The Untimely Death Box Set

by James Kipling

Eric seemed outraged; his face was rapidly turning red and his eyes were suddenly much, much wider. “Not that it’s any of your business, but as I’ve said, I have nothing to hide. Yes, I was going to meet Diana; she was an old friend, we studied in school together and thought of catching up. I didn’t want to give Jane any details. Women have funny minds, you know. They always think the worst even when a guy is completely innocent.”

  Geoffrey said soothingly, “we don’t want to pry but finding out things is part of our job. Tell me what kind of a girl Jane was. You knew her pretty well.”

  Eric replied, “not that well. I knew her for just under a year. She was rather attractive and always wore what suited her –mind you, nothing flashy or expensive; she didn’t have that much money. She had good taste in clothes and everything, though. It’s what attracted me to her in the first place. She was a good soul but she liked to have her own way, which sometimes upsets a guy. When I met her, she had already been through several affairs. She was frank about them; she told me once that though guys were attracted towards her, they always got tired of her and left her in the lurch. She seemed rather insecure about her relationships with men.

  “She also had mood swings, although I guess most people do. One minute, she would be laughing and friendly, and the next she would just wrap herself up in a cocoon of silence. You just couldn’t get through to her during those times. We did go out together and we liked each other. Although she was extremely attractive, I really can’t say I loved her. We just liked each other’s company; we loved spending time together but we weren’t dead serious about each other. I didn’t want a commitment. I like my space and I hate females hanging around my neck all the time. I guess her mood swings may have been due to the fact that she came from a broken home – her parents divorced when she was thirteen.”

  Tim asked, “how did you two meet?”

  Eric laughed. He had an attractive laugh. “We met at a bar. She was sitting all alone, in a striking black dress, with a glass of gin at her table. I saw that she was toying with her drink instead of sipping it. Somehow, I was drawn to her. I went to her table and asked if she would mind if I joined her. She flashed a grateful smile and said, ‘I was feeling rather lonely. I was expecting a friend but he cancelled. He just rang me up to say that he was held up. A girl doesn’t like to be alone.’ I don’t remember what we talked about – this and that I guess. But I discovered that she was an intelligent girl and we shared a few common interests. I guess one thing led to another and soon we began to go out together. She enjoyed my company. She would always say, ‘I like you, Eric. You know how to take care of a girl.’ Then she would laugh. In those days, she laughed a lot.”

  Geoffrey questioned, “you say your relationship wasn’t serious? But Jane was serious about you. She told her friend Gladys that she was looking forward to a long-time relationship, maybe even marriage.”

  Eric seemed startled. “This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Jane never told me so. In fact, she made it clear to me that she didn’t want too many strings attached – she was just a broad-minded girl out to have some fun. She enjoyed having a good time. But in all my dealings with her, I never felt that she was head over heels in love with me, not even when we had sex. Even if she had begun to care for me in that way, that doesn’t make me a murderer.”

  Geoffrey pressed on. “Gladys also felt that Jane was rather upset when you called off the date, because she thought you were getting tired of her and was about to break the relationship.”

  Eric seemed a bit tense. “I wonder if Jane really said such things? You know friends have a habit of making things up. Jane never gave me the impression that she felt so deeply about our relationship. Perhaps Gladys has an over-imaginative mind and was reading too much about a broken date. That hardly indicates breaking a relationship. We were going steady. Jane had given me no hint that she felt otherwise. She was as warm and friendly as ever. ”

  Geoffrey questioned, “when was the last time you met?”

  “We went out last Saturday, almost a week before she died, and we went to the West End, had drinks and dinner and then shacked up for the night. Jane was perfectly normal and happy. She liked the ambience of the West End and she laughed a lot. We had a jolly time together. I don’t remember what we talked about but I do remember her face clouding over when she mentioned work – she said that her boss, Keith, was proving to be difficult to handle. We made a plan for the next weekend, too. Jane didn’t say anything or behave in any way that was out of character. She was just her usual self. That was the last time I saw her. How was I to know that within a week, Jane, a perfectly healthy girl, would be brutally murdered? She once told me that she hardly ever fell sick. Now she’s dead and gone, thanks to the murderer.” He shook his head slowly, staring down at the carpet. “I hope you catch him.”

  Tim nodded. “By the way, do you have any knowledge about darts?”

  Eric’s head snapped back up, his eyes darting madly between the two policemen. “How dare you! Of course I don’t. Do I look like a crazy guy? For your information, I played with darts when I was a boy – like any other child - and that’s all the information I have about darts. And another thing: let me make it very clear that I don’t have any knowledge about poisons, either. I want to make it clear that I didn’t kill Jane and I don’t know who killed her. This is my last statement to you guys.”

  Geoffrey stood up. “Well, thanks for meeting us. You have been of great help. We’ll be going now.”

  Eric suddenly said, “Have you crossed me off your list of suspects? You must realise that I can’t possibly be the murderer.”

  Geoffrey answered in a smooth, suave voice. “I’m afraid it doesn’t exactly work like that. If you’re innocent, you have nothing to worry about. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Tim and I will be on our way.”

  Chapter 5

  Jeremy opened the door of his apartment to the two policemen. Ever since the day Sarah died, he had been expecting them; he knew that he was in serious trouble because Sarah’s death looked as suspicious as hell.

  Jeremy was a thin man who seemed rather nervous and was constantly fidgeting with his fingers. He had blonde hair and a moustache.

  He said in a rush, “I know you think I’m the guy who killed Sarah, but before you arrest me, I want to make it very clear that I’m not the man you’re looking for. I didn’t kill Sarah nor do I know what really happened when I went away.”

  Geoffrey walked in and said, “relax, relax, we aren’t here to arrest you. We just came for a friendly chat. All we want is your cooperation and some information.”

  Jeremy’s face relaxed. He spread out his hands. “What information do you want? Of course I’ll cooperate.”

  “Anything that may be useful. Let’s start with a bit about you.”

  Jeremy began his side of the story. “Well, I’m an architect working for Masons and Sons. As you can see, I live simply. I am a man of few needs, though I admit that I like style. I go in for quality.”

  “How did you meet Sarah?”

  “Let me make it clear – I only met Sarah a few weeks ago. In fact, when she met me, she was going steady with some fellow called Tony, but the relationship seemed to be going downhill. Once she complained that Tony was very irritable and that she was fed up with her life. Anyway, we met at a party at a mutual friend’s house. I saw this lovely girl standing in a corner with a drink in her hand. She had a wonderful figure with lovely long legs, and she was wearing a red miniskirt. Anyway, I approached her and we started talking. She was fun to be with and I loved how she laughed a lot. We started going out and she told me about her tough life; taking care of her sickly mother was very demanding. We were just getting to know each other – nothing serious, there were no strings attached. She was rather low, though, when we last met. I don’t remember exactly when I suggested a quick getaway to a motel over the weekend, but she just lapped up the idea. She looked radiant. I had never seen her so happy before.
She gave me a quick hug and a resounding smack on the lips and said, ‘that’s the best idea anyone has given me for a long time. I’ll make some adjustments. Will you do the bookings?’

  “Although we weren’t really going out of town, the countryside was nearby and it was a nice change. We drove to the Rose Motel and checked in.”

  Geoffrey interrupted. “Now, what exactly happened at the motel? You were the last to see her alive. Please be honest – we can easily verify the facts and it will save us a lot of time in the long run.”

  Jeremy nodded. “Why should I lie? I’m telling you the truth. I’d stayed at the Rose Motel before on another getaway and I thought that Sarah would like it. I was right; she was charmed. In fact, she said, ‘its mind blowing. I like its quietness, I’m not into crowded places. I don’t know how to thank you. I feel as free as a bird.’

  “Well, we checked into the room, flopped onto the bed, made love, and dozed off. Sarah was very happy. Then we ordered fish and chips. The waiter – a rather shifty-eyed fellow whom I didn’t like – came to take away our plates. Then I remembered that I’d forgotten to bring a toothbrush and my medicine, and I also wanted to buy drinks and a few snacks so I told Sarah I was going to the marketplace. She nodded and started relaxing as I picked up my wallet and left through the front door. The marketplace was close, so I decided to walk; I thought the physical exercise would do me good. It took me around fifteen minutes to get there. When I did, I went straight to the pharmacy, got my medicine, and then I went to the department store and bought a few things like a bottle of wine, a toothbrush, a comb, and another pair of sneakers. You can check with them. Then I headed back to the motel with the stuff.

  “I was surprised to find the door ajar, and I saw her immediately. She was lying down, sprawled out on the floor. I first thought that she had suffered from a stroke or simply collapsed, but when I bent down to shake her she didn’t move. That’s when I panicked and screamed for help. The motel staff and the other guests came running; there was quite a crowd. I remember there was a doctor who examined Sarah and said that she was dead. I was stunned. I couldn’t think. My brain stopped functioning. I heard a female voice saying, ‘he’s the boyfriend. He seems badly shaken. Someone get him a drink.’ I was led out and told to sit on a couch. A drink was placed in my hand. The next few moments are rather hazy in my mind, but I vaguely remember Sarah’s body being taken out. At that time, it wasn’t clear if she was murdered, although blood was oozing out of her left arm. Anyway, I remember checking out and heading home in a state of shock. That’s all, I think.”

  Geoffrey asked, “when you went to the market, did you call Sarah?”

  “No. There was no need.”

  “And how long were you away?”

  “Well, it took me almost an hour. You see, I loafed around a bit and spent some time in the department store browsing through things.”

  “Is there anyone in the marketplace that can vouch for you?”

  “They must have seen me. Maybe the chemist can recognise me. Plus, there was a girl at the counter.”

  Geoffrey and Tim got up. “We’ll be leaving now, but we may want to ask you a few questions later.”

  Jeremy hesitated before asking, “you believe my story, don’t you? I’m in the clear, right? I swear I’m telling the truth.”

  Tim answered, “We’ve just begun investigating the case and we can’t arrest anyone without sufficient proof. If you are telling the truth, there’s no need to be afraid.”

  Jeremy gave a faint smile. “Thank you, Inspector.”

  Chapter 6

  Adonis – that’s the word that came to Inspector Geoffrey’s mind when he saw Neil Dawson. The man looked like a Greek god: he was tall with auburn hair and he was gifted with classical features. No wonder girls fell for him. Neil looked straight at the Inspector and said, “hi, I was waiting for you. Please make yourself comfortable.”

  He was the perfect host. The room had a quiet opulence about it. The furniture and the wall hangings spelled class. This man seemed to have money. A bar stood in one corner of the room and Neil went to it and poured drinks.

  He opened the conversation. “I’m glad you took the trouble of calling me; I was waiting for you. Actually, I thought of contacting you myself because I wanted to make my position clear. Michelle’s death was a great blow to me. I liked her. I want her murderer to be brought to justice.”

  Tim nodded, smiling. “We’re always glad of people cooperating with us. Most people don’t and they hide facts, which later can lead to trouble for them and delay the unravelling of the case. If more people were willing to help and were frank, most cases would be cracked sooner.”

  Neil flashed a smile revealing uneven teeth, the only feature to mar his otherwise handsome looks. “Tell me, how far are you in solving this case?”

  Geoffrey hesitated. “We’re still in the preliminary stage. We’re just making inquiries.”

  Inspector Geoffrey sensed a feeling of relief in Neil. Although his face gave nothing away, his body relaxed. “So what do you want to know?”

  Tim said, “tell us about Michelle. You knew her quite well.”

  “She was a different type of girl; it’s difficult to claim to know her thoroughly. I feel that no person can claim to fully know another person completely. It’s impossible. Michelle was very attractive and she knew it – she was always conscious of how she looked. That was one thing I liked about her. I like my girls to have a veneer of sophistication. I hate anything ugly. She was a bit reserved and she chose her words with care. Maybe her training as an attorney had something to do with it. I liked her for it. It was one of the things that attracted me to her. She was also an interesting conversationalist. She had a brain and she used it, but you never knew what she was thinking because she never really gave you a clue.

  “She was a bit moody, though she took care not to let her moods affect her when we were together. She had a spot of trouble at home, too, and sometimes that would get her down. There were other men in her life before me, but she told me that they had all let her down in one way or another. She’d been searching all her life for someone to love her and when she met me, she felt she had found what she was looking for. We were getting along fine. We met about two years ago and since then have been seeing a lot of each other. It was a romantic relationship and we were committed to each other. We shacked up most weekends and tried to see as much of each other as possible. She was a nice girl and I was devastated to lose her.”

  Geoffrey pried, “I heard you were over-possessive and couldn’t even stand her talking to another man, and that this was causing problems in your relationship. In fact, we learned from a reliable source that you were about to break up when Michelle was killed.”

  Neil turned red with anger. He almost shouted, but controlled himself with a lot of effort. “That’s a pack of lies – someone’s been lying to you. I don’t know your ‘reliable source’, but someone is very cleverly poisoning your ears against me. I admit I’m a possessive man – I don’t like my girls to stray – but then tell me frankly, Inspector, which man would tolerate the woman he loves to cuckold him? I was at times jealous, especially in the beginning of our relationship if she got close to any man, but I guess that’s natural. But later, things smoothed out. Our relationship was based on mutual trust. I’m a businessman, Inspector, and I realise the importance of trust. I trusted and loved Michelle and no one can take away the fond memories of our time together. I live on those memories.”

  Geoffrey said, “apologies, I didn’t mean any offense. In the course of our investigation, we come to hear so many things, right and wrong. Naturally, we have to try to get to the truth. You say you’re a businessman. I’ve heard you’re the owner of a toyshop, besides dabbling in real estate. How is your business going?”

  “Absolutely fine. The toyshop at West Corner Market is doing roaring business. Children love my toys. The real estate business is also doing fine. I have cli
nched a few fine deals lately and made some money.”

  Tim asked, “does your toy shop have darts?”

  Neil turned red. “Are you suggesting that I murdered Michelle with a dart from my toy shop? You must be insane! For your information, all my dart games are extremely safe and have plastic ends, especially designed for children. They have all been manufactured by renowned companies, keeping in mind the safety of children. I tell you, I was nowhere near the park when Michelle was murdered.”

  Geoffrey said, “I never said we suspected you; it’s just our job to find out things. By the way, where were you when Michelle was murdered?”

  “Actually at that time, I was relaxing in my bed. I had dozed off.”

  “Isn’t it an unusual time for sleeping, during the day?”

  “When you are running a business, you learn to catch up with sleep when you can. I’d been to a party the day before and had returned at 4:00 a.m., dead tired. No, Michelle didn’t accompany me, though I asked her to. Anyway, I got up early in the morning, had breakfast, and went to the gym. In the morning, I attended two meetings with clients and then went to the toyshop to talk with my manager. By that time I was exhausted and feeling rather weak so I decided to go home and take a short nap. I was scheduled to meet my business partner in the evening.”

  “And did you meet him?’

  “Yes, at 7:00 p.m. You can check with him. It was a normal meeting.”

  Geoffrey had a strong feeling that Neil was holding something back. “Are sure you’ve told us everything? You aren’t hiding anything? Truth has a nasty habit of turning up and getting people in trouble.”

  Neil looked indignant. “Of course I’m telling you all I know. I cared for Michelle and I want to bring her murderer to justice. It’s the least I can do for her.”

  “When did you last meet Michelle?”

  Neil paused and then said, “actually, we met over coffee last Monday, after work. It was a pretty short meeting and we just had a casual conversation about this and that. Of course, at the time I didn’t know that would be the last time I’d ever see her.”