by Celina Grace
“What’s all this about?” Kate asked, but she had a pretty good idea.
“I want to talk to Anderton about our interview with the Houghtons last night.”
Kate nodded. She’d been right in her supposition. “Thought so. Come on, then.”
Anderton’s office felt smaller than usual, due to the exercise bike that had taken up station over by the window. This was a new fad of Anderton’s, although no one had actually ever seen him use it. According to office gossip, he arrived before anyone else in the morning in order to take his half hour of exercise then.
Kate found her gaze moving from the bike to Anderton’s undeniably trimmer figure. Feeling suddenly hot, she switched her gaze and tried to focus on what Olbeck was saying.
“There’s something really odd about that couple,” he told Anderton. “They look perfectly normal but there’s – I don’t know – an undercurrent of something weird in their relationship. I can’t put my finger on what, though.”
Anderton snorted. “The fact that the man’s coming to terms with his missus having been banging some other bloke trussed up in black leather?”
Olbeck grinned sheepishly. “Well, I suppose there’s that.”
“Presumably we’re finger printing them both, of course?”
“Of course. They’re both suspects. He has even more of a motive than she does.”
Kate repressed the impulse to say ‘motives are the least of our worries’. Instead she leant forward a little and said “Neither of the Houghtons has an alibi, except for the one they’re giving each other.”
“Which means they’re pretty much worthless.” Anderton leant back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. Kate averted her eyes from the swell of muscle pushing against the white cotton of his shirt. What was the matter with her? Keep your mind on the job, she told herself sternly. You’re going to see your boyfriend in a couple of days. Anderton was still speaking. “That missing fifteen minutes on the CCTV—”
“Yes?” asked Olbeck.
“Well, isn’t it entirely possible that the murderer entered the house, killed Farraday and left again in that short space of time?”
There was a moment when they all considered this, and then Olbeck shook his head. “The timing doesn’t work. Medical evidence says Farraday was dead before midnight.”
“Damn it.” Anderton took his hands down again and sat forward. “We’re not getting anywhere with this. It could be that the woman we see on the tape is the murderer but she also had an accomplice and that both of them leave the house in that missing fifteen minutes.”
Kate stared at him. “Should we bring the Houghtons in for questioning?”
“Well, they’re coming in already, aren’t they?” Anderton rubbed his jaw in thought for a moment. “Yes. Bring them in. They’re not under arrest – yet – but I want to speak to them. I’ll do the interview, so just make sure you let me know when they’re ready for me.”
Kate opened her mouth to ask if she could sit in on that when she realised she was due to question Mia Farraday that morning. She repressed a sharp jab of disappointment.
“I’ll do that,” said Olbeck.
“Good. Right, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you two later.”
Olbeck and Kate got up to leave when something else occurred to Kate. “I’ve just thought of something.”
“Yes?” Both men looked at her enquiringly.
“The – the bondage gear. If the murderer was wearing it as well, I mean. Wouldn’t that be a good way of covering up – I mean, making sure you minimised the chances of dropping hair and skin. Keeping it clean for the forensics, I mean.”
There was a short silence. “Well, it’s an idea,” Anderton said, doubt edging his voice. “It’s an idea...”
“Oh, forget it,” said Kate. “I was just thinking aloud, that’s all.”
Back in the corridor and walking back to the office, Kate stopped and put a hand on Olbeck’s sleeve.
“What is it?”
Kate paused, chewing her lip. “This case – do you get the impression... ” She stopped, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say.
“What is it?” asked Olbeck again.
Kate sighed. “You know at first we thought it might be really simple, and then we realised it really wasn’t?”
“Yes?”
“Well—” She stopped again, frustrated by her inability to articulate what she was feeling. “I think – it has the feel of something that seems one way but is actually the other.”
“Sorry,” said Olbeck, looking mystified. “You’ve lost me.”
Kate exhaled. “Oh, it’s nothing. I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.”
“Never mind,” said Olbeck, kind as always. “I’m sure everything will seem a lot clearer soon.”
“I hope you’re right.”
They started walking again. “You’re off to New York on Friday, aren’t you?” Olbeck asked.
“Yes, that’s right.” Kate wondered why she didn’t feel as excited as she thought she should be. “I can’t wait,” she added, wondering who she was convincing.
“You’ll love it. It’s a great city.” They’d reached the office door by now, and Olbeck courteously stood back to let Kate go through first. “Bet you can’t wait to see Tin again.”
“That’s right,” Kate said, and this time she was relieved to find that she sounded like she actually meant it.
Chapter Thirteen
As it happened, Kate wasn’t able to pin down a meeting with Mia Farraday until that evening. She made the appointment and noted it down, beginning to feel the first stirrings of panic that her overseas trip began in less than two days and she hadn’t packed, sorted out her house, ordered some dollars or, in fact, done anything to prepare. Oh, one thing was done – Merlin was taken care of. Both Olbeck and Chloe had offered to feed and water him over the time Kate was away. Quickly, Kate scribbled a list of things to be done and crossed out ‘Merlin’ with a flourish of satisfaction.
It had been a day of grey skies and rain but the temperature was surprisingly high. Very muggy, thought Kate, winding down her car window as she drove away from the station. The sort of weather that preceded a thunderstorm. She made a mental note to check what the weather in New York was going to be like over the weekend. She didn’t want to be packing sun dresses and flip-flops if it was going to be in minus temperatures.
The countryside was even more lushly green than it had been when Kate and Olbeck had first driven to the Farraday residence. Days of mingled rain and sunshine had meant the hedges and trees and grasses were growing with verdant abandon. The air flowing through Kate’s open window was heavy with the fresh smells of new growth and tree blossom. Now that the clocks had gone forward, it was still light at almost eight o’clock in the evening.
All of it put her in a cheerful mood. She parked the car outside the Farradays’ house, noting that there were no cars in sight at all today. Mandy, the WPC liaison officer, must have been moved on.
Sarah Collins opened the door to Kate. Quickly observant, Kate noted the flash of unease that briefly crossed the girl’s features at the sight of her.
“Good evening,” she said, brightly. “I have an appointment to see Mrs Farraday.”
“I—” Sarah began, but there was movement behind her and Mia Farraday came into view, toddler Tilly settled on her hip.
“That’s fine, Sarah, let DS Redman in.” Mia sounded less cross than resigned. “Can you go and take over upstairs?” She handed Tilly over to Sarah, the little girl beginning to whine and hold out her chubby arms. “Oh, shush, Tilly, I won’t be a moment.” She beckoned Kate through to a room she hadn’t been in before, a study cum office at the side of the house. “The boys are just finishing their bath,” Mia explained, as Sarah disappeared from view, Tilly’s complaints trailing behind her.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you all—” Kate began, but Mia waved a hand in dismissal.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, I
understand.” She shut the study door and seated herself opposite Kate, looking at her expectantly. “How can I help?”
Kate crossed her legs. “Mrs Farraday, can you tell me if there’s an – an alternative exit to the two doors in the townhouse?”
Mia looked blank. “Sorry?”
Kate explained more fully, without mentioning the CCTV issue. Mia’s face cleared. “Oh. I see. Well, I’m not sure. I don’t remember anything like that.”
“You don’t remember seeing anything on the floor plans, or when you bought the house?” Mia shook her head slowly. “When did you buy the house, Mrs Farraday?”
“Oh, gosh. Years ago. Actually, Simon bought it before I married him. It was one of his first properties. I don’t remember ever actually seeing a floor plan or anything like that.”
“I understand. Would you know if your husband kept any papers relating to the purchase, or anything like that?” Kate knew that the Land Registry would have a copy of anything relevant, but it might save time if she could get hold of a floor plan now. It would also really annoy Theo, which meant, let’s face it, an added bonus. Kate realised she was grinning at the thought and quickly adjusted her face.
“I’m not sure. I think anything like that would probably be in here. This is where we keep all the paperwork.”
She was still using the present tense when referring to her husband, Kate noticed. Not that that was unusual. In fact, it was more suspicious when people quickly started using the past tense.
Kate knew that the house would have been searched already but she got up and went over to where Mia was standing by an open filing cabinet. “May I?” she asked, reaching out towards the files.
“Of course. Please, help yourself.”
Kate quickly flicked through the files. It was mostly made up of indeterminably dull business papers, household accounts and utility bills. She couldn’t find anything like a floor plan for the town house. Oh well, Theo would have to get the glory this time.
“Thank you,” she said, trying not to let the disappointment show in her tone.
Mia nodded but said nothing. She was shifting a little from foot to foot. “Will that be all, Detective Sergeant? Because I really should be putting the kids to bed...”
“Yes. Yes, sorry.” Kate straightened up and smiled. “Don’t let me keep you. I know you’ve got your hands full.”
“Haven’t I just? But I love it. I love being a mum.” Mia’s slender face softened. “I would have liked more, you know.”
“Really?” said Kate, to be polite and also because she was interested. She didn’t really know of anyone who had more than three children. Apart from her own mother, of course. “I’m one of six myself.”
“Six? How lovely.” Kate smiled non-committally. Mia went on. “Yes, I would have loved a really big family.”
She stopped talking abruptly. After a moment, Kate said, prompting, “Yes?”
Mia sighed. “Yes. But Simon didn’t want any more. I had to fight him to have Tilly, to be honest. And then after she was born, he came home one day and said ‘I’m having a vasectomy next week,’ and that was that.”
“Just like that?” Kate asked, shocked.
Mia smiled sadly. “Just like that.”
“He didn’t – you didn’t discuss it, or anything like that?”
Mia half laughed. “No, we didn’t. Simon wasn’t like that. He just decided and went out and had it done. No matter what I thought or wanted.”
Kate struggled to find the appropriate words for a moment. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” was what she managed to come up with, eventually.
Mia shrugged. “Thank you. It’s fine, though. I’ve got my three.” There were faint yells from upstairs and she began to walk towards the door. “Oh, heavens, I’d better go. Sorry—”
“I’ll see myself out,” said Kate. “Thank you, Mrs Farraday.”
Mia gave her a harassed smile as she headed off towards the stairs. Kate raised a hand in farewell and headed towards the front door.
A shout from Mia made her pause and turn back. “Yes?”
Mia was hanging over the banisters of the stairs. “I’ve just had a thought. If you want to know about the townhouse, you’d do worse than talk to Ewan Askell. He’s really hot on local history and architecture.”
“Ewan Askell?” Kate recalled Simon Farraday’s deputy. “Is he?”
“Yes, he’s chairman of some sort of local history club, but I remember him talking to Simon one day about the townhouse and its history. He might know about it if anyone would.” The yells from upstairs increased and Mia rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I’m really going to have to go—”
“That’s fine. Thank you.” Kate watched her run up the stairs out of sight and then turned to let herself out of the front door.
The heavy door closed behind her, cutting off the noise and the tumult of the Farraday children’s bedtime routine, Kate walked along the little bridge that led across the water feature. Waterlilies were beginning to open their creamy white flowers, each trembling petal reflected in the water below. Kate clicked the button on her key fob to open her car door and got in, thinking about what Mia had just said.
Now she remembered Olbeck telling her about Ewan Askell’s alibi on the night of Simon Farraday’s death. He was at some local history society meeting that night and he gave one of his fellow historians a lift home and didn’t get back to his own place until well after midnight. So, it’s unlikely he was involved, but...
Kate put the car into gear and drove off, frowning. It was beginning to rain again, and dusk was seeping into the evening air. So, Ewan Askell was a bit of a local history buff, was he? There was something there that chimed with something else that Kate had been told. What was it? Something to do with Mia Farraday. Oh, that was right – Mia had studied history at university. Was that significant? Or just a coincidence? Kate found herself wondering how well Mia and Ewan Askell knew each other. She hadn’t got the impression from Mia that he was anything other than a colleague of her husband’s, but there had been something in Ewan’s voice when he’d mentioned Mia that now made Kate pause, thinking back. Had there? Or was she imagining things?
It was dark enough by now to need the car headlights on. Kate flipped the switch and pressed the accelerator, wanting now to get home and get on with things before it got too late. She pushed the thoughts of the case to the back of her mind, needing to concentrate on other, more domestic worries.
Chapter Fourteen
“Well, then,” Olbeck said for the third time in the past half hour. “Got everything? Tickets, money, passport?”
“Yes,” said Kate. “As I’ve said before, several times.”
“Sorry.” Olbeck gave her a sheepish grin. “I think I’m more nervous than you.”
“What have you got to be nervous about?”
Olbeck began to pull Kate’s carry-on bag along the floor, heading for the Departures gate. “I hate flying.”
“Do you?” Kate asked, surprised.
“Yes. Absolutely hate it. I got so wound up about it when Jeff and I went to South Africa that I had to get some sedatives from the doctor before we went.”
“Really?”
“Yes. A couple of Valium, and a stiff gin and tonic, and I was out for the count for most of the flight.”
“What fun for Jeff.” Kate panted after her friend, his long legs outpacing hers. “Look, hold up a minute. It’s another hour until I have to board.”
“Okay. How about a coffee?”
“Excellent idea,” Kate said, wheezing.
They manoeuvred their way through the crowded café, steering Kate’s case around other, bulkier suitcases, until they managed to commandeer a small table towards the back. Kate collapsed into her seat with a sigh. Despite her outwardly calm demeanour, she was actually starting to feel a little anxious. It was not so much the thought of the trans-Atlantic flight as it was at the thought of seeing Tin again after so long. Of course, they’d called and Sk
yped and texted, and had even written postcards, but still...
“Look, don’t worry if it’s a bit awkward at first,” Olbeck said, clearly reading her mind. “It’s been a while since you’ve been together, and you’ve got a whole new city to contend with.”
“I know.” Their coffees had arrived commendably promptly, and Kate took a grateful pull of hers. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“God, from a totally selfish point of view, I really wish you weren’t going. This case is going to be one of those that just drags on and on, I can just feel it.”
“Yes, well, don’t go solving it without me,” Kate said with a smile. “Anyway, I’m going to be checking in every day to see what I’m missing.”
“Oh, don’t do that – you’re on holiday. I was only joking.”
“Me too,” Kate said with an awkward laugh, because she actually hadn’t been. “But I might call in now and again, just to see how things are going.”
“Okay. That would be great.”
“Do we have anything from the Land Registry yet?” Kate hadn’t been in the office for a day, occupied as she had been with trying to sort out everything at home.
Olbeck raised a finger. “Aha! Wait just one minute.” He reached for the briefcase he’d carried with him since he’d picked Kate up that morning. “Now, I have it right here. Where is it?” He poked about in the papers within the case and extracted one. “Right, here we go. Take a look at this.”
Kate followed the line of his pointing finger. “Wow. Anderton was right.”
Olbeck nodded. “There’s a passageway that runs from the cellar out to a sort of shed just around the corner. Coincidentally – or not – just out of reach of the CCTV camera that covers the back lane.”
Kate pursed up her lips in a silent whistle. “So anyone who knew about it could just slip down to the cellar and leave the house that way?”
“Looks like it.”
Kate sat back and looked at Olbeck. “So presumably that’s how our mystery woman left the building? So she had to know about it?”
Olbeck lifted one shoulder. “Most probably, but the big problem we’ve got is that fifteen minutes when the CCTV tape went on the fritz. The murderer could have exited via this passageway or they could have left by the front door in the window of time where there was no footage.”
