Page 49 of The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club Mysteries #5)
Joanna is aware that Donna is not officially investigating the case. Joanna would place money that Elizabeth has sent her. Subtly rule Paul out of your enquiries, would you, Donna?
Nevertheless, Joanna is happy to see her. She needs a favour, and Donna might be able to help.
‘Your house is amazing,’ says Donna, sinking back into a sofa. ‘I bet this didn’t come from IKEA.’
‘Morocco,’ says Joanna. ‘But you get some lovely stuff from IKEA these days.’
‘You sound like your mum,’ says Donna, laughing. Joanna shoots her a look that suggests maybe she’d like her to stop laughing. She does.
‘I didn’t know it would be you, Donna,’ says Joanna. ‘I didn’t think this was your case?’
‘Making up numbers,’ says Donna. ‘The real coppers are out there chasing the real leads.’
‘And protecting Prince Edward,’ says Joanna.
‘I don’t really know what hedge funds do,’ says Donna. ‘Perhaps I should learn. I’d like a sofa like this.’
‘I mean, there’s over a quarter of a billion quid hidden in a hole in Sussex,’ says Joanna. ‘I’d just steal that.’
‘There’s what?’ says Donna.
Joanna laughs. ‘Of course, of course. They didn’t tell you. Holly and Nick have Bitcoin down there. Everyone’s going mad trying to work out the codes to the safe.’
‘Jesus,’ says Donna. ‘Even when it’s not my case, they don’t tell me anything.’
‘How do you mean it’s not your case?’ Joanna asks.
There is a noise from the kitchen. Donna cranes her neck to make sure Paul is in there. ‘It’s not my case. Elizabeth asked me to come.’
‘There,’ says Joanna. ‘The truth. I think we can still let Paul assume you’re here on official business. He’d be a lot more frightened if he thought Elizabeth sent you.’
‘She just wants reassurance,’ says Donna.
‘I get it,’ says Joanna.
‘Is there really a quarter of a billion pounds buried somewhere?’
‘Sort of,’ says Joanna. ‘Please don’t tell Elizabeth I told you. I don’t want her to bully my mum.’
‘I think it’s usually the other way round,’ laughs Donna. ‘And I wish we were allowed to steal money anyway. They said so in our training.’
Paul walks in with a tray of drinks. ‘Two flat whites …’
Joanna takes the two coffees, and Paul offers the tray to Donna. ‘And a builder’s tea. Eight sugars.’
Donna takes the builder’s tea.
Paul sits down, and Joanna reaches for his hand.
Elizabeth has to ask him a few questions, that’s a given, but Joanna made sure she was at home when this happened.
Donna can do a neat act of wide-eyed, hapless local copper, but this is a woman who has Bogdan, of all people, trailing in her wake.
Woman to woman, Joanna has to respect that level of game.
Donna is no fool, and, while Paul is no fool either, it won’t harm to even the sides up a little.
‘This might be easier if I speak to Paul alone,’ says Donna.
‘Easier for who?’ asks Joanna, sipping her flat white.
‘Simpler, I mean,’ says Donna.
‘Sure,’ says Joanna. ‘If you can explain to me in five seconds why it would be easier and simpler for Paul if I left the room, I’ll leave.’
‘I might raise certain things you don’t want to hear,’ says Donna.
‘About his family?’ Joanna asks. ‘I think I probably know more than you.’
‘I’d rather Joanna stayed,’ says Paul.
‘Even if you didn’t,’ says Joanna to Paul, ‘I’m staying. I’m cheaper than a lawyer, I’m smarter than a lawyer, and I’m in love with you.’
‘Now you sound like a cross between your mum and Elizabeth,’ says Donna. She smiles as she says it. Joanna suspects that she and Donna might become firm friends, given the opportunity.
‘That’s better but still not great,’ says Joanna. ‘So who murdered Holly? Do your gang have any ideas? Or should I ask my mum and her gang? They usually work it out first, don’t they? I mean they knew about the Bitcoin and you didn’t?’
‘They’ll know about it the second I get back to work,’ says Donna.
‘Aren’t you at work?’ Paul asks.
‘I meant back to the station,’ says Donna. ‘I am at work, yes. You see why you might be a suspect, Paul?’
Paul nods. ‘Of course. I suppose I control the business now. Probably worth a lot of money.’
‘And the Bitcoin,’ says Donna.
‘He can’t access the Bitcoin,’ says Joanna. ‘No one can access the Bitcoin.’
Donna notes this down. ‘And not every member of your family has an unblemished past.’
‘We don’t arrest people for that,’ says Joanna. ‘Not any more.’
‘No,’ says Donna. ‘But we can talk like grown-ups about it.’
‘My family are interesting,’ says Paul. ‘I’ll give you that. Absolutely nothing to do with who I am, but, if you want to take a shortcut that will lead you nowhere, I’m happy to chat.’
‘And how was your relationship with Holly Lewis?’ Donna asks.
‘Not as close as it once was,’ says Paul. ‘But old friends are always old friends, aren’t they?’
‘She wasn’t at the wedding,’ says Donna. ‘That’s quite unusual for old friends who live in the area?’
‘We used to date,’ says Paul. ‘I think she felt a day at work might be preferable to my wedding.’
Donna turns to Joanna. ‘Did you know they used to date?’
‘I did,’ says Joanna. ‘Do you know everyone Bogdan has ever dated?’
‘He’s got tattoos of most of them,’ says Donna. ‘He’s a people-pleaser.’
‘Donna,’ says Joanna, ‘Paul is many things – a wonderful professor, a kind friend, a surprisingly imaginative lover – but he is not a murderer. His uncle Neil sells illegal Ozempic online, his cousin Ben is a car thief – all of that is true. But he has no experience with explosives, and he wasn’t out of my sight during the four days leading up to the wedding, as well as on the day of Holly’s death.
There is not a single shred of evidence you will ever find, because he was nowhere near this murder, and you know it.
I understand you have to interview everyone, but let’s all just admit that your suspicions rest entirely on a dodgy motive and an even dodgier uncle. ’
Donna weighs this up. ‘But he still stands to inherit a controlling stake in the company?’
‘Only if Nick is dead too,’ says Paul. ‘What are your colleagues doing about that?’
‘They’re looking,’ says Donna.
‘Tell them to look harder,’ says Joanna.
‘I’ll pass that on,’ says Donna. ‘They won’t have thought of that.’
Donna’s phones buzzes. She reads the message, then reads it again. She punches the air in delight.
‘Good news?’ Paul asks.
‘The best news,’ says Donna. ‘Prince Edward’s got norovirus.’
‘Ahh,’ says Paul. ‘Well, I’m … very pleased for you.’
Donna smiles. Her day has opened up in front of her. Ironically, she might actually go to Nando’s. Bogdan gets very excited when he can keep refilling his drink. A good day is turning into a great day.
‘While you’re here,’ says Joanna, ‘a little favour the police might be able to do us.’
‘A favour from the police, is it?’ Donna asks. ‘Like mother like daughter.’
‘They bully me too, you know,’ says Joanna. ‘Now, Paul is allowed access to The Compound CCTV. I wonder if you could make sure that he is granted that access? At the moment it’s all been impounded by your IT team. We’d love to have a little scoot through it, see how the business runs.’
‘Would you be looking for something specific?’ Donna asks.
‘I shouldn’t have thought so,’ says Joanna. ‘Would we be looking for something specific, Paul?’
‘I shouldn’t have thought so,’ says Paul.
‘There you have it,’ says Joanna. ‘Neither of us should have thought so.’
‘Just access for Paul?’ says Donna. ‘Not for your mum, not for Elizabeth?’
Joanna gives the slightest of shrugs. ‘Well, I suppose that’s up to Paul, isn’t it, Paul?’
‘Just for me,’ says Paul. ‘Joyce can beg but I won’t be broken.’
Joanna and Donna share a look.
‘In return for letting you know about the Bitcoin,’ says Joanna. ‘Only seems fair.’
‘I can’t,’ says Donna. ‘I –’
‘I’ll tell you what, then,’ says Joanna. ‘Why don’t I phone Fairhaven police station right now, let them know you’re here. I mean they already know, of course, but I’ll let them know we’ve been talking and –’
‘Okay,’ says Donna. ‘Your wish is my etcetera.’
‘I thought it might be,’ says Joanna.
Donna’s phone starts to ring and she looks at the number. She holds up her hand in apology and takes the call. After a few nods and a ‘yeah’ and a ‘gotcha’, she stands.
‘Jesus,’ she says. ‘Someone just tried to shoot Jason Ritchie. I need to get to work.’
‘You’re already at work,’ says Paul again, but Donna is halfway out of the door.