Helene Becker turned away from her solicitor as Kay entered the interview room with Gavin, her pale features accentuated by a bright scarf wrapped around her hair.
Piercing blue eyes bore into Kay while she started the recording machine and made sure the formal caution was captured and understood, and then the woman cleared her throat.
‘Inspector, I don’t appreciate being hauled from my studio by two of your officers while all my neighbours are watching,’ she pouted. ‘If you wanted to speak to me again, you only had to ask.’
‘Who’s been dealing drugs at your weekly breakfast club?’ said Gavin.
Helene’s attention snapped to him. ‘What?’
‘Answer the question, please.’
‘I don’t know about any drugs.’ She looked at her solicitor, a stern-looking woman with a pinched expression who glared at Gavin. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘When did Xander Beech join your entrepreneurial group?’ he asked.
The artist waved her hand in front of her face as if batting away an errant fly. ‘I don’t know. I don’t think he ever did. He turns up with Damian from time to time, that’s all.’
‘We were told that people only attended that group by special invitation. Did any of you invite him?’
‘No – as I said, he just appears every now and again.’
‘What does he do while he’s there?’
‘What do you mean?’
Gavin opened his case file and peered at the different statements from the group. ‘You all seem to be doing well in your respective businesses – at least on the surface. Why tolerate someone like Xander, a club DJ? How did he get on with everyone else?’
Helene chuckled. ‘Ah, I see what you mean. I don’t think Sebastian was too enamoured with the idea – he did have words with Damian a couple of months ago. I overheard them talking after breakfast one morning. I think they thought we’d all left but I had to dash to the ladies’ and when I came back I could hear voices in the room.’
‘So you eavesdropped,’ said Kay.
‘I’m a naturally inquisitive person,’ Helene replied, preening. ‘Besides, I didn’t have to try too hard. They were talking quite loudly. Sebastian was saying that he didn’t think it appropriate for Xander to be there.’
‘What did Damian say?’ said Gavin.
‘He asked Sebastian to let it go – his words, not mine – and that he was only bringing his brother along to keep him out of trouble and give him a focus.’ Helene sighed. ‘I think Xander was more interested in trying to impress Felicity.’
‘Not you?’
The woman barked with laughter. ‘God, no, detective. He’s much too young for me.’
‘In what way was he trying to impress her?’
‘Oh, you know – offering to get her into the nightclub for free, backstage passes when some of the bigger acts came through town. Of course, then Gary overheard him and wanted to tag along.’
‘How did that go down with Xander?’
‘I don’t think he was happy about it, but once he realised Gary wasn’t interested in Felicity they seemed to get on all right. I think they might’ve gone out socialising together from time to time. They certainly seemed more familiar towards each other at the breakfast meetings when Xander turned up, as if they were up to something.’
Gavin pushed a small plastic evidence bag across the table and angled it so that the solicitor could see as well. ‘Do you recognise this powder, Ms Becker?’
‘I don’t, no. Although one would assume it’s drugs of some sort.’
‘Ketamine. It’s what killed Felicity and Gary, as well as a teenaged girl after she took some of this last Friday night. We believe they all got it from Xander.’
‘Really?’ Helene’s chiselled eyebrows shot upwards. ‘Well, that explains a few things.’
‘Such as?’
‘All the secrecy.’
‘Secrecy?’
‘Yes. We’d be halfway through a presentation some Fridays – that was the format, one of us doing a fifteen-minute talk about something we wanted to share with the group while we were having coffee after breakfast – and those three would be off to one side of the table arrangement whispering together. Awfully rude, especially when myself or Sebastian had put so much time and effort into the talks.’
‘Did you say anything to them at the time?’
‘Sebastian has a wonderful glare,’ Helene beamed. ‘That was often enough to embarrass them into being more attentive.’
Gavin tapped the evidence bag. ‘Do you think Xander might’ve been using the breakfast club to sell drugs to Felicity and Gary?’
‘He could well have been.’ The woman drummed her fingers on the table. ‘And that might explain why Felicity always seemed a bit out of it by the time we finished some mornings. I always put it down to too much caffeine, but now you mention it…’
‘Do you think Damian was involved in the drugs?’
‘God, I hope not.’
‘What makes you say that?’ said Gavin.
‘Because he’s always looked after Xander, and tried to keep him from getting into trouble. If he suspected Xander was using our breakfast club to deal drugs, he’d be livid.’