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Authors: Katherine Howell
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me.’
‘Have you heard from or seen Connor this morning?’ She shook her head.
‘You’re certain of that?’
‘Yes.’ Tears welled in Kerrie’s eyes.
Ella said, ‘Why are you crying?’
‘Because something’s obviouslyhappened.’
‘How about you take a seat.’
‘Oh God.’ Kerrie sat heavily in the chair.
Ella said, ‘We’re sorry to have to tell you that Suzanne is dead.’
‘Oh my God. How did it happen? Where was she? Is Connor okay?’
‘Connor is missing.’
‘Like, lost?’
‘Missing,’ Ella said again.
Kerrie’s eyes went round. ‘You asked if they fought. You must think he’s involved.’
‘We don’t know anything forcertain yet,’ Dennis said.
Ella said, ‘Did they ever have friends visit? Or call?’
‘A couple of times,’ Kerrie said. ‘One was a woman called Peta, she’s maybe in her early thirties, kind of short with curly hair. I’ve seen her quite a few times. Then recently there was a man, maybe around thirty or so, with real beach-blond hair. I don’t know his name. That’s only who I’ve noticed, though. Ican’t say I’d see everyone who visits.’
‘Were they visiting Suzanne? Or Connor?’
‘Suzanne. I never saw anybody visiting Connor.’
Ella took a look at the computer. Lots of spreadsheets, accounting stuff, rosters – and then some documents and an email account in Suzanne’s name, all password protected. ‘Do you know these passwords?’
‘I don’t, sorry.’
Ella checked the noticeboard but there wereno scraps of paper with likely looking words stuck there. She ran her fingers along the underside of the desk but there was nothing there either. ‘We’ll have to get the tech people to pick it up.’
‘But all our stock supply stuff’s on there,’ Kerrie said.
‘Sorry,’ Ella said. Nothing got in the way of a homicide investigation.
Kerrie pressed her hands to her eyes. ‘I can’t take this in.’
‘Youneed to,’ Dennis said. ‘You have to organise your staff so we can speak to each of them.’
‘Should I close?’ Kerrie said. ‘The Streetlights kids are coming in today. I’ll have to deal with them as well. Oh God. I don’t know where to start.’
‘Shut for the day and get all the staff together,’ Ella said. ‘That’s enough to begin with.’
As Kerrie and Damon and three other staff members in green shirtsapologetically herded the customers out the gates, a group of six teenaged boys ambled in.
‘Streetlights boys,’ Kerrie said to Ella. ‘It’s a kind of community work thing. Suzanne organised for them to come here.’ She teared up again.
Ella nodded. ‘Let them in.’
When the gates were locked, she and Dennis waited while the group gathered before them. The staff shot Kerrie anxious looks. The Streetlightsboys looked either bored or studiously at the ground. Ella guessed they’d been in trouble with the cops before, and narrowed her eyes.
‘I’m afraid we have some bad news,’ Dennis said. ‘Suzanne Crawford is dead.’
Ella watched the reactions. Shock. Grief. Dismay. Even from a couple of the Streetlights kids, the rest of whom looked interested.
‘We’re going to speak to each of you in turn,’ Denniswent on. ‘It’s nothing scary, just a few questions to help us with our investigation.’
One of the female staff raised her hand. ‘How is Connor doing?’
‘No questions now, sorry.’ Dennis pointed to Damon. ‘You first, please.’
*
None of the staff ever saw the Crawfords fight. The female employee who’d asked about Connor, a thin blonde girl named Deborah, even said she caught them ‘canoodling’among the statues one day.
Ella said, ‘Canoodling meaning . . . ?’
‘They were standing really close together and then they kissed.’ Deborah turned a delicate shade of pink.
Hmm. ‘Were you aware of Connor seeing anyone else?’
‘No way. Never. He wasn’t that kind of guy.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
The girl went pinker. ‘He told
‘Have you heard from or seen Connor this morning?’ She shook her head.
‘You’re certain of that?’
‘Yes.’ Tears welled in Kerrie’s eyes.
Ella said, ‘Why are you crying?’
‘Because something’s obviouslyhappened.’
‘How about you take a seat.’
‘Oh God.’ Kerrie sat heavily in the chair.
Ella said, ‘We’re sorry to have to tell you that Suzanne is dead.’
‘Oh my God. How did it happen? Where was she? Is Connor okay?’
‘Connor is missing.’
‘Like, lost?’
‘Missing,’ Ella said again.
Kerrie’s eyes went round. ‘You asked if they fought. You must think he’s involved.’
‘We don’t know anything forcertain yet,’ Dennis said.
Ella said, ‘Did they ever have friends visit? Or call?’
‘A couple of times,’ Kerrie said. ‘One was a woman called Peta, she’s maybe in her early thirties, kind of short with curly hair. I’ve seen her quite a few times. Then recently there was a man, maybe around thirty or so, with real beach-blond hair. I don’t know his name. That’s only who I’ve noticed, though. Ican’t say I’d see everyone who visits.’
‘Were they visiting Suzanne? Or Connor?’
‘Suzanne. I never saw anybody visiting Connor.’
Ella took a look at the computer. Lots of spreadsheets, accounting stuff, rosters – and then some documents and an email account in Suzanne’s name, all password protected. ‘Do you know these passwords?’
‘I don’t, sorry.’
Ella checked the noticeboard but there wereno scraps of paper with likely looking words stuck there. She ran her fingers along the underside of the desk but there was nothing there either. ‘We’ll have to get the tech people to pick it up.’
‘But all our stock supply stuff’s on there,’ Kerrie said.
‘Sorry,’ Ella said. Nothing got in the way of a homicide investigation.
Kerrie pressed her hands to her eyes. ‘I can’t take this in.’
‘Youneed to,’ Dennis said. ‘You have to organise your staff so we can speak to each of them.’
‘Should I close?’ Kerrie said. ‘The Streetlights kids are coming in today. I’ll have to deal with them as well. Oh God. I don’t know where to start.’
‘Shut for the day and get all the staff together,’ Ella said. ‘That’s enough to begin with.’
As Kerrie and Damon and three other staff members in green shirtsapologetically herded the customers out the gates, a group of six teenaged boys ambled in.
‘Streetlights boys,’ Kerrie said to Ella. ‘It’s a kind of community work thing. Suzanne organised for them to come here.’ She teared up again.
Ella nodded. ‘Let them in.’
When the gates were locked, she and Dennis waited while the group gathered before them. The staff shot Kerrie anxious looks. The Streetlightsboys looked either bored or studiously at the ground. Ella guessed they’d been in trouble with the cops before, and narrowed her eyes.
‘I’m afraid we have some bad news,’ Dennis said. ‘Suzanne Crawford is dead.’
Ella watched the reactions. Shock. Grief. Dismay. Even from a couple of the Streetlights kids, the rest of whom looked interested.
‘We’re going to speak to each of you in turn,’ Denniswent on. ‘It’s nothing scary, just a few questions to help us with our investigation.’
One of the female staff raised her hand. ‘How is Connor doing?’
‘No questions now, sorry.’ Dennis pointed to Damon. ‘You first, please.’
*
None of the staff ever saw the Crawfords fight. The female employee who’d asked about Connor, a thin blonde girl named Deborah, even said she caught them ‘canoodling’among the statues one day.
Ella said, ‘Canoodling meaning . . . ?’
‘They were standing really close together and then they kissed.’ Deborah turned a delicate shade of pink.
Hmm. ‘Were you aware of Connor seeing anyone else?’
‘No way. Never. He wasn’t that kind of guy.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
The girl went pinker. ‘He told
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