by Alana Ling
‘What are you talking about?’
I winced and looked at Sam.
Daniel grabbed me and dragged me further away from the police and Sam followed us.
‘Jo, are you hiding something from me?’
I grimaced and passed him the letters. Daniel looked around him and snatched them from my hands. He unfolded them both and read them.
‘I can’t believe this. Where did you find those?’ he shouted.
‘Erm,’ I said. ‘One was on Colton, and the other one in his room.’
‘And you hid them from me?’ His nostrils flared and his face turned red.
‘I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have.’ I dropped my gaze to stare at the floor.
I’d known I would have had to tell him about the letters at some point, but I hadn’t mentally prepared myself for the shame I would feel knowing he would think less of me.
‘Wait a minute, how did you get into Colton’s room?’ he asked and his face turned red.
Whatever was coming my way, I deserved it. The taste of raw brownies and smelly butter rested on my palate instead of his usual sweet flavour.
‘Actually, don’t tell me. The better question is why did they miss it?’ He pointed to his constables and I shrugged. ‘Why didn’t you show them to me? Why hide them from me? I thought I’d asked you to help me.’
Sam was about to answer him and I knew she would be mouthier than I could be with my ex-brother-in-law, so I stopped her.
‘I-I was pursuing a different angle. I wanted to leave you to get on with your statements and interrogations,’ I said, which was somewhat the truth.
‘Oh, Joanna. I guess I deserved that after the way I treated you last time. But still. This is illegal stuff. I could have you arrested for this.’
‘I know,’ I said without looking at him.
‘Stop hiding things from me.’
My heart sank. I had royally screwed up.
‘I’m sorry, but we need to get to our rooms,’ I heard a familiar voice shout.
I turned towards the entrance to find the pistachio and cranberry cookie flavour of Henry Bulet and the pear tart of Valentino Bianchi standing side by side at the door, with a police officer blocking their way.
Henry spotted me and as I approached them, Daniel followed me and asked the officer to let the men in.
‘My apologies, gentlemen. If you please have a seat, I promise we won’t keep you long.’
‘What happened, Detective? Why can’t we go into our rooms?’ Henry asked.
As Daniel gestured them to take a seat, he answered them. ‘I’m afraid Ms. Ginny Brooks was found dead earlier this evening. So if you bear with us, my men will take your statements about your whereabouts and that will be all.’
‘But we didn’t have anything to do with Ginny’s death,’ Valentino said.
‘We have to make sure,’ Daniel insisted.
‘We have been out all evening. Ask her. She booked us a restaurant for our…business meeting,’ Henry said, stealing a glance at Valentino.
Valentino nodded, agreeing with Henry.
Daniel turned to me and I nodded. ‘I didn’t know Mr. Bianchi was going to be there, but we did make his reservation. I guess a phone call to the restaurant will confirm it.’
‘If you wouldn’t mind, Ms. Christie,’ he said.
Instead of me, Sam pulled out her phone and dialled straight away.
‘On it,’ she said as she waited for the response.
‘Poor girl,’ Henry said. ‘I didn’t get a chance to talk to her much, but she looked like a decent person.’
‘Was there anything about Ms. Brooks that was unusual?’ Daniel asked.
Valentino leaned forward and crossed his legs. ‘Well, she was the only one who had a different contract with Colton. She had an exclusivity clause in hers.’
‘No, that’s not true,’ Henry added. ‘Ms. Minuit had the same clause in hers.’
Sam appeared next to me and she placed her phone back in her bag.
‘The restaurant can confirm that Mr. Bulet’s reservation arrived, plus one, and both left about fifteen minutes ago,’ she said.
‘I see. Thank you, Sam. Gentlemen, you may go,’ Daniel told them and they bid us goodnight before retreating to their rooms.
‘Nick.’ Daniel called his constable over. ‘Can we account for all of our suspects this evening? Can you find out the whereabouts of Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Mr. Moore and Ms. Minuit please and get back to me as soon as possible?’
Nick changed pages in his notebook and wrote down their names, and then left to follow his detective’s instructions.
‘What do you think happened?’ I asked him.
‘Well, if the coroner confirms Ginny died of cyanide too, then I presume both victims died from the same hands. Unfortunately though, Colton’s glass returned no fingerprints other than the server’s, so it’s possible someone dropped the poison inside while Colton was distracted,’ Daniel explained.
‘I showed the letter to everyone except Mathilde and Ginny and everyone was weird about it. They obviously didn’t admit to anything, but I could tell they were hiding something, so it’s really strange,’ I said.
Daniel stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth. ‘Well, I hope you’re ready for tomorrow.’
‘What’s happening tomorrow?’ I asked.
‘I expect most of them will be upset they have to further extend their stay in town.’ He smirked.
‘Oh, I hate you already.’
Nick returned, notebook in hand. ‘Sir. I’ve got something interesting.’
‘What is it?’ Daniel asked him when he didn’t speak straight away.
Nick looked from Daniel to me and Sam then back to his boss who gave him the all clear.
‘Well, sir, I have managed to find Mr. and Mrs. Brown who claim to have been working from their room at the time of Ginny’s death, and Mr. Moore said he was watching TV.’
‘So no one has an alibi,’ Daniel said. ‘Anything else?’
‘Yes, sir. I was unable to confirm the whereabouts of Ms. Minuit. Reception informed me she checked out earlier today, but didn’t have any information on where she has gone.’
‘What?’ Daniel yelled. ‘I thought I’d asked for police detail to be in the hotel keeping an eye on all suspects twenty-four seven. How did this happen, Constable Cottons?’
‘Oh, Detective,’ Sam purred.
I tutted and Daniel stared at her for a moment before turning back to his officer, waiting for an answer.
‘I’m not sure, Detective. I asked Robert who was on duty at the time, but he said he didn’t see any of the suspects check out. He saw Mr. Bianchi and Mr. Bulet, but no one else.’
‘Put a call out for Mathilde Minuit. Get everyone on her tail. We need to find her before she leaves town. If she hasn’t already,’ Daniel said and threw in a curse for good measure, and then he excused himself and approached a couple of other officers who were chatting to each other.
Sam and I watched him tell them off and they scattered, getting back to their job. After he made sure they were helping with the investigation, he returned to us.
‘It looks like it’s going to be an all-nighter for me, girls. I’m going to grab something to eat and interview them all from scratch. I don’t suppose you’re hungry?’
‘Starving,’ Sam said and grabbed Daniel’s arm. ‘We were this close to getting our Oak burgers before you called us with the news.’
I followed them and he took us to the hotel restaurant where we sat at the bar and ordered what seemed like all of the available grub.
‘I’m sorry to cut your evening short,’ he said. ‘I didn’t mean to.’
I cocked my head and stared at him. ‘Don’t be silly. You know we want to help. Maybe you can catch us up on the things you’ve discovered.’
Daniel shared with us what he could, which wasn’t much to go on, before dinner arrived and we all attacked it as if we hadn’t eaten for days. Which was p
robably true for Daniel.
As we finished up, Nick approached us with a smile.
‘You’d better have good news, Constable,’ Daniel told him, wiping his mouth with a serviette.
‘Sir, we found Mathilde Minuit at the Twigg Hotel. She checked in approximately three hours ago, and she is currently in her room. A vehicle has already been dispatched to detain her.’
Daniel dropped everything and rushed outside with Nick. We stayed close behind. His car was parked down the street and as soon as he unlocked it Nick attempted to get in.
‘No, Nick. Stay behind and make sure no one else manages to leave without your knowledge. I want tabs on all the suspects. If it means putting an officer on everyone’s bedrooms, then so be it.’
Nick clicked his heels and disappeared back into the hotel.
‘Get in, girls,’ he told us as soon as his constable was out of earshot.
‘Really?’ I asked.
Sam didn’t hesitate. She jumped in the backseat, leaving me to take shotgun. Last time I had been in his car, Daniel was taking me into custody, in handcuffs, to stop me from snooping in his investigation. Now, I was sitting next to him on our way to a suspect.
Things had changed in the last few months.
Eleven
We drove a few blocks up the road and found the hotel in question—a rundown highway hotel that looked to be empty and which everyone in town thought was haunted.
I didn’t know when the rumour had started, but I remembered as a young kid, my friends and I trying more than once to go through reception to explore the haunted rooms, only to be stopped short by the creaky wooden floorboards and the sleepy and creepy receptionist who would snap to attention at the slightest of sounds.
Walking in, I realised not much had changed in the lobby, other than the receptionist, of course. Twigg Hotel was one of the few places in Haven-on-Sea that wasn’t the pride and joy of the residents, and whenever tourists dared to book it, they usually ended up moving to different hotels or leaving town thinking the whole of Haven was weird. Which it was, but in a different way.
Two police officers were standing by reception, with a brunette woman wearing round spectacles in between them. I recognised her as Mathilde Minuit.
She had her hands crossed in front of her chest and her flavour of Côtes du Rhône intoxicated my palate, making my mouth feel dry.
‘Ms. Minuit,’ Daniel said at the top of his voice.
Mathilde tried to escape the two officers to greet the detective but the constables held her in place.
‘Would you stop this? Let me go,’ she said and they did when Daniel gestured them to.
Mathilde stood opposite Daniel, her eyes larger than life, and said, ‘Detective, can you explain what is happening? Why are your men not letting me go?’
‘Ms. Minuit, I thought I advised you that you were not allowed to leave the hotel without letting me know. Care to explain yourself?’
Mathilde crossed her arms again.
‘I couldn’t stay there any longer. With all those toxic people. I was going to let you know. But you were busy. It’s not like I was running away,’ she said. ‘Why are you acting like I’ve committed a crime?’
‘Where were you between seven and eight o’clock this evening?’ Daniel ignored her.
‘I was right here. At this hotel. In my room.’
‘Can anyone confirm that?’ Daniel said, looking at reception.
The receptionist shook his head. He was a younger man with black bags under his eyes, pale white skin and a crooked nose which reminded me of Dracula rather than a real person, which wasn’t helped by his garlicky flavour.
‘That’s because he’s asleep half the time,’ she said.
‘It’s not my fault I’m narcoleptic,’ the man said.
He must have been a family member of the receptionist I remembered sitting behind the desk. Maybe their sleeping problem ran in the family.
Daniel’s body stiffened and he reached behind him.
‘Mathilde Minuit, you are under arrest on suspicion of the death of Ginny Brooks. You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned—’ he started to say while handcuffing one of Mathilde’s hands.
‘Ginny is dead?’ Mathilde shrieked. ‘Oh, mon dieu. C’est impossible.’
She stopped Daniel from putting the second handcuff on and turned to face him.
‘What happened?’
Daniel grabbed her shoulder and tried to turn her around again, but she insisted.
‘Please, Detective. Tell me. She was my friend.’
Daniel paused.
‘She was found in one of the guest lifts about an hour ago.’
Mathilde lifted her hand to her mouth. A gasp escaped her.
‘And…and you think I killed her?’
‘Why would you run away?’ Sam said.
Mathilde turned to her and Daniel shot her a look.
‘What?’ Sam shrugged.
Daniel looked back at Mathilde and waited for her response.
‘Well?’
‘Okay, I was running away,’ she said.
‘Why?’
Mathilde dropped her head to her chest and didn’t say anything.
‘Ms. Minuit, may I remind you the seriousness of the situation?’
She looked up with tears in her eyes.
‘You can arrest me, Detective. I won’t resist,’ she said without much energy left in her.
* * *
Mathilde ended up in jail for the night and Daniel was hoping he could get the entire truth out of her.
When I got up the next morning, I woke certain we’d missed something, so a quick call to Sam, who didn’t take much to be convinced, and we were both on our way to the hotel.
There was still some police detail around the lobby, although the lift had been returned to its everyday use. People were milling about, not paying much attention to what had yesterday been a crime scene.
Rosalind, the receptionist, was behind her desk as we approached and her chocolate sweetened my coffee-infused palate.
‘Hi there, is Baker Moore in his room?’ I asked her.
She grimaced and shrugged. ‘I can check the system, see if he’s checked out, but I couldn’t say anything about his whereabouts,’ she said naturally.
‘Of course. Thanks,’ I said, and then paused and added, ‘I thought they couldn’t have checked out. I thought they had to stay at the hotel for the duration of the investigation.’
‘That was true, but they are free to go now. The detective said so himself.’
Sam and I exchanged glances. Rosalind informed us Baker was still in and we walked away, thanking her.
‘Why would he say that? Has Mathilde admitted to killing them?’ Sam asked.
‘Maybe she has.’
She shook her head. ‘Nah, I don’t believe that. Why would she stay in town if she had killed Ginny? Why not run away?’
‘That’s a very good question, Sam. Let me find out,’ I said and dialled Daniel.
He picked up on the second ring.
‘Did Mathilde confess her crimes?’ I asked, not bothering with the usual niceties. I had only been with him a few hours ago.
‘Hey, Joanna. No. She’s silent as a peep. The only thing she’s admitted is that Ginny was the one who was sending those letters you found.’
‘She what?’ I gasped.
‘Yep,’ was all Daniel said. ‘But that’s all she’ll say. Anyway, I’ve been told I can’t keep anyone in town for longer without proof they are involved with the murders.’
I cursed. ‘Why? Did you explain to your superiors the circumstances?’
‘Of course I did.’ Sam was staring at me so I put the phone on speaker and made sure no one of interest was around us. ‘Unfortunately, having secrets is not a viable reason to keep a suspect under restrictions without arresting them. I’ve gone well above and beyond to keep them here as long as physically possible, but now I can’t c
ontrol what they do.’
‘So, that’s it? You are happy to let it go without the real culprit getting what they deserve?’ I asked.
Daniel drew a deep breath, which was audible on our end of the phone.
‘Of course not. We’ll keep investigating until we get to the bottom of things, but we can’t keep anyone here against their will.’
‘Okay, I guess we’d better hurry up then, right?’ I asked.
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about. If anyone asks,’ he said.
‘Gotcha,’ I told him and hung up.
Sam scanned the lobby.
‘So Mathilde didn’t do it. But Ginny was blackmailing Colton. There must be a connection. And with everyone bound to leave we’d better hurry up and find who killed them before anyone checks out,’ she said.
I nodded. Sam went off to reception to ask for the check-out list and I took off for the restaurant where breakfast was being served.
I joined the queue and waited for everyone in front of me to be seated while I searched for familiar faces. I didn’t see the Browns anywhere, but Baker was sitting on his own on one of the tables staring at his glass of water.
When it was my turn in the queue, I pointed to Baker and joined him at his table.
He slowly looked up at me and his eyes were red. He opened his mouth and a waft of alcohol mixed with his gin flavour.
‘Hey,’ he slurred.
‘Oh my God, Baker. Are you drunk?’ I asked him and leaned in to sniff his glass. The content’s smell answered my question.
‘Why did he do this to me? Huh?’ he asked.
‘Why did who do what to you?’
Baker lifted the glass full of gin and drank his own spirit.
‘What’s going on?’ I asked. ‘Are you all right?’
‘He was a pig. That’s what he was. A bloody pig. He didn’t care about anyone but himself.’
‘Who? Colton? Why would you say that?’ I said.
Again, my question didn’t register.
‘Why all the lies? Why didn’t he just tell me?’ he went on.
‘Tell you what, Baker?’ I was starting to get annoyed with everyone’s cryptic messages and I felt like grabbing the man’s shoulders and shaking him real hard until the booze was out of his system.
