The Whitby Murders (A Yorkshire Murder Mystery) J. Ellis (distant reading TXT) 📖

occasionally. He works in personnel. They moved in together recently.’

‘Does he have any connection with anybody else you’ve mentioned?’

‘Not particularly. I think he was at college at the same time as Andrea and Dom but he didn’t really know them.’

Oldroyd glanced at Steph, inviting her to ask a question.

‘Could Jack have harboured any resentment against Andrea and her new partner? That’s the only possible motive I can see in what you’ve told us,’ she asked.

Louise put down her fork and took a sip of water. ‘I never saw any sign of it. But anyway, how can Jack be a suspect when he wasn’t even there when Andrea was stabbed?’

Oldroyd shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea, but talking about that moment and what happened afterwards, when Dominic went out of that room, did you hear anything else? Did you hear him open the door in the other room to the outside? Maybe there was traffic noise or something.’

Louise furrowed her brow. ‘It all happened so quickly and people were shouting and screaming and he was in the next room. I didn’t hear anything.’

‘Okay, not to worry. It was just a thought.’

Louise lay back on the sofa. ‘God, I’m exhausted again. It’s been another long stressful day.’

‘Yes, well, Steph and I will be off soon. There are a couple of things I want you to do for me. First, can you ask Ben and Maggie about Jack and whether they saw any sign of hostility to Andrea and Dominic? They’re not to mention anything to Jack. Okay?’

Louise looked uneasy. ‘Okay.’

‘And then I want you to ask them if they heard anything from that room where Dominic went after he stabbed Andrea. Okay?’

‘Yes. I don’t like this, though: asking questions and being secretive.’

‘No, I understand, especially when they’re your friends.’ He smiled. ‘But you asked for this, so you’ll have to help.’

‘All right.’

‘Also, you must remember that everything we find out has to go back to Inspector Granger. You understand? She’s in charge of the investigation and none of us can keep any relevant information or evidence from her. I would be in big trouble if that happened.’

‘Yes.’

Oldroyd stood up. ‘Right, love; we’ll leave you in peace now. Give us a hug. How are you feeling now? You look better than when we arrived this morning.’

‘I do feel better, thanks. I’m sure it’s not just my imagination. Do you think you’re on to anything?’ she asked as she embraced him.

‘It’s too early to say and Steph will tell you that I don’t like sharing theories until I have evidence to support them. Let’s just say I have questions in my mind.’

Louise nodded. ‘Good.’

Oldroyd had booked rooms for himself and Steph in a small hotel. As they walked back in the dark, they discussed the case.

‘I presume you’re thinking the sarcophagus has some significance, sir?’

‘Yes, we’ll get Granger to call her forensics people in to analyse that stain.’

‘Do you think someone could have hidden in there?’

‘Maybe, though I’m not sure who. Dominic may have had an accomplice or he may have gone in there himself, hid, and got out later. That’s why I was asking if she actually heard him leave the building. He may have cut himself on the blade he used. That often happens with knife assaults.’

‘But why would he hide in there instead of just going straight out of the emergency exit door?’

‘I don’t know. But if he did, that’s clear evidence of premeditation. He had to know that the sarcophagus had two parts. Louise won’t like the idea, but that together with the fact that he’d brought the knife points to the attack being planned.’

‘Hmm,’ murmured Steph. ‘It’s not a very good plan though, is it? Murder someone in a room full of other people and then bolt for it? It makes more sense if he just lost it and stabbed her in anger, but then you still have to explain why he had the knife.’

‘You’re absolutely right, and it’s what makes me think we’ve got more to find out yet. At the moment it doesn’t really make complete sense either way.’

‘Where do you think he is?’

‘I haven’t a clue, but I would expect him to be found before too long. Anyway, here we are.’ He stopped at the hotel entrance and they checked in.

‘Tell Andy we’re enjoying the seaside. We should send him an old-fashioned postcard saying “Wish You Were Here”.’

Steph laughed. ‘I don’t think he’d particularly want to be here, sir; especially at this time of year. He likes the countryside and the villages a lot more since he joined us from London, but a little coastal town like this at the end of October is probably not for him.’ They laughed and went their separate ways. Steph’s room was on the ground floor.

As he ascended the stairs, Oldroyd felt tired. It had been a long day. It was still quite early but he decided to go to bed. Before he did, he spent a few minutes looking out from his window which had a view over the river Esk. It was a moonlit night with ragged clouds moving across the sky and stars above the dark mass of the abbey on the hill opposite. On a night like this it was easy to see why Bram Stoker had chosen the town as a setting for his gothic novel. And now the town was full of people dressed like characters from that style of fiction. Was there some clue in all this? Why did Dominic attack his girlfriend in that Dracula-themed escape room? Steph was right; it was strange. As yet, he had no answers. But more and more questions were entering his mind.

Louise sat on the sofa trying to relax, waiting for the others to return. Her dad was a reassuring presence, but the events of the previous day were still raw. She would never forget Dominic lunging forward and Andrea’s scream. She was sipping tea and beginning to doze off