by Emily Selby
Katie shook her head in response. 'No, thanks. I've got a headache.'
Chris strode across the room to the bar. Katie watched his broad shoulders disappear in the crowd, processing what she had just learned.
Dishonest Michael, desperate to score a win.
He had a motive. He could easily access the poison or get someone to do it for him. Someone like Zac. And then set Zuza against Zac.
That would be very clever. Very clever indeed. Using other people to settle his own accounts.
Michael was clever. Back to Michael again.
24
Katie woke early on Saturday morning. The light seeped through the gap in the curtains. She didn't sleep very well, and she was keen to get up. It was probably the combination of the emotions of the recent events, and the fact that her flat was quite cold and dusty not having been used for nearly a week. Katie didn't dare open the window in the evening to air her bedroom.
She padded through to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. Once caffeine was buzzing in her system, she climbed to her feet. The weekend was to be all about getting her flat back into shape and preparing it for Julia's return. She needed a strategy to be able to live in the place again. If it wasn't for herself, she needed it for Julia.
She put the radio on but turned it off immediately, not wanting to cause any more trouble for her neighbours. Squeaky floorboards were enough of a problem.
After she finished cleaning the kitchen she rang Julia who was excited to hear the flat was available again.
'So, when can I come home?'
'Whenever dad can drop you-'
'I'll ask him,' Julia cut in. Katie heard her calling the question out. She also heard the answer, but she listened to Julia reporting it nevertheless.
'Dad says tomorrow afternoon. We're going to the cinema tonight. And tomorrow morning, we're visiting Aunty Ann and Uncle Don. I really want to see them. Do you mind, mummy?'
Katie 's stomach clenched. She wanted Julia with her as soon as possible. On the other hand, she was happy to hear that her daughter was having a good time.
'No problem. Will have plenty of time when you come home. The holidays are just about to begin.'
'See you tomorrow night then!'
'Love you, too,' Katie whispered into the darkening screen. She wiped the moisture gathering in her eyes. Her little girl was no longer so little, she had her own interests, and she had her own mind. Katie had to learn to accept it and enjoy the time they had together. Which made her think about the upcoming school break next week. She could find some crafts projects to work on with Julia. She would go to the Paper Crafts Club tomorrow to go through her boxes. But first, she had to pick up the new key from Ally. She forgot the locks had been changed yesterday.
As soon as the shops were open, Katie popped out to get more cleaning supplies and the keys from Ally Baker. Now, she had no more excuses to avoid cleaning the rest of her flat.
She opened the window on the landing to let in the fresh, cool autumn breeze. It was the first day it hadn’t rained for ages. Hopefully, the weather would stay dry for the next few days. Maybe she and Julia could go for a walk in the woods on Monday? Or, maybe not. Katie cringed at the thought of finding another body.
'No way I'm giving into it,' she said out loud. 'This is just stupid! I want this investigation to be over. If it can't be over in the police case file, it has to be over in my head. I need to close it, so I can focus on other things.'
A new creative crafts project could help. She could design a new series of birthday cards for boys in time for the fete. At least, there’d be no quilling involved. Quilling still made her think of the original murder of Mrs Dunbar. Calligraphy was also out. But cards for boys made with blocks and parts of plastic cars didn't require fancy lettering, and they should be okay.
Katie stopped and put her hands on her hips. No, the way forward was to face her irrational fears and get over them. Otherwise, she'd have to exclude large chunks of her life. She couldn't avoid opening her bedroom window forever.
She took a deep breath. Despite the fresh air in the draft created by the window open in the kitchen and in Julia's bedroom, Katie felt hot. She poured herself a glass of cold water from the kitchen tap and drained it in one go.
She was strong. She would just open the window, swipe the room, clean and disinfect it. Disinfect all the bad memories from this flat. She grabbed a bucket, poured water into it, added some disinfectant, and marched to her bedroom.
She pulled the curtains open with so much force, she ripped off a few hooks.
'Bother', Katie moaned. She had to attach it now.
She pushed her bed away to gain better access to the window.
'Gosh, what a collection of dust bunnies!' she sighed. She hadn't swept under the bed for weeks. Cobblers' children barefoot syndrome...
She pushed the bed a little further to have a better access and grabbed the broom. This flat had no logic. There was carpet in the bathroom, but floorboards in the bedrooms and on the landing. She worked the broom along the floorboards, making sure she swept whatever else could be hiding in the gaps between the planks.
Something darted from under the broom and hit the vanity cabinet. Katie bent to pick it off the floor. It was small and rectangular, covered in dust. Katie wiped off the dirt. She looked at the little piece of plastic in her hand, her heart was beating very fast. Her mouth went dry and tasted like paper.
She had seen something like it before. She moved closer to the window and leant against the window frame. She blinked to clear her eyes and looked again. A tiny forget-me-not flower preserved in a piece of resin.
She had definitely seen something similar before. Except, the example she'd seen had been more rectangular, and this was a square. It would be perfect on a ring. She flipped the piece of resin. On the other side, two small pieces of metal suggested it might once have been attached to something else. A ring, perhaps? A ring that belonged to a jewellery set. Like the one Katie saw Sofia wearing the other day–a real forget-me-not immortalised in resin.
But what was it doing in her flat? Who had dropped it?
She had to talk to Jack. She didn't care if he was working today or not. She picked up her mobile.
25
Her hands shook as she scrolled through the list of contacts to find Jack's number.
'Please answer please answer...' she whispered, listening to the beeps. She disconnected after the seventh signal, not wanting to leave him a voicemail. With a knot tightening in her throat, she stood by the window. She'd try again in a few minutes, but what if he didn't believe her? What if he wanted more evidence than a piece of jewellery and a blurry picture?
She took the piece of jewellery from her pocket and put it on the kitchen table. She snapped a few photos, chose the best one, and cropped it. Was it enough evidence? Not without a photo of Sofia's earrings... But she didn't have one. She could ask her club friends if they recognised the design, but would anyone remember? Miriam? Dorothy?
Katie rubbed her nose to stop the moisture gathering behind her eyes. She felt stuck in front of a boulder so big she couldn't see past it. She had to figure out how the pieces fitted together.
What did she need to prove? A connection between Zac and Sofia? But why? To show that Sofia and Zac were partners in crime? What for? Breaking into Katie's flat and stealing the ring? Okay, so what? Why would someone kill over the ring? It didn't make any sense. She'd never figure it out herself. It had to be team work. She needed help from a professional.
Katie ran her tongue along her paper dry lips. She looked at the table. This was ridiculous. Jack had to learn to listen to what people were saying and the way they were saying it. She wasn't obliged to give evidence with the scientific quality he wanted. It was his job to check on all the leads, not hers. If he wanted to solve this crime, he had to learn to think the Sunnyvale's way.
Katie tapped on the photo and forwarded it to Jack's number with a covering note. As soon as the sou
nd of delivered message echoed out in the kitchen, she dialled Jack's number again. She waited out six signals, disconnected and dialled again. She intended to continue doing so until he picked up the phone. She was petrified and confused
Jack answered the phone halfway through the third cycle.
'Hi Katie, what's going on?' He sounded a little short of breath.
'I've sent you a picture. I found it in a gap between the floorboard by my window. The window that had been opened by the burglars,' she rattled off, relieved to hear his voice.
'I'm not quite following, sorry.'
'A ring was stolen from my flat at the same time Zac was murdered-'
'We've never found a connection between the two incidents,' Jack interrupted her.
Her blood boiled. He was being DI Smarty-Pants again.
'Oh, for goodness sake, Jack. Will you listen to me for once?' she gasped into the phone. 'I think there is a connection between the ring and both murders. I can't patch it all together yet, but I'm sure the ring is the key.'
'Okay, okay, I'm listening,' he said defensively. 'Is this the ring you've just sent me the photo of.'
Katie took a deep breath. This was going to be a difficult conversation, because, she wasn't quite sure of everything.
'No. It’s a piece of a different ring. I saw someone wearing matching earrings and a necklace. It's the same handmade set. One copy only, I think.'
'Who was wearing it?'
'Sofia Parker. She told me the ring was broken and that was why she wasn't wearing it. It must have snapped when she was climbing through my window, I guess.'
Silence grew on the other end of the phone. With her breath held, Katie waited for Jack to make a comment. Cold sweat ran down her neck. Her cheeks were burning.
'You found a piece of jewellery in your bedroom. You think it belongs to Sofia. But what makes you think it's all connected with Zac?'
Katie considered her next step. 'Some people thought Zac might have a secret girlfriend. Could it have been Sofia?'
That drew another pause from Jack. She could hear his breathing.
'Katie,' Jack said his voice sounded very calm. 'I think your mind has been a little too active. I know you're stressed. And now, back in your flat, it's all coming to the surface. I don't think what you say carries any weight. There is no evidence of any connection between Sofia and Zac. Sophia has a solid alibi for the night of Zac's murder. We've got a key suspect arrested and are exploring another avenue right now.'
Katie swallowed. The knot at the back of her throat was growing again.
'I heard Sophia’s alibi when I was transcribing the interview. She could have bought the rail ticket for show and asked her friend to provide an alibi. Or maybe she could have used a different train after killing Zac. She might have gone to work, pottered around so that her colleagues could see her and then disappear. She's not an honest person. She's capable of walking into places she shouldn't and I'm sure she can lie without batting an eyelid...'
'Katie,' Jack's voice held a hint of irritation. It sounded as though he was tired of correcting a stubborn child. 'Before you throw accusations at people, you need to support them with evidence. And before you bring it up again, as far as I can remember, you and your president weren't sure the door to the crafts room was locked. Yes, your flat was broken into, fair enough. But maybe this piece of ring was planted there to incriminate Sofia.'
Katie wobbled. She never thought of this.
'Why would Sofia break into your apartment?' Jack carried on. The irritation in his voice was a little more pronounced. 'What would she want?'
'The ring?' Katie said weekly. It didn't even make sense to her.
'What for? Show me the evidence.'
Katie took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. She'd have to find more evidence herself.
'Okay, she said pushing the air through her tight throat. 'Okay. I'll find the evidence and I'll call you.'
'Katie, don't do anything stupid,' Jack said, softly. 'Please don't put yourself in danger. The murderer is still out there. This is a police matter. Leave it to us, please.'
'So why can’t you explore what I'm giving you? Why are you still saying that my evidence is not good enough?! You've promised to listen to me! If you don't accept what I’m bringing you, you will never solve this case. Remember what happened with Mrs Dunbar? You could only solve it because I gave you evidence that wasn't good enough. Because you listened and trusted my hunches. You can't be logical all the time. We can't all be logical. People are not like that.'
'Katie,' Jack cut in, his voice now serious. 'I understand your frustration. I also want this case solved, but I don't want any more deaths. And in particular,' he took a deep breath and clear his throat, 'I don't want anything to happen to you. It may be a personal request, but can you please, please promise me you’ll ring me before you do anything?'
A personal request? Katie felt a tiny bubble of fuzziness burst somewhere in her stomach, and she chastised herself immediately. There was something more important in this request. There was an opportunity to make a deal. Katie took a deep breath. 'Okay, she said. 'But only if you promise me something.'
'Promise you what?'
'Check Sofia Parker's background. Anything you can think of. Look into her previous employment history, in particular. She's a pharmacist. She could have access to that poison easily.'
'They would have noticed it missing in hospital. This is not an everyday stuff. But I will check her professional records. Deal?'
'One more thing,' Katie said feeling quite giddy. Jack was being unusually generous with her today. Did he care about her more than colleague to colleague? 'Can you ask Sophia if she had any connections with Zac?'
'I've already asked her, and she denied it. I don't think asking her again in the same circumstances would yield any other answer. Are you happy with this?'
'Deal. I promise to ring you before I do anything related to this case,' she said slowly. 'What do you suggest I do with this now?'
'We're both back on Monday morning so you can show me the piece of jewellery and I can bring Sofia for another interview. In the meantime, please stay safe.'
'I will,' Katie said and disconnected.
26
Katie woke up startled, her heart pounding. She dreamt of someone hammering on the head of her bed. A little too close for comfort. She pulled the cover over her shoulders with the intention of going back to sleep, but another round of hammering kept her awake. Someone was knocking on her door.
She swore under her breath. It was Sunday morning for goodness sake! Only 8:30.
She jumped out of bed, grabbed her bathrobe and pulled it on while skipping downstairs.
'Coming, coming!' She grabbed the door handle and then remembered Jack's warning.
'Who is it?'
'Sofia! Sorry, Katie. I tried calling you, but your phone is off. I need access to the crafts room, really badly. I have a deadline tomorrow. I absolutely have to finish my project today. Could you please, give me the key? I can't get hold of anybody else.'
Give her the key?
'Can you give me a minute? You woke me up,' Katie said, trying to think what to do next. Her muscles tensed, her stomach clamped.
'How long will you be?' Sofia called out, an edge of urgency in her voice. 'I mean, I'm sorry to have woken you, but this is very important to me.' Sofia sounded almost soft, pleading. She really cared about this project, her life-long dream!
What was she supposed to do? Give Sofia the key as if she was any other member of their club and pretend she never found that piece of ring on the floor? Believe what she was saying?
'Hang on, two ticks,' Katie called out and ran back upstairs. She needed a plan and she needed time to come up with it. Getting Sofia away from her flat sounded like a good first step.
Katie found the key to the crafts room in her handbag and rushed downstairs. She unlocked the door.
'Here it is,' she pushed the key into Sofia's hand with
out looking at her. She couldn't stand facing the girl.
'Thanks!' Sofia sounded happy. 'I'll let you know when I finished. Just turn your phone on.'
'I will,' Katie said and locked the door behind, checking it twice. A plan started to emerge in her adrenaline-buzzing head. She would go to community centre to collect her craft supplies, just as she had intended, but she would sneak in on Sofia. She might be able to observe something of use to the investigation. Collect more evidence and then shove it in Jack's face! That was a great plan.
But, hang on! Didn't she promise Jack to keep safe? Okay, nothing stupid, nothing dangerous, of course. And she would let Jack know. Maybe it was something crazy, or maybe not.
Dressed and caffeinated, with the piece of resin found on the floor in her pocket, Katie jumped into her car. Remembering her promise, she dialled Jack's number, but the call went straight to voice mail. This time, she did leave a message.
'Call me when you get it,' she said and disconnected. She drove to the community centre.
She pulled up in front of the entrance to the crafts room. The area was empty and quiet. She could see a group of people across the church square, probably going to the Sunday service. The tower clock chimed nine times.
Another sleepy Sunday morning in Sunnyvale.
She walked up the stairs leading to the entrance and looked through the window. Sofia was standing by the workbench at the back of the room, her slender shoulders hunching over the polishing machine. She was wearing a plain white, long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her dark locks were tied up. She still looked like a model. A perfect girlfriend for Zac. Katie watched her for a short while, her heart accelerating in her tight chest. She checked her phone again, but there was no message from Jack.
She wanted to sneak in and check what Sofia was working on. The noise from the polishing machine should drown out her steps. And this should be enough for Katie to just catch a sight of the secret jewel Sofia was working on. And then... her thoughts trailed off. And then she would have to improvise. Maybe she would confront her about the piece of jewellery she'd found in her bedroom?
