Paparazzi by Jo Fenton (best free e reader .txt) 📕

my presentation style. “Fine. You two will have to do the writing then. I can’t do anything that neat.”

A short while later, Joanna has completed the table with logic, neatness and accuracy, but we’ve still got remarkably little information. We have four suspects (although they all seem unlikely) and very little physical evidence (only the letter and envelope). Opportunity is currently blank, as we don’t know enough yet, and motive… we seem to be down to jealousy for Sarah, and possibly revenge for all of them, based on Troy’s own confession of making fun of them. It all feels very vague.

We need to speak to Finn.

Chapter Thirty-Five

I am finally getting closer – manoeuvring into a position where all can be claimed.

There are just a few finishing touches required for my plan to work…

 

Chapter Thirty-Six

Finn’s call comes through when I’m back at home, catching up on the hated but much-needed ironing.

“Hi, how are you doing?” I turn the iron off at the socket and hit my head on the ironing board as I resurface. The iron falls on to Cheryl’s blouse, and I rescue it without further mishap.

“You okay, Becks?”

“Yeah. Good thanks. How’s it going?”

“Er, fine. Erm, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just wrestling with the iron.” I feel the lump forming on my forehead where I banged it. “Anyway, when are you going to come and see us? I think it’s time for us to compare notes.”

“Are you free this evening? I’ve told the team I’ve got a family commitment and I need to finish at five. I can be with you and Joanna for six-thirty if that works for you both. Takeaway is on me.”

“I’ll check with her and Will and get back to you.”

Joanna and Will agree to meet up then. Meanwhile, it’s time for me to do some work. I need to contact my friend in Huddersfield. With all arrangements in place, and confirmed with Finn, I put the iron away and turn on my laptop.

I start by checking emails. Most of it is junk, but there’s a message from Sylvia with a link to the Russian course she wants me to take. I fire off a quick email to say thanks, and open my contacts to find Ellie. I dither for a moment between phone and email, but it’s fairly urgent, as before we meet up with Finn I need to know if Penny is lying. But before I call, I search for the newspaper article reporting the burglary and murder of the three girls. All their names are mentioned, so it would be perfectly possible for Penny to have used the article for her own purposes – even if I don’t understand why she would do that.

Ellie answers my call on the fourth ring. “Howdy stranger! Not heard from you for yonks. What have you been up to?”

“Hi, Ells. I’m fine, thanks. You remember I wrote to tell you I’d resigned.”

“Yeah, you’re going to have to tell me what happened.”

“Not today. It’s still a bit raw – even after all these months. But I’ve started up a detective agency now, and we’ve got a couple of cases. I could do with your help, actually, if you’ve got a few minutes?”

“Sure, fire away. I’m armed with coffee and hobnobs.”

I smile, even though she can’t see me. We had many a case discussion with those same refreshments all those years ago. I explain the situation with Penny and the news article about the burglary.

“Actually, Becks, I’m working on that case. The girls were murdered horribly. Stabbed with a kitchen knife or something similar, according to the post-mortems. Obviously that information is not freely available.”

“Is it possible to find out the girls’ history, and discover if they were really at university with Penny, and if she ever lived with them?”

“Yes, that should be straightforward enough. I’ll get my Sergeant on to it. I’ll get back to you. I’m not sure why your client would lie to you about that, but I trust your nose for a fib.”

Ellie calls me back an hour later. “Your nose might have failed you this time, Becky. Penny did live with those girls. At least in the first year, according to university records.”

“Hmm. Something still doesn’t feel right though. Okay, thanks Ellie. I’ll see if I can find out a bit more. Have your team questioned the neighbours?”

“Yes. One side, Number 17, were there, and heard some noise, but thought the girls might have been having a party. Apparently they could be a bit wild. The occupants at 17 were devastated when they found out what happened. The people at Number 21 were on holiday. They got back yesterday to find a crime scene on their doorstep. They’re not happy.”

“Is there any chance I could go to speak to them? On both sides?”

“I can sort something out. They might be a bit more open with you. Number 17 holds a family of sorts. Mum is in her early thirties. Michelle Turner. She has a son of six years old, but there have been occasional episodes of shop-lifting. She doesn’t really like the police. Step-dad, Barry, is a bit older – nearly forty. Also, a bit of a history of burglary and petty theft. Obviously we’re looking closely at them because of the history, but neither of them have a record of violence.”

“What about the holiday crew on the other side?”

“More traditional family. Husband, wife and three kids. He’s a teacher.”

“Hang on, why was he on holiday? It’s not half-term yet.” I check my mental calendar for Cheryl’s holidays and realise she’ll be off next week. “Or are the holidays different here?”

“Yes. It was half-term last week, and that school had an inset day on Monday, so they returned on Sunday night, with a day to recover, supposedly.” Ellie follows up with the names of the parents – Frederick and Carly Granger. “I’ll send you over their contact details when I’ve cleared it with them that you’re coming to visit.”

“Great, thanks so much. Please let