Page 64 of Three Widows

‘What I meant is that Éilis works… worked for herself. Jennifer worked in the dental clinic. From the little she let us know, I took it that it wasn’t a particularly nice place to be. I could be wrong.’

‘Was anyone upsetting her there? Did she feel threatened?’

Helena paled again. ‘No, no. She didn’t say, but then why did she quit without having another job? Doesn’t make much sense to me.’

‘When did you know she quit?’

‘I… What?’

‘Did she tell you?’

‘When she stopped coming to the group, I phoned Smile Brighter. Someone there told me she’d left. I assumed then she just wanted to be left alone and she’d tell us in her own time.’

‘Anything else you can tell us?’

‘No. Jennifer was closer to Éilis,’ Helena said, and Lottie could see the confusion dropping like a blind over her eyes.

‘How much closer?’

‘Éilis did some decor designs for the renovation of Jennifer’s house. That’s how they met.’

Helena had already told Boyd about this so Lottie changed direction. ‘I heard Éilis did yoga. Did Jennifer do it also?’

‘I don’t know about Jennifer, but Éilis went to SunUp.’

‘And you have no idea why either of them might have been murdered?’

Helena gulped loudly before speaking. ‘Am I in danger?’

‘I don’t know is the honest answer. Is there anything else you want to add?’

Helena lowered her eyes, silence filling the small shop as if it was visible. ‘If I think of anything, I’ll let you know.’

‘Thanks for your help, Helena.’

Lottie turned and made her way to the door, surprised when Boyd stayed behind. She headed outside and waited for him.

‘What was that about?’ she asked when he joined her, her tone thorny as a cactus.

‘Nettle tea,’ he said.

* * *

When the door closed behind the detectives, Helena’s legs gave way. She sank to the floor and rested her head against the coolness of the wooden counter behind her until her breathing returned to something approaching normal. The silence was total. She closed her eyes to the work she needed to do in the shop and tried to rationalise what was going on.

Jennifer had been found dead yesterday, and now it seemed like Éilis was dead too. Things were gathering pace, and if she wasn’t careful, she might lose total control of her senses and her main aim; the aim she’d had when she joined the widows’ group. There was no way she could let her focus shift.

She wondered if she should have told the detectives more about Jennifer. How she had been consumed by a secret. How she’d suffered in silence until she met Éilis. How Orla had warned them they might die if they didn’t keep quiet. That had incensed Jennifer. But now two of them were dead. Had someone talked? Was that the reason? Had Orla been right all along?

Shoving her fear way down her chest, she made her way to the storeroom and boiled the kettle. Ground nettles rested in the bottom of the mug and she thought of Detective Boyd. What was going on with his boss? It was obvious there was something there, but she had enough to do without thinking about them.

She emptied the mug and rinsed it before pouring in a good finger of vodka from the bottle she’d stashed in the cupboard. She swallowed the liquid before the water had even boiled. At last the trembling in her fingers abated.

The alcohol didn’t clear her head, and she felt woozy. Her overriding feeling was one of confusion. She couldn’t understand what was going on, and more importantly, she had no idea what her role was in all of it. Had she done or said something to make these horrors happen? Was this because of her? Was it something to do with the times she’d blacked out and lost time?

No, it had to be someone else, and now that she thought about it, she had a good idea who was at fault.

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