The constable paused at the outer door. ‘Wait here, sir. I will bring Miss Harris from her cell and you can speak to her through this grate. Please, do not attempt to move around the station or leave this spot. When the prisoner approaches the door, do not attempt to pass her anything. Do not attempt to put your hand, or any other part of your body through the grate.’ The list of what to do and not to do went on for a while.
Albert promised that he would do as instructed and waited patiently for the woman he met briefly, and only yesterday, to be released from her cell. Her curious eyes turned toward the hole in the outer cell block door and showed surprise when she saw who it was.
‘Stay behind the line,’ the constable barked at the back of Kate’s head, making her twitch with its sudden harshness in the echoey corridor.
Albert offered her a warm smile. ‘Hello again. You are probably wondering why I am here. I came with your brother, but they would only permit one of us to come through here.’ Kate’s smile had looked forced when he first met her which he knew now was because of Joel’s murder. There was no trace of a smile today.
‘What is it that you want?’ Kate asked.
‘I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Albert Smith. I …’
‘Albert Smith,’ repeated the constable, interrupting his flow as her eyebrows bunched together in a frown. ‘There was an older gentleman involved in an incident in Stilton two days ago. I heard he uncovered a money counterfeiting ring run by a senior chief inspector.’
Albert nodded. This might be easier with a little context. ‘That was me,’ he admitted. ‘However, the investigation was led by a very capable young constable.’ He told them dismissively. ‘I have not been afforded a great deal of time, Kate, so I will get to the point. You are accused of murder and the case against you is a strong one. It may be lacking in hard evidence but what there is, combined with your lack of defence, may be enough to secure a conviction.’
She nodded sadly and turned her head away as a tear slipped from her left eye. ‘That’s what they keep telling me. They want me to confess because it will reduce my sentence. But I didn’t do it.’
Albert believed his years of experience gave him something akin to a sixth sense when trying to separate lies from truth and Kate was telling him the truth. Accepting that she hadn’t murdered her lover, he moved on to another question. ‘At the café there are discrepancies in the bookkeeping. Can you explain them?’
Kate’s jaw dropped. ‘How can you possibly know about that?’
The how was of no consequence, but he answered, ‘I am working with your brother. He believes you are innocent of all charges. Where is the missing money, Kate?’
‘Why do you want to know about that?’ she asked, frowning now, and looking like she wanted to argue. ‘That has nothing to do with why I am in here. I didn’t take the money if that is what you are asking.’
She was snapping at him, her anger close to the surface because of her predicament. Albert didn’t take it personally and didn’t react to it. ‘It will help me to have a clear picture of what is going on. If you didn’t kill Joel, it means someone else did, and the police are not looking for the killer because they believe you are guilty. I can only help you if I have the full picture.’
He watched as she bit her lip, deep in thought. ‘I can’t tell you about the missing money. It has nothing to do with Joel.’ Albert sighed loudly in his frustration, but she started speaking again before he could say anything. ‘Please help me, Albert. I didn’t do this. I didn’t take the money and I didn’t hurt Joel. I loved him.’
‘He set you up as a partner in the business. You stood to become the sole owner in the event of his death. You stole him away from his wife and children.’
‘No, I didn’t,’ she whispered meekly, her head and eyes cast down to the floor. He’d been pushing her to see how she reacted.
‘Time’s up,’ said a voice from behind him. Kate’s eye snapped up and Albert turned on the spot to find the sergeant from the front desk peering around the corner. ‘The transport will be here soon. Put her back in her cell.’
Albert drew in a slow breath, holding it for a few seconds as he wondered what else he could possibly ask her. She refused to give him a straight answer about the money which felt like an admission of guilt even though she claimed she didn’t take it. She made him believe that she wasn’t Joel Clement’s killer, but she had all the motive and zero alibi. When he looked back up, what he saw was Kate’s back as she returned through the door of her cell.
He was beginning to wish he had chosen to take his clanger to go yesterday.
Eggs
Victor needed to get to work. He and another chef alternated with two other chefs for who was on earlies or lates. Rising early didn’t bother him though he was sure it would if he did it every day. The Clanger Café only shut two days each year: Christmas and Easter Sunday, so quite often the four primary chefs had to cover shifts so someone could take a holiday. He had an early yesterday, which meant a later start this morning, but he was about to be late for his late start. Though he knew everyone, with the exception of April, would accept why,
