After taking her shower, Kristin walked enthusiastically to the bedroom to change clothes for her visit to the restaurant. Singing the song Eternal Love by Charles Aznavour, she pulled out her little black, open-shouldered Coco Chanel dress from the wardrobe, tried it on, looked at herself in the mirror, smiled and said in a pleased voice, ‘Yes, beauty is a terrible power…’
Suddenly, she heard men’s voices coming from the living room, and she realized that they had an unusual, if familiar, guest in their house. Kristin thought anxiously, What has happened? Why has Steve Duke looked in on them? What are they talking about?
She nervously walked around the room from corner to corner, trying to find answers to her questions until the door opened.
‘Kristin, Chief Inspector Steve Duke has come to see us. He wants to talk to you,’ said Cameron in a worried voice.
‘Good. I will come down to you soon,’ said Kristin, discreetly.
Cameron went to his wife, kissed her forehead, and said softly, ‘You look wonderful!’
‘Thank you, my dear,’ Kristin said with a smile. ‘I will be down soon.’
When Kristin entered the living room, Cameron and Steve Duke were quietly talking over a cup of coffee. Seeing her, the men simultaneously stood up and greeted her. Kristin was wearing black leather gloves and carried a small black handbag on a thin chain, she looked perfect.
Greeting the guest and expressing her respects, Kristin gently sat on the sofa and said in a quiet voice, ‘Mr Duke, I apologize for today’s conversation.’
‘Mrs Smith, I was also wrong, so I am here to ask for your forgiveness,’ said Steve Duke.
‘Now, we are both forgiven,’ Kristin said, jokingly. ‘Please, call me just Kristin.’
‘I see that all is now well, this is progress. If you don’t mind, I will leave you alone for a while to conclude your business!’ said Cameron.
‘Yes, dear, we do not mind, but will miss your presence,’ Kristin said and accompanied him on his way out of the room with a long look.
Violating this moment of silence, Steve Duke said in a calm voice, ‘Kristin, I do not have the right to force you not to search for information, but I ask you to be careful. All this is unsafe.’
‘But Chief Inspector Duke, many people believe the murderer is now in prison. Or not?’
‘Kristin, he is only a suspect, and only the court will decide whether he is guilty or innocent.’
‘Chief Inspector Duke, I do not believe that he killed his wife. Studying the personality of Danielle Jackson, I came to the conclusion that many wanted her death. And I also wanted to give you something,’ said Kristin, who then opened the bag. She carefully pulled the “Doves with a Heart” pendant from her purse and handed it to the chief inspector.
‘Where did you get this thing?’ asked Steve Duke in surprise.
‘I found it under a wooden bench near the scene of the murder. When I saw the same pendant on Jennifer Davidson’s neck, I realized who was the owner of this thing.’
‘Kristin, was the pendant without its chain?’ asked Steve Duke.
‘Yes, I found it without a chain. The chain is probably in the hands of the murderer, or someone else found it, or maybe they got rid of the evidence.’
‘Thank you, maybe we will find some fingerprints on the pendant, although they will probably just be yours and mine,’ said Steve Duke, laughing.
‘Chief Inspector Duke, can I ask you something?’ asked Kristin, confidently.
‘It is always permissible to ask, Kristin?’
‘Chief Inspector Duke, based on what evidence did you arrest James Jackson?’
Steve Duke smiled and declared, ‘I did not know that my wife’s friends are smart enough to ask the right questions. I take my hat off to you!’
‘It is possible that we are too well-read,’ expressed Kristin confidently and looked straight into Duke’s eyes. ‘So, what are the reasons?’
‘I can only say that he does not have an alibi for the time of the murder and his fingerprints were found on one of the instruments of the crime,’ noted Steve Duke.
‘The murder weapon?’ Kristin asked.
‘Yes, Danielle was struck with a wooden umbrella, which we found in a rubbish bin at James Jackson’s house,’ said Steve Duke.
‘In the garbage? A ridiculous hiding place. Or is James Jackson an idiot? This is hard to believe. Does Craig Davidson have an alibi?’ mused Kristin.
‘It seems like you dislike Craig Davidson?’ said Steve Duke.
‘I was at the home of Jennifer Davidson. She is such a caring mother, and her husband is an indifferent and dishonest person. Perhaps Danielle Jackson was pregnant from Craig Davidson, and he didn’t want this baby. After all, he and Danielle Jackson are not able to love anyone except themselves.’
‘Perhaps, Kristin. However, this requires facts.’
‘Mr Duke, I also learned from Danielle Jackson’s former friend, Daisy, that Danielle had an intimate relationship with Richard Jackson.’
‘What? Danielle Jackson was having an affair with her husband’s father? This family is sounding worse by the day,’ expressed a stunned Steve Duke.
‘Yes. Can I ask for something else?’ she said and smiled at him. ‘Can you check James Jackson for infertility? And if possible, I would like to look at the picture of the umbrella that was the murder weapon.’
‘Kristin, do not be offended, but I want to understand whether all French women are so stubborn?’ asked Chief Inspector Steve Duke, jokingly.
‘I do not understand what you have against the French, Chief Inspector?’
‘I have nothing against them, even though you and your friend, Mrs Gverzoni, have turned my wife into a revolutionary. Now she contradicts me all the time. This is characteristic of the French revolution, and we British prefer a measured life.’
‘You will forgive me, but I will tell you the truth, Chief Inspector Duke. You turn out to be not only a big egoist, but also a racist,’ expressed Kristin.
‘No, I will not allow you to offend me like that. We Scots are never racists. I am glad that my wife has friends like you, especially with your proper food. I have been starving lately,’ Chief Inspector Steve Duke sighed deeply.
‘Ha ha, but here, Chief Inspector, I cannot help you. You and your wife should come to a common opinion,’ Kristin answered, smiling.
‘So, I will think about the test for infertility, maybe about the photograph too,’ said Chief Inspector Steve Duke, thinking aloud.
‘How is it that you think that after you have received information from me, in exchange you will merely think about giving me what I want? Okay, so with the rest of the information I have gathered, I’ll figure it all out for myself,’ said an annoyed Kristin.
‘This is pure blackmail, Mrs Smith,’ said Steve Duke with a smile.
‘I have a good teacher, or perhaps you disagree with me, Chief Inspector.’
‘Okay, I give up, Mrs Smith,’ agreed Steve Duke, laughing. ‘To argue with women is useless.’
‘Now, I see that this is a completely different matter. By the way, could you also check Danielle Jackson’s bank account? There may have been a fresh flow of money into it from Mark Simpson? If so, then the amount should be rather big,’ said Kristin.
‘This is something new, Kristin. Where did you get this information?’ asked a surprised Steve Duke.
‘Mr Duke, I cannot tell you anything about this information until I am confident in it myself,’ said Kristin.
At this point, Cameron entered the living room in an elegant suit and says to Chief Inspector Duke ‘You will forgive us, but we are already late for dinner.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry I took up so much of your time. Thanks, and sorry again. See you later, Cameron, and you, Kristin,’ said Steve Duke as he left the room.
‘See you, Chief Inspector Duke,’ Cameron said.
‘See you! Don’t forget to give Barbara my regards!’ Kristin said.
‘Darling, are you ready? W
e’re late.’
‘Cameron, I’m almost ready, I need only two minutes.’
‘Oh my God! I’ll wait for you in the car,’ Cameron said and went out into the driveway.
Grabbing a mobile phone from the bedside table, Kristin quickly composed the first message to her son. ‘My boy, I want to wish you a good evening. Don’t forget to have dinner. Today, your daddy invited me to dinner in a restaurant. I miss you, my baby. Bye. Waiting for your morning message. I love you.’
And she sent the second message to Martina, ‘Hi, Martina! How are you? Today Barbara’s husband came to our house, and we talked well. The rest at the meeting. Bye.’
‘Now I am ready for the restaurant!’ said Kristin, proudly and put the mobile phone on the bedside table.
Restless Night
Steve Duke was in a deep sleep when the cell phone rang at ten minutes past midnight. He immediately opened his eyes, but decided that the call must be a dream and quickly fell back to sleep. A few seconds later, the phone rang again, Barbara said in an indignant voice, ‘Steve, are you sleeping? Your phone is ringing and making it impossible to sleep.’
‘Steve Duke here, yes, I’m listening to you. When? Where was it? What? Well, wait, I will be there soon,’ the chief inspector said in a displeased voice then hung up the phone.
‘What has happened, Steve?’ said a sleepily interested Barbara.
‘What has happened, Barbara, is that some idiot has made a decision to commit suicide in the late evening, not in the morning. Now, because of him, I will have a sleepless night.’
‘Steve, how can you talk like that about a poor, miserable man.’
‘We’re both tired. You’d better get some sleep,’ said Steve Duke and he left the bedroom.
When Steve Duke arrived at 8 Warrack Street, Dan Bolton was already working there with his team, Ben Robertson and Inspector Dave Tanner.
‘Hi! How are you?’ asked Steve Duke.
‘Hi! Not so bad. So far, we can’t tell you for certain but it looks like the death was a suicide. There’s a mixture of alcohol and strong sleeping pills — vodka and Benzodiazepines — by the body. We also found a box of empty capsules on the table over there. The time of death is approximately nine thirty in the evening,’ reported Ben Robertson.
‘Dave, who discovered the body?’ inquired Steve Duke.
‘Jennifer Davidson, his wife. She arrived home about half past ten in the evening, and the call to the police was just afterwards at 10.37 p.m. He was found lying on the floor in the living room, with his mobile phone and a note written on a rumpled piece of paper on the coffee table,’ Dave Tanner reported. ‘The note is now with forensics.’
‘A note?’ asked Steve Duke.
‘Yes, a note. It said: “Forgive me, I can no longer live this way, it is beyond my strength. If you can forgive me, then…”’
‘Is that a confession, Dave?’
‘Yes, it looks like that. Also, we found a chain in his hand that could be the one missing from Danielle Jackson’s pendant.’
‘Where were Jennifer Davidson and the children when it happened?’ asked Steve Duke.
‘According to Jennifer Davidson, they were with her parents. She came home, but the children stayed with their grandparents,’ reported Dave Tanner. ‘She’s in the kitchen.’
‘Okay,’ said Steve Duke.
When Chief Inspector Steve Duke and Inspector Dave Tanner entered the kitchen, Jennifer Davidson sat silently staring into the void, it looked like she did not want to live at all.
‘Mrs Davidson, please accept our condolences. I know how hard it is for you, but we need to talk. Of course, if you are able to talk,’ asked Chief Inspector Steve Duke, tactfully.
‘Yes, of course, I understand,’ Jennifer Davidson spoke in a low, almost inaudible voice and gestured to the opposite chair.
Moving around the dining table, Chief Inspector Steve Duke sat down on the chair and said in a calm voice, ‘Thanks. Mrs Davidson, please tell me about your movements today and when you discovered your husband’s body?’
‘After my sister’s funeral, I returned home at about five p.m. to pick up the children and go to my parents’ house,’ said Jennifer Davidson, sobbing. ‘My parents are having a very difficult time, and we wanted to be with them. The children are very attached to them, although I understand perfectly well that it’s not so easy for my boys, especially my youngest son. He is a smart and a very kind boy…’
Covering her face with a napkin, Jennifer Davidson, without saying a word, began to sob, then, having calmed down, she sighed deeply. Inspector Dave Tanner took a glass and filled it with water from a decanter on the table and handed it to Jennifer Davidson. She took the glass of water with both hands, took a sip, and in an exhausted voice said, ‘My children are my happiness, my life. For each of their hairs, I am ready to give my life. And this so-called father treated them like he was a soulless bastard. Sorry, but I find it difficult to control my emotions, to restrain myself.’
‘We understand you, Mrs Davidson,’ said Steve Duke.
‘Craig arrived at 24 Mary’s Street for the funeral a little drunk. When I returned home, he was already sitting in the kitchen, drinking his vodka and muttering something,’ said Jennifer Davidson.
‘I’m sorry, Mrs Davidson, what was your husband talking about?’ asked Chief Inspector Duke.
‘I do not remember, when he drinks, he starts swearing and says all sorts of nonsense. Therefore, I did not often pay any attention to his words, especially with Danielle’s funeral to think about.’
‘Mrs Davidson, when you and your children went to your parents, how long were you there? And why did you come home without the children?’ inquired Steve Duke.
‘The next morning, I have to go to work and if Craig was drunk, the children would be left unattended at home. Leaving them with my parents was the only option. You know, I have a sick child, and he needs special care,’ said Jennifer Davidson, who again burst into tears.
‘Mrs Davidson, did you immediately return to your house after leaving the children or did you go somewhere else first? What time did you get home?’ requested Chief Inspector Duke.
‘Yes, I drove directly home from my parents’ house. I put the children to bed at ten in the evening, and after fifteen or twenty minutes I went home. When I returned home, I saw that the lights were on everywhere, the TV in the living room was at full volume, and Craig was lying on the floor. Truth be told, I thought he was just drunk, sleeping on the floor. I turned off the TV, and then tried to wake him up, and then I realized that he was dead,’ said Jennifer Davidson.
She got up from the chair, took another glass and filled it with cold tap water. Returning to her seat, Jennifer Davidson raised the glass of water to her lips, took a few sips, and said in an exhausted voice, ‘I could not imagine such an end. It was like I was scalded with boiling water when I read this note.’
‘Mrs Davidson, had you noticed anything strange about his behavior in recent days?’ asked Chief Inspector Duke.
‘It is difficult to say, given his moods, but lately he has come home somehow more irritated and unsatisfied than usual. My eldest son talked about it once.’
‘Thank you for your patience, Mrs Davidson, we appreciate that you could talk to us. You try to relax a bit now; you need some rest,’ said Chief Inspector Duke and got up from his chair.
‘Thank you,’ uttered Jennifer Davidson, quietly.
Saying goodbye to Jennifer Davidson, Steve Duke and Dave Tanner headed into the living room to speak to the forensics team.
‘We’ll probably go now and meet you in a few hours for a briefing,’ said Chief Inspector Duke, wearily.
‘Okay, we will finish up in around ten minutes or so. See you later,’ said Dan Bolton.
‘See you soon!’ Steve Duke and Dave Tanner answered, slammed the door behind them and silently walked to their car.
Steve Duke opened the door of the Ford Focus, glanced at his companion and in a weary voice sa
id, ‘Dave, in the morning you need to check Danielle Jackson’s bank account, when the last deposit was received and from where? Also invite Richard Jackson to come and talk to me. And ask Ben Robertson if he has completed James Jackson’s fertility test.’
‘Okay,’ replied a puzzled Dave Tanner.
‘See you,’ Steve Duke said quietly as he got into the car and started the engine.
Warm Up for the Brain
‘Oh, Martina, are you wearing warm gloves? I am without mine again, perhaps they’re lost for good this time. I remember putting them in a safe place “so as not to forget” but I have forgotten where! In general, I find them in time for my morning run, but not today and now I will probably have to buy new ones,’ Kristin reported.
‘Yes, Kristin. It is very interesting that you need somewhere to put your gloves, “so as not to forget”. Interesting logic among the French, I could not even imagine it,’ noted Martina.
‘Well, Martina, I can’t say anything about the forgetfulness of Italians. However, I know clearly that punctuality and Italians are incompatible concepts,’ stated Barbara.
‘Barbara, I did not know that you could make such a barbed comment! It seems that today you got up on the wrong side of the bed. Come on, confess!’ Martina said with a demanding voice and opened the door of the café.
‘So, our table is free!’ said Kristin in a happy and tempting voice. ‘Our favorite table by the glass wall is waiting for us, like an old, true friend. And, as always, calm and relaxing music is playing. What else is needed for happiness?’
‘Kristin, you have lost your gloves, but are all so romantic and airy…’ said an intrigued Martina.
‘Oh, my dear Martina, is it bad to be romantic or airy?’ Kristin said, mysteriously. ‘I try to enjoy every minute spent with you. Now I will get up and go to order us a coffee. And if the aroma emanating from the cup absorbs us with its divinity, and if the taste reminds us of the most pleasant moments of our life, then this means that you are fine.’
Trap for a Goose Page 10