MURDER AMONG FRIENDS a totally gripping crime thriller full of twists

by JANICE FROST

Thea laughed. “I wonder who the other not-so-hot guy with them is.”

  All four young men were clustered around a small standing table, holding pints and talking. The one Thea described as ‘not-so-hot’ seemed slightly aloof from the others, as if with the group but not really part of it. Thea knew that feeling. Her parents had moved around a lot and she’d been the new girl at school too many times. Moreover, she could never say how long she was likely to be sticking around for, and no one wanted to invest time in someone who was going to be moving on. It had been a lonely childhood.

  Thea was right in one thing. He wasn’t hot. While his companions were relaxed, he stood hunched, self-consciously arranging and rearranging his face into the right expressions to suggest he was following and enjoying their conversation.

  Thea recognised the signs. She’d practised them herself in situations where she’d felt socially excluded. Smiling, nodding, raising her eyebrows. Saying yes and no as appropriate. It should have made her feel drawn to him, but it didn’t.

  Her head was reeling by the time she’d knocked back her second vodka-laced cocktail. But it felt good, sort of buzzy, exciting. Stacey kept topping their glasses up until the bottle was empty. Then the band came on stage.

  The music was shockingly loud, she felt the bass pounding in her chest. It made her feel alive, bursting with boundless energy. Thea danced uninhibitedly, joyfully, soaking in the pulsating beat, the electric atmosphere, the rhythm of bodies around her dancing as one.

  “Watch out!” Stacey shouted. “You’re crashing into everyone!”

  Was she? Thea didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything but the music. It was exhilarating and she never wanted it to stop.

  She was startled when Stacey took her arm and tried to pull her off the dance floor. “I need to pee!”

  Thea shook her off. She didn’t want to miss a moment of the band’s performance. What was up with Stacey, anyway? Surely, she didn’t need her hand holding to go to the loo? She pulled away from her friend and sank, laughing, into the press of people around her. It was liberating to be alone in the crowd. On and on she danced, oblivious now to everything.

  The music stopped suddenly. The band left the stage. Thea looked around in confusion. The room was spinning. Her hearing was muffled. Without the music, she felt disoriented. Everyone around her started going crazy, shouting, and stamping their feet. She looked about her, searching for Stacey. A surge of panic threatened to overwhelm her.

  “Are you okay?” a concerned voice asked amidst the chaos. “Take my hand. I’ll help you outside for some fresh air. You look as though you need it.”

  It was true. She was feeling nauseous and dizzy. Sooo dizzy! She groped for the hand and grasped it, grateful for its steadying strength.

  The music was starting up again. This time it sounded like screaming. Thea covered her ear with her free hand as she allowed herself to be led through the jostling crowd towards the exit.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Jane checked her calendar. Yes, it was book group that evening. They were fitting in an extra session because a well-known author was giving a talk in Lincoln the following week and they’d decided to read her book and discuss it before the event. Jane hadn’t expected to be going out this evening. She should have been doing a shift but since she was no longer a police officer, she was now free. She had confided in Allie about her suspension and Allie had told the other members of the group that Jane would be attending because her Saturday evening shift had been cancelled. Jane supposed she would have to tell everyone eventually.

  She sighed. She wasn’t a fast reader and she was only halfway through the book. Perhaps she’d just find a summary of the plot somewhere, read a few reviews. She suspected that’s what Karun did most of the time. Or maybe he and Frieda read half each and filled each other in on the details. It didn’t matter. The group was as much an opportunity for a catch-up with friends as a literary exercise. The books chosen were never too challenging.

  Jane hadn’t seen Ed Shipley since he’d walked home with her after Yvonne’s birthday party more than a week ago. She wondered if something might have happened between them that night had her mood been more upbeat. Ed had told her that he had an early appointment the following morning but she’d sensed he’d made that up when she hesitated over inviting him in. She was glad nothing had happened. If she ever did begin a romantic relationship with Ed, she didn’t want their first date to be linked forever in her mind with the murder of a young woman.

  Allie called to remind her about the book group. Her attentiveness since the assault had begun to grate a little. She meant well, but Jane didn’t like to be fussed over. “I hadn’t forgotten,” she said. “It’s on my calendar.”

  “I just thought after everything that’s happened, it might have slipped your mind.”

  “Well, it didn’t. Stop treating me like I’m a . . . Oh, Allie. I’m sorry. I know you mean well. I’m lucky to have such a great friend.” The instant apology worked its magic on Allie. She wasn’t the type who bore grudges. Jane promised to knock on her door later so they could walk to Veganbites together.

  She called Thea. There was no answer, so she texted her. Kylie’s murder had made her more protective of her student. It was a Saturday. Perhaps Thea was doing something with her friends.

  To tell the truth, she’d been worrying about her a bit since the day she’d sat in on DI Warwick’s interview with her. A moment or two later, Thea texted back to say that she was in Lincoln with Stacey and her sister. She was planning on going to see a band at the university in the evening. At the end of the message there were a series of exclamation marks to show how excited she was about the gig, followed by a smiley blowing a kiss. It made Jane smile. She texted her kids often but their replies were sometimes too brief. She was lucky if she got more than a ‘yep,’ or a ‘nope’ out of Patrick. But that was okay. They were used to their mum being interested in their lives. They took her for granted, whereas Thea probably wasn’t used to an adult caring about what she was doing.

  To her surprise, she managed to finish the book in time, following an intensive reading session. It was a straightforward read, strong on character and plot, which in Jane’s opinion was what storytelling was all about.

  At 6.55, she called at Allie’s house. Dudge was first to greet her and pushed past Pete to give her an enthusiastic welcome. “Hello, my little hero,” Jane said, never forgetting, despite his overexcited slobbering, that Dudge had done her a good turn, maybe even saved her life.

  It was an unspoken rule that they didn’t discuss the book on the way to the meeting, not even to hint whether they’d liked or disliked it.

  They puffed and panted their way up the Steep Hill to the Bail. Allie stopped to take a breath. “I swear this bloody hill gets steeper every year. Any news about your suspension, Jane?”

  “No, sadly. That DI has really got it in for me. Not that I don’t deserve it.”

  “Come on, Janie, we’ve talked about this. There’s no way you were responsible for that young woman’s death. She was the one who suggested trying to find the man in the restaurant who harassed her. She’d probably have gone ahead even if you’d actively discouraged her.”

  “There’s a part of me that wants to believe that. Do you think it’s selfish of me? I’ve been thinking, he could have been stalking her for a while before he followed her into that restaurant. Then, when she rebuffed him, he resolved to kill her.”

  “No, I don’t think that’s selfish. I think it’s a very likely explanation. He was absolutely consumed with jealousy after seeing her talk to Ryan Brown and went after him first. Then he came back for Kylie as soon as an opportunity presented itself.”

  “Even if she didn’t die because of her conversation with me, the fact remains I should have discouraged her from taking any sort of action that might put her at risk. There’s no getting away from that, is there? In DI Warwick’s eyes I’m forever guilty. She’ll never allow me to be reinstated.”


  Allie put her arm through hers. “Well, maybe it won’t just be up to her.”

  They saw Karun looking out of the window when they arrived. Allie indulged him with the secret knock. He beamed at her as he unlocked the door.

  The little tealights on the coffee table, around which comfy seating had been arranged, reminded Jane of the evening of Yvonne’s birthday party and the terrible news of Kylie’s murder. She took a deep breath.

  “Lovely and cosy as always,” Allie said. “Would you like some help with the drinks?”

  “All under control. And this evening, we also have cake. My new recipe. I need some guinea pigs to try it out on before I put it on the menu. Can you let the others in when they arrive, while I assist my lovely wife in the kitchen?”

  “They’re such great hosts. I feel guilty that it’s always them doing all the running around,” Jane said.

  “Well, we all chip in to cover the cost of drinks and biscuits, but it’s kind of Karun to bake for us. I don’t believe for a moment that he needs to try his cake out before serving it up in the café. He’s incapable of making anything that isn’t delicious.” There was a tap on the window. “Oh, look, Ed’s not last, for once.” Allie got up to let him in.

  Ed and Allie greeted each other with one of those embraces that was somewhere between a hug and a continental greeting. Jane wondered when people started doing that in reserved Britain. Once upon a time, hugs had been kept specially for close family. She stood up to welcome Ed and they enacted the same exchange, though with a little less extravagance. What did that mean? That he didn’t like her, after all?

  Ed sat down next to Jane. It seemed to be expected these days. Jane had purposefully avoided the sofa, thinking that a single person on a two-seater sofa might look a bit desperate. Also, she’d wished to avoid presenting Ed with a potentially awkward choice.

  When Jan and Yvonne arrived, there were more hugs and kisses. Jan and Yvonne settled into the two-seater sofa together, and Jan pulled out a dog-eared copy of the book. He and Yvonne always shared a single copy. It was rather sweet.

  Frieda brought out a tray of hot drinks. Green tea with lemon for Jan and Yvonne, Yorkshire tea for Ed, and coffee for everyone else. Karun made a bit of an entrance with the cake, raising it to shoulder-height. “Ta-da! Frosted coffee walnut layer cake adapted from a recipe by the wonderful Mary Berry!” Everyone clapped.

  Karun loved Mary Berry, bless him. Jane couldn’t remember the last time she’d baked anything. Probably when the children were younger, before they both became calorie conscious. She didn’t miss it. All that measuring and beating and folding wasn’t for her, still less the clearing up afterwards. However, she did enjoy the results, and Karun’s sponges were legendary. Perhaps if she’d managed to produce such wonders the effort would have seemed worthwhile.

  It was customary for Allie to give a brief introduction to the author of the book they were reading that month. Afterwards, a lengthy discussion ensued, which left the group pretty much in agreement about what they’d thought of the book. Pity. Jane always thought it more interesting when a book divided opinion.

  “How many stars then?” Allie asked when they’d all run out of things to say.

  “Five from me,” said Jan. “I like a good page-turner.”

  “Four,” Yvonne said.

  “Four from me,” Frieda said.

  “Same.” Karun always agreed with his wife.

  “Jane?”

  “Four.”

  “Ed?”

  “Four.”

  “And I’m a five. It’s a while since we’ve all been roughly of the same opinion about a book. Anyone got any suggestions for next time?” Frieda suggested a book by a well-known crime writer. There were no objections. Allie set a date for the next meeting. Then she said, “Pete’s thinking about coming along next time. Is that okay with everybody? He’s not a great reader but he’ll definitely have strong opinions.”

  Great, Jane thought. That would mean she and Ed would be the only singletons in the group. Was this another ploy on Allie’s part to pressure them into coupling up?

  After the discussion they often stayed for a while, chatting and catching up on news. Inevitably, Jane was again asked about the murders. It was time to come clean. “Actually, I don’t know. I’ve been suspended. And as a humble special constable, I wouldn’t have been working the case anyway.” There was a shocked silence.

  “Suspended? Since when?” Frieda asked.

  “Since the day after Yvonne’s birthday party. The police questioned me about the second murder, remember?” Their startled faces prompted her to add, “I’m not a suspect!”

  “What happened? Why were you suspended?” Ed looked and sounded concerned.

  Allie echoed Jane’s earlier words. “Because that pompous DI Warwick’s got it in for our Janie. The murdered girl volunteered to try to find out the name of someone who’d harassed her. Jane didn’t forbid this outright, though she never encouraged it, but Warwick assumed Jane had asked her to do it. She thinks Jane caused that poor young woman’s death.”

  “No!” Frieda looked shocked. “That’s absurd. Jane would never let someone risk coming to harm for her sake.”

  “I totally agree,” Yvonne said, while the others nodded.

  “Thanks, guys. I appreciate your faith in me. And your support, but the fact is, I didn’t expressly ask her not to, which as a police officer, was the first thing I should have done. It’s my job to protect people, not to encourage them to put themselves in harm’s way. Was my job, I should have said.”

  Karun offered her the last piece of cake, which she refused. It wouldn’t taste as good now. Jan and Yvonne moved in for a hug, which prompted the others to follow suit. Ed hung back until last, then enveloped her in his arms, making her feel giddy. It was almost worth being suspended for.

  “Aaw, thanks for all the love, guys.”

  A date was set for the next meeting and everyone began to disperse. Jane would have liked a chance to speak with Ed, but he was already walking towards his car when she and Allie came outside.

  “That was some hug Ed gave you. Looked like he wanted to hold onto you for ever.”

  Jane reddened. “Shush, Allie! He’ll hear you!” Indeed, at that very moment, Ed turned and waved.

  “I won’t say another word.”

  Jane thought Allie would never manage it, but she did. Ed’s name wasn’t mentioned all the way back to Danesgate.

  She and Allie stood and chatted on the pavement outside Allie’s house for a few minutes, until the bitter night air drove them to seek the warmth of their respective homes.

  Ed was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps leading down to her front door. Jane saw him from street level in the glow of the light from the hallway. She wasn’t at all surprised at seeing him there. It was like coming home and finding an old friend waiting on your doorstep.

  “Hi,” Ed said. “Is it too late for a nightcap?”

  She smiled at him. “Not for me. Don’t you have a client first thing in the morning?”

  “Not this time.” Ed smiled back shyly. She liked that. He was unsure of himself. How could he be after that hug? Suddenly, she was unsure of herself too. Had she been the only one to feel a jolt of electricity in their embrace?

  He followed her into the kitchen where she poured them each a glass of red wine. They went into the sitting-room. Ed sat on the sofa. Jane considered the chair, until Ed patted the empty space next to him. They sipped their wine in silence for a moment or two. It seemed they couldn’t stop smiling. Until they kissed.

  “Stay the night,” Jane said.

  She checked. Ed was still smiling.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Only the tips of the cathedral’s three towers were fully visible behind a scrim of freezing fog. The rest of the building’s hulking mass was a looming presence, felt rather than seen. Like a huge object exerting a gravitational pull on the people in its orbit.

  Steph was o
ne of them. She made her way to the station at Newport, where she found Elias at his desk, pen in hand, phone clamped to his ear. She could tell it was an important call by the way he looked at her, grave-faced and eager for it to end so he could talk to her. It would have to be something mega if it were going to lift her mood that morning.

  “Lottie Purdey’s in interview room two. She’s asking to speak with us about a girl she thinks went missing at a gig at the university last night.”

  “Go on.”

  “That’s all I know.”

  “What now?” Steph gave a sigh and motioned for Elias to accompany her.

  The blotched face and red-eyed stare of the young woman sitting next to Lottie struck Steph as alarming. Lottie Purdey, by contrast, was fresh-faced and attentive, if a little tired looking around the eyes.

  “How can we help you?” Steph asked.

  “She’s not feeling great,” Lottie said.

  “I can see that.”

  “Is it alright if I speak on her behalf?”

  “That depends,” Steph said. She looked at the girl. “You okay with that?” The young woman gave a nod. “All right. Unless I need to hear it from her.”

  “She went to the gig with her friend. They were drinking. I saw her friend dancing alone and felt concerned for her. Adam Eades and Phil Lavin were there with a couple of mates. One of them seemed to be taking a lot of interest in them.”

  The mention of Adam and Phil’s names banished any remnant of Steph’s enervated mood. “Which one?”

  “I don’t know his name. He was a medium-sized guy, dark hair. I didn’t really pay too much attention to him. He had a beard, I think.”

  “Go on,” Steph said.

  “I stepped in when she got a bit . . . disoriented. The band had gone off stage and everyone was making a lot of noise, you know, trying to get them to come back and do an encore. I think it threw her a bit. She looked like she was about to fall over, so I took her by the arm and led her outside for some fresh air.”

  Steph looked at Thea, slouched in her chair, eyes on the floor. She was impatient for Lottie to get to the point, if there was one, which she assumed there must be. Lottie wouldn’t have dragged the wretched girl all the way to the police station just so someone could tell her off for underage drinking.