On Saturday morning, Constance called in to see Judith. Greg buzzed her into the building and she was only halfway up the communal staircase when she heard the door open and he appeared on the landing to welcome her in. He was wearing only his pyjama bottoms. He kissed her on both cheeks and gestured for her to pass by him and enter the flat.
‘What a nice surprise,’ he said.
Judith was clearing a space on the dining table. ‘Blimey, Connie,’ she said. ‘You don’t look like you’ve had much sleep.’ She gestured to one of the chairs. Greg returned with a half-empty cafetière and a mug and set them down on the table.
‘That’s because I haven’t,’ Constance said, sitting down. She ran her fingers over her hair.
Judith poured her a coffee. ‘What have you found? she asked. ‘You could have called.’ Constance sensed her excitement. She wanted milk, but that could wait.
‘Your mobile was off…again. Anyway, I needed to see you. It’s easier to explain face to face.’
Constance removed her jacket and smoothed down her t-shirt. She sensed Greg watching them, watching her, then she heard him mumble that he would take a shower and they should call for him if he was needed. That was better. She preferred him not to be there. It was better if it was just the two of them.
‘I saw Diana again,’ Constance began.
‘Good. And?’
‘She confirmed all the stuff about Ambrosia that Greg found out, said it was part of some big crusade, Brett’s “gift to the world”. She accepted he wanted a high-profile figure to help campaign against junk food but he also privately lobbied the government. She said the board probably won’t continue his work now, and that’s partly why she was leaving, except now she isn’t. Well, not for a while, anyway.’
‘She isn’t leaving. Interesting.’
‘She hinted that there was something going on at the Sumners’ farm, something unusual, but she was absolutely clear they were on the same side, that Brett supported Mark in whatever he was up to. And I don’t think it was the labelling stuff that Greg was talking about. Maybe it’s something he’s growing there?’
‘Did she say anything else useful?’
‘I asked her to check everyone Brett called from the meeting, like you asked. She’s going to send me the names to match the numbers. Oh, and she really doesn’t like Dr Edge.’
‘A woman close to my heart.’
‘Said she didn’t understand why he and Brett were still friends, or why he was even at the meeting, that he was never part of Ambrosia, hinted he had invited himself, put some pressure on Brett even.’
Judith was alert now, her elbows on the table, her head in her hands. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘And have you been to see Mark also, the man with most to lose?’
Judith could be very exacting. It was only 9.30 in the morning and she’d spent most of yesterday doing more research, even before her session with Diana.
‘He didn’t answer my calls,’ Constance said. ‘I’ll try again today.’
Judith stood up and began to pace the room. Constance tried not to laugh, as Judith had a grave look on her face, totally incompatible with her pyjamas and slippers.
‘It’s all linked,’ Judith said, after at least ten circuits.
‘What?’
‘Brett’s death, Zoe getting trolled and Rosa’s café.’
Constance sipped at her coffee, even though she still wanted milk. Judith remained silent, but her eyes were darting left and right.
‘What?’ Constance said, after a while.
Judith stopped walking. ‘You didn’t say anything.’ She poured herself the last of the coffee. ‘I expected you to say something. The fact you didn’t say something means something.’
Constance rose, went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, added some milk to her mug, then took a mouthful. Better now. She couldn’t see Greg, but she could sense him, on the other side of the bedroom door, listening in to their conversation. She returned to the living room.
‘All right. The reason I didn’t say anything is that you don’t listen when I do. It’s just back to where you keep going – that one of the panellists killed him; Diana’s the favourite, closely followed by Mark. I think you’re making links that don’t exist.’
‘What about Susan Mills, the scientist?’ Judith said.
‘What about her?’
‘Zoe said she was quiet, didn’t she? Never trust the quiet ones. You haven’t spoken to Susan, have you?’
‘She didn’t answer my calls either.’
‘So we don’t have the faintest idea what she’s like or what she might be capable of,’ Judith said. ‘There were six people on that stage and three incidents we know about, one of them fatal. I think there are three more things still to happen. I’m hoping none is as bad as the first.’
Constance was determined to fight her corner. ‘Or there’s no connection,’ she said, ‘and nothing else will happen.’
‘Maybe they’ve happened already, but we just don’t know about them.’ Judith finally rested her hands on the back of the chair.
‘All right,’ Constance said. ‘I’ll go and see Mark and I’ll find Susan. Does that satisfy you?’
Judith gave a gentle nod. In the silence that followed, they both heard the shower switch on in the nearby bathroom and then the sound of a door open and close and a shuffle of feet. Constance felt suddenly hot and she found herself moving over to the sash window and thrusting it upwards, to allow some air into the room.
‘Am I right that Dr Edge lives round here?’ Judith said suddenly.
Pleased to have something to occupy her, Constance checked her phone. ‘England’s Lane,’ she said. ‘And I’ve just remembered. He messaged all of them after Brett’s death, wanted to meet up.’
‘Dr Edge messaged each of the panellists?’
‘Zoe told me.’
‘And what happened?’ Judith’s question was accompanied by the kind of look that suggested she considered it extremely remiss of Constance to have forgotten to pass on this information.
‘They had a Zoom call. Adrian said he wanted them to make a film together, in memory of Brett, but then Mark and Rosa challenged him, thought he wanted the publicity for himself. That pretty much confirms what Diana said about Adrian. Like I said, the kind of person who is never satisfied.’
Judith walked over to the open window herself and pressed her hands against the glass. Constance knew how Judith’s mind worked, that she would consider all these tiny pieces of information about Adrian to be crucial, or at least potentially crucial, and that she was holding back words which would express to Constance how she must pass everything on, no matter how insignificant. And Constance knew that Judith was right. It’s just that there had been so many things to do and she had wanted to keep Judith focused on what really mattered, and Zoe’s video had taken precedence. And Judith had Greg to bounce ideas off, to keep her sane. While Constance had to do everything alone.
‘Did anyone make a recording of their Zoom call?’ Judith asked. ‘Most likely it would have been Zoe.’
‘Zoe didn’t. I haven’t a clue about the others.’
Judith marched off towards her bedroom. ‘All right,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘Let’s pay Dr Edge a visit, shall we? On the way over there, you can tell me all Zoe told you about the Zoom call. Don’t miss anything out. And I’ll tell you what Greg has discovered about the offshore shareholding in Heart Foods. Better warn Adrian we’re coming, though. You can do that while I get dressed. He said he and Brett went back a long way. Maybe he can shed some light on all this darkness.