Blades, Betrayals and Broken Ties

by Emily Selby

  'What does your heart tell you?' Katie asked carefully.

  'My heart is confused, Katie. And I don't like it.'

  'Alright then, what is your head telling you?'

  'That I should drive him back to the police station then make him correct his statement.'

  It sounded like a good solution. No telling on anybody, just bullying them into telling the full story.

  'Why don't you do it then?'

  'I will,' Dorothy replied and drained her tea, clearly having made up her mind. 'Thanks, Katie, I needed someone to push me to do the right thing,' she said, rising to her feet. 'I'd better be going. I bet you have lots to do. I see you haven't put up everything yet?‘

  Katie's hand jerked to her forehead.

  'Oh, my freaking goodness! I've nearly forgotten. I need to go and get some of those branches from the allotment as you advised me. I promised Julia we're going to do the table decorations today.'

  Dorothy grabbed her handbag and headed for the door when a sudden thought crossed Katie's mind.

  'You don't happen to have a photo of Ric from the time he was younger, do you?'

  Dorothy gave her a strange look and then winked. 'Do you want to know the man I fell for?' She chuckled and fumbled in her handbag. 'Actually, I do. I took a snapshot of our wedding photo the other day. He was a looker, Ric. I think he still is.'

  Dorothy passed Katie her phone. One glance was enough to notice a striking resemblance between young Ric Marino and the stranger who met with Erin Blackburn last night.

  Joe, the man with an American accent who talked about a building project with a woman whose father was killed in a house with the alleged treasure trove.

  A few coincidences too many.

  20

  Katie closed the door behind Dorothy and sat on the bottom step.

  What if it was Joe Parker who met with Erin last night? Assuming the story about the precious stones and other jewellery materials hidden in the old house by Tony Marino – a not-so-honest jewellery maker, and Joe's grandfather – was true, anyone from Marino family would have had a motive to enter the house.

  Why was Archie Blackburn asked to have a look at the house? It might have been to assess the state of the house, but it might also have been to look for potential places where the treasure could be stowed.

  If Archie Blackburn had found the treasure, he might have demanded a share, or, which was probably more likely to be in his character, Blackburn might have insisted the Marinos report it to authorities. And this would have been a good reason to get rid of him. The motive Jack was searching for.

  But if Archie didn't make any phone calls while in the house, the only way for anyone from the outside to know about a significant find, was to talk to him in person. Maybe even discover the treasure with him. Having said that, Jack didn’t say whether anything of value was found in the house.

  Whoever would have gone there with Archie Blackburn might have used him to find the treasure chest, let the hatch do its evil work, grabbed the treasure and run away.

  The person who asked the victim to check on the house was Ric, and Ric needed money. But why did he return to the scene, and why was he helping the police now?

  Or maybe it was just smoke and mirrors?

  No, Katie, get your thinking together.

  The hatch must have been prepared in advance of Archie’s arrival. It could have killed him before he found the treasure, but that didn't make sense from the point of view of the treasure hunter. If it had been solely about the treasure, Archie Blackburn would have been killed after he'd found it.

  Unless, of course, the scene was prepared in case of a successful outcome. The murderer might have come to collect the bounty and left hoping the hatch would do its job.

  Quite a risky plan. It didn't sound like the Marino-Parker family Katie was accustomed to.

  She needed to write it all down before she forgot anything, and include areas worthy of further investigation.

  Katie stood up and walked back to the kitchen. She took the old notebook from her handbag and jotted down her thoughts. Then, she added a list of questions to ask Jack:

  Did the forensic team find any signs Archie might have discovered anything in the house?

  Were there any fingerprints, footprints, etc. in the house not belonging to Archie? (She was particularly proud of herself for including this question, having never considered this sort of thing before.)

  Did they find anything of interest around the house or yard?

  She'd love a little chat with Ric Marino to try and figure out whether he'd lied about anything else.

  Ah, yes, she shouldn’t forget about Erin. Erin and her meeting with the mysterious, good-looking American potential client who was probably the Marino-Parker boy.

  Katie's phone pinged with the reminder to put up the wreath and find some fir branches. She sighed, put the notebook away and grabbed the Christmas wreath from the shelf in the hallway.

  Now, how could she fix it to the door? She needed a hammer, but she didn't have one.

  After a few minutes of inspection, it was clear the door number and the knocker on her entrance door were positioned in such a way it was impossible to place the wreath in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

  'What a stupid idea to have such a big door number!' Katie mumbled. She could move the knocker to the side, and then have the wreath or any other door decorations right in the centre.

  Yeah, she had to move the darned number.

  But she didn't have a screwdriver at home either. The screw was rusty and fitted in so tightly, the butter knife Katie tried on it snapped. She didn't fancy breaking another knife.

  Now she needed a hammer and a screwdriver. But a trip to the hardware store, or - Lord save her - the garden centre was too much. She couldn’t stand the idea of braving any more town centre Christmas shopping traffic and checkout queues.

  She'd have to borrow the tools from somewhere. There should be a screwdriver in the crafts room. The room was on the way to the allotment. She could squeeze a little detour into her schedule.

  As for the hammer, she could ask Jack to help, couldn't she? Maybe get him to help putting the nail in? Yes, that was a good idea, and a nice, even if a sneaky test, of Jack's practical skills.

  Stifling a giggle, Katie dialled Jack's number and was happy when he answered straight away.

  'Is all okay for our little catch up tonight?' he asked.

  'Yes, sure. I was just wondering if you could bring a hammer. I need to put up a Christmas wreath.'

  'Hm,' he hesitated. 'I'm not sure if I've got one in the car. But if not, I could bring it tomorrow. Anything else?'

  'Yes, I've got a few questions regarding the case.'

  'Can it wait until tonight? I've got to run.'

  Katie hesitated. 'Actually, there is something I may need to tell you, in case Dorothy Ravencroft hasn't contacted you yet.'

  'She's left a message to ring her back. I'm going to do it right away.'

  Katie let out a breath. At least, her friend was following through. 'There is something I wanted to share with you, but I'm afraid I haven't quite worked out the evidence side of it. I've got the logic though.'

  After a short pause at the other end of the phone, he said, 'Fire away.'

  She told him of her suspicions that Joe Parker was in Sunnyvale and had met with Erin.

  'Interesting,' Jack said slowly when she finished. 'Good thinking, Katie. I'll follow up. Thanks.'

  'And give me an update tonight?' she asked. After all, she deserved it.

  'Of course,' he said, 'see you tonight,' and hung up.

  With the tools and the evening chat sorted, she had to go and get these real Christmas tree branches for the table decoration. She rushed out of the house and drove to the allotments.

  21

  Katie was about to turn left into a back road to avoid going through the town centre, when she spotted a small red van. A red panel van, looking like a Citroen Berlingo, in the lane
on her right, heading straight on.

  Taking a split-second decision, she drove ahead, ignoring the honking of the car behind.

  She followed the red van, as it headed for ... the place where Dorothy's mother lived!

  At the top of the street, Katie slowed, parking her car far enough away not to be recognised, but close enough to see what happened.

  The red van parked by Mrs Ravencroft's terraced house, or maybe, the one in front?

  Katie strained her neck. The man who emerged from the van was clearly heading for the house next door, not Mrs Ravencroft's! He opened the van’s tailgate and pulled a box out of the back.

  She drove on, parked and jumped out of her Micra, just as the man disappeared inside the house Chiara and Sofia Marino used to live in.

  'Hello, anyone there?' Katie called out.

  'Yeah, what is it?' A man replied. A second later the familiar good-looking face framed by greying, combed-back hair appeared in the doorway.

  'Yes, miss,' the man said. 'How can I help?'

  Katie moistened her lips in preparation for another improvisation.

  'Is this the house of the Marinos family?' she asked, steadying her voice.

  'Depends who is asking and what for,' he replied, putting the box down and leaning on the doorframe. He crossed his arms.

  'I was wondering if anybody is staying here. The house has been empty for months.'

  'And what's your business?' Ric asked, drawing his eyebrows and tensing his jaw.

  'I'm a friend of Mrs Ravenscroft, popping in to see her,' she added as lightly as she could. After all, this was true, assuming he didn't want to know which Mrs Ravenscroft she meant. 'We watch out for our friends and neighbours here in Sunnyvale.'

  He cocked his head, his mouth twisted in a half-smile, half-wince.

  'How very neighbourly of you,' he said, still maintaining his unfriendly body posture. 'I can assure you, we're family, and I have a right to be here.'

  'Good to hear, Mr Marino, isn't it?' she blurted, watching his face carefully.

  The wince now spread all over his face. 'Who are you?' he said, clenching his fists. How do you know my name?'

  'You gave it to me. Remember? I work at the police station,' she replied calmly, even though her heart was galloping, and her head was humming. A door slamming cut through the tense silence.

  'Hey, Ric, close the door. There is a draft!' another man’s voice called from inside the house. A man with an American accent, for sure.

  'Oh,' Katie shrugged, trying to relax her shoulders. 'Is this Mr Joe Parker?' she asked, gesturing towards the open door behind Ric.

  'None of your business, Miss,' Ric drawled. 'You either leave now or-'

  'No need to be rude, sir. I shall leave immediately. But first, can you tell me if Mr Joe Parker is here? Mr Parker,' she yelled, still not sure what she should do and how. 'Are you there? I have an important message for you.'

  A male silhouette appeared behind Ric's back. 'Hey, what's going on, Uncle Ric?'

  Ah, Uncle Ric... Second cousin twice removed, in short - uncle.

  'That's enough, Miss Police Spy, whatever your name,' Ric took a step forward. 'Please, leave now.'

  'No problem, sir,' Katie bowed her head, raising both her hands in, what she hoped, was a gesture of compliance and peace. 'I can call Police and tell on myself.'

  Katie turned on her heel and ran back to her car.

  She was going to call the police, for sure. Once she was out and away from potential danger.

  She pulled off around the corner and texted Jack about her discoveries – Joe Parker was definitely in town and staying with his "Uncle Ric".

  The moment she pressed "Send' her phone rang. 'What are you doing, you silly woman? Walking right into the fire?' Dorothy's voice made her ear burning hot.

  'Dorothy, don't yell at me. Okay, it was stupid, but I couldn't help but follow him. How do you know?'

  'He's just slammed the phone on me after saying, and I quote, "I've asked you not to blab that I'm here. You and your spying friend!"' Dorothy added, a little calmer.

  'Fine, that was stupid. I'm glad he didn't throw the box at me, but why are you calling me about it?'

  'Because I'm about to drag him to the police station. Did you see Joe?'

  'Yes, I did,' Katie replied, feeling a chill spreading down her spine. 'He’s the guy I saw sitting with Erin the other day.'

  'What was Joe doing with Erin Blackburn?'

  'Exactly my question,' Katie replied, hoping Dorothy would read her mind.

  'You're not suggesting Erin and Joe are carrying on a relationship, are you?'

  'Why not? Is Joe single? As is Erin. And I'm not even going into the potential shared benefits from getting rid of Archie.'

  'Oh, Katie ... you've developed such a suspicious mind. Why would they engage Archie?'

  'Because Ric knew Archie would help out old friends, and since he was in need of money, he might not mind an "informal job," if I may put it that way.'

  'Archie was a bit naive, wasn't he? But he would still report anything unusual or illegal to the authorities.'

  'Exactly,' Katie said, letting the word draw out.

  'I see ...' Dorothy said slowly. 'What's your suspicion in relation to my ex?'

  'Just a man who needs money badly,' Katie said simply. "Doing something for a family member and defending his own blood to the last drop.'

  'I see,' Dorothy said quietly. 'This all makes perfect sense. Let's drag that ex-husband of mine to see your favourite inspector.'

  Dorothy ended the call. Katie dropped her phone into her lap and clenched the steering wheel. She sat, breathing slowly, waiting for her heart to drop a few gears and return to its normal rhythm.

  She had to talk to Jack. Now. Best to do it in person.

  She started the engine and, instead of heading to the allotments, she drove back to town, to the station.

  22

  By the time she reached the station and parked her car, it was quite late. On top of busy streets, Mother Nature decided to bless Sunnyvale with one of its wintery 'gifts' - freezing rain, which slowed the traffic even further.

  Katie jumped out of her car and carefully navigated her way to the back door.

  The staffroom was empty, but one of the screens showed Chris walking out of the interview room.

  'Where's Jack?' Katie fired off the moment Chris walked into the room.

  'No "Hi, Chris, how are you, Merry Christmas?" Just straight to asking about someone else?' he snarled, jokingly.

  'Sorry. Merry four-days-to-Christmas. Where is Jack?' Katie asked, keeping her growing impatience under control.

  'Gone to talk to Joe Parker.'

  'Interesting. Why?'

  'Because your friend's ex-husband admitted he's around.'

  Katie blew out a sigh of relief. At least this particular side of her theory was taken care of.

  'What else did Ric Marino say?'

  'Not much. But he also gave us the names of people who confirmed his alibi for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning - the days when he could have gone and booby-trapped the hatch.'

  'Interesting. Who is it?'

  'Mrs Ravencroft senior, Dorothy's mum. She says once Ric came back from his friend's place, he pottered around the house and spent a lazy afternoon on the sofa, watching TV with her and sleeping. He left early Monday morning and drove to Manchester for a meeting. After that, he drove back and met with Dorothy around 2.30 pm. The people he met with in Manchester confirmed his presence. He called them when he was on his way as well. The timings seem to fit.'

  'Off the suspect list, you think?' Katie asked, not sure if she should be happy about it or not. The alibi should address Dorothy's worries at least.

  'I'd say so.'

  'What about Erin?"

  Chris' eyes glinted. 'I've talked to her,' he said with pride.

  She was right, Chris was enjoying being involved in solving the crime. 'What did you find out, Sergeant?'

  'A
pparently, she met with the man you identified as Joe Parker, not knowing his real name. He introduced himself as Joe Brown. How creative of him. Anyhow, he told her someone recommended her. A friend of a friend, who was in the industry, he said. Erin suspects this might have been Michael or Harold Bower – they’ve recommended her services as a project manager in the past. Apparently, 'Joe Brown' said he had a renovation project in the area. He didn't give any details, apart from the fact it might need to be done carefully. Erin Blackburn insists she didn't know who he was and thought everything was rather vague and hypothetical. He was keen on meeting her again, and she wondered if this was because he was hitting on her. Or, alternatively, was trying to suss her out. She also suspected the project might not have been entirely legal.'

  'I see,' Katie said, trying to think clearly, but the fog gathering in her mind was making it more and more difficult. 'Did he leave her any contact details?'

  'He did. I rang the number he left, but the phone was turned off and had one of those mechanical voicemails. I didn't leave any messages, as Jack was planning to visit Mr Parker anyway.'

  'Did Erin take the job?'

  'Not yet. She was going to think about it, she said. Although she also hinted she is planning to leave town anyway, now she has no links here.'

  Ah, the broken engagements. The cancelled wedding.

  'And by the way,' Chris said through a crooked smile. 'I've checked with my sources, and although the source didn't confirm or deny making recommendations, I was also informed that this might have been a rather informal recommendation. Erin has a reputation for being discreet and tactful at handling all sorts of difficult situations. She has managed a couple of projects, which were - and mind, this is not the word my source used, but my interpretation - shady.'

  Katie stared at Chris, who was now beaming at her, like a dog who just found a new toy in the neighbour's garden.

  She put her hand to her mouth, feigning deep thinking, while she was trying to cover a smile. Obviously, Chris' secret source, no doubt Mr Bower senior or junior, was easy to identify. Interestingly, both Bowers had a reputation for not being squeaky clean in their business dealings.