Page 41 of The Impossible Fortune

I’m sorry if I’ve offended you Paul. I thought we were friends, but I can’t trust you. Signing off for good now.

Joanna and Paul look at each other. Joanna taps at her phone. ‘No answer from Elizabeth. I’ll try Mum.’

Paul sends another message while she does. It bounces straight back.

‘Jesus Christ,’ says Paul. ‘Who sent those messages?’

‘No answer from Mum either – where are they?’

‘Screenshot the messages,’ says Joanna. ‘We have to find Nick.’

‘Screenshotting them,’ says Paul. ‘I’ll send them straight to the police.’

Joanna puts her hand on his.

‘Honestly? God bless the police, but it’ll be quicker all round if we just show them to Elizabeth.’

21

The frame of the car is still glowing orange in the dark of the night as it cools, but the flames have gone, as have most of the onlookers. Mist from the fire hoses hangs suspended in arc lights trained on the driver’s side door.

The four friends are standing behind police incident tape, watching the crouching figures of officers picking through the wreckage. Further beyond the vehicle is a small tent, lit from the inside, where, presumably, the body of Holly Lewis is being examined. Holly who had been drinking their wine and reluctantly indulging their questions less than two hours ago.

Ron has his arm around Joyce. She’s cold but also shocked. He looks at Elizabeth, who he knows must be desperate to go under the tape and join in the investigation. But she’s already done her investigating. Whatever the officers find in the car, Ron knows they won’t find Holly’s phone, because what’s left of it is currently in Elizabeth’s bag.

Two police officers approach the group. Ron is disappointed to see it is not Chris and Donna, just a ginger bloke and an Asian woman, and neither looks particularly interested in dealing with them. The Asian woman, who appears to have rank, is straight into her questions.

‘DCI Varma. I’m told the victim was having dinner with the four of you this evening.’

Elizabeth holds up a hand to stop the others from speaking.

‘Well?’ says DCI Varma.

‘Well, what?’ says Elizabeth. ‘You didn’t ask us a question?’

‘I did,’ says DCI Varma.

‘No, you stated something you’d been told,’ says Elizabeth.

DCI Varma nods. ‘Can you confirm my statement?’

‘We thought it might be Chris and Donna,’ says Joyce. ‘Often when there are murders, Chris and Donna investigate them. They know us.’

‘Lucky them,’ says DCI Varma.

‘Chris is on firearms training,’ says Ibrahim. ‘But perhaps the two of you will do. Perhaps we shall all form a fine friendship.’

DCI Varma looks at her ginger sidekick, then back at Ibrahim. ‘No, sir, we will not be doing that.’

‘That’s what Chris and Donna said at first,’ says Joyce. ‘Would you like to come to mine for some cake? I made some brownies, but they’re a bit dense –’

‘We’re the police,’ says DCI Varma. ‘Not your carers. I just need information, and I thought this would be the quickest place to get it. So I don’t need you to be charming, I need you to be quick.’

‘Holly Lewis, forty-five years old, from Lewes,’ says Elizabeth. ‘She was at Coopers Chase to have dinner with some of the residents.’

‘The four of you?’ This is the ginger sidekick.

‘Oh, you speak,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Yes, the four of us.’