Scissors, Siblings and Surprises (Paper Crafts Club Mystery Book 6) Read online

'A workaholic. Julian is a bit like that, too. Only, he's been unable to work since last year,' Katie said. 'What did Benjamin Fischer do for a living?'

  'He was an actuary, a risk analyst, for a large consulting company.'

  'No idea what it means, but it sounds like a high-flying job,' Katie ventured.

  'Yes, and a very well paid one,' Jack paused, watching her carefully.

  The fog in her brain cleared a little. 'Do you mean Benjamin Fischer was a wealthy man?' she asked.

  'He was, indeed,' Jack replied, his eyes still drilling through her skull.

  Katie shuffled from foot to foot. 'Who’s likely to benefit from his death?'

  A frown appeared on Jack's handsome face.

  'Mr Fischer's solicitor, Mr Williamson, is still away, so I don't have all the details, but according to a colleague in the same practice, the main beneficiary is his brother, Julian.'

  Katie's jaw dropped. It looked as if Julian and Miriam had a motive to get rid of their wealthy and unwanted guest.

  7

  After work, Katie went through the motions of her typical day: school pick up, homework, cooking tea. Jack had accepted her invitation for a cup of tea later that evening, so once they’d finished eating, Katie jumped to her feet.

  'How about getting some cake?'

  Julia gave her a strange look through the squinted eyes. 'But mum, it's late. All the bakeries are already closed, and you don't like supermarket cake.'

  'True, but I'm sure we can find something nice at Une Tasse de Bonheur,' Katie said trying to sound as certain as she could. In fact, she wasn't certain at all, but she hoped to chat with the new waitress. Since Sunita covered the earlier part of the day, it was, no doubt, Angie's turn.

  Julia, still with suspicion on her face, dragged herself off the chair. 'Is Jack coming for supper and you don't want to bake?'

  Katie gulped. Her daughter didn’t miss much. 'Yes, but I wanted you to have some as well.'

  'Thanks, mum,' Julia replied and proceeded to the hallway, with a little more spring in her step.

  When they reached the café, a young woman dressed in a pink apron was trying to drag the "Today's Menu" board inside.

  Katie clambered out of the car, followed by Julia.

  'Hello, I'll hold the door for you,' Katie rushed to help.

  'Thank you,' the young woman replied. 'We're closing soon,' she added, the hint of a foreign accent in her voice.

  French?

  'I don’t suppose you have any cake left?' Katie asked, adding the nicest smile she could. 'Julia, could you please give the lady a hand with the board?' she gestured at her daughter.

  Julia jumped to help.

  Once the three of them were inside, the young woman leaned the board against a table.

  'But we're closing soon,' she repeated.

  'I know, I'm sorry,' Katie said, bitterly regretting not preparing the interrogation. She was getting better at planning her little "snooping", but she was still far from abandoning "winging it" as a strategy completely. 'I need some cake, I've got a late visitor. Sometimes Sunita and Miriam have leftovers in the fridge. I'd be happy with leftovers,' she added eagerly, hoping she sounded like a desperate cake addict rather than an amateurish underprepared snooper.

  Hesitation filled the waitress' pear-shaped face. 'We do have some cake left, but it is not fresh.'

  'I'll take anything you have. I'm sure it’ll be fine,' Katie reassured. 'My daughter and I love your baking. Don't we, Julia?'

  Please, show her how badly you want that cake!

  'Yes, yes!' Julia said eagerly. 'It's always delicious.'

  Thank heavens for ten-year-olds with acting skills and mind reading properties...

  The waitress fished the key out of the pocket of her pink apron.

  'Okay, one moment and I will bring you a selection.' She said reluctantly and disappeared into the storeroom.

  Katie walked up to the counter and leant on it. How should she even approach the conversation? She looked around the cafe hoping to find little jobs she could help the waitress with.

  A couple of sheets of paper on the side bench by the coffee machine caught her attention. Katie considered craning her neck, but reading other people’s stuff went against too many of her principles. It was back to "winging it".

  The girl returned carrying a stack of three cardboard boxes, which she set on the counter.

  'We have slices of various cakes,' she said, spreading the boxes on the counter. 'You can choose and tell me what you want.' She opened the boxes to let Katie see.

  In one small skip, Julia was by Katie's side leaning on her arm. 'Can I have a look too, please, mum?'

  Julia inspected the boxes in a way that made Katie took a deep breath.

  Just not all of it, please...

  'By the way, I'm Katie,' Katie said. 'I'm in the crafts club with Miriam. Are you new to town?'

  'Yes. I arrived in November. My name is Angelique, but people call me Angie.'

  'Where are you from, Angie?' Katie asked

  'I'm from Normandy and I am here to improve my English.'

  'Your English is pretty good already. How are you finding the local accent?'

  'It is okay now, but I had a problem at the beginning. And I still have problems with documents.'

  Katie force herself not to look at the papers by the coffee machine.

  'Is there anything I can help you with? Any documents you need to fill now?'

  Angie's gaze settled on the papers. 'I wanted to ask Mrs Patel for help, but she is not here. I have those papers to deal with.'

  'Can I help?'

  Angie reached for the papers and slid them to Katie. 'I want another job, together with this one,' she said hesitantly. 'Looking after children, but it seems I need to do a check with the police.'

  'Oh, they're straightforward. I work at the police station, I’m sure I can help.'

  'Mum, can I please take out the cake I want?' Julia cut in, reminding Katie of her cover story.

  Angie reached for a pair of tongs from under the counter. 'Yes, of course. You can put the slices you want in one box. Just don't touch them when your fingers. Use this.' Angie handed Julia the tongs.

  The document was a printout of a DBS - Disclosure and Barring Service request to work with children.

  'Do you want me to complete the document for you?' Katie asked.

  'No thank you, I filled in the information, but can you tell me if I made any mistakes?' Angie pulled a pen out of her apron pocket and lent on the counter. Katie put the document down and showed Angie where to make some corrections.

  As Angie was working through the corrections, Katie cleared her throat. 'I don’t suppose you’re interested in arts and crafts, are you?' Katie asked. It felt awkward to jump in to cross-examining the girl about the previous night. 'Our Paper Crafts Club is very lively, and we’re always happy to welcome new members, even if it’s only temporarily. We meet once a month but if you like, I can show you the crafts room and you can have access to it whenever you like.'

  A smile lit up Angie's face. 'I'm learning to make lamps and animals from paper. Origami. A friend is teaching me.'

  'I don't do origami, I can't master it, but there are a few members who do,' Katie replied. 'Do you want me to show you the room one day? We've got a lot of interesting craft materials you could use.' Katie pushed.

  'That would be nice, but I have to work in the evenings.'

  'I can show you during my lunch break, if you like. By the way, did you work last night?'

  'Yes.'

  'Did you have any late customers?'

  Angie tensed and she licked her lips. 'No. Yes. I was closing when a man came in. I tried to tell him we were closed, but he looked quite sick. He said he needed to meet someone here. I felt sorry for him, so I let him in. And then, a woman arrived. They sat together over there,' Angie pointed to a table in the far corner. 'They talked.'

  A woman? Katie's heart rate accelerated. She had a new lead. 'What did
the woman look like?'

  Angie's eyes narrowed, and she pressed her lips into a pale line. 'Why are you asking?'

  Katie gulped. There was only one way to answer. 'Do you realise the man died shortly after leaving the cafe?'

  Angie paled and her flew to her mouth. 'It was not the food, was it?'

  'No, it wasn't food poisoning, but the police are investigating.'

  Tears glistened in Angie's eyes. 'I do not want anything to do with the police. I didn't do anything wrong.'

  Katie touched Angie's hand. 'Don't worry. If you did nothing wrong, you won't be in trouble. But you do need to tell the police about the man and the woman and what they did here.'

  'They did nothing much. As I said, they talked a little. Then he asked me to get some food. The new chef is still sick. I told the man I didn't have any food left, but he insisted he had to take his medicines and couldn't do it on an empty stomach. I had some shepherd's pie left, and I heated it up for him. He was happy with that, and then she asked me to sign a document.'

  Katie's heart skipped a beat. 'A document? Did you see what it was?'

  'No, he covered the writing and asked me to watch him sign it.'

  Katie opened her mouth and closed it. Witnessing the signature. Was Benjamin, a wealthy man about to die, changing his will?

  Katie cleared her throat. 'Did you see him take his medication?'

  'No. But he had a little box for pills on the table when I brought the food.'

  'Was it open? Did you see what was inside?'

  'No.' Angie shook her head.

  Katie turned around. 'It was that table in the corner?' she asked, pointing.

  'Yes,' the waitress confirmed.

  'How did they sit? Do you remember?'

  'He was sitting with his back to the wall, and she had her back towards me.'

  Katie squinted her eyes, trying to imagine two people in the chairs. 'So, she was blocking your view?'

  'Oui, that is correct,' Angie said and closed her eyes. 'I think, at first she sat a little to the side. Like they were looking at something together, but then, she moved.'

  Interesting, but maybe that was when Benjamin Fischer was writing his new will. With the woman looking over his shoulder and doing what? Correcting his spelling and grammar?

  Katie flinched. Nonsense!

  'What time did they leave?' Katie asked.

  'I think it was a little before 7 pm. I should have closed at six, but they were sitting there, how do you say it? In a conversation.'

  'They were engrossed in the conversation,' Katie said guessing Angie’s meaning. 'What did he look like when he was leaving?'

  'I didn't see when they left, but when he asked me to sign the document, he came to the counter and a bit like this.' Angie stopped speaking to demonstrate panting, heavy breathing. 'But he moved and talked okay.'

  'Did you hear anything from their conversation?'

  'Non, they talked quietly. There was a moment shortly after they arrived I thought they were going to have an argument, but he started to cough. The woman, she waved at me, and I took a glass of water to the table. After this, it all calmed down.'

  'You need to tell the police,' Katie said firmly.

  Angie scrunched her face. 'I don't even know how to do it. What do I tell them? Who do I talk to? Sunita will kill me. I mean... she will not be happy to hear I let the man in at the time I was supposed to close. She told me to close at a quarter past six and, this this morning, I told her I did. I know it's a lie, but the man looked so tired and begged me so I let him in.'

  Angie sniffed. Katie touched her forearm. 'It’s okay, Angie,' Katie said, trying to sound soothing. 'Sunita left you with a lot of responsibility. I can understand why you told her you'd done what she had asked you to do, but it’s different with the police. You need to tell them what actually happened. They won't get upset, I promise.'

  'But Sunita will be angry with me.'

  'I think she'll understand. You did that out of the goodness of your heart.'

  Katie glanced to her side, catching a glimpse of a pile of cake disappearing under the cover of the box. Katie suppressed a flinch. What on earth was she going to do with this amount of cake? Perhaps Jack would be hungry.

  'If it’s easier for you, I can tell the police you have some information for them,' Katie added, looking at Angie again. 'Don't worry, the inspector and the sergeant leading the case are both very nice.'

  'Merci, Katie. You work at the police, no?'

  'Yes, I help with administration, but if you feel uncomfortable, you can always ask for me. I'll give you my number and will do everything I can to make it easier for you.'

  'Thank you, Katie. May I have your mobile number?'

  Angie punched Katie's number into her mobile and gave Katie hers.

  'I'd better be going before my daughter squashes all that lovely cake.' Katie grabbed the box Julia had filled and lifted the cover. The cream on the top of the Black Forest cake was smeared all over the inside of the lid.

  Jack would not be having the Black Forest cake tonight, that was sure.

  'How much for these?' Katie asked.

  Angie waved her hand. 'No need to pay. I would have thrown it in the bin tomorrow, anyway. Normally staff takes the leftover cake home, but I am on a regime, a diet, and cannot eat cake.'

  'Thank you very much, Angie. Let me know if I can help you when you come to the police station tomorrow, because you will be there tomorrow, won't you?' Katie paused and stared hard at the girl.

  Angie nodded the grimly. 'Yes. I will be there, do not worry. And when you have time I would like to see your crafts club.'

  'With pleasure. Maybe you'll teach me how to do origami,' Katie replied, grabbing the cake box in one hand, and Julia's hand in the other.

  As they tottered back to the car, Katie’s mind whirred with the new information.

  Who was the mystery woman Benjamin Fisher met on the night he died? Although Angie didn’t give much of a description, at least, Katie had something to share with Jack that night.

  8

  'Mum,' Julia said when they were back in the car fastening their seat belts. 'Did I choose too much cake?'

  'It's much more than we can eat.'

  'How about we share it with Emma and Rochelle?'

  Katie started the engine. Actually, it was a good idea. Emma and Rochelle, the daughters of Katie's best friend, Michelle, would appreciate cake as much as their parents.

  It would also give Katie an opportunity to pop in and give Michelle an update on the progress with the workshop and the house swap.

  'What a lovely thought, Julia. Let's go and share the cake with them.'

  A few minutes later they were in Michelle's house.

  Michelle's daughters were tidying their bedroom, but both Katie and Michelle were happy for Julia to run upstairs and say hello to the girls.

  'Sorry we can't stay,' Katie said. 'Just take a couple of slices and we'll be off.'

  Michelle led Katie through to the kitchen.

  'I heard you found yet another body,' Michelle said reaching for a plastic container from the cupboard above her head.

  'Yes.' Katie gave Michelle a brief summary of the case so far and finished by asking, 'Have you heard anything through the village grapevine?'

  'No,' Michelle replied. 'The clients I had today were quite frustrated they didn't have enough information.' Michelle paused with a container full of cake and giggled. 'You should have heard those little ladies trying to pretend they weren't interested in gossip and yet dying to hear some at the same time.'

  Michelle's hair and beauty salon, Styles and Smiles, was often as much of a hub for local gossip as Une Tasse de Bonheur.

  'How is it going between you and the dishy Inspector Heaton?'

  Katie blushed and lowered her eyes. 'Quite well, thank you.'

  'Are you still keeping it quiet or am I okay to stop pretending like I didn't hear the question when someone tries to fish for gossip in my presence?'
>
  Katie sighed. Guilt tugged at her stomach. 'I'm still not ready. Maybe after this case, but I'm really not sure how to admit to it at work.'

  'Why not?'

  'Oh, Chris will be fine, but Celia’s a different matter. At some point, I thought she had a crush on Jack and was jealous of his paying so much attention to me. And then, she treated me like I was overstepping the line, by getting involved in the cases.'

  'Technically speaking, you were.'

  'Fair enough, but there are other ways of saying it.'

  'True. Did you talk to her about it?'

  'Yes, I did, and it helped. A little. For a while.' Katie paused thinking back to Celia's comment from the previous night and she added, 'Having said that, she returned from annual leave this Monday happy as a Larry. She and her boyfriend of five years got engaged.'

  'This may be a good moment to admit you and Jack are an item, too.'

  'Oh, I don't know, Michelle —'

  'What don't you know? Are you unsure of your feelings for him?'

  'No, not that. I'm... er... I've fallen for him and he's great, but I'm reluctant to admit to it publicly.'

  'Why?'

  'In case I've made a mistake. I've made one in the past, and I'm petrified to make one again.'

  Michelle covered the cake with the lid and put the container in the fridge. She turned to face Katie, hands on her hips. 'Are you not sure you're committed to this relationship?'

  'I am committed, and I am also a little scared. I'd like to keep it in the test phase for a little longer.'

  'Sounds like you have a commitment issue. What about Jack? Is he as cautious as you are?'

  Katie shuffled her feet, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was heading. 'I don't think so. I sense he's keen to move to the next stage.'

  'Has he said anything?'

  'No, but he's been helpful around the house. You know he practically saved our Christmas? And, when I told him about the workshop, he offered to lend me some money to help pay the inheritance tax, but I declined. I hate borrowing money. It was uncomfortable enough asking you for a loan, but with him, I'm scared to-'

  'Create an extra bond?'