Page 39 of A Village Theatre Murder
‘Hannah, it doesn’t necessarily mean they think she was…responsible for Graham’s death. It’s more that they want to see if she has more information.’
‘But they questioned her and questioned her, and kept her there overnight. She’s with them as we speak. God knows what she’s going through.’
Hannah got tearful at this, as if imagining the gentle Berrywick police waterboarding a confession out of Jane.
A pot of tea appeared in front of Hannah, along with a cupand saucer and a small jug of milk. ‘And I thought you could use a muffin, dear; you are looking a bit peaky and you must keep your strength up for that baby, now,’ Flo said kindly, placing it next to her. ‘It’s on the house.’
‘Thank you, Flo, you are very kind.’
When they were alone again, Julia continued: ‘Hannah, your mum made a mistake withholding information. When the police find out a person is not being forthcoming, they tend to be a bit more suspicious, a little less friendly.’
‘Poor Mum, after all she’s been through. I know she made a mistake, but it’s so wrong.’
Julia pushed the little red teapot towards the young woman. ‘Have a bit of tea, now, dear. And put some sugar in it. She’ll be out any minute. They’ll realise she made a mistake and let her go. They’re not going to hold a grieving widow who’s done nothing wrong.’
As a statement, this was true. The police wouldn’t hold a newly widowed, innocent woman who had done nothing wrong. ButhadJane done nothing wrong? Julia didn’t think Jane was a murderer, but neither could she say that she was a hundred per cent certain of it. Jane’s relationship with Oscar; Graham’s with Bethany. The divorce papers that were deliveredon the same dayas the murder.
And right then, Julia realised with a pounding heart that she had a piece of information that Hannah certainly did not know.
20
It was with some ambivalence that Julia found herself parked outside the Berrywick police station, dithering. On the one hand, Hannah and the book club were counting on Julia to come to Jane’s defence. There was also Julia’s own fondness for the Jane she knew from book club – a smart woman and insightful reader, who had exhibited nothing but decency and good-heartedness in the years they’d known each other.
But what had actually brought Julia to the station this morning was that other very specific piece of information that she had remembered, with a cold shiver, while talking to Hannah at the Buttered Scone. It might be nothing, but she felt Hayley needed to know. It was a piece of information that would have the exact opposite effect from what Hannah and the book club had hoped for. It would make Jane look like a more, rather than less, likely suspect.
What Julia knew was that Jane had been in that props cupboard on the day of the play opening. She’d had the opportunity to meddle with the gun. Yes, she had been returning Graham’s fake moustache, but who’s to say that wasn’t a cover story? She might have used the opportunity to plant the bullet,and wipe her prints off the gun. Could Jane have planned the whole thing to kill her philandering husband? And, if so, could Oscar have been in on it?
Julia remembered that she had been with Roger when they’d made this realisation. But they’d been interrupted by the call about the fingerprints. Julia couldn’t be sure that in the discussions around the missing prints, Roger would ever have mentioned to Hayley that Jane had dropped off the moustache. That detail might well have got lost in the bigger picture of the fingerprints on the prop gun.
There was only one thing for it – she needed to ask him, and if he hadn’t said anything, she needed to tell Hayley. She hoped that she would find Roger at the police station, or that they would know where he was.
‘You’re going to have to stay in the car,’ she said to Jake, who was sitting up expectantly. ‘I’m popping into the police station. I won’t be a moment, and I’ll leave all the windows open. No chewing the seat belt.’ This last, she said sternly. She’d already had to replace one of the back seat belts, although that had been a while ago and Jake had mostly stopped his chewing habit since then. ‘If you’re a very good boy and I’m quick, we might get to see Leo and Jono later, okay?’
Jake seemed to accept the bargain. He watched her close the door, then gave a resigned sigh and flopped down onto the back seat for a quiet snooze. Julia heard footsteps gaining on her as she neared the door to the police station.
‘Julia.’
She turned. It was Oscar.
‘Goodness, Oscar, well, I didn’t expect to see you here.’
That was an understatement. If Jane and Oscar had been seeing each other when Jane’s husband was killed, pitching up at the police station where she was being questioned seemed like a bold move on Oscar’s part.
‘I’m here for Jane, of course.’
Oh dear, the foolishness of love. How many times had Julia seen it end in pain and disaster, even death?
‘Is that sensible, Oscar?’ asked Julia. ‘It might be a bit surprising to the police.’ She hoped she’d worded this diplomatically.
‘I am the family lawyer, so it’s hardly surprising I’m here.’
‘The family lawyer? Oh, I didn’t know.’
She had known he was a lawyer, of course. But not that Jane was his client.
That might explain everything – especially if Jane’s marriage had been falling apart. Their intense conversations could well have been professional. Playing it all over in her mind, Julia could see that there was actually very little hard evidence that pointed to anything more. Julia felt her face flush with the shame and embarrassment of her crazy assumptions.
‘I’ve been their lawyer for years,’ Oscar was saying. ‘For both of them. Of course, in the last little while that has been a bit…Let’s just say I’m Jane’s lawyer now. She’s needed rather a lot of legal advice recently.’
