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

‘She can’t stay for long,’ he said. ‘She’ll need to come back to Whitby. The inspector in charge has not given permission for those involved to leave the town yet. Louise is only over here because we needed to look at Andrea’s flat in Headingley.’

‘What?! Jim, she can’t go back there. It’s too traumatic for her. And it’s not safe; you haven’t caught the killer yet.’

‘Mum, it’s okay. I can manage. I’m not on my own.’

‘No, but the others will be in the same state as you.’

‘That’s why we’re supporting each other. I have to go back and help the police if they need me. Dominic might send another text message.’

Julia shuddered. ‘Oh, it must have been so creepy to get that.’

‘It was, but the next time it might lead the police to him.’

Oldroyd sat back and said nothing until Julia spoke to him.

‘Will you be going back over there, Jim?’ she asked.

‘Yes, but I’m not sure for how much longer. It depends on whether they need me and if Tom Walker agrees to it. I really don’t think she’s in danger, Julia, and I don’t think she’ll need to be there be for long.’

‘Would it help if I came over? I’m sure I could get some compassionate time off if necessary.’

This was what Oldroyd wanted to avoid. Luckily Louise felt the same way.

‘No, Mum. Really. You’d only get worried and, anyway, what would you do?’

Julia shook her head. ‘I suppose I’d only get in the way. I just don’t like to think of you there with a murderer on the loose.’

It took a while, but Julia eventually accepted that Louise would return to Whitby after the weekend but would ring every night to reassure her mother that she was all right. As Oldroyd had expected, Julia made it clear that she held him responsible for their daughter’s welfare. Leaving Louise with her mother for the weekend, he was quite relieved to make his escape and drive over to Harrogate. It was not without some sadness on that journey that he reflected on how he now wanted to avoid the company of the woman he’d once loved. For many years after their separation he’d been keen to see her and remained hopeful of a reconciliation. But those feelings had now faded.

It was mid-afternoon by the time Oldroyd reached Harrogate and his flat overlooking the Stray. Deborah was waiting for him. She was lying on the sofa reading a book and looking very relaxed. She shut the book when Oldroyd came into the room. He sat down heavily in an armchair.

‘Jim! I’m glad you’re back. How was it? I’ve been thinking about poor Louise. Is she okay?’

‘Not bad, considering the circumstances. I’ve just dropped her off at her mother’s. We’ve been to the flat of the girl who was murdered; see if there were any clues.’

‘How gruesome! And were there any?’

‘Not really, just something that made me think.’ He told her about the missing picture. ‘The problem is: there’s no one who can tell me what was there. Her boyfriend might have known, but he’s apparently the murderer and has disappeared. Louise can’t remember and I don’t know anyone else who’s actually been into that flat.’

‘Surely some of her friends must have visited her.’

‘Yes, I’ll have to ask them when I get back.’

‘And her parents? Where are they?’

‘They’ve come over from Leeds. Alice Granger’s dealing with all that. It’s the nastiest job in policing: dealing with parents whose child has been murdered.’

Deborah winced at the idea. ‘Absolutely terrible. So what’s the plan now? I take it you’re not just going to leave the police over there to sort it out as you mentioned going back. And I notice you said “apparently” in relation to the murderer. Are you sceptical?’

‘You know me: I’m always sceptical. I don’t like open-and-shut cases. I’m always looking for something more complicated. There are some things that puzzle me about this case.’

‘Not everything is complicated though, is it? Sometimes the most obvious solution is the right one.’

‘Oh yes, in fact most of the time. I don’t really see the routine cases anymore, which are actually the vast majority. When I’m called in it usually means there’s a mystery to solve. The difference here is that I’ve only got involved in this case because of Louise.’

‘So maybe you’re making more of it than you need to.’

‘Perhaps. Interestingly, Louise is not happy with the obvious answer either, despite being a witness.’

‘Like father, like daughter, then?’

‘Yes. Though at the beginning I thought her attitude could be due to shock. Imagine what it’s like to see one of your friends murder another. Now I’m not so sure.’

‘Horrendous! And I see what you mean. It would be hard to accept that it had really happened.’

‘There’s also some weird stuff going on.’ He told her about the texts from Dominic and the aborted meeting at the church. As a psychotherapist, Deborah took an interest in this.

‘That is strange. It sounds as if the stress and shock of what he did could have caused some kind of psychosis around the Dracula theme. Also, he may want to talk to his friends so he contacts them but is overcome with guilt and can’t face meeting them when it comes to it. Have the police over there really no idea where he is? He sounds as if he’s in a desperate state.’

‘No, and that’s another strange aspect. We all thought that he’d have turned up by now, especially as he’s not a local and doesn’t know the area well. It’s all very puzzling and worrying. It’s one of those situations where you feel a bit paralysed. All we can do is wait for something to happen.’

Deborah got up from the sofa and put down her book. ‘I can see frustration and constant rumination about to set in. You missed parkrun this morning, so I prescribe some exercise. We’ve just time to drive over to