Vanilla Chai and A Vanishing Victim: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Sleuth (A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery Book 3) by Victoria Tait

Author:Victoria Tait [Tait, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kanga Press
Published: 2024-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Keya placed her spoon in her empty dessert bowl and checked her watch. It was four o’clock on Sunday afternoon.

She looked across the large pine kitchen table at Aunt Beanie and said, “Thanks for a lovely lunch. The pasta was tasty, and I love fresh strawberries and raspberries at this time of year.”

“With proper vanilla ice cream,” Ryan added.

“But we better return to Cedar Lane and see what the inspector wants us to do next,” Keya said.

She drove Ryan back to the Bartletts’ in her VW Polo. She beeped several times at the entrance gate until a few reporters stepped out of her way.

Someone called, “That’s Sergeant Varma. Oi, Sergeant, is Chief Inspector Greg coming back from his holidays to take over this case?”

Keya parked in the drive and, as she and Ryan climbed out of her car, Nick walked out of the front door and strode towards the pack of reporters.

He said evenly, “Chief Inspector Greg is currently taking some personal time.”

‘But surely this isn’t an appropriate time to take a holiday?” the man who had recognised Keya shouted back.

“There is never a good time,” Nick replied firmly, “But he will be kept informed of any updates in the case, and two very experienced inspectors are involved with it. Thank you.”

Nick turned and walked back, meeting Keya and Ryan beside the front door. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold them off without some real progress in the case,” he confided. “Do you two have any leads?”

“Not really,” said Keya as they entered the kitchen. “Plenty of hoaxes, as Chief Inspector Greg originally surmised, although we are following up on one which might be genuine.”

“And what’s that?” asked Inspector Evans.

He was leaning against the central kitchen island where Inspector Sue was sitting on a stool, a cup of coffee in front of her.

Her eyes looked tired, and when she looked up at Keya and smiled, Keya knew her heart wasn’t in it. Had she been home? It looked as if the case was getting to her.

Keya told all three inspectors about the ransom letters that had been received and then about her trip to Cirencester with Ryan.

“You can use my team’s equipment to look at the phone you found,” Nick offered. “But what do you think you’ll get from it?”

“Not much,” Ryan accepted. “I suspect it was bought for the purpose of sending that message. But if that is the case, doesn’t it show planning, forethought, and intent?”

“It certainly does,” agreed Inspector Evans in a thoughtful tone. “The person who used the phone demanded £250,000 sent electronically. So if they still have the boy, why haven’t they contacted the Bartletts again?”

“Perhaps they’ve been watching the house,” suggested Inspector Sue, “And realised we’ve been focusing on another ransom demand. But if that’s the case, they’ll know by now that the money’s been paid. So you’re right. Why haven’t they been in touch?”

She clasped her hands together on the counter and looked down at them.

Inspector Evans placed a hand on her shoulder.

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