Chapter 35
Sunday morning brought the one thing on Jamie’s schedule for the week – helping June and Stan Jenkins clear out their attic.
It took less than an hour for him to carry the boxes and assorted junk down.
That was all the help they needed – just a bunch of boxes moving to the dining room so they could go through them and have a sort-out.
They insisted he stay for coffee and cake afterwards, and he was happy to do so, partly because of the cake, and partly because he had absolutely nothing else to do for the day.
The Jenkinses lived about twenty minutes from Moira’s house on foot. He’d walked to kill more time.
Setting off home again, he’d just zipped his coat up against the cold wind when his phone vibrated with a call from an unknown number. Hopefully it might be someone calling about a job. Something to keep him occupied would be welcome.
“It’s Tony Williams,” the man said. “We spoke the other day when you were asking about the camera on my doorbell.”
Jamie stopped in the middle of the pavement. “Did you find something?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I only remembered to look this morning.”
“Is it Trisha? The Langfords’ neighbour?”
“No. I actually don’t know if this is helpful at all, but I thought I’d let you know. I can see Mr Langford leaving in his car around 7 a.m. Then his daughter, Heather, arrived about fifteen minutes later.”
Jamie knew this already. “Heather didn’t go into the house, though? She got a call and left again?”
“No. She went into the house. Then I can see her leaving again about half an hour later.”
“She was in the house for half an hour?”
“Looks like it, but I’m not sure why that would be helpful. Heather often visits her mum in the mornings. Especially if her dad is out. You know her mum had surgery recently?”
“Yeah.”
“Terrible for her . . . all that stress of the surgery and then a fall kills her. You really never know what’s coming, do you?”
“No. Listen, thanks for calling. That’s really helpful.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you need the footage from my camera? I can download it if you do?”
“The police might need it,” Jamie said.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I’m going to call you back, okay?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
Jamie ended the call and stood looking up and down the road. It would be quicker to walk to the Langfords’ house than fetch his car. He stared at the phone in his hand. This would probably be a good time to call Emma and fill her in.
Except there might still be an innocent explanation. He should check first and hopefully save himself another lecture. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he set off striding in the direction of the Langfords’.
His phone rang again when he was just a few metres from the house.
“Where are you?” Emma demanded when he answered.
“I . . . umm . . .”
“Tell me you’re not at the Langfords’ house!”
“Why would I be there?” he asked, slightly high-pitched.
“Because the guy across the road told you he has video footage of Heather going into the house the morning her mum died.”
“He called you as well?”
“Yes! Something you should have done.”
“Okay.”
“Where are you?” she asked again.
“I was just going to ask Heather a few questions.”
“Don’t you dare,” she snarled. “Back away now. I’m on my way to speak to her. Can you please leave this to me?”
“Yeah,” he said weakly. “I’m not sure if you know all the facts, though.”
“I don’t,” she snapped. “That’s why I’m going to talk to Heather.”
“I think she’ll say she was at the house for a little while and then got a work call and left.
She’s going to try and wriggle her way out of this, but I also know that she’d been to visit the care home her dad had been looking at for her mum.
The owner of Fernleigh House said she specifically visited to go over the finances.
She didn’t want her to go there because of the cost. She was worried her dad was going to spend all her inheritance on a fancy care home. ”
Silence hung for a moment. “How exactly do you know all that?”
He grimaced, not wanting to admit to his trip to the care home. “That might be a story for another day. It’s true, though.”
“I’ll make sure to ask her about it.”
“Okay.”
“Do you understand that you’re not allowed to speak to her about this?”
“Yeah.”
“I mean it.”
“That’s quite obvious from your voice.” He looked in the Langfords’ front window, then shifted his weight and looked along the road, back the way he’d come. “I’ll stay away. I promise.”
“Thank you,” she said on a sigh.
He absolutely meant it. He really did. When he ended the call he genuinely intended to walk away and leave it to the professionals.
But then the front door opened and he was face to face with Heather Langford.