by Evelyn Amber
“Thank you for your time, Miss Taylor,” the inspector said as he snapped the pad shut. “We will need an official statement from you at some point. If you remember anything, please give us a call.”
Alice nodded at the inspector before turning to look back at the house that would never be the same again. Minnie’s hysterical shrieks were the only thing she could hear as she gazed ahead. Alice was not particularly looking at anything as she swayed, she could not think of anything but her friend’s lifeless body looking back up at her.
An arm snaked around her shoulders making her jump out of her skin.
“Are you okay?” Justin asked, the worry in his eyes intense. “I was worrying about you and then someone came into the shop talking about police cars.”
Alice looked back at him, unable to mutter anything but disjointed words.
“Breathe, Mum," Justin said, rubbing her shoulder. "Come back to my place. We'll shut the shop for today."
“Huh?” Alice replied, not hearing a word that had been said to her.
“Come on,” Justin said. “We’ll have a nice cup of tea.”
“Tea,” Alice nodded, letting Justin lead the away. “Tea will help.”
Alice knew tea wouldn’t help.
She explained to Justin what had happened as much as she could as they walked to the shop to lock up. He pressed his phone against his ear as he let Kyle know what had happened.
As though the weather could sense her mood, a dark blanket of clouds swarmed in out of nowhere. She looked up as a droplet fell on her face.
Once Justin had locked the shop, they hurried to his house, avoiding the oncoming rainfall. They just about made it through his door as the rain started to pound against the pavement.
“Go and sit in the front with Kyle,” Justin said as he pulled off her damp cardigan. “I’ll make the tea.”
“Anything stronger?” she asked, forcing a strained laugh into her voice.
“I have–”
“I’m joking, love.”
Alice wandered into the front room. Kyle looked up and offered a sympathetic smile, his dark hair flopping over his eyes. Alice smiled back emptily as she sunk into the sofa, letting out a deep sigh.
“I heard what happened,” Kyle said as he sat up straight, brushing his hair away from his green eyes. “I’m so sorry. I know you and Trevor were good friends.”
“We were,” Alice said. “But it’s Minnie I feel for. She’s absolutely heartbroken.”
“I’m not surprised,” Kyle added. “Can’t have been easy.”
They both sat in silence for a few minutes, and for once Alice didn’t mind; she welcomed it. A border collie puppy bounded into the room, heading straight for Alice. The puppy jumped up as Alice stroked her behind the ears. She then jumped up onto Alice’s lap and settled instantly as though they were old pals.
“Izzy!” Kyle scolded. “I’m sorry. She gets excitable.”
Izzy's ears pricked up when she heard her name, but she didn’t move. Instead, she rested her head on Alice’s arm and looked up at her with sad puppy eyes.
“It’s okay.” Alice chuckled as she stroked Izzy’s soft fut. “I don’t mind. She’s so much bigger than last time I saw her.”
“She’s a troublemaker,” Justin said as he walked in with a tray of tea and biscuits. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard her smash something from another room. I think she’s doing it on purpose.”
Justin placed the tray on a coffee table before scratching the puppy behind her ears.
“But you can’t get mad at the face,” he cooed.
Izzy raised her head sleepily at her owner, before dropping it lazily back on Alice’s arm. Justin passed Alice a cup of tea and she accepted it gratefully with her spare arm.
“Thank you.”
“So,” Kyle started as Justin took a seat next to him, “and you don’t have to answer, but what happened?”
Justin shot Kyle a look letting him know not to ask any questions, but Alice shrugged.
“It’s alright,” she said after taking a sip of her tea. “You’ll hear it all anyway sooner or later, so I might as well tell you first.”
Alice took another swig of the tea hoping it would warm her, but she felt frozen to the core and the tea barely touched the sides.
“Barry came over last night,” Alice started. “He was shouting about a book he’d accidentally put in a box of donations.”
“Alice in Wonderland,” Justin said.
“Oh, yeah,” Kyle interjected. “You told me about that last night. How strange.”
“A little,” Alice continued. “I sold the book to Trevor, so I went to his to see if I could get it back for Barry.” She felt her throat tighten. “The blinds were closed, so I thought maybe they weren’t home. But, the door was open, so I let myself in, and there he was. Dead on the living room floor.”
"Oh, Mum," Justin said. "I couldn’t imagine seeing such a thing."
“Who do you think could’ve done it?” Kyle asked.
“What do you mean?” Alice replied.
“Well,” Justin shrugged. “It wasn’t an accident, was it?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Alice pondered as she ran her hand across Izzy’s soft fur. “But you’re right. Who would want to kill Trevor? He wouldn’t harm a fly.”
"That doesn't always matter," Kyle said. "People kill for all sorts of reasons. Did he owe people money?"
“No,” Alice said, shaking her head. “If he had, Minnie would have said something.”
“There must have been a reason,” Kyle said.
“What about the reason I went there?” Alice said. “For the book?”
“The Alice in Wonderland book?” Justin asked. “Did you tell Barry who you sold it too?”
Alice looked up at him, remembering that she’d confessed that information to Barry the previous night. Her widening eyes seemed to give Justin the answer before she had chance to say either way.
“But why would someone resort to murder for a book?” Kyle added. “You can buy Alice in Wonderland anywhere. I doubt it’s gone out of print.”
“I don’t know,” Alice admitted.
“Barry was really upset about it,” Justin said. “You should have heard him, Kyle. He was hysterical! You’d think Mum had sold his first born.”
“But, Barry wouldn’t kill someone,” Alice said, forcing a laugh as though to convince herself. “He’s not like that. I know he was acting strange last night, but he’s a good person. I’ve known him for years.”
“Did the police say anything?” Kyle asked, leaning closer, his curly hair falling over his eyes again.
“No,” Alice said. “I think it’s too early for them to know anything. They probably think I did it. And even if they did know something, they wouldn’t tell me.”
“They’re in way over their heads,” Justin laughed dryly. “No one has been murdered in Ashbrook for years. The worst thing they have to deal with is those kids from the horrible side of town.”
“Hey!” Kyle cried. “I was brought up there and there’s nothing wrong with me.”
“There’s always exceptions to the rules,” Justin joked as he winked at Kyle. “You’re the only good egg out of a bad bunch. But that’s not the point. What’re you going to do, Mum?”
“What can I do?” she asked. “Do you think I should talk to Barry?”
“Hmm,” Justin pondered.
“Better to leave it for now,” Kyle answered for him. “The police are probably questioning him as we speak.”
“Yeah,” Alice said. “Better leave it to them.”
Izzy softly snored away, her small body rising and falling as Alice stroked her absentmindedly. She agreed that this was the biggest case for the police in a long time, but they must have had training for something like this. There were people counting on them, more now than ever before, and they needed to catch whomever it was before they did it again.
“I should go,” Alice said
after taking a final sip of her cooled tea. “I still need to give my statement.”
“I’ll get her,” Justin said when Alice attempted to move the sleeping pup.
He placed Izzy on her dog bed, but she was well and truly awake by now. She jumped about as if she hadn’t just been fast asleep.
“You can stay in the guest room if you want,” Justin said after hugging her at the front door. “We wouldn’t mind. We’ve not had any excuse for guests since we redecorated.”
“It’s okay,” Alice said. “I need some time alone to process everything.”
“Don’t stew over it too much,” Justin said. “I know what you’re like.”
Alice was so grateful she had Justin to go to. He always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better.
“I won’t.”
After she had given her official statement at the station and arrived home, she headed straight to bed, her mind crying out for sleep.
The nightmarish image of Trevor troubled her every time she closed her eyes. She tried to read a copy of Murder on the Orient Express, but her eyes glossed over the words, not taking anything in. She read the same sentence over twenty times before giving up. The last thing she could remember before sleep took over was Minnie's blood-curdling scream.
4
Alice scooped the last of Minnie’s favourite meal, shepherd’s pie, out of a pan and into a Tupperware box before dusting down her apron.
She knew the hotel the police had put Minnie in while they were investigating would serve food, but she didn’t trust that Minnie would be taking advantage of that. Whenever Minnie was upset, her appetite suffered. Even if she didn’t eat the shepherd’s pie straight away, it would be there for whenever she felt like eating, and it would soothe Alice to know she had the choice.
With the box in a plastic bag, Alice made her way to the Bridge Inn where Minnie was staying. It was a little farther from her cottage than most of the other pub inns, but it was still within walking distance, and the weather had cleared up enormously since yesterday’s afternoon downpour.
She reached the inn, but paused before entering and looked up at the guest bedrooms above the pub. She knew Minnie’s initial shock would have worn off, but what came next would likely be much worse. Alice had experienced prolonged grief when her father had passed away, so in some way, she had an idea of how much Minnie would be hurting, even if the circumstances were very different.
Not wanting to put off seeing Minnie for another second, Alice walked into the pub. It was the same as any other pub with rooms Alice had visited. The smell of beer attacked her nostril as soon as she stepped inside. Men in work gear occupied most of the tables as well as the tiny stretch of bar. The walls had clearly been painted over more than once, the chips revealing decades of painting that had lazily been layered over rather than stripped down.
Alice made her way to the bar, finding a space between two older workers. One on her right looked at her appreciatively but huffed and returned to his beer when she ignored his gaze.
“Can I help you?” a young barmaid asked, barely looking up at Alice as she cleaned the bar with a filthy rag.
“Yes,” Alice started. “My friend is staying here. I was wondering if I could see her?”
The barmaid narrowed her heavily lined eyes at Alice before pouting.
“We don’t really allow people that aren’t paying in our rooms,” the barmaid said with a shrug. “We’ve had all sorts of characters trying to sneak in.”
Alice let out a sigh as the barmaid looked her up and down. Alice wondered if she was in the ‘all sorts’ category.
“I won’t be long,” Alice pleaded with the biggest fake smile she could muster. “I just want to check in on her.”
“That’s what they all say,” she said. “Next thing you know, they’re trashing the rooms and locking themselves in. Do you know how many times we’ve had to call the police? ‘Squatters rights!’ they cry, but not in my pub!”
“Do I look like the type?”
The barmaid looked her up and down and her red lips curled up into a smug smile.
“Whatever,” the barmaid said with disinterest. “You’re probably here to see that woman the police brought around. Hasn’t stopped crying since she got here. We’ve had complaints, ya’know. Kept half the place up last night with her wailing. Up the stairs and to the right. It’s the room at the end of the hall. Try to get her to shut up, will you? And don’t steal any towels! I’ll know it was you.”
“Towels?”
“Happens more than you’d think,” the barmaid said as she leaned over the bar to take an order from a handsome man in a yellow hardhat helmet. She giggled and twisted her hair around her finger like a schoolgirl as she took his order.
As directed, Alice made her way up the stairs, the garish paint job carrying on along the walls. She reached the room at the end of the hall, hoping she was at the right one. She lifted her hand to knock on the door, stopping herself before her knuckles struck the wood. She cleared her throat as she tried to think of the right thing to say.
“Minnie,” Alice said before she knocked on the door. “It’s me.”
“It’s open,” a small voice called from within.
Alice turned the rusty knob and opened the door. She stepped inside, the room in complete darkness. She could barely make out Minnie’s meek silhouette on the bed.
“It’s so dark in here,” Alice said as she made her way to the curtains, bumping into a table as she went. “Some sunshine will do you a world of good.”
Minnie covered her eyes as the light washed over the room after Alice thrust them open. They were bloodshot and circled with dark bags. Alice could tell Minnie hadn’t slept a wink, but she’d expected as much.
Minnie’s died brunette hair, which was usually so neat and pretty, was placed on top of her head in a sloppy bun, stray strands dangling limply over her pale face. Her usually care-free smile had been replaced with a deep frown. Her ocean blue eyes were a dull grey as tears tumbled down pale her cheeks.
“I brought shepherd’s pie,” Alice said, holding the bag up. “Your favourite.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Have you eaten anything?”
Minnie looked up with strained eyes and shook her head. In the darkness, Alice hadn’t noticed the piece of paper in her friend’s shaking hands. Minnie was gripping it so hard she could see the whites of her knuckles.
“What’s that?” Alice asked, sitting next to Minnie after placing the bag on the table.
“I’m so stupid!” she cried. “He was cheating on me!”
“What?” Alice asked in shock. “Trevor?”
“Who else?” Minnie snapped. “I only had one husband.”
Minnie wasn’t one to typically snap, but considering what had happened, Alice allowed it to slide. She could understand how uncoordinated her emotions would be.
“I’m sorry,” Minnie said as she looked down at the note. “It’s not your fault.”
“What does it say?”
Minnie passed Alice the note. From the slight tears in the folds of the paper, it had obviously been read dozens of times. Alice straightened the paper out and rummaged through her bag for her reading glasses. She gazed down at the letter and immediately recognised Trevor’s handwriting.
‘Dear Faith,
I’m sorry to do this now after all this time, but we can’t go on like this. I thought I could, but I can’t. I love my wife, and all this isn’t fair on her. I was living in a fantasy with you, and it was great, but we had to come back down to reality sooner or later. In another life, things would be different. I’ll always remember that perfect summer we had together.
Trevor.’
Alice’s eyes widened as she stared down at the letter, unable to believe what she had just read.
“Faith?” Alice asked, thinking back to the only Faith she knew. “You mean Faith Brookes from high school?”
“I can’t be sure,” Minnie replied as she
took the letter back. “But I don’t know any other Faiths, and they were an item way back then.”
“They were?”
“The summer before she left Ashbrook,” Minnie said through more tears. “They were together. Trevor told me it was nothing but a fling. They were only sixteen. I wasn’t convinced, but when she left, he never really talked about her again, so I believed him and that was that. Or at least, that’s what I thought.”
“Where did you find this?”
“The police let me get some clothes from the house,” Minnie explained. “I needed my arthritis pills too. I saw it poking out from underneath the washing machine when I went to grab my coat, so I picked it up. I thought someone had kicked a bill under there. I should have just handed it over, but my curiosity got the better of me.”
“I didn’t think Trevor would ever do something like this,” Alice said, almost to herself. “He always seemed so sweet.”
“Should I hand it over?” Minnie asked as she looked down at the letter, her hands shaking like two leaves rustling in the wind. “Tell me what to do, Alice.”
“I don’t know,” she replied. “Do you think it’s relevant?”
“Of course it is!” Minnie cried. “This woman had to have done it. She must have seen this, and she must have been furious. Who else would’ve wanted to kill him?”
Alice was about to protest but Minnie did have a good point, even through her grief. It certainly made more sense than the book theory Alice had come up with yesterday.
“Let me get this straight,” Alice said, her brows tensing as her mind worked. “You think Faith killed Trevor because he wasn’t going to leave you for her?”
“Have you got any better ideas?”
Alice had to admit that it did make sense after saying it out loud. She barely remembered Faith Brookes. They hadn’t been unfriendly in school, but they certainly hadn’t been close. All she could muster from her memory was Faith’s long, white-blonde hair. It had always looked like it was glowing.