The Doves in the Dining Room by Laura Laakso

Author:Laura Laakso
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Fiction, Literary
Publisher: Louise Walters Books
Published: 2021-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Out in the corridor, Robbert’s stiff posture relaxes and he rubs a hand over his face. I lead him away from Carrolyn’s door in case she is listening.

‘I’m sorry,’ Robbert says. ‘She’s not usually as venomous as that. I’m not sure what’s got into her recently.’

‘What was that about her not liking Jessika?’ I ask.

‘That’s another mystery. When I first introduced them a year ago, Carrolyn was cautious, but polite. At one point, I thought they might even become friends, though Jessika is much younger. But a couple of months ago, Carrolyn suddenly became cold towards her.’

‘Does she object to the wedding?’

‘I’m not sure she’s thrilled about it…’ Robbert trails off and snaps his head up to look at me. ‘You can’t possibly think that Carrolyn is behind these attempts to sabotage our wedding?’

‘It’s a possibility. Given the account she gave of her movements yesterday, she doesn’t have much of an alibi. It would have been easy for her to break into Jaike’s room at any point in the evening, while the members of the stag party were away from the hotel. As for the other two incidents, all she would have needed was money to bribe a member of staff.’

‘I can’t imagine her leaping from balcony to balcony to steal the rings. She seemed genuinely upset about the theft.’

‘You’re right, it’s unlikely she did it herself. But there are plenty of other options.’

Perhaps I ought to check that Fria is in Old London, though she will have had enough time to return to the city after breaking into Jaike’s room last night. But hiring a thief like Fria suggests premeditation that goes beyond even obtaining a bottle of magical ink. I will have a word with her, just in case. Even if she had nothing to do with the theft, she may have heard something among her shadier contacts.

‘You think Carrolyn hired someone,’ Robbert says.

‘I’m not sure what to think. Let’s speak to Antonnio. He may have heard or seen something.’

We knock on Antonnio’s door. While we wait, I borrow the hearing of a mouse scurrying within the walls. Faint footsteps move around inside the room, before approaching the door. It opens.

A man dressed in a deep red dress shirt and black slacks stands in the doorway. His dark hair is greying at the temples, and he has a closely cropped salt-and-pepper beard. Cautious eyes sweep over us, but a degree of warmth softens them when he spots Robbert.

‘Morning, Robbert,’ he says, with a thick Italian accent.

‘Buongiorno, Antonnio,’ Robbert replies, and is rewarded with a smile. ‘Do you mind if we come in? There are some questions we’d like to ask you.’

Antonnio’s expression flickers to curiosity and then indifference. He shrugs and steps aside.

Apart from the colour of the wallpaper and the soft furnishings, the room is identical to Jaike’s and Carrolyn’s. Antonnio settles in one of the armchairs with the grace of a cat, one leg dangling over the armrest. He looks like a great hunter at rest, his relaxed pose hiding the power he possesses.

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