Page 54 of A Murder is Going Down

Adam shakes his head. ‘No, she was leaving. I didn’t know who she was until I saw her later at her house.’

‘How do you know it was her?’

‘I’m good with faces. Like I say, I nearly hit her car. I got a good look at her face.’

‘Did you ask Felix or Elena why she was there?’

‘No, I didn’t know who she was at the time. I assumed she was an Uber driver dropping someone else off.’

I’m too confused to do more than goldfish my mouth and I look to Patrick for help. He’s also looking as baffled as though Adam has suddenly started speaking conversational French. It’s a sign of how bad things have become that I almost wish Lilia was sitting at the table with us, so she could jump in and ask the questions.

‘Then what?’ Patrick asks finally when the silence is getting weird.

‘We went in and had some drinks. Cocktails. Elena made them.’

‘Who was there?’ I say, trying to get my head back in the game and away from the image of Aunty Sam at Elena and Felix’s on the night that Felix died. I already know the answer to this question from Sarah and Farnoosh, but it can’t hurt to double-check their story.

Adam ticks them off on his fingers.

‘Elena and Felix, Sarah and Farnoosh, and Haruto and Jade. And me. We had pizza. Drinks. It was nice. After dinner, Haruto and I went upstairs, then Felix walks in on us. Haruto and I came down soon after.’

‘In the lift?’ I ask. I’m thinking about the coincidence of Elena getting stuck in there just as Felix went outside and the possibility it wasn’t a coincidence.

‘No, we took the stairs,’ Adam says.

‘Why?’

‘Isn’t it kind of environmentally irresponsible to use alift to go down one floor? Unless you’re in a wheelchair, I mean.’

Being lectured about climate change by a murder suspect? Sure, why not.

‘I guess so,’ I say.

‘We came down and Felix had already gone outside. Someone said he wanted air. We were sitting around chatting. Then Elena had to get something from upstairs, a jumper maybe, and you know what happened then.’

‘What was everyone doing while Elena was stuck in the lift?’

‘Sarah was on the phone with Elena, and Farnoosh went looking for Felix. At some point, she came back and grabbed Haruto.’

Synapses in my brain make a connection. I love it when they do that.

‘When you talked to Patrick at the party you weren’t sure if it was Farnoosh who went looking for Felix,’ I say. ‘But you are now?’

Adam looks surprised. Maybe even a little caught. ‘I think it was Farnoosh,’ he says.

‘Have you spoken to Farnoosh about that night since Patrick asked you about it?’ I ask.

Adam shrugs. ‘Sure. We’re friends.’

‘You and Farnoosh?’

‘Me and Sarah.’

I want to ask more about whether Sarah and Farnoosh told Adam about the meddling kids who came around asking them questions, but Patrick chooses this unfortunate moment to re-enter the chat.

‘What did you do after Haruto and Farnoosh went down to the water?’ he asks.

‘I went outside and used the telescope to watch them. Farnoosh was freaked out. I know she isn’t someone who scares easily. I was worried.’