The Cat Who Solved Three Murders, page 15
‘That is certainly true,’ said Lulu. She opened the door and held Conrad to her chest as she climbed out.
The car drove off and Lulu helped Conrad up onto her shoulders. The two Mercedes Sprinter vans were still there, but there was no sign of Tracey’s Mondeo. Lulu rang the doorbell then stood back. ‘I’m never sure how many times I should ring,’ she said. ‘I want to be sure that they hear me, but I don’t want to sound pushy.’
‘Twice is fine,’ said Conrad. ‘Three is too many and four is definitely rude.’
‘Two it is,’ said Lulu. She stepped back up to the door and pressed the bell again.
A full minute passed before the door opened. It was Julia and her face broke into a broad smile when she saw Lulu. ‘Thank goodness you’re here,’ she said. ‘It’s turned into a ridiculous game of hide and seek. They’re opening every cupboard and pulling up the carpets.’
‘They have to be thorough,’ said Lulu. ‘There’s no point in half looking.’
‘Well, at least they’re done with the kitchen so we can have a cup of tea. Did you have lunch?’
‘No, we moved The Lark and then came straight here.’ That was the truth, strictly speaking, they had come straight from The Lark. But prior to that she had spoken to Mr Drummond and Alistair, and Lulu wasn’t ready to discuss that with Julia. It was a lot to process.
Julia ushered them inside and closed the door. ‘I had an M&S delivery while you were out,’ she said as they walked to the kitchen. ‘There’s some really luscious cold cuts and some amazing cheeses. And a tiger bloomer that’s to die for. It’s Bernard’s favourite . . .’ She sighed. ‘I have to stop doing that,’ she said.
‘No you don’t,’ said Lulu. ‘It doesn’t stop being his favourite just because he’s not here. You need to remember the things he liked. Embrace them. I’ll never be able to eat that gin-and-tonic smoked salmon without thinking of him. That’s how it should be.’
Julia tried to smile. ‘I suppose so.’
Lulu put an arm around her shoulder. ‘Tiger bloomer sounds great.’
When they reached the kitchen, Conrad jumped down onto one of the stools around the island and Julia opened the fridge. She took out a pack of cold cuts, a pack of assorted cheeses and a bag of salad. ‘Is it too early for wine?’ she asked.
Lulu laughed. ‘It’s never too early for wine.’
‘That’s so true. I’ll get a bottle. Or two.’ She opened the white door and went down into the cellar.
‘Do you think she’s okay?’ asked Conrad.
‘As well as can be expected,’ whispered Lulu.
‘There’s a lot of tension in her aura,’ said Conrad.
‘Well, you can understand why.’
‘Meow,’ said Conrad.
‘Meow? That’s all you’ve got to say? Meow?’
‘Excuse me,’ said a voice at the door. It was DC Collier, wearing a white forensic suit and blue shoe covers.
Lulu flashed him a smile, wondering how much he had heard. ‘Sorry, Dave, I was talking to my cat, wasn’t I?’
He grinned. ‘That’s okay, my mother does the same. She has two cats – Whisky and Soda – and they sit either side of her on the sofa, chatting away. It’s as if they understand every word she says.’
‘Meow!’ said Conrad.
‘Just like that!’
‘I think they do understand,’ said Lulu. ‘Cats are very intelligent.’
‘Meow!’ said Conrad, and the detective laughed.
‘Well he certainly agrees with you,’ he said. He looked around the kitchen. ‘I was actually looking for Mrs Grenville.’
‘I’m here,’ said Julia, emerging from the wine cellar with a bottle of wine in either hand. She showed the bottles to him. ‘Would you like a glass?’
‘I would love a glass, but I’m very much on duty,’ he said. ‘There are louvred doors in the swimming pool room and they’re locked. Do you have the key?’
‘Oh, there’s nothing in there,’ said Julia, putting one of the bottles on the island. ‘It’s the filter for the pool and the chemicals that the pool guys use. It’s always locked unless the pool guys are here and it’s been a month since they were last here.’
‘I understand,’ said the detective, ‘but my boss is a stickler for detail and when she says search everywhere she means everywhere.’
Julia put the second bottle of wine into the fridge, then opened one of the cabinets. On the back of the door were more than two dozen labelled keys hanging on hooks. She ran a hand across them, then pulled one out. ‘Here you go,’ she said, giving it to the detective.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I’ll bring it right back.’
As he left the kitchen, Julia reached for a corkscrew and began opening the bottle. ‘Can you get the glasses?’ she asked.
Lulu took out two glasses and Julia was just about to start pouring when the doorbell rang.
‘I’ll get it,’ said Lulu. She hurried out and along the hallway. She couldn’t help but smile at what Conrad had said about the under butler having to fetch the butler to answer the door. It really was a huge house, and while she wasn’t exactly out of breath by the time she reached the front door, it was certainly a fair walk. It was Tracey; Lulu took her through to the kitchen, where Julia was putting cold cuts onto a platter.
‘Please tell me you’re off duty and can have some Pinot Grigio,’ said Julia.
‘I wish that I could,’ said Tracey. ‘But no, I’m working.’
‘Can I make you some tea or coffee?’
‘Tea would be lovely,’ said Tracey. ‘I’m just here to check if the searchers have found anything.’
Julia switched on the kettle and picked up the teapot from the draining board. Tracey slid onto a stool and took a manila envelope from her handbag. ‘I also wanted to run these by you,’ she said. She opened the envelope and slid out a stack of cards, each about six inches by four. She laid them out on the island. There were eighteen in all and she placed four of them in a line at the top and two rows of seven underneath.
Julia walked over with the empty teapot and looked over Lulu’s shoulder. ‘These are the car valet people and the waiting staff,’ said Tracey. She ran her finger along the four at the top, young men and women wearing red waistcoats and red bow ties. ‘These are the ones who were parking the cars. They all vouch for each other, as does their boss. But that doesn’t mean that our murderer couldn’t have slipped into the house wearing a red waistcoat and bow tie and one of those wigs.’
‘I was in the hall so I caught the odd glimpse of them but I wouldn’t say I recognize any of them. And I certainly wouldn’t remember anyone else passing themselves off as a valet.’
‘Same with me,’ said Lulu. ‘I didn’t go out front and when I was in the house, I didn’t see a valet. And the wigs made it very difficult to tell them apart.’
‘I think it’s unlikely the killer tried to pass himself off as a valet, because anyone who saw them would wonder why they were inside the house,’ said Tracey. ‘What about the waiting staff?’
Lulu tapped one of the photographs, a young man with blond hair and a wide smile. ‘He was on the terrace, I remember him,’ she said. ‘But of course it’s not about who we recognize from the pictures, is it? We have to remember someone who isn’t included here, right? And that’s much harder.’
‘Exactly,’ said Tracey. ‘What about you, Julia?’
Julia nodded. ‘I remember seeing most of them, yes. But it’s a lot harder to think of someone whose picture isn’t there.’ She frowned. ‘The problem is, generally you don’t look at the face of the person who’s handing you a drink.’ She pulled a face. ‘Oh, that sounds awful, doesn’t it? I mean, yes you smile and say thank you, but usually you don’t actually look at them.’
‘I know exactly what you mean,’ said Tracey. ‘I’m hoping that one of the guests might have seen someone acting strangely just before your husband died and that they might recall that he – or she – was dressed as a waiter and that their picture isn’t here.’ She grimaced. ‘Even as I say that, I realize it’s going to be unlikely in the extreme.’ She gathered up the photographs and slid them back into the envelope. ‘But we have to try.’
The kettle finished boiling and switched itself off. Julia went over and spooned tea into the pot. She was just pouring in the hot water when DC Collier appeared in the doorway. ‘Ah, boss, you’re here,’ he said to Tracey. ‘There’s something you need to see.’
Tracey put the envelope into her handbag and slid off her stool. ‘What have you got, Dave?’
‘Best I show you, boss,’ he said. ‘And probably best if Mrs Grenville comes with us.’
‘I’m intrigued,’ said Tracey. DC Collier led the way, followed by Tracey and Julia. Lulu bent down so that Conrad could jump onto her shoulders and then she followed them down the hall.
DC Collier took them along to the pool. The door was open and half a dozen men and women in forensic suits were gathered inside. They fell silent when they saw Tracey and moved to the side.
DC Collier reached into his pocket and took out two packs of blue shoe covers. ‘If you ladies wouldn’t mind,’ he said. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a pack for Tracey.
The three women slipped on their shoe covers and then the detective constable took them along the side of the pool to the equipment room. The louvred doors were wide open to reveal a metal shelving unit filled with large plastic bottles and a square metal box with thick tubes running from it. There were four more policemen in forensic suits standing looking in, while a middle-aged man also wearing a forensic suit was taking photographs of the interior.
The policemen moved away as Tracey and DC Collier walked towards them. ‘All right, Robbie, let the dog see the rabbit,’ said DC Collier.
‘Aye, no problem,’ said the photographer in a broad Glaswegian accent. He nodded at Tracey. ‘Inspector.’
Tracey returned the nod. ‘Robbie,’ she said. ‘You know you’ve still got your lens cap on?’
She grinned as the man lifted up his camera to check. ‘Made you look.’
Robbie chuckled as he moved to the side.
‘So, this is what we found,’ said DC Collier, moving inside the room and pointing at the rear of the metal box. ‘We haven’t touched them yet.’
Tracey craned her neck to see what he was pointing at. ‘Oh my goodness me,’ she said. ‘That is not what I expected.’
‘What?’ said Julia, peering around the inspector. ‘What is it?’
Tracey moved to let Julia get a better look. There were eight paintings lodged between the metal box and the concrete wall. ‘That’s impossible,’ said Julia. She looked at Lulu, her face creased into a frown. ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’
DC Collier reached down and picked up one of the smaller paintings. Lulu recognized it immediately. It was the painting of Bamburgh Castle, the one that had been hanging behind Julia’s desk. There were splashes of dried blood across one corner and smears across the gilt frame. DC Collier held it up so that Julia could get a better look. ‘Mrs Grenville, could you confirm that this is one of the stolen paintings?’
Julia nodded. ‘Yes,’ she gasped.
DC Collier carefully leaned the painting against the wall and pulled out a second one. This one was bigger, almost three feet square, an abstract painting with blues and yellows. ‘And this?’
Julia nodded again. ‘Yes.’
Tracey blew air through pursed lips. ‘Well, this is a turn-up for the books,’ she said.
22
Julia sipped her wine, but the sip swiftly became a gulp. She was sitting in the conservatory on one of the sofas; Lulu was on the other sofa with Conrad on her lap, her glass of Pinot Grigio on the table in front of her. ‘It doesn’t make any sense,’ she said.
‘No, it doesn’t,’ said Tracey. She was standing looking out of the window at the lawn, holding a mug of tea.
‘Do you think they panicked and decided to hide the paintings before leaving?’ asked Julia.
Tracey shook her head. ‘The doors were locked, you said. Always locked.’
‘That’s true. We only opened the doors when the pool men were here.’
Tracey turned around. DC Collier was standing at the kitchen door, still wearing his forensic suit.
‘So how did the thieves get the paintings into the filter room?’ said Tracey. ‘They would have needed the key, right?’
Julia frowned. ‘So they must have run to the kitchen and got the key.’
‘You think so?’ said Tracey. ‘They get the key, hide the paintings, relock the doors and put the key back in the kitchen before running away?’
‘That must have been what they did,’ said Julia. ‘They must have been planning to come back later.’
Lulu stroked Conrad. She could see how the conversation was going to go and she didn’t want to make it even more difficult for Julia.
‘But why would they do that, Mrs Grenville?’ asked Tracey. She wasn’t Julia any more. Now she was Mrs Grenville. And DC Collier was standing at the doorway for a reason. He wasn’t taking notes but he was remembering everything that was being said.
‘I suppose they didn’t want to be seen running across the lawn with stolen paintings,’ said Julia.
Tracey shook her head. ‘Paintings or no paintings, they’d still be seen. But nobody did see them, and we’ve no evidence that they had a vehicle parked at the farm.’
‘What are you suggesting?’ said Julia. ‘Do you think they were already in the house? Could they have come in with the cleaners?’
‘The cleaning team were all women,’ said Tracey. ‘We’ve accounted for them all. And Bernard said the attackers were men, remember?’
‘So tell me what you think happened?’ Julia took another gulp of wine. Lulu saw that her hand was shaking.
‘You know what I think happened,’ said Tracey quietly. ‘Only someone who knew where the key was kept could have hidden the paintings.’
‘You mean me?’
Tracey shook her head. ‘I mean Bernard.’
Julia laughed and it was the sound of an animal in pain. ‘Now you’re being ridiculous. They knocked Bernard out, remember? He was unconscious on the floor.’
‘That’s what he said, yes.’
‘You think he lied?’
Tracey sipped her tea. ‘You know we found blood on the loungers by the pool?’
‘Yes, you said. Billy Russell’s blood.’ She frowned. ‘So now you’re suggesting that Billy Russell took the paintings to the filter room? That’s even more stupid because Billy Russell was dead.’
‘That’s not what I’m suggesting.’ She stared at Julia for several seconds. ‘We had your husband’s clothing checked. There was blood on his shirt and on his trousers.’
‘Of course there was. He was hit on the head with a poker. He was covered in blood.’
Tracey shook her head. ‘Some of it was his blood, yes. But a lot of it was Billy Russell’s. There was Billy Russell’s blood all over his clothing.’
Julia stood up. Her eyes were wide and staring. ‘That’s impossible!’
‘No. Everything was checked and rechecked. Full DNA analysis. There’s no doubt. Billy Russell’s blood is all over your husband’s clothing, and it was probably transferred to the loungers when he took the paintings to the pool room to hide them.’
Julia’s breath was coming in short, sharp gasps and she was swaying on her feet. Her glass tumbled from her fingers and smashed onto the tiled floor, then her legs gave way and she fell sideways, crashing into the coffee table.
23
Tracey and Lulu watched from the doorway as the doctor sat on Julia’s bed and gave her an injection in her arm. Conrad was sitting on the sofa by the window, watching as intently as they were. Lulu had phoned the doctor and she had arrived within twenty minutes, during which time Lulu and the inspector had managed to get Julia up the stairs and into her bedroom. Julia had only passed out for a few minutes, but when she woke up she was incoherent and clearly having trouble focusing. They had given her a drink of water, got her to her feet, and taken an arm each as they took her upstairs. Conrad had followed, giving them meows of encouragement. It had taken almost ten minutes to get Julia up the stairs and into bed. She had kept apologizing but was clearly struggling.
The doctor had introduced herself as Sita Patel. She was their local GP and a family friend. Sita had brought a large medical bag from her car and had checked Julia’s blood pressure, breathing, and pricked her finger to get a blood sugar level. Julia was awake but clearly exhausted and answered Sita’s questions in a whisper.
Once she had finished the injection, Sita put the used syringe in her bag, patted Julia on the shoulder and came over to Tracey and Lulu. ‘She’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘It’s stress-related, obviously. Seeing Bernard beaten and then killed. Post-traumatic stress syndrome, plus I don’t think she’s eaten much.’
‘I made breakfast, but she barely touched it,’ said Lulu. ‘And she collapsed before she had the chance to eat lunch.’
‘Well, I’ve given her something to calm her down, and a vitamin shot, but she needs to eat. I could smell alcohol on her breath. Had she been drinking?’
‘Just some wine,’ said Lulu.
The doctor nodded. ‘I know that at times like this a drink seems like a good idea, but really it isn’t. Please discourage her from drinking.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ said Lulu. ‘But Julia has always enjoyed her wine.’
‘I know,’ said Sita. ‘But alcohol won’t react well to the medication I’ve given her, so she should abstain for a day or two at least.’
Julia began to snore softly.
‘She’ll sleep for a few hours, maybe the rest of the day. When she wakes up, make sure she eats something. Protein rather than carbs. As I said, no alcohol, and she should steer clear of caffeine.’ She gave a Lulu a blister pack of tablets. ‘I’m not a big fan of using anti-depressants to cope with grief, but in view of what’s happened, give her one of these every twelve hours for a couple of days. And a multivitamin tablet or two wouldn’t hurt.’
