‘So you invented a fake “You Have Won a Prize” competition,’ Richard said.
‘That’s right. I figured we’d need some pretext to get people out here without them realising what was going on. Hold on.’ Rianka went over to the other desk in the room and pulled out a pile of colourful flyers from a drawer. She handed them over to Richard and he could see that they featured lots of photos of The Retreat accompanied by an enticing blurb: ‘You Have Won a Prize’.
‘Aslan designed the flyers himself.’
Richard looked at the picture of a smiling Aslan on the back of the flyer.
‘Weren’t you worried someone would recognise him as David Kennedy, the man who stole from them?’
‘Aslan insisted it was twenty years ago. He didn’t look anything like his old self. It would never happen.’
‘And what did you think?’
Rianka paused a moment. ‘I wasn’t so sure. I mean, I didn’t think anyone would recognise him—not really—but what if they did?’
‘You were worried.’
‘A little. So I made Aslan promise me, he’d only have one person from the past out here at a time.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Aslan just wanted to send the flyers out to everyone he’d ever stolen from, but I was worried that even if they didn’t recognise him, they might get talking among themselves and put two and two together. After all, this is a place where you’re encouraged in any kind of healing session to talk about key events from your life. I didn’t want two or three people one day discovering that they were all here on a free holiday and that they’d all lost money in the same art-lease scam decades ago. So I always made Aslan promise that he’d only ever send out one flyer at a time, and only have one guest here on a free holiday at a time. He never liked me saying it could only be one person at a time, but he knew I was right. If it was going to work, it was the only way.’
‘And that’s how Julia ending up getting her invitation six months ago?’
‘That’s right. Aslan had felt particularly terrible when he’d discovered that her dad had committed suicide because of what he’d done, so when Julia asked if she could stay on, he was happy to offer her a job. We needed help in the office anyway …’ Rianka trailed off, the inevitable thought finally occurring to her. ‘You don’t think she worked out who he was? Do you?’
‘It’s still too early to say for sure,’ Richard said. ‘But does this mean that while Julia was with you, Aslan stopped inviting other people out for free holidays?’
‘Yes,’ Rianka said. ‘That was the condition I imposed on him when he offered Julia a job. While she was here he had to promise he’d invite no one else out on a free holiday.’
‘And he was happy to agree to that?’ Richard asked.
‘Of course,’ Rianka said. ‘It was common sense. Look I can show you.’ Rianka turned her monitor around a little and Camille went to look over her shoulder as Rianka indicated the screen. ‘This is the database of all of the guests who are staying with us, and the staff know that if a person’s name has an asterisk by it, then that guest is staying here for free. And since Julia started working for us, we’ve not had anyone else staying for free.’
‘Would you mind?’ Camille asked, indicating the mouse to the side of the computer.
‘Of course,’ Rianka said, moving the keyboard over so that Camille could check over the names of the guests for herself. While Camille did this, Rianka looked back at Richard, worried.
Tears started to well up in Rianka’s eyes again.
‘This was what I was always worried about,’ Rianka said. ‘That someone would uncover the truth of Aslan’s past. But Julia …? I thought she liked him. She was always so nice to him. So nice to us both.’
Looking at Rianka’s screen, Camille said, ‘Sir, I think you should see this.’
‘What’s that?’ Richard asked.
Camille indicated the screen. ‘Julia isn’t the only person with an asterisk next to her name.’
Rianka didn’t quite understand what Camille was saying. ‘How do you mean?’
‘In fact,’ Camille said, ‘there are three other names here, each with an asterisk by their name, suggesting they’re here as part of the “You Have Won a Prize” competition.’
‘There are? But that can’t be possible.’
‘But who are they?’ Richard asked with a creeping sense of foreboding.
Camille said, ‘They’re Paul Sellars, Ann Sellars and Saskia Filbee.’
Richard and Rianka were stunned.
‘No!’ Rianka eventually said. ‘Aslan promised me. No one else while Julia was staying with us.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Camille said. ‘But it says here that Paul, Ann and Saskia were all here on free holidays.’
‘What about Ben Jenkins?’ Richard asked. ‘Is there an asterisk next to his name?’
‘No,’ Camille said. ‘He’s here as a normal fee-paying guest.’
Camille turned the monitor so that Rianka and Richard could see for themselves.
‘Aslan …’ Rianka said to herself in horror. ‘What have you done …?’
In the list of hotel guests, the names of Paul Sellars, Ann Sellars and Saskia Filbee all had asterisks next to them—just as Julia’s name did. But did that mean that they’d all lost money to Aslan twenty years ago?
Luckily for Richard, he knew there was an easy way to find out.
He could ask them.
Chapter Six
While Camille went looking for Paul, Ann and Saskia, Richard sat out on the verandah and waited as patiently as he could, which wasn’t very patiently at all.
As his foot beat out a restless tattoo on the tiles, he could see the Meditation Space clearly in the middle of the lawn—just as Rianka had done on the day of the murder—and he could see how difficult it would have been for anyone to approach it without being seen. It really was marooned in the middle of a vast lawn.
Richard could see a few guests in white robes walking through the garden, and others sitting on sun loungers down on the private beach, but the place was noticeably less busy than it had been on the day of Aslan’s death. No wonder, frankly, but Richard didn’t blame those who’d decided to stay on despite the murder. Their holidays had cost too much. And Richard supposed that it had helped that the self-confessed killer was already behind bars in Honoré Police Station.
But was Julia the killer, that was the question? Or was it one of the other four?
Richard found himself wondering why a load of Brits would go to the ends of the earth just to go to a health farm. After all, if you wanted to lose weight, you could just try eating less food. And if you wanted to swim in the sea, Britain was an island nation for heaven’s sakes! There was sea galore—and even in land-locked Leicestershire, where Richard grew up, he’d only ever been a few hours’ drive from the wide open beaches of Norfolk. Not that he’d admittedly ever been to them. Not with his phobia of sand.
He was mopping his brow with his hankie as Camille led Paul, Ann and Saskia over.
Paul wasn’t very happy.
‘I don’t understand,’ he said. ‘We’ve already given our statements to your officer here, what do you want with us now?’
‘I’m sure this won’t take long,’ Richard lied easily.
‘It had better not.’
Richard took a moment to wonder why Paul was so irked at having to help the police again.
‘Very well,’ Richard said. ‘Could the three of you tell us how you ended up choosing The Retreat for your holidays?’
‘Well, that’s easy enough,’ Paul said, apparently relieved by the question. ‘Ann and I won a competition.’
‘You did?’ Saskia said, surprised.
‘That’s right,’ Ann said, breathlessly and then proceeded to fill them all in on the background. They’d got a letter out of the blue that said she and Paul had won a prize. It was something to do with a form they’d filled in online, and they’d won an all-expenses trip to a
health farm in the Caribbean.
Saskia was surprised to hear this.
‘But that’s how I ended up here as well,’ she said. ‘I also got a letter saying I’d won a prize.’
Richard and Camille shared a glance. Bingo.
Saskia explained how the covering letter had told her to ring a number in the Caribbean, which she’d done, and she’d ended up speaking to a man who called himself Aslan—and he explained how she’d won a free, all-expenses holiday in the Caribbean.
‘And it was definitely Aslan you spoke to?’
‘Of course. Who else could it be?’
‘But I spoke to him as well!’ Ann said, acting as if she and Saskia now shared a bond that would unite them forever. ‘And he was so nice, so friendly. He told me we’d won a week’s holiday in the Caribbean.’
‘When was this?’ Richard asked.
‘How do you mean?’ Ann said.
‘When did you receive the letter?’
‘I don’t know,’ Ann said, turning to Paul.
He patted her hand, happy to help. ‘About six weeks ago, I’d say,’ he told the police.
‘That’s right,’ Saskia said. ‘That’s when I got the letter. Six weeks ago.’
‘Then why did you choose this particular week to come out here?’ Richard asked.
Paul and Saskia both said that this was the first week they were offered, and they were happy to take it.
‘After all,’ Saskia said, ‘how often do you get given a free holiday in the Caribbean? I jumped at the chance.’
Richard decided it was time to find out if the reason why these three were at The Retreat was the same as the reason why Julia was originally invited out for free.
‘But then,’ Richard said easily, ‘you all recognised Aslan when you got here, didn’t you?’
This threw the witnesses.
‘How do you mean?’ Saskia eventually replied.
‘Aslan Kennedy. You recognised him when you got here. Of course you did. Don’t worry, I know you’re not otherwise involved.’
Still nothing from the witnesses. Richard could see that none of the three had the first idea what he was talking about.
‘Very well,’ Richard said, again trying to hide the importance of his line of questioning behind an easeful manner, ‘then what would you say if I told you that Aslan wasn’t his real name?’
Nothing from any of them.
‘In fact, his name was David Kennedy.’
Still nothing. But then Richard saw Ann’s face register shock while her husband and Saskia were still looking nonplussed.
‘You don’t mean Aslan was … what? Are you really saying …?’ And then the truth of it struck home and both hands flew to her mouth in horror. ‘Oh my god, it could have been! Paul, did you realise?’
Paul still had no idea what his wife was talking about. Or was pretending he had no idea, Richard thought to himself.
‘What on earth are you talking about, woman?’
‘Aslan Kennedy wasn’t Aslan Kennedy, he was David Kennedy—the man who took our money!’
Paul continued to look nonplussed. ‘What on earth—’ And then he got it, turning to the police in amazement.
‘No,’ he said. ‘That’s not possible.’
‘But you admit it?’ Camille asked. ‘You were one of the people David Kennedy stole from twenty years ago?’
Ann looked full-square at the police, happy to give testimony. ‘We were.’
‘So was I,’ Saskia said in a quiet voice, utterly amazed, Richard noted. ‘But that wasn’t him.’
‘I’m sorry, but it was,’ Camille said.
Saskia had been standing, but at this revelation, she went to a nearby chair and sat down on it, the strength seeming to go from her legs.
Richard could see that the bafflement of the three witnesses seemed entirely heartfelt.
Paul, though, was still puzzled by what Saskia had said. He turned to her and said, ‘You were caught up in all that as well, were you?’
Saskia nodded slowly, still a bit too overwhelmed to use words.
Paul turned back to the police. ‘Then can you tell us what on earth’s going on?’
‘Of course,’ Richard said. ‘But first, can you all tell me how much money you lost to Aslan Kennedy—or rather, David Kennedy, as he was—twenty years ago?’
Paul turned to his wife for confirmation. ‘It was about ten grand, wasn’t it?’
‘It was twenty thousand pounds,’ Ann said, clearly amazed that Paul had forgotten the exact amount.
‘And it was his art-leasing scheme you invested in?’
‘That’s right. Or what we thought was an art-leasing scheme,’ Paul said ‘The whole thing was a scam. Or so we later found out when the police arrested him. We never saw a penny.’
‘And was it the same for you, Saskia?’
‘Pretty much,’ she said a touch tremulously. ‘I gave him fifty thousand pounds.’
Richard was surprised that the figure was so large. After all, Saskia wouldn’t have earned a huge amount in her job as a temporary secretary.
‘And where did you get those sorts of sums from?’ he asked her.
‘From an inheritance,’ Saskia replied. Richard picked up an odd vibe from Saskia as she said this, but he couldn’t quite place what it was.
‘I see.’
Richard turned back to address the group. ‘But all three of you agree, you all lost money to David Kennedy twenty years ago—and you’re all here on a free holiday because David—or Aslan as he became—sent you literature saying you’d won a free holiday. But you’re also all saying that none of you recognised that David was now Aslan?’
Ann, Paul and Saskia looked at each other, as unable to believe this as the police were.
‘It would seem so,’ Paul said.
‘But I don’t understand. Why did he invite us?’ Saskia asked.
‘We aren’t sure,’ Richard said. ‘Rianka said it was because Aslan felt guilty for his actions in the past. So he was trying to make amends to those he’d wronged. So can we ask one more time: did any of you recognise Aslan Kennedy for the man who stole from you twenty years ago?’
‘No,’ Paul said forcefully, and it was clear he was speaking for the other two as well.
‘Are you sure?’ Richard asked.
The three witnesses all looked at Richard. Absolutely.
‘But now you know,’ Camille asked, ‘how do you feel?’
Saskia looked at Camille. ‘How do you mean?’
‘The man who stole fifty thousand pounds from you has just been murdered. By the only other person in the room he’d also stolen from.’
‘What?’ Paul asked, stunned.
‘Julia was just like the three of you,’ Camille explained. ‘She was invited here for a free holiday because Aslan had stolen from her in the past.’
‘But that’s not possible,’ Paul said. ‘Julia can’t have even been alive when that man was running his scam.’
‘You’re right,’ Camille agreed. ‘She was a baby at the time. It was her father who gave David all his money. He lost everything and apparently committed suicide soon after.’
‘Poor man,’ Ann said, almost to herself. This was the first time that Richard had seen Ann be anything less than her usual on-the-surface flamboyant self. He had to remind himself that there was a thinking feeling person under the kaftan after all.
‘Then let me ask another question. How well do you all know each other?’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘For example, have any of you met before this holiday?’
‘No,’ Saskia said.
‘Then have any of you met Julia before?’
‘No. The first time we met Julia was on this holiday.’
‘And I didn’t meet her until the morning that Aslan was killed,’ Saskia said. ‘Remember, I only arrived on the island the afternoon before he was killed.’
‘Yes,’ Richard said, ‘I’ve been wondering about that. Because you al
l say you don’t know each other—and I know you all came out at different times—and yet all of the people on this island who Aslan once stole from were in the Meditation Space with him when he was killed. Can any of you imagine how that came about?’
‘No,’ Paul said, ‘except for the fact that we didn’t choose to be there.’
‘You didn’t?’ Camille asked.
‘No,’ Paul continued. ‘It was explained to us when we got here. We could sign up for any of the courses on offer apart from the Sunrise Healing. There was a charge for everything else, of course, but the Sunrise Healing was a special treatment that Aslan offered for free—and it was always his choice who attended.’
Ann said, ‘We were told that most people got to attend at least one of the Sunrise Healings, but we weren’t to be offended if Aslan didn’t choose us. He didn’t offer the course to everyone.’
‘Aslan would only hold it with people he thought would benefit from it,’ Paul finished.
Richard was puzzled. ‘You’re saying it was Aslan who chose you?’
‘That’s right,’ Ann said.
‘But why on earth would he choose the only four people on the whole island who had a grudge against him and then lock himself in a room with them all at the same time?’
The witnesses had no idea, but then, Richard had to consider, he could just as easily ask: why on earth had Aslan invited four of his Ponzi victims out to The Retreat all at the same time? What was Aslan playing at?
Camille’s mobile phone started to ring, and she moved off to one side to take the call.
Paul looked at Richard. ‘But I don’t understand. Why are you questioning us?’
Now it was Richard’s turn to be puzzled. ‘How do you mean?’
‘Because if you’re saying Julia’s dad killed himself after losing money to Aslan, then clearly that’s all there is to it. I know she’s been here for months. She must have worked out Aslan’s real identity and decided he deserved to die just like her dad had died. It’s understandable. But I imagine she knew that if she killed him, her motive would soon be discovered. So she worked on Aslan, got him to invite the three of us out to the Caribbean at the same time and then she also made sure that he chose us all to be in the Meditation Space with her that morning. That way, when she killed him, she’d know that the scene would be confused by the presence of three other people all with the same motive as her.’
A Meditation on Murder Page 10
