“It’s too much of a coincidence,” Parker insisted. “She works for that French family, and the fiancée ends up dead. Now she works for this family, and the husband ends up dead. What is she? I know I’m thinking a few steps ahead, but this points to serial killer methodology.”
Bruton shook his head.
“As a woman, it’s less likely she’s a serial killer. Look, it could point to plain bad luck, but there’s also a possibility that the experiences at her previous job pushed her over the edge. A young girl who’s mentally unstable and who’s been through the traumatic experience of a suspicious death at her workplace—that could be a trigger.”
“It could,” Parker agreed.
Since she was part of the team, although a junior member, Chandra was tempted to speak out in the girl’s defense, but she held herself back. They were more experienced and less naïve than she was. Even though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she had to accept that perhaps their conclusions were correct.
Bruton spoke forcefully, counting off on his neatly manicured fingers.
“First, a traumatic incident occurs in France. Second, she gets to what she thinks is a place of safety. Third, her supposed protector who’s just seduced her is proved to be a liar when his wife arrives home. That’s a bad hand to be dealt. She’s an anxious person; look at those medications we found in the suitcase. She buckles under stress. This would have been extremely stressful.”
Parker nodded, his face grim.
“That’s a good alternative explanation.”
“She might even misremember herself. Her testimony was shaky. I don’t doubt for a moment that we could question her three days in a row, and get three different versions of events.”
“You’re saying she might have committed the murder and then repressed the memory?” Parker leaned forward.
“It’s a possibility, given our first impressions of her, and the medication that she’s on. However, it could also have nothing to do with her. We can’t discount that she might be innocent. Remember that she seemed genuinely surprised that he hadn’t died from exposure,” Bruton said.
Now it was Chandra’s turn to nod in eager agreement.
“Where’s the alternative suspect?” Parker argued
“There’s a family in the picture.” Bruton sounded cynical.
“A close family, despite Ellis’s misleading her about being married.”
Chandra found it interesting that Parker didn’t want to use the word “lies.”
Bruton sighed impatiently. “Look, Mr. Ellis was clearly a serial liar.”
Chandra felt a thrill of satisfaction that Bruton didn’t share Parker’s loyalties.
“You don’t know that!” Parker leaped to his friend’s defense. “He might have just wanted to get her into bed with him.”
“Even so, they slept together, and the wife knows. Therefore, we can’t rule her out as a suspect just yet.”
“Bruton, she only knew about their affair when we told her. She had no idea beforehand—you saw how shocked and tearful she was.”
“Ms. Vale appeared shocked and tearful, too,” Bruton reminded him.
“Mrs. Ellis told us she arrived home drunk after a romantic getaway, and passed out in bed as soon as they got home. That doesn’t set the scene for murder.” Parker said.
“Well, where’s the hard evidence pointing to Ms. Vale?” Bruton asked, and now Chandra realized that Parker was suddenly quiet.
“There is none at this point,” Bruton continued. “Not enough, anyway. We can get in touch with Pierre Dubois’s lawyer and his family, but any input from them would just be character evidence. It’s not proof.”
Parker thumped the table in frustration.
“You’re right. We need proof in some form. A confession would do it. Or else, concrete, incontrovertible evidence.”
Chandra was horrified that they sounded as if they were brainstorming for solutions to send her down. Did neither of them have any empathy for the girl? She’d been in floods again when Chandra had escorted her back to her cell. Worse still, she’d been gasping, “I deserve this. I brought it on myself,” between her sobs.
Chandra took a deep breath and decided to have her say.
“Couldn’t there be an alternative suspect who isn’t part of the family? Isn’t it possible that Ryan Ellis might have done this before? Slept with other girls, I mean.”
Parker looked up with an irritable frown.
“It’s possible, but Mrs. Ellis didn’t know of any recent visitors to the home.”
“Apart from the cleaner. She mentioned that they have help twice a week,” Bruton added.
“We’ll certainly interview the cleaner, but at this point she’s not a suspect and Ms. Vale is. So we have to build a strong case against her, because we are obliged to. After all, somebody killed Mr. Ellis.”
Chandra sighed. It wasn’t looking good for the girl. And what did she herself know anyway? These detectives were seasoned professionals and if they believed that Cassandra Vale was a killer, then most probably she was.
“It couldn’t have been suicide?” she ventured.
Parker shook his head.
“The cause of death, and the fact that there was no note, ruled that out straight away.”
“Oh,” Chandra said, disappointed.
“Good thinking, though,” Bruton said approvingly, and Chandra felt a flicker of pride.
“Is there anyone manning the front desk?” Parker stared meaningfully at the camera screen that showed the reception area. Following his gaze, Chandra saw that a member of the public was walking in.
“I’m on my way,” she said.
She hurried out of the interview room and to the reception area.
The lady waiting inside was a tall, slender brunette with hair cut in a perfect bob, and she wore a stylish suede jacket that Chandra immediately coveted, while knowing it probably cost more than her entire month’s salary.
“Sorry for the delay, ma’am,” Chandra said. “How can I help?”
“My name is Trish Ellis,” the woman replied in a calm, authoritative voice. “I believe you’re holding my au pair, Cassie Vale, as a murder suspect. I’ve come to bail her out.”
Chandra stared at the woman in utter shock.
She couldn’t believe what was happening. The victim’s widow had arrived to bail out the murder suspect. Why?
All she could think, in her confusion, was that Parker was going to be furious.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
Cassie sat hunched on the bed with her
