This seemed to reassure Ellie, who sat up straighter and nodded, looking from Francis to Kate and regaining some colour. ‘It’s just mad,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I mean… I know people kill themselves and everyone says they never knew how depressed they were… or they would have done something. And, like, I didn’t know Martin that well. We work in different areas. But I knew him well enough. He loved kids. He knew the kids came through every night. I can’t believe he didn’t think about that before he killed himself in the pool.’
Kate felt chilled. She looked at Francis, who shrugged at her, his mouth a flat line of concern. ‘So… how certain are they that it was suicide?’ she asked. ‘The police, I mean.’
‘They found the note,’ Ellie said. ‘And… he had some problems, apparently.’
Kate stood up. ‘Ellie — are you going to the pool now? Can we come with you?’
‘Sure,’ Ellie said. ‘It’s open until eight. You can swim if you like. I mean… they closed it for a couple of days but it’s all clean and fine now.’
‘I’d just like to see the area it happened in,’ said Kate. ‘Is that OK?’
‘I can show you,’ said Ellie. ‘But we’ll have to be, you know…’
‘Discreet. Of course,’ said Kate. ‘We won’t be saying anything.’
‘OK, then,’ said Ellie, getting up and picking up the pace. ‘I’m going to be late, so can we go quickly?’
‘Kate,’ hissed Francis, as they hurried along behind the young woman. ‘What are you doing? This isn’t your investigation!’
She shot him a dark look. ‘I know! I just… I just want to see it.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘The police already did… whatever police do.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m sure they did. But… I just want to see it for myself, OK? It’s not a crime scene; everyone’s allowed in. I just want to know where it happened.’
‘The point being?’ he said, raising his eyebrows at her and looking, for an instant, exactly like their mum.
She slapped his shoulder. ‘Shut up,’ she said; always a sign she was losing an argument.
He was right, of course. She had no business switching into CID mode. Even as an old friend of Martin’s, she really couldn’t claim to be close enough to involve herself in this. Still, as they reached the pool complex, she didn’t see the harm in it. It might even help Ellie to get her head around it; having the chance to talk about it.
The steamy warmth of Buntin’s Jungle Water World enveloped them the moment they pushed open the glass door. It looked much the same as it had seven years ago, except there was now a jacuzzi area off to one side, where an overweight pink-faced man sat, his eyes closed, amid the bubbles. The palm trees seemed to have had a bit of an upgrade too.
Ellie walked along the side of the pool, past the run-off into the Rapid River, which was slewing along gently at the moment, awaiting the next surge of power which would speed the water up. Above them, a see-through flume curled from one side of the structure to another, ending in a plunge pool behind the jacuzzi. Nobody was using it and there were only two swimmers in the main pool, doing lengths. Kate remembered that arrival day could often be quite peaceful around the site, as guests settled into their chalets and went to find food. Tomorrow morning this complex would be seething with kids and the pool would look like bubbling child soup.
Ellie walked to a cluster of three fake palm trees overhanging a small tiled lagoon. Here there were shallow steps into the water for those who preferred taking it gently to dive-bombing in at the deep end. She pretended to check a stack of floats shaped like the Buntin’s Bear — a favourite furry souvenir in the gift shop. ‘It was here,’ she muttered quietly, while Kate and Francis attempted to look like ordinary punters checking out the facilities. ‘He must have killed himself on the steps and then fallen in. The water kind of eddies in right here and doesn’t travel so fast, so I guess he just floated for a while… and then… just as we came in, he floated out.’
Kate looked around the pool house for lenses. ‘Were there any cameras running?’ she asked.
‘There were,’ said Ellie. ‘But they’re not very good. They steam up all the time. I don’t think the police could see anything.’
‘Did they find the blade he used?’
Ellie nodded. ‘It was a kitchen knife,’ she said. ‘They found it at the bottom of the pool.’
‘And the note? Where was it?’
‘In his chalet,’ Ellie said. ‘The police found it there.’
‘So… he went back to his chalet,’ said Kate, trying to get her head around Martin’s final hour. ‘He got changed into his Bluecoat uniform, wrote a suicide note, and then he came up to the pool with a kitchen knife… and cut his own throat?’
Ellie shrugged and looked miserable. ‘It’s horrible isn’t it?’
‘It’s baffling,’ said Kate.
‘Ellie!’ called a young red-haired guy, from the far side of the pool. ‘Are you taking over now?’
‘I’ve got to go,’ said Ellie. ‘We’re all filling in with extra shifts in the pool until head office sends another lifeguard.’
‘Thank you for telling us,’ said Kate. ‘I hope it’s not too hard for you, being in here.’
Ellie shrugged again. ‘The new guy arrives on Monday. It’s not for long.’ She headed away around the pool, pasting on her mandatory smile as she passed the guy in the jacuzzi.
‘Satisfied?’ asked Francis, leading Kate back outside into the fresh air of early evening.
‘Not even slightly.’ She got out her mobile.
‘Who are you calling?’ he asked, raising his palms.
‘Suffolk Constabulary,’ she said.
‘Oh Jeezuz,’ groaned Francis.
5
‘You know what will happen next, don’t you?’
Lucas glanced across his casserole at Lady Grace Botwright and raised an eyebrow.
‘They’ll be getting in touch with threats to sue me,’ said her ladyship, raising an eyebrow back
