by Emily Selby
'She's mentioned that,' Jack explained.
'The Lake District isn't far away,' Katie said, still twirling the strand of hair.
'The receptionist confirmed Erin checked in before 3 pm on Sunday afternoon. The appointment with the wedding consultant was the following day, at 11 am.'
Erin checked in? There was something that didn't add up in this story. 'What about the groom,' Katie said. 'Did Jason arrive with her?'
'No. He didn't,' Jack replied. 'He was working in London, apparently.'
'Ah,' Katie said. 'That explains a lot. Except he doesn't normally work in London.'
'It doesn't explain much in the context of my investigation,' Jack observed.
'I was just making a comment to my own thoughts,' Katie rushed to add. Did Jason find a gig in the capital? Or did he go away to spend time with someone else? 'She went to organise their wedding by herself. Obviously, he didn't care enough.'
Strange girl, Erin...
'Erin's reasoning for cancelling the wedding was that her father's death made her re-evaluate a lot of things in her life. Mostly to do with relationships,' Jack explained. ‘I can’t help thinking you’re being a little too suspicious, Katie.'
'Human nature, sir,' she replied and added a smile. But a doubt settled in and her stomach tightened again. Something wasn't quite right here. Katie swirled the dark brew in her mug.
'Did you check Jason's alibi?' she asked, thinking through the steps in her reasoning.
'Are you suspecting him now?' A curiosity note crept into Jack's voice.
'So far, Dr Jackie Burns is the only person with a motive to get rid of Archie. And she did, in a sense, by preventing him from seeing her again. If sent, that letter could have made things very awkward for her career. Did you check her alibi?'
A flinch crossed Jack's handsome face. He pushed his glasses up his nose. 'Sorry? I'm not quite following your train of thought,' he said.
Katie repeated what she'd heard from Emily, including the speculation on the potential repercussions of Archie's unsent letter.
A bead of sweat glistened on Jack's temple. 'She never said anything about it. Neither did the practice manager. The manager asked if she could have the copy of the letter as she might need to investigate the allegations. I may need to re-interview both of them,' he said through his teeth and reached for the phone. 'If you two will excuse me,' he threw over his shoulder as he dialled a number.
Chris glanced at Katie, making the 'tip-of-the-hat' gesture he must have learnt from Jack.
They both waited in silence, listening to Jack's conversation first with the receptionist and then with Dr Burns. He also left a message for the practice manager to contact him at her earliest convenience.
'And?' Katie asked simply once Jack's put the phone down.
'Dr Burns reluctantly reassured me she didn't do anything inappropriate. She documented the consultation thoroughly in her notes and discussed with all the appropriate authorities. But, she also confirmed that a scenario described by Katie was possible. An investigation, probably quite straightforward, but still stressful.'
'Alibi?' Katie asked.
'You're not giving up easily, are you?' Jack smiled. 'She was away at a conference in Lisbon from the 24th November, returning on Tuesday, 28th. She landed at Heathrow late that afternoon. She took a train home.'
'And she'll show you all the tickets?' Katie asked, watching Jack carefully.
'She'll find her boarding passes and drop in to show me as soon as possible.'
'So, we can cross Dr Burns off the suspect list? Or will you rather see the evidence?'
'Evidence, of course,' Jack replied, his smile widening.
'Let's keep looking, then,' Katie said, her chest tightening. 'And maybe you should talk to Jason as well, just in case,' she added. 'He's been with Erin since they were teenagers, so he should know Archie Blackburn well enough to be aware of his quirks. He could have learnt about the job from Erin. And he might have had a motive. Even though it wasn't the official cause of the fire, some people believed it was Archie's fault for deeming the electric installation safe.'
Jack listened to her, his eyes intensely focused on her face. 'The advantage of having insider's knowledge,' he said when she finished. 'I'll check with him again. If he can confirm his trip to London, we're back to square one. Unless someone can identify our mysterious cars.'
15
Katie would have loved to hang out with Jack and Chris a little longer, but everyone had jobs to do. Hers had been lying on the desk, being reshuffled from one corner to the other. With an end-of-year report to be formatted for Inspector Lumley, Katie booted her computer and got down to business.
She hadn’t progressed too far before her phone rang.
'Hi Dorothy, how can I help?' she greeted her friend.
Katie’s heart rate increased. For Dorothy to call her at work must have been something so urgent it couldn't wait a few more hours until their meeting in the crafts room.
'Who's dealing with Archie's case?' Dorothy asked, her voice trembling.
'DI Jack Heaton,' Katie explained. 'Why?'
'They've been asking about a van linked with the murder scene, haven't they?'
Katie straightened her back. Was it good news?
'They have. Have you seen a vehicle resembling the one seen near the old house on the day of Archie's death?'
'No, not around the place or time, but I saw one like that earlier in the garden centre.'
Dorothy sounded strange. There was something in her voice, Katie couldn't identify.
'Are you sure?'
'Pretty sure. Red Citroen Berlingo, a panel van, 59 registration plate from 2009. Old enough. I don't know if it was a petrol or diesel, but the engine was quite noisy.'
'What time did you see it?'
'Between 2.30 and 4.30 pm.'
'Was it one of the customers, shopping maybe for tools, like screwdrivers and plastic zip ties?'
'No, he wasn't shopping. He came to have a look at our protective clothing range. Definitely not interested in tools.' Dorothy's voice took on a frosty note, which was unusual for her.
'Did you see the customer?'
'Very much so.'
Had Dorothy seen the murderer?
'What did he look like?'
'Medium height, quite well built, I must say pleasantly balanced. Older guy, neat beard, dark hair combed backwards. I didn't like that part.'
Katie's jaw dropped. Was Dorothy describing the murderer? And why on Earth had she paid such close attention to his looks?
'That's a detailed description, Dorothy. You must have spent a long time staring at him.'
'About an hour and fifteen minutes.'
'What?'
'At first, I watched him walk around the shop, then I talked to him about garden gloves and knee pads. And then I had a coffee with him.'
'With a potential murderer?'
A pause on the other end of the line was followed by a hiss. 'I didn't know he was involved in anything, if he had, indeed. He invited me for a drink, and I decided it was okay to do so. We had a coffee in the cafeteria. End of story.'
Whoa... Katie's ears burned like a tin roof on a hot summer day. Did she in any way imply she disapproved of Dorothy meeting men for a coffee?
She'd better watch her language, including non-verbal communication...
'Do you happen to know his name?' Katie ventured.
'Yes,' Dorothy said grimly. 'He’s Ric Marino.'
Katy's heart flipped. This conversation was getting more and more bizarre. 'Marino? As in the Marinos who own the house where Archie Blackburn died?'
'Yes, just like them.'
'But what were you doing with a Marino? Which one was it? One of those who used to live next door to you?'
'No. A cousin of theirs. Chiara Marino's second cousin.'
'Why did you have a coffee with him?'
'I don't know.' Dorothy's voice broke into a higher pitch. Katie moved the phone a little
further from her red-hot ear. 'Because he asked me out. Because I haven't seen him for years. Because I was surprised to see him here - in Sunnyvale, in England. I was curious to know what had brought him back after all those years.'
'So, you knew him,' Katie stated.
'I used to know him quite well. But it was a while ago. I'd better ring the police and tell them about it.'
'Wait a minute,' Katie said, remembering a snippet of a conversation with Jack the other day. If a member of the Marino family was here, maybe this was how Archie got hold of the keys to the property. 'Ric Marino is your old friend?'
'No, Ric Marino is my ex-husband.'
Katie's head jerked backwards. Her hand flung to her mouth. The world swirled before her eyes.
'Are you still there, Katie? I've got to go. Need to talk to that inspector of yours.'
After her friend had disconnected, Katie let her phone slip onto her desk.
Ric Marino was Dorothy's ex-husband. Chiara's second cousin. He must have had the keys to Number 1 Stream Drive. Katie didn't even ask if Ric might have known Archie, because the dots were all there, waiting for her to connect them. A guy from a family of builders — and shady jewellers – in the right age range, with an interest in the old house, suddenly appearing in town he had not visited for years, and around Archie Blackburn's murder. Gee... she didn't even have to think too hard to come up with a motive for a Marino wanting Archie dead.
Loot, it would be the loot for sure.
The legend of the treasure trove hidden in the old, dilapidated house by Tony Marino must have been still alive within the family. And with the recent failure to take over the house by the key beneficiaries - Chiara and Sofia Parker, no wonder the other claimants came to light...
Having Ric Marino as prime suspect made perfect sense.
But did it make him the murderer?
16
It took Katie a while to shake off the shock Dorothy’s revelation had given to her system. She was actually keen to return to her formatting task, as it felt familiar and stable. No friends dropping bombshells on her, no suspicious liaisons stewing, no doubts about things shared with the said friends. Only the usual antics of stubborn page numbers that wouldn't want to go on page 1, disappearing breaks and unformattable tables. Good, old, predictable MS Word.
She was dying to know what Jack would make of Dorothy's information, but the staffroom was empty when she was leaving. Sadly, she didn't have time to hang around as she had to get home and bake the cake for the night’s party.
As she slid her key into the car’s ignition, her phone rang again.
'Michelle, how are you?' Katie greeted her best friend, Michelle Webb.
'Haven't seen you for ages, girl. Glad to hear you're still alive, with all those murderers you've been dealing with.'
Katie bit her lip. She wasn't in the mood to shift the subject into the dangerous waters of the current investigations. Not even with her best friend. Not when she was torn by doubts about Dorothy's allegiances.
'Sorry I've neglected you lately, Michelle. It's been crazy here.'
'I know, no worries. But I'd love a bit of update on, you know, your ... private life...' Michelle's voice hung in the air.
Katie's ear prickled.
Hopefully, Michelle hadn't found out about Katie's dinner date last Saturday from some "independent sources," which would be bad... oy, bad... But was Katie ready to tell anyone about it yet? Her throat tightened.
'We have to absolutely catch up soon. Julia's going to her dad's place on Boxing Day, how about after that? We could chat all day and night, assuming we don't fall asleep.'
'That would be great, but my girls want to see Julia before she goes away. They've got little presents for her. They've been bugging me about a sleepover for a while now. Apparently, Julia and Emma must have plotted it last time Julia was staying with us. What do you say?'
Ah, now Katie understood some of the unusual items on the shopping list that Julia had made her that morning. Well, it looked as though her daughter had prepared better for this Christmas than Katie. She was neglecting her friends.
'I'll check with Julia. When would suit you?'
'Today would be best, to be honest. My parents are arriving tomorrow.'
'All the way from America?'
'That's right. The girls are so excited.'
'I see. I'll check with Julia,' Katie repeated. 'She was planning to go with me to the Christmas do at the club tonight, but I'm pretty sure a sleepover with friends would be a much more thrilling way of spending an evening.'
Back home after a successful but frantic visit to the supermarket, Katie carried on with the cake. She had to have it out of the oven before it was time to pick up Julia from the holiday program. Her plan was to collect her thoughts on Archie's murder while baking, but the moment she put the butter into the bowl, she realised she'd completely forgotten about the Christmas cake.
There could not be a Christmas without a Christmas cake, but there was no way she would go back to that overcrowded shop. Besides, she never liked mass-produced Christmas cakes. With the pay rise she’d earned a couple of weeks earlier, Katie decided she could splurge on this holiday.
She was going to order a cake from Une Tasse de Bonheur, assuming they still had some left over. She grabbed her phone again.
Fortunately, Miriam and Sunita had prepared enough Christmas goodies to go around and they were happy to hold one for Katie until after the Club party.
Relieved, Katie put her lemon drizzle cake in the oven and sat with a piece of paper and a pencil. Not to hypothesise over who might have murdered Archie Blackburn and why, but to write down all the little things she absolutely had to sort out before Christmas.
She added fir branches directly under Christmas cake.
Once Julia was happily dropped off at Michelle's place ("Of course mum, I'd love to have a sleepover with Emma and Rochelle. No offence, I hope you have a good time!"), Katie headed for the crafts room, with the lemon drizzle cake safely tucked under the passenger seat.
When she arrived, the place was teeming. Miriam, Ally Baker, and even Linda McKay gathered around Erin Blackburn offering support. Only Dorothy seemed interested in the actual preparation of the room.
'Have you talked to the police?' Katie asked Dorothy discreetly as she was taking her jacket off.
Dorothy glanced at Katie and put her finger to her lips. 'I have,' she whispered and moved closer to Katie. 'The inspector was quite nice. I'm not sure what he's going to do with this information.'
'Has Ric been in touch with you since that coffee?'
Bloody drained from Dorothy's round face. She nodded lightly. 'In fact, he sent me a text message when you and I were having lunch. It wasn't much. Just a little, "Hello how are you today."'
'Have you been talking with him? Met with him since that coffee?'
Dorothy swallowed. She looked away. 'A little bit of texting, that's all. I'm not sure what to do. At least, for now, I can tell myself I'm not going to make any decisions until it's clear what happens. If he really was there at the time Archie Blackburn died.'
Katie nodded.
Dorothy put her hand on Katie's shoulder. 'Now,' she whispered into her ear. 'You go and present your condolences to Erin. You might be able to catch a word or two as well,' she added and pushed Katie toward the corner where the other members were gathered.
Katie approached the group, watching Erin from afar. Her usual slim silhouette looked a little hunched. Her porcelain skin was paler, and there were dark circles under eyes.
'Hi, Erin,' Katie said, approaching her. 'My deepest condolences for your loss.'
Erin's head bobbed up and down a few times. Her lips moved but Katie didn't register any sound.
'I'm sorry,' Katie said. 'I didn't hear you.'
Erin shrugged. 'I was trying to find the words, but I can't. Honestly, I'd rather keep myself busy doing something useful. Let's get the party set up, shall we?' she said and walked straight th
rough the gap between Ally and Miriam, pulling Ally to join her. Katie followed them.
Dorothy and Ally busied themselves setting out plates, cups and cutlery, while Erin installed herself in the food corner. She started unpacking cakes, salads and snacks. Katie stood beside her, and they worked in silence for a while.
'Oh,' Erin grunted. 'This is a properly packed cake. I can't open the box. Do you have a sharp knife?'
Katie reached across the table to grab one of the plastic knives of the plate.
'No,' Erin waved her hand. 'These are no good. I need something sharp, like a craft knife.'
'I should have one somewhere in the box. You want me to go and look for it?'
'Wait,' Erin said and crossed to the coat hanger. 'I think I've something in my pocket.'
Indeed, she fished out a longer, slimline, white object. She returned to the table with it.
'You carry a craft knife in your pocket? Aren't you concerned about cutting yourself accidentally?' Katie asked, surprised. She'd cut herself more times than she cared to remember.
Erin clicked the button at the end of the knife.
'This is completely safe. Look, you click here and the blade slides into the handle.'
Katie glanced at the blade. The edge was serrated and dull.
'I think you need to change it, this one is too blunt.'
'The blade is not replaceable. I should have thrown it in the bin,' Erin said sighing, 'but this is my last one.' She put the knife to the side of the box and tried to slide it along the side, but the blade got stuck and wouldn't move.
'Heck,' Erin snapped, her cheeks flushed now. 'You were right, it's too blunt. To the bin with it!'
While Erin headed for the bin in the corner, Katie rushed to get her own craft knife from a box on the shelf. She handed it to Erin and continued unwrapping the salads.
They worked skilfully, smoothly, in silence for another few minutes. Katie watched Erin, trying to think of ways to start a conversation. All the time she'd spent preparing her questions was wasted. Erin was never an easy girl to talk to at the best of times.
'Do you need any help with anything, Erin?' Katie asked, realising the room would be filled with people and laughter before long.
