13

Kate trudged to the kitchen as Paul and Zed followed the summons to the diary room. Did she regret kissing Zed? No, she didn’t. However, what she did regret was doing it in front of the cameras and for the resulting fight. She hoped Paul wouldn’t tell anyone else, but Paul being Paul, probably would at the first opportunity he got.

“What’s that summons for?” Hank asked as soon as she entered the lounge.

“Just Paul being Paul,” she said cagily. “Zed stood guard in the hall outside the main door whilst I showered. Paul objected, and it got violent. They ended up scrapping on the floor like a couple of five-year-olds.”

He snorted. “That’ll be on TV later. Just like all the empty beds. You want some breakfast? Liz is making avocado on toast and those green smoothies.”

Kate’s stomach flipped at the thought. “I’m not hungry. Still don’t feel too great this morning.” No way was she admitting she’d been horribly sick the last time Liz made that.

Erin studied her. “Are you OK? You were up half the night.”

“So were you,” Kate shot back instantly. “But no, like I just said, still don’t feel so good. I’ll give breakfast a miss, I think. I’m going to get some fresh air.” She pushed open the outside door and headed into the garden. Rain still poured, and she ran across to the gazebo. Dropping into one of the chairs, she closed her eyes.

The thud of the rain on the roof was strangely soothing, almost melodic. Kate sighed. She settled back in the chair, the rain falling harder. Maybe she stayed here all day.

“You missed breakfast. Are you OK?”

“OK is a relative term. Won’t be OK until I get home.” She opened her eyes to find Zed holding a cup. “Not that awful green stuff that Liz makes, is it?”

He chuckled. “Nope, because that really does taste as foul as it looks. This is coffee, made by my own fair hands.”

She accepted it gratefully. “Thanks. I can’t stand green stuff.”

He sat beside her. “Don’t blame you. My taste buds are in shock. They may never work properly again.”

Kate inhaled the scent of coffee deeply. “Did you get into much trouble for the fight?”

“Nah.” Zed leant the cane on the chair next to him. “They saw Paul start it on the CCTV. He’s on his last warning now, whatever that means. Not like they can kick any of us out until the police say we can leave.” He stretched out his feet, trousers riding up his legs a little.

She giggled. “Christmas socks again?”

Zed shrugged. “You’re not the only one who accepts silly dares. A couple of mates said they’d sponsor me a tenner for each pair I wore. And since I’m on my fourth pair now, that’s forty quid each they owe me.” He reached out and grabbed the tennis ball from the table. Slowly he began to toss it into the air and catch it. “Do you really think Silas was murdered?”

She stretched her legs in front of her, wiggling her toes. “Honestly, yes. He’s not the type of person to kill himself. And if you want motive we probably all had one.” She sipped her coffee, not wanting to get into that. “I never liked him. And if I’d known he was going to be here, I’d never have accepted.”

“You mentioned earlier you knew each other on the ‘outside’ so to speak.”

“Makes this sound like a prison. Yeah. He’s…was…my best friend’s ex-husband.” Kate shifted uncomfortably and lowered her voice. “She’d never press charges, but we all knew what was going on. I mean, you can only walk into a door or fall down the stairs so many times in a week. So don’t expect me to feel sorry because he’s dead, because I don’t.”

Zed frowned. “He did what?”

Kate shrugged. “We all knew it. Of course, he was as nice as pie in front of everyone else, but I’d seen him lose it with her once. He shook her, slapped her. Then denied it when I confronted him.”

“What did she do?”

“Nothing to deserve that.” Kate glared at him. “You’re not the same, are you?”

Zed shook his head. “My mother raised me better than that. I have four sisters. If anyone treated them like that, I’d defend them to the last breath in my body.” He winked. “How do you think the fight with Paul started?”

She smiled. “I know; I was there. And thank you for doing that. I’m glad they didn’t kick you out of here—which they could do as you weren’t here when Silas died..”

Shouting came from inside the house and a door slammed. The rain stopped and the sun tried to peep between a break in the clouds.

Kate cocked an ear, but continued to sip her coffee. “Sounds like another fun day in Jack’s House. Erin’s upset about something again.”

The window upstairs opened. “I know what you did,” Erin yelled. “I’m not letting you get away—” Her voice turned into a scream.

Something large flew through the air, landing with a thud at Kate’s feet. Startled, she jumped as a shriek crawled up her throat.

Erin sprawled on the ground, blood pooling under her head.