‘She didn’t?’
‘No. For example, she didn’t say she had any reason to want to kill the deceased. In fact, she said how much she liked him. And she claimed she not only hadn’t seen the knife before that she used to kill him, but she had no idea where it even came from.’
‘But she’s the murderer, of course she’d say that. She’s lying.’
‘I know. But seeing as she’s already confessed to killing him, why bother to lie that she doesn’t know what her motive was, what her means were or what her opportunity was?’
Camille could see the logic of what Richard was saying.
‘And she’s also left-handed,’ Richard said.
‘She is?’
‘Or so she says.’
‘Maybe she’s trying to trick you.’
‘Maybe.’
Camille knew her boss well. ‘You don’t think she did it, do you?’
‘I don’t know what I think—but it’s definitely not stacking up. Not yet. Not if she can’t provide us with a decent means, motive and opportunity. And there’s something else as well.’ Richard paused a moment, and then turned back to face the Japanese tea house. ‘It’s this tea house. Because Julia also said Aslan locked her and the others inside it before they started their meditation.’
‘So?’
Richard looked at his partner. ‘Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?’
Camille refused to be drawn, so Richard explained for her.
‘Because who in their right mind would allow themselves to be locked inside a room with four other potential witnesses before committing murder?’
Camille considered this a moment and then said, ‘Oh. I see what you mean.’
‘Precisely. Why not kill him in the dead of night? Or when he’s on his own?’
Richard looked over at the Meditation Space again.
‘If you ask me, there’s something about that tea house that’s important. Something we haven’t realised yet. Either because of how it’s made—or where it’s located—but the victim had to be killed inside it in broad daylight in front of a load of other potential witnesses. Why?’
ISBN: 978-1-474-03809-6
THE KILLING OF POLLY CARTER
© 2015 Robert Thorogood
Published in Great Britain 2015
by Harlequin MIRA, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
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Killing Of Polly Carter Page 29