Chapter 6
The New Forest has never seen anything quite like the offices of We Solve Murders.
Rosie D’Antonio has spared no expense. A suite of rooms horseshoes around an old stable yard at the far end of Brockenhurst Stables Business Park.
Outside the windows, it’s forest and meadows and ponies and tractors; inside the office, everything gleams, sterile and bright.
When she had started here, Felicity had imagined the office would become a bustling place, full of grizzled ex-cops and beautiful widows.
Murders as far as the eye could see. But you’d be amazed at how few people actually need murders solving.
Even those who do seem keener to pursue a more traditional murder-solving route.
The police and so on. It is tremendously difficult to be an industry disruptor.
The phone rings, startling her a little. Even one of the ponies outside tilts his head at the alien sound. This will be because Rosie mentioned We Solve Murders on the chat show. The floodgates are sure to open now. Felicity sits up a little straighter.
‘Hello, We Solve Murders, Felicity speaking, how may I direct your call? Mmm hmm. Mmm hmm. I see.’
It’s a very nice woman from Virgin Broadband. They have an offer on, and Felicity is one of the lucky few to be selected to take advantage of it.
How long has Felicity been at We Solve Murders now?
A few months? It had all seemed like a terrific idea.
Her theatrical agency is taking up less and less of her time these days – although she has just booked Derek Williams an advert for a stairlift with an in-built kettle, so there’s life in the old dog yet.
She and Tony had been getting closer and closer, and the idea of leaving Letchworth for the New Forest had appealed.
Added to that, Rosie, who is bankrolling the whole operation, seems to have absolutely no idea what a normal salary might be.
She had offered Felicity ￡80,000 on the spot, and when Felicity had looked shocked, had said, ‘Okay, okay, a hundred and twenty thousand.’
‘Our broadband needs are being met,’ says Felicity, who believes she might now be the richest office manager in Hampshire. ‘Do ring back if anybody gets murdered.’
In her heyday as an agent, Felicity had spent an awful lot of time negotiating with television companies, and she had thought that this new job would involve a similar combination of adrenaline and pure evil. But no such luck.
The phone rings again. What is it this time? Has Felicity thought of changing her electricity provider?
‘Hello, We Solve Murders, Felicity speaking, how may I direct your call?’
‘I’ve just buried a corpse,’ says a voice. Felicity sits up. ‘Well, I didn’t bury it myself, my bodyguards did, but that’s … you don’t need that level of detail, apologies. How soon can Rosie and the team get to Italy?’