by Emily Selby
Katie sat back and looked at her notes.
It had to be Hamish.
Except that Hamish was probably also smart enough to make Amanda write a note that didn't point at him. And get away from the town as soon as his job was over.
Unless he was after something Amanda had in her possession. Which is where the break-in to her room fell into place.
So, break in, find whatever he was after and then clear off.
Clear off, not hang around until the police found out you had a criminal record.
Katie massaged her temples. A nasty headache was burning the sides of her skull again. Her friend was dead, she couldn't find the murderer and the more she knew, the less things made sense. A heavy boulder dropped into the pit of her stomach, her eyes filled with tears.
What on earth should she do now?
29
'Oh, Katie, there you are,' a voice cut into her musings. Katie winced and jerked her head to greet the unexpected visitor.
'Inspector Lumley, good morning, sir,' she said with exaggerated enthusiasm.
'Where is everyone?'
'Busy catching criminals,' she replied. She couldn't face trying to explain what was happening to the chief of their little team. The last thing he needed was a confused, garbled account from a humble clerk.
'Why aren't you with them?' he asked, his large nose twitched. 'It's a tough case, I hear.'
'It is, sir,' Katie confirmed. 'But I'm just a-'
'Rubbish, girl. You should have joined the force a long time ago. Barry was a good cop, but you would have been even better. Have I told you that?' He watched her with his usual deadpan face.
Katie shifted in her seat. Inspector Lumley rarely spoke in full sentences. He must have been serious.
'You think so, sir? Really?' she asked, nervously.
His balding head bobbed up and down a few times.
'Seriously, you think so?' Katie preferred to double-check it with him.
'I'd write you a letter of recommendation, if you ever needed one,' he said. 'Newcastle, I assume?'
Katie's heart sank. 'I-I... haven't thought about it yet. Is this your advice?'
'That's the one I did. I was happy. Close to home. No need to change schools. We could adapt your work hours if you needed.'
'You've already adapted my work hours to allow me to fit in the hotel job.'
'In the hopes you'd see how badly you miss your real vocation,' he said. His face brightened with a grin. Katie blinked. This was probably the longest and most personal conversation Katie had ever had with Inspector Lumley since asking for time off while separating from Barry, her ex-husband.
'I'm so grateful for your generosity...' Katie said, not really sure how to proceed. On one hand, she felt appreciated, on the other – he seemed to be pushing her into making a decision she was not ready to make.
Even though, she should really be ready by now.
'So, show me your gratitude and enrol into a decent policing course. I've got to go, but when you see Chris or Heaton, tell them I've got a bizarre call from an old friend. He couldn't get hold of any of them, so he rang me.' Inspector Lumley glanced at the piece of paper he was holding in his hand. 'He says the vegetation on the photo is subtropical, likely native New Zealand bush, seen in the northern part of the North Island,' he read out, turned on his heel and left the staffroom.
What?
Katie pressed her temples. Not another of those sickening headaches. The message must have been about the photo on the letter from Hamish. The box in the bush. New Zealand native bush.
Everything made sense again.
Hamish and Amanda had hidden something in the box. Hamish was threatening Amanda and she decided to expose his threats by passing the letter onto Katie. She ripped the photo and the fingerprints comment to hide the fact that she had been involved in criminal activity.
And then, passed the torn note onto Katie as well?
Gosh, that didn't make sense! It would have if Amanda had intended to destroy the evidence later, and it'd been Hamish who slipped the missing part into the origami paper folder, because that was the most incriminating part.
Yeah, now it made sense.
All she needed now, was to find evidence. Hamish's fingerprints on the ripped piece of paper.
Oh, the mother of all stupid! Jack just told her they'd been found there.
Katie slumped back in the chair. Things made sense up until that moment. Was there still some information missing? Certainly. Would they find anything in the box? Maybe.
But where was that flipping box?
She reached for her phone and found a map of New Zealand. She studied it with a growing sense of overwhelm. The northern part of the North Island could be anywhere from Auckland up. The brick in her stomach returned. No matter how much searching the net she did, she couldn't solve the puzzle. She didn't have the photo to study. She didn't have the equipment for enlarging it either. Nor did she have the knowledge or contacts to call upon for help. An old friend, Inspector Lumley said, was it from his time at university? If she went back to school, she would likely develop a network of contacts. Jack also often asked his colleagues for favours. However much she tried to avoid thinking about it, the issue was staring her right in the face. She had reached the end of her road as an amateur sleuth. If she wanted to take it further, she'd have to join the police force.
This and the moving-in together issue. She has already paid the money her share of the inheritance tax on the workshop. The swap contract with Michael Bower's company was waiting for the workshop to become hers, but the preliminary agreement had been signed. She wanted to move forward with the relationship with Jack, it made perfect sense. She would definitely want to live with Jack before she could ever commit to anything more serious. But was it really the time to move from "seeing someone" to "practically living with someone"? Maybe she was reaching too far into the future and making too much out their romance. Maybe, as Dorothy suggested once, she should just enjoy being in a happy relationship again. But the crossroad was approaching quickly. And if Katie and Jack didn't stay in the same area, because of their other commitments, the relationship would likely die, which she definitely didn't want. She cared about Jack and their relationship too much to let it fade. to commit to staying in the same area if not actually in the same town.
And since Katie didn't want to uproot Julia nor introduce too many changes in her daughter's life at the same time, there was only one way to proceed. Where would they be happier than living in that chocolate-box pretty house, overlooking the stream and the meadows in the quirky town she'd grown to love?
Sunnyvale it was then. And the Newcastle policing course. Inspector Lumley was right.
Her chest relaxed, her heart slowed. She reached for her phone and found Jack's number.
She'd leave the personal news to a more private occasion, but she had to convey the information about the photo. She typed the message from Inspector Lumley's friend and pressed "Send."
Then, she typed, "Dinner at my place tonight at 8 pm?" and sent this text as well.
Now, she could go and collect Julia from school.
30
Jack arrived an hour late, just after she got a call from Ellen McBride with apologies and good news that the delayed salary had been paid into Katie's bank account. Uplifted by good news, she got Julia off to bed and prepared her New Zealand-themed dinner (almost) from scratch. The mouth-watering aroma of deep fried white fish and a mix of sweet and white potatoes roasted with rosemary and thyme filled her kitchen.
'You really shouldn't have,' Jack said hanging his coat in the hallway. 'My goodness, this smells lovely.'
'I've been quite unsettled all day, dying to know what's happened with those two Kiwis. Cooking has been a nice distraction,' she admitted, but it was only half the truth. The other half she was planning to reveal during dinner. 'But I have some good news first,' she said and told him about the call from Ellen.
'At long last,' Jack adm
itted. 'I'm really happy to hear that. What are you cooking?'
Katie explained.
'That's a meal to celebrate something with,' he said seeing the table all set up. 'How did you know I was going to bring good news?'
Katie turned away to hide the blush she felt creeping onto her face. 'I guessed. Wash your hands and sit down please.'
'With pleasure, I'm starving,' he replied from the sink. 'We seem to be catching up on the case over meals. It feels like deja vu,' he added, marching towards the table.
'Hopefully with some progress now,' Katie said. 'Did you arrest them?' she asked lowering herself into her seat.
'We've got them both in the cells, but it's a bit more complicated with foreign citizens. Hamish is being held because of the letter, and his jerky friend, for attacking Chris. They're still claiming they were in the pub all the time.' Jack served a portion of potatoes and fish onto Katie's plate.
'What about the letter? The photo?' she asked, taking the plate and picking up the fork. She was relieved not to have gone with Jack or she might have been the one attacked.
Jack served himself and tucked in with enthusiasm.
'Well, Hamish can't deny he had anything to do with it, because ironically his fingerprints are all over the letter and photo.'
'Where is the box?'
'He's vague about it. At first, he claimed it was just a random photo from the Internet, added for effect.'
'What was the effect he was after?'
'To scare Amanda and throw her back into his arms.'
Katie glanced at Jack. 'Mr Hamish Broken-Heart? Sounds unlikely to me.'
'More like Mr Hamish Jealous Ex-Boyfriend,' Jack explained chewing on the fish. 'He says he missed her badly and wanted to win her back.'
'By scaring her to death?'
Jack heaved a sigh. 'The barman remembers them having lunch on Monday.'
Katie jabbed a piece of potato with so much force, it fell into pieces. 'Can the barman swear neither Hamish or Jerky went to toilet during that time.'
'No. But the hotel CCVTs, however limited also have no record of either of them or their van approaching the front of the building. There are no cameras at the back, as you know, but they would have-'
'I know, they would have been seen at the back of the hotel by Waldi, or the repairmen.'
'That's right. So, I don't have much evidence to support their involvement in Amanda's death.'
'Okay, but Hamish left a fingerprint in her flat. How come?'
'He says she'd invited him in.'
'I don't believe a word of it! She was petrified of him,' Katie protested, jabbing another roasted spud.
'Neither do I. This is where he refused to cooperate and demanded a lawyer.'
'Did you get any more information out of them?'
'No, but I've had an interesting chat with the officer in charge of Hamish and Adam's tax fraud case. By the way, that's why I was late. My conversations with New Zealand will turn me into an insomniac, if we don't solve this case soon.'
'Don't worry. I can keep you fed and awake with some of their delicious food. I've found an interesting recipe site.'
Jack threw her a hot glance that send her heart into a flutter. 'More delicious dinners to expect?'
She straightened. 'Maybe. I may need a bigger kitchen,' she added in a voice that came out a little too squeaky. Boy, was she nervous!
His eyes drilled into her face. 'Are you moving soon?' he asked her huskily.
She shifted to one side. 'Tea?' she asked standing up.
'You haven't answered my question,' he called after her.
'No, I'm not,' she replied keeping her voice steady. 'I'd fancy a cuppa and thought you might too.' She added a shrug to enhance the effect of a light comment.
'So, what was that comment about a bigger kitchen about?'
'Nothing much. Just a general comment about the size of my current kitchen,' she said, grabbing the kettle. Okay, Katie, this was the moment to tell him the truth! 'But I have been thinking about my living arrangements in the context of...' her voice trailed cut off by the cold knot growing in her throat.
'Of what?' his voice echoed in the tense silence.
She could do it in stages. Start with the easier part, Katie...
'Of my plans to return to university,' she said, regaining control over the panic. She filled the kettle. 'I talked to Inspector Lumley today and he recommended the course in Newcastle. It's a good idea not to introduce too many changes at once.'
So, she’d said it.
'He's right,' Jack said, his voice sounding a little stifled. 'Are you thinking of moving to the city then?'
She flicked the kettle and reached for the teapot. Having this conversation without facing Jack was easier, but not at all mature. She turned to face him.
Jack's eyes were intense and focused on her face. His face was pale, and difficult to read.
'No, I'm still keen to live in that little house Michael offered me.'
'What about me,' he asked.
Katie took a deep breath. 'There is enough room for you there, Jack. It'd be lovely if you could move in. That is, if you're allowed to continue working here, or in Carlisle, or...'
In three swift paces he was by her side, his hands clasped on hers. 'That's great news, Katie. So happy to hear it. That is something to celebrate, I say,' he exclaimed and placed a hot kiss on her lips. She kissed him back and let her dizzy head fall onto his shoulder.
The kettle clicked off.
'The tea,' she murmured pushing herself out of his embrace.
'I'll help.' He took two tea bags from the tin and placed them in the teapot.
'You've never said what you learned from your Kiwi friends,' Katie said, carrying the cups to the table and letting him deal with the rest.
'The woman who dealt with the fraud case told me they only recovered some of the money Hamish and Adam swindled. They claimed to have spent it, but she doesn't believe them. She says it was nearly half a million dollars. It's hard to spend that much without anyone noticing.'
'Money laundering?' Katie asked.
'No,' he replied putting the teapot in the gap between the dinner dishes. 'That's how they got caught by trying to launder some of their "tax savings". She wonders if the missing money is stashed somewhere. Apparently, at least one of the transactions they made was in cash or valuables, or both.'
Katie froze on the spot. 'Cash and valuables? Would that amount fit into a box?'
Jack flashed her a grin and made the tip-of-the-hat gesture. 'That's what I think.'
Katie threw her arms in the air. 'Great minds think alike,' she said lightly. 'Now we just need to find the box. Can't they find the person who sold the house for cash and ask him or her?'
'No, they can't. That's part of the problem. The seller has never been seen since. Maree Chen from their Fraud office suspects he fled the country, because the house sale was part of the money laundering operation, too.'
'It would be funny if we found it all buried somewhere at a back of an old property,' Katie said
“Wouldn’t it just,” Jack said, smiling.
He pushed aside the cups and took her into his strong arms. Katie melted into the security and safety of his embrace.
31
Friday morning couldn't come soon enough for Katie. Once again this week, she was in her office well before her official start time. She washed up and organised the dishes, sorted the mail to be posted, and even cleared her in-box before Chris turned up.
'Thank goodness, it's Friday,' he groaned. 'I'll make some coffee. I hate weeks when I'm on the morning shift.'
'I thought you hated the night shifts,' she fired back, pulling two cups from the freshly stacked cupboard.
'Yeah, they’re bad as well,' he replied. He put the coffee grinds and water into the machine and threw the switch.
'When's Heaton in? His phone is still off,' he said plopping onto his chair. Katie couldn't help noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
>
'Are you okay, Chris?'
'Nah. Couldn't sleep last night. Was tossing and turning trying to think the case through.'
The machine started to gurgle, filling the room with the delightful smell of roast coffee.
'We've been all racking our brains. It's a tough one,' Katie said, sitting beside her friend. She placed her hand on his broad shoulder. 'You're not alone,' she added quietly.
'I know, lass. Thanks for the pep talk,' Chris replied, hunching. 'But I was hoping with this case solved, assuming I worked hard and had some results to show...' he stopped and blew out a breath.
Katie watched him for a few seconds. What was he referring to?
'Are you hoping for a promotion?'
Chris nodded. 'Well, I still need to pass the exams, but a recognition of my contribution would be nice.
'I think you deserve at least a pay raise or some other reward,' she said firmly. 'I'll recommend you,' she said and realised the absurdity of her offer, given her own current position. 'That is, if anyone cares to listen to me,' she added.
Chris lifted his head and chuckled. 'I can't even compete with you in my complaining about working hard without being paid for it. Sorry, Katie. If anyone earned a promotion for working hard on the recent cases, it's you. I should never have complained. Why don't we have a coffee and wait for Heaton? Is he having a sleep-in today or what?' Chris rose from his seat and strode to the coffee machine.
Katie was pleased he couldn't see her face right now, as she was sure that the stubborn blush was dancing on her cheeks again. Jack left her flat quite late last night and would definitely welcome a sleep-in this morning.
'Have mercy on your colleagues, man! It's not eight yet,' she replied and held up her empty cup. 'Coffee is a good idea,' she added, keen to change topics. She took the steaming cup from Chris' hand and they settled back into their chairs. 'You know these two New Zealanders have hidden a lot of money?' Katie asked to check if Chris was up-to-date.