16

Interviews over, everyone sat around the breakfast bar that separated the lounge from the kitchen. Coffee cups and an empty packet of biscuits lay between the ten of them. Zander, still clad in the white overalls, half listened as everyone accused each other of killing Silas and tossing Erin from a window. He wanted to raise the topic of the other accidents, but wasn’t sure of the best way to do so.

Kate sat in clean clothes, with damp hair, as far away from the others as she could get.

“Well, I happen to know that Zed wasn’t in his bed last night,” Paul said bluntly. “Nor was Warren.”

Zander, jarred out of his train of thought, tuned back into the conversation. “And I already explained I was up reading.”

“Erin and Kate were missing as well,” Liz added.

“I was reading in here, and then talking to Zed,” Kate told her. “I saw Erin and Warren leave last night. They were holding hands. Maybe they were involved somehow, I mean, he did go to the hospital with her.”

Liz smirked. “They were arguing just before she ‘fell’ out of the window.” She put inverted commas around the word fell. “He’s probably fed up with being nagged and blamed for everything that goes wrong around here. Perhaps he felt guilty for pushing her.”

Mr. Horner came into the room. “Good, you’re all here. Erin died a short time ago.”

A hush fell over the room.

Kate gasped and then buried her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook.

Faces blanched, even Hank bit his lip.

“Before you blame him, Warren didn’t kill her. We have him on camera in a different room when she fell. He’s speaking to the police and then going home. He won’t be coming back. He and Erin were married. Well, I have things to get on with. As you were.” The man turned and headed to the door.

“Told you.” Liz stared at her hands.

Kate glared at her, eyes glistening. “No you didn’t. Up ’til a minute ago you were blaming him for killing her.” She waited until the door closed behind Mr. Horner. “That bloke gives me the creeps. The way he comes and goes without anyone hearing him.” She rose. “I have a theory if anyone wants to hear it.”

“Go on,” Zed said.

“I reckon Erin knew who killed Silas and that person killed her to keep her quiet.”

Zander studied her, and then rose, needing to get out of there and speak to either Is or the Guv. “Hold that thought. I’m going to take a shower. I have blood under my nails still. Won’t be long.” He strode to the diary room as quickly as his partly fake limp and cane would let him, knowing it would be empty. Shutting the door, he eased into the chair and fixed his stare at the camera. “I need to talk to DI Holmes or DC York now. Preferably alone, with no one else listening in.”

“One second.” Austin paused. “Although I won’t take it personally you don’t want to talk to me…this time.”

After a brief pause, Isabel’s voice came over the speaker. “I’m here, Zander. I’ve kicked everyone out of the room as well. What’s up?”

He shot the camera a thumbs up. “Kate made a good point just now. She thinks Erin knew who killed Silas and then Erin was killed to silence her. This fits with the last thing Erin said before she fell or was pushed. Kate also mentioned the other incidents again. I’m going to talk to her about that soon as I’ve showered.”

“The Guv and Sarge are checking all the tapes for the last six days. It’ll take them all day probably. I’ve put an earpiece on the top shelf in the corner shower cubicle. However, the Guv wants to pull you out. Honestly, I agree with him. It’s not safe in there.”

“It’ll blow my cover. Give me another day. And I don’t think anyone is safe. On the plus side, I’m not dressed as an elf this time.” He changed the subject as the door opened. “So anyway, I forgot to put the red light on to show the room was occupied again, maybe one day I’ll remember, and that’s my day so far. I’m going to go and shower.” He stood and reached for the cane.

Paul blocked the door. “What were you and Kate really doing last night? And don’t say nothing. I saw the kiss remember. How many more had you given her?”

“Actually that was the first kiss.” Zander decided honesty was the best policy. “She’s cute, and when she initiated the kiss, it would have been rude not to respond. However, that’s it. I was in the lounge for most of the night, reading. I didn’t want to put the bedroom light on and wake everyone. She had the same idea.”

“You seriously expect me to believe that. After we discover that Warren and Erin are married and that’s why they snuck off to be alone.”

“Sneaked off. Snuck is the wrong word. It actually means to grass on someone or dob them in.”

“Fine, they sneaked off to be alone.” Paul paused. “I wish I knew where.”

“So do I.” A grim thought shot through Zander. “Wherever it was, there isn’t a camera. Anyway, I’ll leave you to the diary room and go get cleaned up properly.”

Paul didn’t move. “I’m curious. How did you hurt your leg? Trip over, fall down a hole, get hit by a car?”

Zander pulled a face and opted for the truth. At least that way he wouldn’t have to remember what he’d said. “Nothing so impressive. I did it leaping over a fence, actually.”

Paul scoffed. “Really?”

“Really. Mate and I had one too many and decided to play cops and robbers on the way home. I was the cop. He made it over the fence, and I misjudged it. I tore my Achilles tendon. The doc sewed it back together. My sisters now call me Humpty Dumpty. Hopefully I’ll make a full recovery—unlike poor old Humpty.”

Paul roared with laughter. “At least you work at a desk, so you’re sat down all day.”

Zander grumped. “Yeah.”

“Anyway,” he moved aside, “enjoy the shower.”

“Thanks.” Zander strode to the bedroom and grabbed a change of clothes, including another pair of his brightly coloured Christmas socks, and then headed to the shower. The first thing he would do was put in the earpiece. He didn’t want to be out of contact a second longer.