by K E O'Connor
“You forgot your own pin code?” Alex grabbed milk from the fridge and poured both types of cereal into a bowl.
“It happens to the best of us.”
“You need my password app,” said Alex. “It securely stores all your passwords. The next time you forget a code, go online, and it does the searching for you.”
“That’s a great idea.”
Alex smiled ruefully. “I designed it after I kept locking myself out of my own phone.”
I knew it was a risk. Alex might recognize this was Harriet’s phone. “Is there any chance you can unlock this for me?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” he said around a mouthful of cereal. He placed his bowl down and wandered over, his bare feet padding on the slate tiled floor. “Let’s take a look.”
I handed Harriet’s phone over. If Alex recognized the phone, I would be in big trouble. I hopped up and made myself busy by putting the kettle on to boil and getting my breakfast.
“Here you go.” Alex handed me the unlocked phone. “It’s permanently unlocked. Just go to your settings when you want to put a new combination code lock on it.”
“That’s genius.” I checked the screen image quickly. There were no obvious pictures on it showing it was Harriet’s phone. “How did you do it?”
He smiled and tapped the side of his nose. “It’s a trade secret. But you owe me for doing that.”
“I’m happy to owe you,” I said.
“How about you pay me back straightaway?”
“Doing what?”
“Come and play a game with me.”
I grimaced. “I don’t think gaming is for me.”
“I promise you, it won’t be anything violent. Are you any good at racing games?”
“Not really,” I said.
“Well, you’ll love this new one,” said Alex. “You can pick whatever vehicle you want.”
“I’m not so sure. There’s a lot of paperwork to get through.”
“Come on. This is an easy debt to repay.” Alex grabbed his bowl of cereal. “One hour of gaming, that’s all I ask. Then you’re debt free, and you can go back to your boring paperwork.”
“It’s actually your boring paperwork.”
Alex’s grin widened. “Then I insist.”
It wasn’t a bad offer. I picked up my toast and tea. “Okay, let’s go race each other.”
We walked into the lounge. Alex got busy loading up the game.
As he did so, I ate my toast and had a discreet look through Harriet’s phone. There were loads of selfies of Harriet in all sorts of poses, pouting at the camera and looking over her shoulder with her finger in her mouth. She was quite the lady.
There were also pictures of her dressed up on nights out and lots of her draped over Alex. There was also a file marked with the letter P. Inside were provocative images of her with Piers.
“It will be ready to go in a minute,” said Alex. “Are you prepared to be beaten on the race track?”
“Well, I was beaten by the Bog Globs, so why not get thrashed on the race track as well?”
Alex smiled. “You never know; racing games could be your thing.”
I closed the photos and had a quick look at the messages stored on the phone. A lot of them were receipts of shopping orders or making dates with girlfriends for lunch.
Then I found a new set of messages between Harriet and Piers. I scanned them. They discussed a deal and the need to keep it quiet. My blood chilled as I continued up the message stream. They mentioned having to keep Greg quiet and that he knew too much.
This was the proof I needed. Piers and Harriet had killed Greg.
“What’s going on in here?” Camilla strode into the lounge and glared at Alex. “I hope you’re not planning on wasting your morning on some ridiculous game.”
“No, I was going to do some important fact-finding research on a new release from a rival company,” said Alex.
Camilla tutted and shook her head. “Your important research will have to wait. I need company at the airfield. I’m volunteering there today.”
Alex groaned and slumped into his seat. “Can’t you find somebody else? Why not take Eva?”
“No, I want my son to come with me,” said Camilla. “Eva won’t enjoy the planes.”
“And I will?”
“Of course!”
“How about Lorna?” Alex sounded desperate. “I bet she loves planes.”
“Lorna is far too busy sorting out your mess of a business to spend time on planes,” said Camilla.
I opened my mouth but didn’t get the chance to say a word.
Alex gestured at the screen. “This is important.”
“It might be, but it can also wait,” said Camilla. “You’re coming with me.”
Alex turned pleading eyes to me. There was nothing I could do. I shrugged him an apology. “I’ll get to work on the filing.”
“That’s a perfect idea.” Camilla turned and left the room. “Alex, you need to get dressed. I’ll see you in the car in five minutes.”
Alex groaned again.
Sometimes, he really acted like a big kid. “What does your mom do at the airfield?”
He pulled himself to his feet, his shoulders slumped. “Nothing exciting. It’s full of boring planes. I’d better go. Mom gets mad if I’m late.” He skulked out of the room, leaving me with the racing game flashing on the screen, asking if I was ready to burn rubber.
I picked up the controller, not sure how to turn it off.
A black box appeared on the screen. Mickey Kill would like to make contact.
I looked at the controller and pressed the okay button. What did Mickey Kill have to say to me?
“How are you, Lorna?” That same robotic voice he’d used the first time we’d spoken sounded through the speakers.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Do you want to play a flying game?”
I shrugged. I didn’t really. “I’ve got lots to do today. Maybe another time?”
“You’re wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
Looking down at my hastily pulled on clothes, I blushed. He was right. I was a little weirded out by the fact he could see me. “I had to let Lucy out in a hurry.”
“When a pig has got to go, a pig has got to go.” Mickey Kill was quiet for a few seconds. “So, do you want to play?”
Five minutes wouldn’t hurt, and I might be able to get more information out of Mickey Kill about Greg. “You need to tell me what to do.”
“It’s easy,” said Mickey Kill. “Just make sure you don’t crash.”
I watched as the screen changed. I was suddenly looking through the cockpit of a plane in the air. “Have you any hints about what I’m supposed to do so I don’t crash?”
“Do you see the red line in the right-hand corner?”
“I do.”
“Keep it level,” said Mickey Kill. “Avoid any mountains. And you might occasionally get shot at, so dodge the bullets.”
“Are you shooting at me?”
“We’re on the same side,” came his reply. “How’s your investigation going?”
I hesitated. It felt weird sharing information with a complete stranger, but I was interested in his theories.
“You can trust me,” said Mickey Kill. “I know a lot about Greg. I want to make sure his killer gets what they deserve.”
My plane veered rapidly off-course and an alarm sounded. I pressed the buttons randomly on the controller. “What am I doing wrong?”
“Keep the red line in the center,” reminded Mickey Kill.
The plane dived toward the ground. I realized I’d lost control. “I think Greg was killed by Harriet and Piers.” I watched as my plane exploded in a fiery mess.
“You lose,” said Mickey Kill.
“It was my first try,” I said. “I bet you crashed the first time you played this game.”
“I’m always good,” replied Mickey Kill, “at all games.”
“Maybe we can meet? You can share gaming tips and tell me what you know about Greg’s killer.”
There was silence. It looked like I’d shocked Mickey Kill. “Have you disappeared?”
“I never meet people,” said Mickey Kill. “It’s better that way.”
“For who?”
“For me,” said Mickey Kill. “The gaming world is a dodgy place.”
I’d heard that before. “I promise you, I’m safe to be around. You said I needed to trust you. Well, you need to do the same with me if you really want to help Greg.”
Another silence stretched out. “The house you’re living in is dangerous. Please be careful. I’d hate to see either you or Helen get hurt.”
“Dangerous! What makes you say that?”
“There are powerful forces at work there,” said Mickey Kill.
“Powerful forces?”
The door behind me banged open, and I jumped. Helen, Flipper, Lucy, and Priscilla appeared.
“What are you doing in here on your own?” asked Helen. “I found these three in the kitchen trying to knock the trash over.”
I looked back at the screen. “I was just talking to someone.”
Helen looked around. “There’s no one here.”
She was right. Mickey Kill had vanished, leaving me with more questions than answers, and an unsettled feeling in my stomach.
Chapter 14
“Where did you get to so early?” asked Helen as I followed her back to the kitchen with Lucy, Priscilla, and Flipper. “I checked in your room when I got up, but it was empty.”
“I went outside with Lucy,” I said. “And, I met Harriet sneaking out.”
“I bet she was her usual charming self.” Helen made toast and a pot of tea for us both.
“She was a delight. Harriet thinks I’m interested in Alex.”
Helen laughed. “I can see you chasing Alex around the lounge, trying to get your claws into him.”
“I could be someone’s sugar mommy if I wanted to.”
“I never said you couldn’t.” Helen joined me at the table, poured the tea, and set out the preserves. “I’m not sure what Zach would have to say about that.”
“Talking of Zach,” I said, “he’s coming down here at the weekend with Gunner.”
“I know,” said Helen. “Gunner sent me a message.”
“Wow! He is keen. In fact, he was the one who suggested they come down. That guy has it bad for you.”
“So he should,” said Helen. “I’m fabulous.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “Getting back to Harriet, she accidentally left behind her phone. I accidentally got Alex to break the code and then accidentally looked at all her photos and messages.”
Helen’s eyes widened. “What did you discover?”
“That she wanted Greg out of the way,” I said. “Piers is also involved. I found a long series of messages saying that Greg knew too much and needed to be kept quiet.”
“That sounds dark,” said Helen.
“There was also mention of a business deal.”
“Maybe it’s the dating app Alex created. Have you got any idea how much he sold it for?”
“There’s an easy way to find out.” I pulled out my mobile and scrolled through business news sites.
“I’m guessing ten million,” said Helen.
I nearly choked on my tea when I found the real amount. “This is ridiculous.”
“Go on, make me feel sick, tell me how much.”
“Alex sold the dating app for sixty-four million.”
Helen licked strawberry jelly off her fingers. “No wonder Harriet and Piers wanted to get their hands on it.”
“I’m not sure this is the business deal they’re talking about,” I said. “Neither are business partners with Alex. I’ve seen the contracts and all the business paperwork; they’re not mentioned in any of it. He only ever worked with Greg.”
“Then they’re just as we originally thought,” said Helen. “Fake friends chasing Alex for his money.”
Eva walked in. “You’ve got that right. Don’t trust either of them.”
I almost wasn’t surprised to discover she’d been listening at the kitchen door. This seemed to be a habit of Eva’s.
“What makes you say that?” I gestured to the pot of tea.
Eva nodded and sat at the table. “Neither of them is clever enough to come up with their own successful business, so they sponge off my brother.”
I grabbed another mug and poured her some tea. “You don’t think Piers and Harriet are being honest with Alex?”
“Not for a second. You saw them making out. That’s not the kind of thing you do if you’re a decent human being.”
“Do you have any proof Piers and Harriet are just here for the money?”
“Other than the fact they behave like spoiled idiots, who always have their hands out, no.” Eva looked from me to Helen. “I have to ask, why are you both so interested in them?”
A shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t need to look around to know Greg had appeared. I was glad he was here. I was beginning to think he’d vanished for good.
“I don’t like to think of a decent guy being mistreated,” I said. “It sounds like they were horrible to Greg.”
Eva set her mug down and looked at the table. “I miss him. I know he didn’t think much of me; he never noticed when I was around. No matter what I did or the clothes I wore, he was only ever interested in the business.”
“He could have been shy,” said Helen. “Guys can be daft when they’re really into a girl. It took my Gunner ages to open up and say how much he liked me. Before that, all we did was fight.”
Eva shrugged. “It’s too late to do anything about it now. I could have paraded in front of him with an enormous banner saying I love you, and he wouldn’t have realized it was for him.”
Greg drifted to the edge of the table. His eyes were wide as he stared at Eva. It looked like he really had no clue she’d liked him.
I decided to let her into our confidence. She was a suspect, but I didn’t have her at the top of the list. “What do you know about the drone that shot Greg?”
Eva looked up. “Not much. It was all kept quiet. I never saw it. I never pay much attention to what goes on at the airbase.”
“You wouldn’t know if it could be used to target someone?”
Her brows lowered, and she chewed on her black painted lips. “Well, I guess it could. They normally need an operator. Alex would know more about this than me.”
“Alex owns a drone?” asked Helen.
“No. He’s just stupidly smart and knows about everything. Not that you’d think it to look at him. He hides his smarts well.” Eva stared at me. “Why are you asking about the drone?”
I glanced at Helen, and she nodded. “Would you be shocked if I suggested someone used the drone to target Greg?”
Eva’s mouth opened. She blinked several times before swallowing. “I did wonder. I mean, everyone said it was a horrible accident. How hard can it be to fly one of those things? It’s designed by the military; they shouldn’t get something that basic wrong.”
“You think it’s a possibility?”
Eva nodded. “We got a visit from the head guy at the base. He said it was an accident. The drone was being tested on a night flight when it malfunctioned. Greg was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I didn’t trust the military guy, though. He got all shifty when I started asking questions.”
“What kind of questions?” I asked.
“I wanted to know who was piloting the drone,” said Eva. “Maybe they weren’t competent and had made an error.”
“He didn’t think that was possible?”
“That’s the weird thing; he wouldn’t give me a straight answer. He said the drone had been checked and had an engineering fault that would be rectified. It wasn’t a user based error.”
“Maybe someone was using the drone when they shouldn’t have been,” said Helen. “If that leaked out,
the base would be in trouble. People could lose their jobs.”
“They should,” said Eva. “Compensation and improved security will not bring Gregory back.”
“It must be someone connected to the military base,” said Helen. “Did Greg have any enemies who work there?”
“He didn’t have any enemies,” said Eva, “and no connections to the base.”
“Sneaking into a military airbase and using a drone to kill someone wouldn’t have been easy,” I said.
“If you’re a local, it’s easy,” said Eva. “Maybe stealing the drone isn’t. I’m guessing those things are locked away. But getting in is possible. We did it a couple of times when we first got here. There’s nothing interesting there. Do you really think someone used a drone to target Gregory?”
“I have a gut feeling something bad happened.” I looked at Greg. “Someone didn’t want Greg around.”
“Lorna has great gut instincts,” said Helen. “You should listen to her.”
Eva nodded. “I am. I can see it in her aura. She’s telling the truth.”
I raised my eyebrows. Maybe there was something to this aura business. “It’s not too late to help Greg. That’s why we’re interested.”
“I overheard you talking about Harriet and Piers,” said Eva. “Do you think they’re involved?”
Greg gave me a startled look and moved closer.
“I think so,” I said. “Maybe Harriet tried to get her hands on Greg’s money, and it went wrong.”
“Harriet’s spiteful and shallow, but she wouldn’t have a clue how to fly a drone. She’d be too worried about breaking a nail,” said Eva. “And as for Piers, he’s too lazy.”
“He could have hired someone to pilot the drone,” said Helen.
“Piers acts like the big man, but he’s nothing more than a coward,” said Eva. “He wouldn’t have the first clue how to hire someone to kill Gregory. He’d think it would be like in the movies, where you dial an anonymous number and transfer money into a secret bank account. He’d be far too scared about getting caught and going to prison. I doubt they do his kind of designer brand hair gel behind bars. Piers always likes to look his best.”
I looked at Greg and could still see the shock on his face. I didn’t know whether it was because of Eva’s revelation that she loved him or because it was the first time he’d considered Harriet and Piers as his killers.
