebook. But did she have anything to add to her notes?
Katie read the page with her jottings. She crossed off Miriam's and Julian's names so hard, the pen ripped through the paper. What a relief! At least she’d taken two friends off the suspect list. Of course, as Jack would probably say, there was no such thing as one hundred percent certainty, but if the murderer tossed the pills into the bin, it couldn't have been either of them.
Three suspects remained. Chloe was greedy and might have attempted to blackmail the killer. But she’d been trapped in the industrial bin and stood to lose the most if Benjamin changed his will.
Oh, that darned will!
What did Benjamin want to do with it?
He ripped up the codicil, but it didn't matter. The wife was still his wife and the court would look at her as such when dividing Benjamin's estate, even if he did disinherit her. Katie remembered reading about it while she was going through her divorce. Was it really the way Jack explained the other day?
Katie grabbed her phone and ran a quick search.
Yes, here it was on Google, clear as day. If the death of an ex-spouse occurred within twelve months of the day the divorce was granted, but the surviving partner hadn't received any financial provision, then the court might treat the applicant as if the marriage was still valid.
On the other hand, the court would not consider the ex-wife's request if it discovered she had killed the hubby.
Katie put the pen in her mouth and tried chewing on it, but the tip was already so flat and fluffed up, and it felt like sucking on a piece of an acrylic jumper. She took it out and bit her lip instead.
Not half as helpful.
Her brain was still working too slowly. She was stuck.
Unless, of course, the motive for Benjamin's murder was not money but something else entirely. A strange idea, but since she'd been unable to find a solution, maybe she was looking at the wrong problem.
If not money, what then?
During their previous case, Jack told her that the three key reasons for which people committed murders were love, lust or loot. If she crossed off loot, which of the remaining two would be a better fit?
Katie stared at her notes again.
Ally hated Benjamin. She returned home from London, to the little town that was probably well below her ambitions, because a stubborn and dishonest man insisted she do something she considered fraudulent.
Katie hunched. Ally was an honest person. Incapable of harming anyone.
Or was she?
Katie shivered. She'd rather not think about it.
Chloe was still a strong contender for Benjamin’s murder, despite being dead. Her easy access to the murder method was key. She could have overheard Benjamin's conversation about meeting with Ava and misinterpreted the purpose of it. Or maybe there was something else. Enough to push her to decide to kill him on the evening he was to spend with his wife. And then, spy on him outside the café to and watch it happen.
Katie gasped. That did make sense! Perfectly.
But if Chloe killed Benjamin, why did she have to die and who strangled her?
Did someone have a secret worth killing for?
Katie ran through some of the previous cases to spark her thinking.
A secret child? Being implicated in a serious crime? Being implicated in a crime and not able to keep the secret? An inconvenient witness?
The last one fit the best.
And if this was the case, then the suspect number one had to be Ava.
Back to Ava then.
She had the opportunity, she had the knowledge. Benjamin promised her financial provisions in case of his death, but somewhere during that evening of reconnection, he changed his mind, he decided to alter his will. The message left with the solicitor mentioned not being sure how to handle the situation.
The situation, not the codicil.
The codicil solved the problem of Ava's share, but another situation must have arisen in the meantime.
Katie put the chewed-on pen in her mouth again and spit it out immediately. She looked around for another potential "thinking helper".
Her phone rang. It was Miriam.
'Hi Miriam, how are you?' she asked.
'Tired and emotionally drained, but at least I've got Nathan with me.'
'That's good. How can I help?'
'I'm calling you because I had an unexpected visit from Alistair.'
Katie stifled a groan. She forgot to let Mr McBride know if she was able to start work this weekend! Bother!
Was it a sign that she
had celebrated her new job prematurely?
'Mr McBride?'
'Yes. He asked me if you were a good worker. Are you getting a new job?'
Oh, the cheek! If he didn't know enough about her, he should have checked her references, formally or informally. Going behind her back to collect gossip on her was just unfair.
'I hope so. That is, if Mr McBride still intends to employ me,' Katie said frostily.
'He already promised you the job, I understand.'
'That's my understanding, too.'
'Oh, old Alistair,' Miriam said in a dismissive tone, and Katie imagine her waving her hand. 'He can be so full of himself, he forgets his graces. Are you sure you want to work for him?'
Of course, she wasn't! But was it a good idea to share her doubts with Miriam?
'Apparently, it's his daughter I'll be mainly dealing with.'
'She's the manager. She's alright, Katie. If it's her, you'll be fine.'
'Thank you, Miriam. That's reassuring.'
'But you see, Katie, there is a little problem with that job,' Miriam said anxiously.
Not another one!
'Is it solvable?' Katie asked.
'I'm not sure what to do now. I was thinking about recommending you as the president of the Crafts Club, but how on earth are you going to do all that, and with that extra job?'
A little warm spot flickered in Katie's chest.
'Recommend me as the president? Thank you for your faith in me, Miriam. Why not Ally? I think you were quite convinced that Ally would be great. And I support that.'
'This town is in so much distress at the moment, everyone seems to be having a meltdown, including me,' Miriam said impatiently. 'Ally called me earlier, crying. She says she needs to take a break for a while. Maybe spend some time in the city, looking for a job. She says this sad case made her realise she needs to keep her brain busy otherwise, she's not happy.'
'Is she thinking of returning to London?'
'Maybe, or maybe not. I'm wondering if Benjamin's death didn't suddenly open an opportunity for her. She can now return to her old employer, who, if it hadn't been for Benjamin, was very happy with her. Or so I was told by Ally's mother.'
Again, Ally! It looked as though she really benefitted from Benjamin's death.
'But wouldn't that be too sad? With her friend, Chloe, dying as well?'
'You would need to ask Ally about it.'
Katie wouldn't dare, but she knew a certain inspector who would without a blink.
'So, what am I supposed to do with the club thing now?' Miriam asked again.
'I don't know, Miriam, but I feel we all need to wait a little longer to recover, and for people to go back to their normal functioning. We may even need to call off the February meeting.'
'That sounds like a good idea,' Miriam said heavily.
'How is Julian?'
'A little calmer now. They're still running tests.'
'And what about you?'
'I'm happier now Julian has settled, but still worrying about him. It's good to have Nathan with me. He can deal with all that paperwork related to Benjamin's death. I hope it's all clear soon and they release the body, so we can bury him.'
'Fingers crossed it happens soon,' Katie said as reassuringly as she could.
As soon as she ended the conversation with Miriam, Katie rang the hotel. She had to apologise for ringing late, but also let them know she could come on Sunday morning for a couple of hours.
For some unknown reason, she had a hunch the case would be over by then.
31
Jack arrived a little after Katie ended the conversation with Miriam. He brought in a large pizza with two different toppings.
'I remembered you liked unusual combinations with fruit, so I've got chicken and apricot to try, and then the classic Margarita, for those who don't feel so adventurous tonight,' he said opening the box, smiling wide.
Steam lifted from the surface filled the kitchen with mouth-watering aromas of basil, melted cheese and other yumminess.
Perfect for a cosy tête-à-tête.
'Sound great,' Katie said and clapped her hands. 'I'll get the plates and the condiments. You grab that pizza plate from the bench and set the table.'
A few minutes later they were sitting and tucking in.
'What's the news, lead inspector?' Katie asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
'Chris managed to get hold of someone in the New Zealand Nursing Council and then followed up a few Antipodean leads. This man deserves a medal. He spent hours on the phone searching for people. It seems Ava has worked there on and off, doing locums around the country between 2011 and 2016. He found a strange incident with the police over there. In November 2011, a body was found in the bush, in the far north of the island. A woman in her thirties, hanging. The local police suspected that it was Ava's body. She had been working in a hospital in the region, but she didn't return to work after a break, which was several weeks earlier. Apparently, Ava rang the agency and the hospital explaining she needed more time for personal reasons. It was an agency job, so they sent someone else. It was hard to identify the body due to the decay processes. It was a hot month. The police contacted the only relative Ava Fischer had identified as next of kin, which was her sister, Keeva, in Ireland. She visited and was adamant it wasn't Ava's body. Keeva insisted the clothes, and the jewellery found on the corpse and nearby didn't match Ava's style. She even showed them a photo with different earrings.'
'Not particularly robust evidence, is it?'
'No, I agree. But then, Keeva also told the local police Ava, as a devoted Catholic, would never have killed herself. Apparently, Keeva claimed to have received a recent message from Ava, but she couldn't produce it.'
'Did she give them contact details for Ava?'
'No, apparently, she didn't have any. Her sister had gone on some sort of adventure in South Asia with no satellite or mobile reception.'
'I suppose people do things like that. What about Ava's stuff? She must have been in some sort of accommodation when working in a hospital?'
'She was staying in a nurses' home. But the room had been cleared. It seems Ava checked out when she headed for her break.'
'Maybe already intending to never come back,' Katie added.
'It would appear so. A little later, the police got a message from Keeva saying she’d received a parcel with her sister's possessions and a little note that she’d gone on an adventure.'
Katie reached for her mug and realised it was empty.
'Gosh, I've forgotten about tea. Want some?' she said, climbing to her feet.
'Yes please, that would be great,' Jack replied, grabbing another slice of pizza and dribbling extra virgin olive oil on it.
Katie put the kettle on.
'Where was Ava when she was not in the hospital and not hanging in the bush?' she asked, preparing the mugs and the teapot. Tonight, she’d decided to dust off the teapot and have a proper "cuppa" without the bags swimming in it.
'Nobody knows. She didn't say.'
'There must be a record of her leaving the country?'
'Aha,” Jack said, leaning forward, ‘this is when it gets interesting again. There is a proof of Keeva leaving New Zealand, but not Ava.'
'What happened to Ava?'
'We found a record of her returning to New Zealand, in 2012. She had a residency visa by then, and she was free to come and go within that five-year time period.'
'But not leaving New Zealand in 2011?'
'No.'
'Interesting...'
The kettle flicked, and Katie poured steaming water into the pot. The refreshing aroma of bergamot hit her nose. Yeah, that was what they needed. Something to help them think, because the situation was getting more and more confusing.
'That's what I think, too. And I've had another chat with our lovely widow.'
'Who has explained these strange things, I hope.'
'She did. Ava had no idea why the airline or the border control hadn't recor
ded her exiting the country. She hadn't paid attention to anything at the time, claiming she had a delayed reaction to the split-up with Benjamin. She needed to get away from it all and put everything straight in her head. She was battling with some faith issues, she claims, and she went to travel to discover her spirituality. That's why she disappeared quietly. She wrote her sister a couple of emails about it and decided to return to Ireland when she finally received Keeva's message about the search for her in New Zealand.'
'All those messages are deleted by now, I suppose?'
'No. She's kept them and promised to find them and forward them to me. She also said I could call Keeva and ask her about it.'
'Hm... Maybe I am a bit too suspicious, but she's very keen to collaborate, our Ava.'
'She certainly is,'' Jack said twisting his mouth to the side. In terms of concentration, he looked miles away.
'Any more bizarre disappearances and reappearances?'
'As a matter of fact, yes,' Jack snapped back into here and now, with his blue eyes focused on Katie. 'We've got Ava returning to Dublin from Hong Kong two weeks after Keeva's trip to New Zealand.'
Katie put the teapot on the table. 'You've done a lot of digging.'
'We certainly have,' Jack agreed.
Katie returned for the mugs. 'Out of interest, did you find a record of Keeva's travel back from New Zealand to Dublin?'
'Yes.'
'All the way through?'
'What do you mean?'
Katie set the mugs on the table and the tugging in her gut returned. 'Just had a hunch...' she said, chuckling.
'Fire away,' Jack said hastily.
'All those comings and goings, and phone calls and willingness to cooperate. Mobiles and clothes sent by post. Recorded messages serving as an alibi. Don't you feel it's all too good to be true?' she said, watching him carefully.
Jack rubbed his cheeks, already adorned with a bluish shadow. An imagined image of her smooth cheek sliding against his popped in her head, but Katie pushed it aside.
Focus Katie! You're onto something!
'That's what I've been thinking,' he said. 'Tell me more.'
'Two sisters. One travels a lot, the other is housebound. One of them used to get homesick even in England. But, strangely enough, she’s the one who happens to end up travelling the world, working in foreign countries.'