Death at Neptune Yard: A Kipper Cottage Cozy Mystery (A Kipper Cottage Mystery Book 2) by Jan Durham

Author:Jan Durham [Durham, Jan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Published: 2022-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

Grazyna was next on Liz’s list. Liz knew she was due a break at the Full Moon at three thirty, when she usually went outside to have an e-cigarette. She hurried back down the abbey steps, along Church Street and into Sandgate, where she lingered in the alley behind the café for Grazyna to come out. She didn’t have to wait long before a tall figure emerged from the kitchen doorway.

‘Liz!’ she exclaimed when she saw her. ‘What happened to your head?’

‘Just a bump.’ It was aching, though, and she still felt nauseous.

‘What are you doing loitering out here?’ Loitering. Grazyna’s English really was good.

‘Waiting for a word with you, actually.’

‘Oh?’ Grazyna’s expression grew wary. ‘What about?’

‘A couple of things. Fancy a walk?’

They went down the alley to the foreshore, the scene of Liz and Nelson’s frantic dash to escape the scarred man. A lone seagull wailed somewhere above them, and pebbles crunched under their feet as they walked.

‘I saw Mike Howson this morning,’ said Liz.

‘Who?’

‘Mike the fishmonger. He seems to think Lukasz and Eryk might be playing truant.’

Grazyna grimaced and sighed. ‘Those boys.’ She took out her e-cigarette, looked at it, then pushed it back into her pocket. ‘They will be the death of me.’

‘Talking of death –’ it was a bumpy segue into the main reason for Liz’s visit, but would have to do ‘– do you remember Donnie Satterthwaite, the man who was murdered?

‘Of course.’

‘It turns out he was blackmailing people.’ Liz glanced at Grazyna’s face. She could only see it in profile, but there wasn’t a flicker of emotion there, not even surprise.

‘There’s a list,’ continued Liz, ‘of people he was blackmailing.’

Still nothing.

Liz decided to go for it. ‘You’re on the list, Grazyna.’

Grazyna raised her dark brows. ‘Strange.’

‘Strange?’

‘I am not being blackmailed, Liz.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘I think I would know, don’t you?’ She stopped and turned to face her. ‘I have no secrets. No secrets at all.’

Liz didn’t believe her. Only someone with something to hide would keep their expression so eerily blank. It was as if a steel shutter had come down.

‘Well, that’s a relief,’ lied Liz. ‘I thought I should let you know, just in case.’

‘You have discovered all this how?’ asked Grazyna.

Liz didn’t want to mention the part the boys had played – she’d already grassed them up once – so decided brevity was the best strategy. ‘Because I have… I had… the list. The police have it now.’

‘I see.’ Grazyna nodded, then shrugged. ‘It is a mystery.’

‘I daresay the police will want to talk to you.’

‘They are very welcome to. As I said, I have no secrets.’ Grazyna gave a smile that failed to reach her eyes. ‘And now I must get back to the café.’

Liz watched her stride back the way they had come – a tall, solitary figure against the grey shore. She wasn’t sure why she’d lied to Grazyna about not having the list anymore. Was it because she felt guilty she still had it? Or because Grazyna’s poker face had

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