Chapter Fourteen
by Lily Always


He didn’t want to phone from his apartment. He wanted this to be at least semi-official. Likewise he didn’t want to visit her – and no way was she coming into his apartment again. Damn, he must get the key back.

So, 8:00 a.m. in his cubicle. She was a workaholic, he had to admit that, despite her other faults, and she would be at her desk by then. He tapped out her direct line.

‘Good morning, this is Elaine Jackson’s voicemail. I’m sorry I’m not at my desk just now; please leave a message and I’ll get right back.’

He knew she was there. She was probably grabbing a few minutes to catch up on e-mails that would have arrived overnight.

‘Elaine? David. Call me back now!’

He sat back and counted. Eleven…twelve…th--

The phone rang. ‘Friedman.’

‘David, I’m – ‘

‘Shut it, Elaine. Not interested. Meet me at Sam’s Bistro, thirty minutes from now.’

‘David, I have a meeting with a client at nine. Can it wait?’

‘No. You asked me into this and now I want some answers. Or is your client more important than your boyfriend?’

‘David, please, that’s not fair.’

‘So why should life today be any different from yesterday?’

‘Dave, I need to earn money. This client is worth a lot to the firm.’

He knew she was telling the truth. Work had to come first for all of them. His questions could wait a couple of hours. Besides, it would give him time to speak to Hawkins first.

‘Don’t lean on me, Elaine. You want me in on this investigation or not? But it’s your lucky day – so happens I have other fish to fry too. Twelve o’clock at Sam’s. Be there.’ He hung up.

* * * *


Friedman went in search of Hawkins. He checked his watch. She would have been and gone from the kitchen by now, so she’d either be offering to share today’s delicious coffee with Kersey or she’d be at her desk. He dropped into her cubicle. ‘Hi, got a few minutes? Need to talk.’

Sadie looked up. ‘Sure, Dave.’ At this time of the morning, anyone else would have been told where to go – the degree of politeness accompanying the suggestion depending on where the intruder was in her estimation on that particular day. But with Dave, she knew he wouldn’t just ‘drop in’ unless it was really important. He seemed to understand her rhythms like no one else. He sensed how much she needed this first hour alone at work, when she put her own brain in order for the day. So if he needed her, it meant he needed her, not just someone to share a coffee with.

She got up from the desk. ‘Let’s grab a coffee at The Corner House.’

* * * *


She approached the table, a mug in each hand, two cellophane wrapped packets hanging from her teeth.

‘One double espresso, one Americano, one Dutch waffle and one amaretto biscotti. Take your pick or share.’ Sadie sat down and ripped off the cellophane from the biscuits.

David smiled his thanks. He picked up the biscotti and dipped it in his Americano. Sadie delicately balanced her waffle across the top of her double espresso, letting the warmth of the coffee soften the thin, delicious honey centre of the biscuit.

‘So, Dave, what’s up?’

He had already decided he would not need to backtrack over old ground – she would be immediately up to speed, he knew that. ‘Okay, weird shit just got weirder. Check this. Marietta’s body discovered in Chevalier’s car. DNA shows he was at scene of crime. So, prima facie, likely suspect. Elaine insists he is innocent. In other words, attempts to turn the spotlight from its obvious target. Spotlight turns and what does it find? Elaine and Marietta were having an affair. Elaine and Marietta have big bust-up the day before Marietta is murdered. Marietta dumps Elaine. Marietta dies. Marietta’s dog dies. Elaine identified as the one who left poisoned food for the dog.

‘Now call me Mr Gullible…’ Sadie smiled. ’...but what kinda murderer looks in the mouth of a gift horse bringing an innocent but heavily implicated suspect?’

‘Jeez, Dave. Things have moved on. Okay, if these are facts, let’s have some more facts. How do you know they were having an affair? How do you know they had a big bust-up? How do you know Elaine left poisoned food for the dog?’

This was going somewhere Dave didn’t want to go. He’d started going there in the cold light of early morning, his conscious thoughts unable to suppress these others arising from his ingrained agent’s mind.

‘I…uh… the veterinary nurse at the place where Marietta’s dog was placed. She told me.‘

Sadie knew Dave, probably even better than he knew himself. From the ever so slight change in tone of his voice, she knew there was more. And she could guess at what was coming. She didn’t want to push him – she respected him too much for that. Or was it also, she asked herself, that she didn’t want to hear his answer? So she simply squeezed his hand briefly, then smiled.

‘Dave, okay, I get the picture. And we both know nothing is ever taken on one piece of evidence alone. So we have to find either corroboration or something that disproves it, yeah? So where next?’

‘I’m meeting Elaine at noon. First move is to face her with it and see her reaction.’

Sadie didn’t want to stress him further; she knew the thoughts that must be chasing each other round in his head. ‘Let’s head back before Kersey blows a fuse, hey? Then give me a look later, let me know what Elaine says.’

* * * *


He made sure he was at Sam’s before Elaine arrived. He wanted to observe her every move, wanted to see whether there was any chink in her brittle façade. He watched her come in from the sidewalk, look around hesitantly and then, seeing him, smile and come over.

‘David, thank you for this morning.’

He decided to start with politeness. ‘Elaine, you are looking elegant as ever. Sit down. Would you like lunch? Or are you on coffee and fresh air today?’

‘A spritzer would be great, thanks. Any more coffee on an empty stomach and my head will take off. I hear they do great paninis here. Want to share?’

The waitress was hovering to take their order. ‘Two spritzers and a jumbo cheese and ham panini. Thanks.’

David continued pleasantries until the order arrived. He didn’t want to be interrupted once he started. He only had to wait a few minutes.

‘Elaine, before anything else, I want the key back. Given the circumstances, it’s now totally inappropriate for you to have a key to my apartment.’ He realised how stilted this must sound, but she would have to acknowledge the truth of it, and it meant that he didn’t have to say what he really meant. ‘I can’t have you walking into my life any time you feel like it.’

Elaine flinched. It hurt, as he knew it would. He was putting her on a par with any other witness now, in effect telling her this was how he would be conducting the investigation. She scrabbled in her purse and gave him the key.

‘Thanks.’ He did at least acknowledge it. ‘Now, perhaps you’d like to tell me what the hell is going on?

She looked at him, puzzled. ‘What?’

‘You and Marietta, Elaine. How long were you together? Have you always been bi? God, you sure never gave that impression in the past.’

‘Dave,’ she stammered, ‘I don’t know – ‘

‘Oh, and the row you had the day before she died. Perhaps it slipped your mind to tell me about that? And in God’s name, why the dog?’

Elaine stared at him, tears starting to her eyes. ‘What…I didn’t… we didn’t… Marietta…I don’t understand. The dog, you mean Brogus? What about him? How is he?

‘Dead, Elaine. Or perhaps you forgot that too?’

At this Elaine crumbled. Her head drooped, long hair swinging. Her shoulders shook, her whole body trembled as tears shook her slender frame.

‘Oh God, oh Brogus, no. Please. Tell me it isn’t true? I wouldn’t hurt him, ever.’
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