by Helen Goltz
‘Well, the Nazis didn’t consider their confiscated goods to be stolen,’ Timo informed her.
‘He wasn’t a Nazi!’ she snapped.
‘I stand corrected,’ Timo said. ‘Not all German soldiers were Nazis.’
‘Besides, the necklace has been in my family for generations… it’s a love story,’ Astrid said, brushing the pearls around her neck fondly.
‘It will have papers,’ he persisted, ‘especially a piece of jewellery of that value – it’s quite unique.’
Astrid became annoyed. ‘So, are you interested in its history or its value?’
‘Both,’ he said, surprised. ‘You know I’m a collector at heart – my double degree is in music and history so, if the orchestra sacked me, I can teach. Didn’t your parents always harp on about having something to fall back on?’ he said, with a roll of his eyes.
‘My father was too busy working to lecture. He just wrote the cheques and expected me to be brilliant and step up in the business one day!’
Timo grinned. ‘Well, he got what he wanted.’
She smiled coyly. ‘Thank you.’
‘Want to get out of here?’ he asked, with a glance around. ‘Let’s grab a taxi out the front and head back to my place.’
They slipped through the cocktail crowd, with a few guests patting Timo on the back or shaking his hand to congratulate him on his debut. Outside, he opened the door of the first taxi on the rank for Astrid, gave the driver the address and slipped in beside her, settling his violin on the seat as she finished a social media post of a selfie from the cocktail party.
Astrid caught his expression. ‘It’s my work,’ she said. ‘Dad expects me to promote the family business and this is giving it profile. All this ribbon-cutting and being seen in the right places promotes our brand and leads to awareness of our pharmaceutical discoveries… ho-hum,’ she said, in a mechanical fashion, as if she had to justify her profile.
‘Fair enough. It is important, though… science,’ Timo reminded her. There was only a five-year age difference between them, but sometimes she felt as if Timo was channelling her father with his maturity.
He continued. ‘Science, history and the arts, they are the foundation blocks of our community. Take my violin, for example. It’s Italian, a Giulio Cesare Gigli, dating back to around 1760. To think of where it has been, who has touched it, and what it has seen!’ His eyes roamed the encased instrument beside him with affection. ‘Dad remortgaged the house to buy it for me. I will pay him back one day.’ He rested his hand on it as the taxi negotiated the evening traffic on the way to Astrid’s home. Like most musicians, the instrument was his most prized procession and highly insured.
‘Bet your brother was impressed by that,’ Astrid said, pushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. ‘What does he get?’
Timo looked surprised. ‘Whatever he needs, I imagine.’
Astrid softened. Timo was a gentle soul, one of the few guys she had met who wasn’t impressed by her name, fortune or social media following. And she loved him, for now. But the Tender Heart necklace was hers and it was staying that way, regardless of what history said.
Before she knew it, two hours had passed. Holly had had her nose buried online in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, reading every file she could from Alexander’s last year of life and last few months of conflict – from the prime minister’s speeches, future policy group notes, to proposals for political settlement.
She realised it was after 11 am and her garden should be completed. Exciting! Sitting back, she turned her gaze away from the screen and observed some of the library’s comings and goings. While she knew a lot more now about the situation Alexander was involved in, she had no insights into Alexander’s death. It was then that she saw Sebastian approaching with a sheet of paper in his hands.
‘You’ve been busy,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want to interrupt you until I saw you surface.’
‘Oh, please interrupt me,’ Holly said, and Sebastian laughed. He sank into the chair beside her.
‘It took me a few hours, too, but I have a snippet of information for you from my colleague. Now, this never came from me and you must die with your source on your lips,’ he said dramatically, looking to his left and right, and then giving Holly a smile and a wink.
Holly nodded and leaned forward. ‘I swear an oath to you that this information will be kept watertight! I can swallow that piece of paper after you share it with me, if you like?’ she teased.
He laughed. ‘I’ll get a message to you if that is required. So, it is only a snippet from the Coroner’s report with the cause of death. It might be distressing…’ Sebastian hesitated.
‘Thank you, but that’s okay. I accept the Sergeant is dead and that his death was brutal. I’m ready.’
Sebastian nodded and slipped the paper to her. ‘I’ll leave it to you then.’
‘Thank you, I really appreciate what you did for me,’ Holly said.
Sebastian smiled and, looking pleased with his contribution to the cause, returned to the desk.
Holly read the note in front of her: Death was caused by one stab wound to the body resulting in haemorrhaging and death in minutes.
Haemorrhaging, she mused; that’s blood loss. So, Alexander bled out and very quickly, before he could be saved. She grimaced at the thought of him being so far from home and unable to be saved, dying on the street where he fell. She read on as the Coroner outlined the type of weapon – a double-edged knife with a blade length of 11 cm and a width of 1.5 cm. Holly drew a rough image of the knife. It could be concealed up a sleeve perhaps.
The report mentioned that Alexander’s thick jacket absorbed a lot of the blood. Holly thought about this. Perhaps people around him didn’t see how bad the wound was because of this. Did it just look like a dark stain on his uniform? Was it dark? Was he in a tunnel, or was all the noise creating havoc and no-one noticed he’d been stabbed? Finally, the report noted that by the angle of the wound, the knife had entered the skin at an oblique angle and was thrust upwards into the body at close range.
Oblique angle? What’s that? She quickly looked it up on her phone and felt none the wiser. ‘Acute or obtuse, not a right angle. Well, that helps… not!’ Holly muttered. She looked around for Sebastian and, spotting him placing books on a shelf, she caught his eye. Holly began to rise but he motioned that he would be right there. She made a few quick notes before he dropped down in the chair beside her.
‘Can you help me with two questions, please?’
‘I’ll do my very best,’ he agreed.
‘Oblique angle. If the knife entered the body at an oblique angle, what does that mean?’ Holly asked.
Sebastian nodded. ‘Hmm… the more important question might be whereabouts in the body did it enter at an oblique angle. I’ll come back to that question. Your second one?’
‘The knife – it’s a double-edged knife. So the knives at home are single blade, I think.’
‘Ah, good pick-up, young lady. Double-edged knives are often more ceremonial, like daggers, combat knives, push knives… so it is a knife chosen for its purpose, if you understand my meaning?’ Sebastian said.
Holly nodded. ‘So it is likely a soldier, a military person or someone serious about a fight might have been carrying it… it’s not a knife that was grabbed from the kitchen drawer before the assailant left home.’
‘You have it in one,’ Sebastian said. ‘Now, my contact did give me one more page of information which I didn’t give you because he asked me not to print it out and I thought it might be distressing.’
‘Not a photograph from the post-mortem?’ Holly said, with trepidation.
‘No, just a drawing illustrating the knife entry to the body… it’s a common part of autopsies that marks are made on a body drawing. I’m prepared to show you if you feel you are up to it.’
‘Yes please, that would be very helpful.’
‘Come then,’ he said, and headed to the desk. Holly foll
owed and remained on the customer side.
Sebastian called up the email and the image and, with a quick look around to make sure they were alone, he turned the screen to face Holly. ‘See, this drawing marks where the knife entered the body and its upward trajectory.’
Holly took it in, trying to capture the image in her mind so she could go back and quickly draw it. ‘So that’s the oblique angle and right near the heart.’ She looked away. ‘Thank you, Sebastian, this is really helpful information.’
‘My pleasure. I’ll just file this somewhere confidential, but if you need to see it again, it will be here.’ He turned the screen back around and closed the email.
Holly returned to her desk and quickly sketched a human body shape and marked the knife wound area and entry. She sat back and read the report again.
There was no denying the obvious – the last person that Alexander saw in front of him, or the person who was directly on his left, was most likely his killer – and Meghan’s cousin, Ronan was the top contender.
A breath of fresh air
Juliette breezed into Findlater House like a gust of wind herself.
‘Oh my God, it is great to be back, and the garden looks amazing. Are you delighted with it? Lucas is so talented.’ Juliette didn’t wait for a response as she finished embracing Holly and pulled away. ‘I miss not having you to drop in on or call up for a drink, and I’ve missed the salt air.’ She breathed in deeply.
Holly laughed. ‘Hmm, it’s more likely you missed breathing in the same salt air that Lucas is inhaling.’
Juliette grinned. ‘Well yeah, there’s that. Okay… let’s get organised. We should go for a walk on the beach, and then we’ve got to come home and get ready. It’s only two hours until we meet the guys.’ As she spoke, she slipped off her heels and started unbuttoning her work jacket.
Holly agreed. ‘I’ll put my walking shoes on.’
Juliette grabbed her suitcase and headed up the stairs, calling back, ‘So excited to be back.’
Holly watched her friend disappear up the stairs, admiring how Juliette had the knack of fitting in wherever she landed as if she had always been there.
She grabbed her runners and as she sat on the sofa to pull them on, she felt a sudden cold rush beside her.
‘Is she always so full-on?’ Alexander asked.
‘Yes. Great, isn’t it?’
‘Sure,’ he said, sounding less impressed. ‘So are you still going out with this J.J. guy tonight?’
‘I am, but I wouldn’t call it a date, I’m just making up numbers.’ Holly looked up at him as she tied her shoelaces. ‘I have some more questions for you, about your… end.’
‘You’ve found out something,’ he said, his eyes growing wider, ‘or is this just one of your freebie questions?’
‘No, it’s for research purposes and I don’t know yet if I’ve found out something until I have a bit more context. Just a few questions will help me sort things.’
‘About what?’ Juliette asked, coming down the stairs in her leisure gear and runners.
Holly quickly looked to the stairs. ‘What… sorry?’
‘You said you have a few questions.’
‘Oh yes, a few questions… um, I’m dying to hear about the necklace, whatever you found out. I’ve got a few new insights, too and I’m meeting Esther on Monday to give her an update.’
‘I’ll tell you as we walk,’ Juliette said, already at the door. ‘It’s so great to leave the office behind and get outside.’
Holly grabbed her house keys and glanced around, frowning. ‘Try and stay out of trouble,’ she whispered, pulling the door closed behind her.
‘What a cheek, stay out of trouble! This is my house unless you’ve forgotten!’ he called after her. Women. Alive women! He shook his head.
Alexander went to the record collection and selected one of his favourites.
‘Time for a little Creedence,’ he said, pulling the album from its sleeve and putting it on. He relaxed as the dulcet tones of John Fogerty asked him if he had ever seen the rain.
‘I’ve seen more, so much more, John my man,’ Alexander answered.
He knew what Holly was going to ask and it didn’t take her long to get there. Yes, the last person he saw was Ronan and the wound that killed him was inflicted from where Ronan was standing. But they were good friends, and Ronan loved Meghan; he would never have done anything to have caused her pain.
Something else happened… there’s got to be another explanation. Was it an accident? Were Ronan and his mates coming to defend their turf but Ronan hadn’t counted on seeing me and had to follow through to save face, or to save himself? Did someone push Ronan forward onto me and it was an accident?
Did Meghan know the truth?
Juliette linked her arm through Holly’s as they strolled along the firm sand of the beach, slowing down to village time.
‘It truly is spectacular, isn’t it?’ Juliette said, taking in the sheer cliffs and the dramatic sea crashing against it.
‘I don’t think you could ever tire of it,’ Holly agreed.
‘So what do you think of J.J.?’
‘Nothing,’ Holly said, and looked at Juliette with surprise. ‘I haven’t thought about him at all.’
Juliette rolled her eyes. ‘It could be a great fit, the two of you.’
‘Nope, no spark but he’s nice and he looks fit. But we’re just there to prop up you two. I’m sure J.J. feels the same. He wouldn’t be short of a date.’
‘Thank you,’ Juliette said, and squeezed Holly’s arm.
‘You’re welcome. You’ve played wing-girl for me over the years, too,’ Holly said, and they both smiled at the thought. ‘So, tell me what you found out about the necklace.’
‘Ah, the necklace,’ Juliette said. ‘Well, you were right about the Bellerose name. The necklace is currently in the possession of the Bellerose family of Paris and has been for three generations, judging from the trail of insurance paperwork. It is currently insured in the name of Astrid Bellerose. I checked her out and she’s in her early twenties, young, rich, and a Paris society girl by the looks of it.’
‘So, did they buy it originally… can you tell?’ Holly asked.
‘You can tell if the original purchase certificate is lodged with the insurance claim and many insurers insist on this, but given this necklace came into the family in the 1940s – well, that’s the earliest registered date for it – there’s no purchase information. There is a valuation, but that’s at the time of being insured.’ Juliette shivered and Holly suggested they turn and walk back. They said hello to an elderly couple walking past.
Juliette continued. ‘This doesn’t mean anything sinister. During those war years, a lot of original documentation was lost due to fire, bombings, deaths and transfers.’
‘Hmm, so it could have been confiscated from a Jewish family by the Bellerose ancestors,’ Holly said.
‘It could have, but I’m not sure how you prove that.’ Juliette smiled.
‘What?’ Holly asked, narrowing her eyes. ‘You look like the cat that swallowed the cream.’
‘Meow,’ Juliette agreed and they laughed.
‘Tell me, what do you know?’ Holly asked excitedly.
Juliette drew a breath. ‘Well, I did come across something that might help your investigation. I can’t take credit for it, though. I have an aged buyer who has a bit of passion for rare and unusual pieces and he brought it to my attention.’
Holly held her breath.
‘A lot of jewellers leave their mark on pieces they create – symbols or initials, something unique to them. There is a register of German jewellery makers’ marks, some dating back as far as the late 1800s. Now, Esther’s father was a German Jew and jeweller, and when I showed my colleague the photo of the necklace, he said he was likely to have registered his mark,’ Juliette said, as they came to the end of the beach and turned for Holly’s home. ‘There’s a website for the Antique Jewellery University which lists many
of them.’
Holly felt her heartbeat racing. ‘So, if he had a mark registered and it was registered with this university…’
‘… then we need to find that mark and – this is the important part – you need to see if you can find that mark somewhere on the piece of jewellery. If it is there, then you know that Esther’s father made it.’
‘Wow, that’s brilliant,’ Holly said, processing the information. ‘It doesn’t prove it was stolen, but it proves that he created it and we definitely have the right piece of jewellery, not a replica.’ She turned to Juliette. ‘You are amazing! Thank you.’
‘It’s exciting,’ Juliette said, as the end of the beach and their entry point came into sight.
Holly was thinking aloud: ‘And if Esther had a photo of her parents with the necklace, maybe her mother wearing it, that will help to show that they owned it for a time… that they didn’t make it for someone else and it was unlikely they sold it.’
‘Especially if she’s in her wedding dress!’ Juliette agreed. ‘No bride would sell that romantic necklace, surely, unless the family was destitute.’
They headed off the beach and up Findlater Lane towards Holly’s house.
‘When are you meeting with Esther?’ Juliette asked.
‘Monday morning.’
‘If you like, I could stay an extra night and come to your meeting… if it would help?’ Juliette offered.
‘That would be brilliant and you could explain all this to her,’ Holly said. ‘Will your boss be okay with that?’
‘Are you kidding?’ Juliette asked. ‘If I tell him I’m got an elderly client with some jewellery pieces for discussion, he’ll be asking me to stay. We could have dinner Sunday night, just the two of us and –’
‘C’mon… new love – I’m not standing in the way of all that passion!’ Holly teased and rolled her eyes.
Juliette grinned and flushed with pleasure.
Holly continued: ‘You and I both know that all you will do Sunday night is think of Lucas and you’ll be totally distracted and I won’t get one sensible thought out of you. So here’s a plan – why don’t you spend tonight with Lucas, then tomorrow afternoon with me, Sunday night with Lucas and come back here Monday morning before heading back to London?’
