Page 103 of A Murder is Going Down

‘I saw Elena and … someone inside the house. I thought it was Felix, at first.’

‘Wasn’t it?’

But I’m sure I know what she’s going to say.

I got there first.

Because there must be a good reason why Adam and Haruto didn’t recognise Felix in the photos. The only explanation I can think of is that someone else was here pretending to be Felix. Elena would have had to be in on it, and there’s only one person I can think of who is close enough to her to do something on this scale.

Michael.

Who I watched tap in the alarm code to Felix and Elena’s house and rush to the bathroom, despite having supposedly never been here before.

‘He was dressed like Felix. Wearing his clothes, I mean,’ Aunty Sam says.

Michael.

An actor who would be more capable than anyone else of adopting a disguise and pulling it off.

‘I only got a glimpse, but when I got closer, I realised it wasn’t Felix at all,’ Aunty Sam continues.

Michael.

Who was with me at the house when we found thatI’m sorrynote, which was surely supposed to add credibility to the idea that Felix might have killed himself. I don’t know for sure that Michael was staying at the hotel where that stationery came from, but I’d be willing to bet on it.

Michael.

Whoaccidentallydestroyed both that note and the weird golden thread that I never really got a chance to look at closely. Plus Patrick mentioned he’d been dyeing his hair, which could mean that he …

‘It was Patrick,’ Aunty Sam says.

‘Patrick?’ I say. Or maybe I yelp. Possibly even shriek it. Because Patrickcannotbe the person who was here that night, posing as my brother. Michael is the only person who makes sense.

‘Yes.’

‘And you’re only mentioning this now?’

‘When I saw him there that night, I thought he must have come for a visit. Then the next morning, Felix was dead and I didn’t really think anything about it.’

‘Did you ask Patrick about it?’

‘No. I couldn’t imagine Patrick laying a finger on Felix. It’s ridiculous. But when he claimed to have only flown into town for the funeral, and Elena didn’t say anything about seeing him that night … I wondered. I even tried to look through his phone, to see if there were any, you know, clues.’

‘Aunty Sam, didyousteal Patrick’s phone?’ I ask.

‘I couldn’t even get past the passcode. What year was he born anyway? I panicked and put it in the junk drawer, I’m sure it’s still there.’

I don’t even know where to start with any of this.

‘I’ve tried to keep you two from spending too much time together,’ Aunty Sam says. ‘And I’ve hardly let Elena out of my sight. I know I’m being over-protective and that’s not what I’m about, but I think you should come home. Patrick and Michael are flying back to Melbourne tonight, and I’d feel better if you stayed at home until then.’

There’s silence on the other end of the phone as Aunty Sam waits for me to reply. Fair enough. Unfortunately, I’m a little distracted by the silence onmyside of the call and the sudden realisation that the hum of the vacuum has stopped. I turn around to see Patrick is behind me once again.

Now

‘No,’ Marianne says. ‘Patrick can’t be the murderer – he’s the love interest.’

‘You don’t want to—’ I start to argue.