Death at Rainbow Cottage by Jo Allen (novel24 TXT) 📕

that, as far as Jude was concerned, the interview was over. It was with relief when the door closed. ‘Awkward, that.’

Jude resumed his seat. ‘As if we didn’t have enough to do.’ In the half minute the notifications in his inbox had pinged half a dozen times. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?’

‘Among other things. I take it she’s right about the reasons for her not being involved.’

Jude spread his hands, in a gesture of hopelessness. ‘What choice do we have? She must know Phil’s a suspect, even if she won’t admit it to herself. And even if she does admit it, she won’t believe he could be guilty. I don't believe it myself, but we have to look at everything and we have to approach it with an open mind. I can’t afford to rule him out without proof. And if I’m wrong and he did do it…too bad. He gets charged.’

‘There’s no evidence Phil was on the scene at the time of this latest one, is there?’

‘I don’t know if there is. We haven’t yet definitely established where he was. We do know he was in work late because he was at the dentist, in Stricklandgate.’ Jude shook his head, because it was only the slightest detour from Stricklandgate to William Street. ‘Until we get the PM results we won’t know the time of death, but we can be pretty certain that the window is going to be wider than for either of the other two, so everyone’s going to have to account for their movements for a bit longer than five minutes before the discovery of the body. At the moment I have to say it’s possible that he was.’ He paused, an uncomfortable moment for them both to dwell on the possibility of Phil’s involvement. ‘What’s your take on it?’

‘I had a chat with Tyrone about it.’

‘It must be tough for him.’

‘Very, but he’s hard-headed about it. Far more so than Tammy. He knows his dad’s dislike — even distrust — of gay people goes very deep. People like me.’

‘Not just you. Tyrone, too.’

‘Maybe. But I know that sort of mind set. I come across it everywhere. And look at how folk care so much about their kids. They’d die in a ditch for them. They’d kill for them. Other people are different.’

Jude narrowed his eyes slightly, as if this information, difficult as it was for Doddsy to give, was unwelcome to him.

‘You’ve seen how Tammy reacts,’ Doddsy went on. ‘She doesn’t seem to mind who Tyrone sees. It’s whether it makes him happy. Phil isn’t any different, except that he probably has it in his head that some twisted queer had perverted his kid. But you know what?’

‘What?’

‘Phil knew Gracie was gay.’

Jude sat back, his face fixed in thought, but only for a second. He reached immediately for his phone and dialled. It rang for a moment and then there was a click and Phil Garner came on the line again. Jude flipped him onto speaker. ‘Phil. Glad I caught you. I just remembered something I wanted to ask.’

Even at a distance, Phil’s discomfort was obvious. As always, he resorted to bullishness. ‘Remembered something else I’ve done wrong, have you?’

‘No,’ said Jude, his voice entirely neutral. ‘It’s just a question. Gracie Pepper was gay. Did you know that?’

The pause was so long you could almost hear the cogs whirring in Phil’s brain. ‘Now you mention it, I think I did.’

‘You think?’

‘All right. I did know it.’

Doddsy’s heart sank.

‘It wasn’t common knowledge,’ said Jude, tapping the fingers of his free hand softly on the desk. ‘How did you know?’

‘She told me.’

‘Okay. When was that?’

Another pause. ‘Jude. Don’t mess me around.’

‘It’s just a simple question.’

‘It was after that bloody workshop.’ Phil heaved a gusty sigh, one they were obviously meant to hear. ‘I said something. Can’t remember what it was but she seemed to think it was disrespectful. You’re talking about people like me, she said. I asked her what the hell she was on about and she said she was a lesbian and walked off. Is that enough?’

‘More than enough. Thank you.’

‘If you’re trying to set me up for this, you won’t keep your job.’

‘If I was, I wouldn’t deserve to. Thanks, Phil.’ Jude ended the call and turned back to Doddsy. His laptop nagged at him again and he hit the mute button. ‘Well, well. Interesting.’

‘Faye’s right, isn’t she?’ Doddsy frowned at the phone. ‘I know you want to keep an open mind but you can’t look beyond the connection. I wonder if Claud knew.’

‘We could ask him. Or rather, you can ask him, since you’re such good mates with him. I’ll be interested to see what he says.’

Doddsy took out his own phone and put the call through. Claud, when reached, was anxious. ‘Such a shame about George. Lovely man. A great friend of our community. I spoke to one of your constables this morning, told him all about it. I don’t know what to do, now. People are scared. I’ve already had them wanting to call off the festival.’

‘We’re doing the best we can,’ said Doddsy, retreating into blandness and noting Jude’s amused lift of the eyebrow. ‘Did you know Gracie Pepper was gay?’

‘Oh, of course. Everyone’s a bit gay.’

Jude was shaking his head.

‘You don’t know for certain, then?’

‘Oh God, yes. She came up to me after the workshop we did and said she’d always preferred women to men but she’d never thought it a big deal. I told her there was nothing to be ashamed of, and she said I was right and she’d be a bit more open about it in future.’ At the description of such a successful outcome to the workshop, Claud’s voice seemed to swell with