The Colours of Murder by Ali Carter

Author:Ali Carter [Carter, Ali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oneworld Publications

‘Susie!’ cried out Toby.

I panicked and ran towards him. ‘What is it?’

I stopped short of the paddock fence, realising in his swagger that it wasn’t an emergency.

‘It’s only the phone for you, no need to look so frightened.’

‘Sorry, I was alarmed by your shout.’

‘Well the chap,’ said Toby with a hint of irritation, ‘didn’t want to give me his number, said he’d hold on. Lucky for him I’ve found you. The telephone’s off the hook in the kitchen.’

Toby took my drawing things and I ran to the house and picked up the receiver.

‘Hello?’

‘Good morning Susie, it’s Daniel Furr Egrant. Would you like a moment to catch your breath?’

‘No, I’m fine thanks,’ I said trying not to let on how surprised I was to hear from him. ‘How are things?’ I asked, realising maybe he’d just rung for a chit-chat; he was the person I’d got on best with at the weekend.

‘Things?’ reiterated Daniel.

‘I was just wondering how you are?’

He remained silent. What on earth was Daniel playing at? He rang me.

‘What can I do for you?’ I asked.

‘I know this call is out of the blue but you’re the only one of us not a suspect in Hailey’s death.’

‘How do you know?’

‘DCI Reynolds told me and therefore you’re the only person I feel I can confide in right now.’

Surely the only reason DCI Reynolds told Daniel was in the hope a call like this might come my way.

‘Did he suggest you get in touch?’

‘No, no. That would be out of the question but I need to tell this thing to someone and you appear to be the safest bet.’

‘Okay…’

‘You seem a good egg Susie, and taking into account your profession, what I’m about to say shouldn’t come as a shock.’

‘Go on then.’

‘I’m trusting you implicitly.’

‘Yes, of course.’

I was now in a muddle… Should I appear easy going and unshockable? Or, serious, which in turn may well stop him talking?

But, I had no need to worry, Daniel’s confession, ‘Archie wasn’t in his bed the night of Hailey’s death’, came in one sharp shot of breath down the telephone as if he was glad to be rid of it.

‘How do you know?’

‘Well, I, …I …I …I,’ he stuttered, ‘I …I …I.’

‘Don’t worry Daniel it’s okay, just tell me.’

‘I went to his room and he wasn’t there.’

‘What time did you go to his room?’

‘Shortly after I went to bed.’

‘Did you and Archie go upstairs at the same time?’

‘Archie put the dogs in the kennel first.’

‘So, he may have been yet to come upstairs?’

‘He’d definitely come upstairs but he wasn’t in his room.’

‘How can you be certain he ever came upstairs?’

‘His clothes were in a pile on the floor.’

Of course they were, I should have jumped to this conclusion. I’d seen Archie in his PJs, which obviously proved he’d been upstairs.

‘Maybe Archie was in the bathroom when you went to his room.’

‘Not possible. He has an en-suite.’

The brevity of Daniel’s words gave the impression he was trying to catch me out. This was immensely aggravating.

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