by Emily Selby
'Tea anyone? I need a cuppa,' she croaked.
'Boss?' Celia asked, looking at Inspector Lumley. 'I wouldn't mind a cup.'
Lumley nodded. Katie pulled three mugs out of the cupboard and fired up the kettle. She went through the motions automatically, leaning against the kitchen top.
'You're all right, Katie?' Celia asked, the first to break the awkward silence.
'To be honest, not really. I'm a bit giddy,' Katie decided to opt in for honesty. 'Why am I implicated in another murder? I haven't shaken off the effects of the previous two yet.' A wave of nausea blossomed in her stomach. She sipped her tea to suppress it and burnt her tongue for her pains.
'Come on, nobody suggests you're implicated,' Celia said and glanced at her boss. 'Boss?' She urged him.
'I say nothing,' he replied, his face as unreadable as ever.
'You never say much, Inspector.' Katie dared, wiping the moisture collecting in the corners of her eyes. 'I'm really shocked and scared and appalled.' Her shoulders shook. 'Another murder.'
Celia jumped to her feet and put her hand on Katie's shoulder.
'Easy... Katie,' she said soothingly, rubbing her back. 'Nobody is saying you're a suspect. And I'm sure since you were away you've got a solid alibi.'
'Alibi?' Katie wiped her nose. 'When for? And who is the dead person anyway?'
'Was. He is no more,' Inspector Lumley mumbled.
'We still need to confirm his identity, but one of the paramedics recognised him. Apparently, he's Zac Greenberg. Does this name ring a bell?' Celia said.
Katie thought for a while.
'No, not really. Was he local? How old was he?'
'Early twenties. He does-didn't live in Sunnyvale but visited his grandmother occasionally. The paramedics said he's been seen around town a lot over the past few weeks. A girlfriend or something.'
'Who's his grandmother?' Katie asked.
Inspector Lumley sighed heavily. 'Liz Kimber. Lives behind the post office. Always been trouble.'
'Liz Kimber's not trouble,' Katie protested.
Inspector sighed again.
'The boy.'
'So, he's known?'
Andy Lumley hesitated. He rubbed his chin again. Katie knew that parting with information never came easy to him. He should have become a lawyer!
'Please don't broadcast it, Katie,' he said eventually. 'The victim had a bit of a reputation up in Carlisle and Newcastle. Petty theft, disorderly behaviour, some breaking and entering; never serious enough to land him in jail though. I wouldn't be surprised if he stole the ring.'
'But you didn't find it on him?'
'No.' Celia shook her head. 'He had nothing on him, except the pry bar.'
'But why was he murdered? And why with my dip pen? And I really didn't think a dip pan could kill anyone.'
'Mhm. Post-mortem will tell,' Inspector Lumley joined in. 'Why murdered? Now that's a really good question.'
'How long has he been dead?'
'We need a post-mortem for that, but my guess between 18 and 24 hrs.'
'Last night then?'
'Or early hours of the morning.'
A weight lifted from Katie’s shoulders.
'I wasn't here. Once I dropped Julia off, I went to my mum's in Yorkshire and stayed there 'til this afternoon. I have witnesses.'
'Great,' Inspector Lumley said in a way Katie felt it was bad news for him.
'How come nobody noticed anything?' Katie asked Celia since Lumley was being so obstructive.
'We'll be canvassing the area in the morning, but the body was difficult to see. Pushed into the corner right under the ledge. I guess it’s probably only visible from your window. And since you were away, nobody has noticed until now,' Celia offered.
Katie nodded. Sadly, it made sense.
'And it's been raining since yesterday. Not exactly the weather to walk and look at roofs,' Katie suggested.
'Yep,' Celia said. 'Do you have the photo of the ring?'
'No, but I think there may be a photo in the police records. And I'm pretty sure Roy Dunbar, Mrs Dunbar's nephew, took a picture, too.'
'I'll check with Roy,' Celia offered.
They sat and sipped their drinks in silence for a short while.
'Right,' Inspector Lumley said, getting up. 'So, you didn't know the victim. You were away at your mum's, and the only thing that's missing is this ring. Correct?'
'I'll search the rest of my flat. In fact, I can start now, with the kitchen,' Katie said and climbed to her feet. She started checking the drawers.
'When did you last see the weapon?'
'What?' Katie's heart accelerated. She stopped with the cutlery drawer open.
'The pen,' Celia helped.
'Oh, that one,' Katie exhaled slowly, steadying her breathing. 'I haven't done any calligraphy or lettering for a while. Not since Easter, when we made Easter cards.'
Paper crafts had been Katie’s hobby for many years, her oasis of beauty and serenity, the antidote to the daily grind of office work and cleaning. But with the string of recent crimes crafting was quickly becoming less of an oasis and more a source of deadly weapons.
'Did you keep it under your knickers, too?'
Katie's cheeks burned. Inspector Lumley had a knack for being blunt to the point of insensitivity and often caused offence.
'No. I don't keep it at home. I've always stored it in my box, in the club. '
Now, it was Inspector Lumley's turn to blink blankly.
'The Paper Crafts Club, in the community centre. I've kept most of my arts and crafts stuff there since moving house after Barry and I divorced,' Katie explained, hoping Inspector Lumley would remember Barry Cox, one of his former officers and Katie's ex-husband.
'Ah, Barry.' Inspector Lumley's face came back to life. ' How is our Barry?'
Katie swallowed hard and curled her fingers into fists. She. Was. Going. To. Respond. Completely. Calmly.
'He's moved back to York.'
'Ah, yes,' Inspector Lumley flinched. 'He took the job I recommended.'
'And I'm very grateful for it,' Katie said quietly. She blew out a breath and relaxed her fists. Even though it had been months since the divorce, any thought of her ex-husband still made her want to scream.
She moved onto the cupboards. So far, the kitchen looked untouched.
'Going back to the pen,' Inspector Lumley said after an uncomfortable pause. 'We'll have to look at your boxes.'
'They're in the crafts room, in the community centre. I'll give you the key,' she replied and stepped to the hallway to grab her handbag. She found the key and put it on the table.
'Here it is. My boxes are on the bottom shelf, all marked with my name.'
Andy Lumley mumbled a thank you and shoved the key into his pocket. 'Any idea who could have taken the pen from your box?'
'All club members know I keep my gear in those boxes. I'm happy for people to borrow my tools, as long as they return them. That's why I've marked them with my initial,' Katie explained.
Inspector Lumley rubbed his chin again. 'That makes how many people?'
Katie thought for a while.
'The core group is about eight to ten. A few more come from time to time. Since the church fete preparations, we've had a lot of interest, people coming to help out.'
Inspector Lumley stopped rubbing his chin and drew his bushy eyebrows together. He didn't look happy at all. 'In a nutshell - a load of potential suspects.'
'Yes, unfortunately.'
'Have you seen anyone using the pen, or doing something that might have required it recently?'
Katie thought back to the last few club meetings. 'To be honest, Inspector, our meetings have been hectic lately with fete preparations and our own little dramas. I haven’t really paid much attention. Plus, anyone could have come to the club at any time and use any of the tools.'
Red blotches appeared on Inspector's round face. 'You mean?'
'There are three sets of keys to the club. One is with the
president, Miriam Fischer. Ally Baker, our treasurer and secretary, has a set, and I keep the third with me. All club members have the right to access the crafts room outside normal meeting times. They just need a key from one of us.'
The inspector released his breath through his nose. 'Messy,' he grunted. 'I suppose it'll be hard to make a list of people who have accessed the room over the past few months?'
Katie nodded. 'I'm afraid so. I don't even think we keep track of it. But I think we need to start.' A memory of a recent frightening encounter related to one of the previous murders flashed in her mind. She closed the pantry door and sat back at the table. All three of them remained in a tense silence for a while.
'What I can't understand is why someone used my pen. I mean, it’s not the most obvious murder weapon, is it,' Katie said, breaking the silence.
'Why indeed?' Inspector Lumley replied. 'Any theories? Enemies? Got under anyone's skin recently?'
'Apart from helping send Mrs Dunbar's murderer to jail, and uncovering some old secrets, you mean?' Katie asked, trying very hard to keep sarcasm under control. How on Earth would she know if she'd rubbed someone up the wrong way?
'Ah, yes. Indeed. The Bowers were implicated and not very happy, were they?'
Katie nodded, thinking about the impact her discoveries had on the wealthiest family in town. 'From what I heard, Michael Bower was fuming, and apparently, Mr Bower senior's health deteriorated as a result.'
'A grudge?' The inspector's bushy eyebrows shot up.
'I don't know them very well,' Katie replied. 'You'd better ask Chris. I mean, Sergeant Fox. He and Michael are friends.'
'Will do,' Inspector said and climbed to his feet. 'Well, e'd better go. You may or may not hear from us soon.'
'I'm back at work on Monday, sir,' she reminded him. Celia giggled. Inspector Lumley blinked again, picked his phone from the table and walked towards the door, ignoring her comment.
'By the way, you'd better sleep somewhere else tonight. We need to close the area off. Crime scene,' he added.
'Crime scene?' Katie gasped. 'Not that again.'
To be fair, last time it had been Mrs Dunbar, her former employer's house, and then the workshop Mrs Dunbar bequeathed to Katie.
'Yes. You need to pack up,' Inspector Lumley replied. 'Do you have a friend to stay with?'
Katie clasped her hands, collecting her thoughts. She could ring her best friend, Michelle. The Webbs had a large house.
'I do. I'll ring her immediately. How long for?'
'Oh, just a couple of days,' Inspector Lumley said absentmindedly. Katie shot a glance towards Celia who shrugged.
'Okay. Let's say until Tuesday, sir?'
But Inspector Lumley was already walking down the stairs, dialling a number on his phone.
'I'll stay with you, until another officer can come to supervise you packing up, Katie.' Celia touched Katie shoulder lightly. 'I hope everything is resolved really quickly. I'm so sorry this has happened to you again.'
'Thanks, Celia,' Katie said and dragged her feet down the steps to lock the door behind Inspector Lumley. Last thing she wanted was to have her door open. Having said that, the burglar, what’s-his-name came in even with the door locked.
She was petrified. Her head was pounding, her chest felt tight and her shoulders were aching from all that "holding together" she had done since the police had knocked on her door.
She trudged back upstairs, relieved Julia was away.
A cup of tea, a painkiller and a phone call to Michelle would help settle her.
A siren wailed outside. Katie checked her watch. Good job she hadn't unpacked her overnight bag. She just needed to pick up a few things for Julia.
It was going to be a long, sleepless night.
Okay, make that two painkillers, a call to Michelle and a cuppa at her place.
3
Michelle had been Katie's friend from the very beginning of Katie's life in Sunnyvale, thirteen years. Michelle, herself "just another Yankee in England", as she liked to call herself back then, was spending her summer house-sitting for her parents' old friends, which happened to be next door to the house Katie and Barry were renting at the time. Despite some differences, they hit it off immediately. Katie could always rely on Michelle, and tonight it was no different. After a quick call, Katie and her overnight bag appeared in Michelle's house.
The rain rattled on the roof. With kids in bed, the house was dark except for the kitchen. Katie and Michelle sat at the table, each with a cup of their favourite tea: wild berry fruit for Katie and almond green - for Michelle.
Kevin, Michelle's husband of ten years and a local boy, popped his head around the door. He greeted Katie with a barely noticeable nod.
'Going out. Got a deal to discuss with Robin,' he barked. His face was pale and his cheeks - sunken. He didn't even glance at Michelle when he was speaking.
'When will you be back?' Michelle asked, the tension in her voice palpable.
'I'll be back when I'm back,' he replied and was on his way towards the entrance door.
'You all right, Kev?' Michelle rushed after him.
The slamming of the door announced that Kevin had left the house.
When Michelle returned to the kitchen, her jaw was working back and forth. Breathing heavily, she walked to the windowsill and stood for a minute in silence, her arms crossed.
Katie waited for her friend to comment. Michelle always took time to process her thoughts and emotions, and she wouldn't speak until she knew what she wanted to say and how. Katie often envied her the emotional mastery.
'Gone,' she said eventually. 'Didn't take the car.'
'That's unlike him,' Katie said. 'What happened?'
'No idea.' Michelle picked her drink from the table and sipped it. 'I think he's out with his mates.'
'Drinking?'
A twitch of pain passed across Michelle's beautiful face. Her shoulders hunched.
'Probably.'
'A beer with mates on Saturday night sounds like a good idea, Particularly, if it's raining.'
'Yeah, but... he's been behaving strangely for the past few days.'
'Like this?'
'Yes. Keeping to himself. Spending time in the garage.'
'Maybe he's working on somebody's car?' Katie always thought the simplest solutions were the most likely. 'After all, he is a mechanic.'
Michelle shook her head so hard, her golden-brown locks spilled on her face.
'Yes, he is,' she said hesitantly and flicked her hair back. 'But this is different. Kev's not acting like himself and it's to do with somebody's car. I saw him having an argument with a guy. The same guy made some nasty phone calls to Kev. Not that I heard what he said, but Kevin was very upset. He swore a lot and stormed out of the house to finish the conversation. He told me he didn't want the children to hear him swearing, but I just had a hunch that he didn't want me to hear that conversation.'
'Why not?'
'It might have been about a dirty deal.'
'Why?' Katie was surprised, but on another level–she wasn't. Kevin, an excellent car mechanic, hadn't always had a squeaky-clean reputation. 'Has he done anything like that recently?'
'Not since we got married. He promised to stop all his dodgy dealings when he asked me to marry him. He wanted to turn his life around for me and the children. And he's kept his promise ever since.'
Katie watched Michelle's face. The wrinkles and shadows under her eyes appeared deeper and darker in the harsh kitchen light. Michelle loved Kevin and Kevin loved Michelle, there was no doubt about it. Michelle was also a very down-to-earth, practical woman, definitely not naïve. If Michelle suspected something underhand was going on, she was probably right.
'I hope it's nothing too serious,' Katie said, wholeheartedly wishing it were true. 'Is there anything I can do to help?'
'No, thank you, love,' Michelle said blowing out a breath. 'He'll be fine. If not, I’ll make sure he will be. Let's change the subject. Because out of us two,
I think you've got a bigger problem to deal with.'
Katie gave a sharp laugh.
'Which one do you mean? The fact that I've got no home to go to? Or that I found another body? Or that I've been implicated in another murder?'
'I'm always impressed by the way you’re able to laugh at your problems.'
'So am I. But this is my way of dealing with challenges.'
'Nice one. Do you think that dishy inspector will get involved in it again?'
'Dishy inspector?' A blush crept on Katie's face and she hated her reaction. She'd rather keep her thoughts on DI Jack Heaton, from the regional serious crime team, to herself.
'Earth to Katie!' Michelle waved her hand. 'You may be in the post-divorce man-hating phase, but you must have noticed that. The whole town has noticed. You spent a lot of time together when cracking Mrs Dunbar's murder.'
Katie pressed her lips together.
'Okay, I've noticed,' she said reluctantly. 'And before you ask me, no I'm not intending to.'
'Not intending to what?' Michelle was really good at picking on things Katie wanted to avoid talking about.
'Not intending to do whatever you think I may intend to do,' Katie blurted out. 'And I'd like to change topics, too. My house is closed off as a crime scene and the forensic team are going to be there for a few days. What am I going to do in the meantime? Barry is bringing Julia back tomorrow. He'll be fuming when he learns what's happen at our house.'
'But it didn't happen at your house,' Michelle corrected.
'Tell that to Barry. To him, a crime scene is a crime scene. I know him well, sadly.' Her ex-husband might have been an unreliable father and an untrustworthy life partner, but he was a good cop.
'You’re both welcome to stay here.' Michelle put a hand on Katie's forearm. 'You know that, hun.'
'Thanks Michelle. I really appreciate all your help. Particularly now.'
'I feel a little better having you around,' Michelle added looking at the window smudged with rain.
'Worrying about Kevin?'
Michelle gulped. She wiped her eyes with the tips of her fingers. 'Yes, a little. But hey, let's focus on something more constructive. Something that we have some control over.'
'Such as making more tea?'