CHAPTER 15 #3
“Both knew relevant parts of the method.”
“Yes.”
“Sophie lied too. Adrian had keys.”
“Yes.”
“You are being agreeable again.”
“It is temporary.”
Romy looked through the narrow glass panel in the interview-room door.
Celeste sat rigid at the table, lawyer beside her.
She looked smaller than at the preview.
Not harmless.
Smaller.
A woman who had spent years making herself into a name large enough to enter rooms before she did.
Sebastian had been about to cut that name apart.
Fear could explain lies, charcoal, removing a lamp, begging for delay.
It could even explain murder.
But explanation was not proof.
“Where does the charcoal comparison stand?”
“Anika is reviewing it.”
“Could Celeste’s bag match?”
“Possibly.”
“Marcus’s stored demonstration fuel?”
“Also possibly.”
“You collected it?”
“This morning.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you are not police.”
“Back to normal.”
“Comforting, isn’t it?”
Almost.
Leo appeared at the far end of the corridor and waited until Romy waved him over.
“I found something.”
Ellis looked wary.
“What?”
“Not enough yet.”
Good.
“The 6:56 landing video,” Leo said. “I checked the raw copy. The Blue Study door opens wider for about two seconds.”
“Can you see the panel?” Romy asked.
“Not directly. You can see reflected light on the opposite framed print.”
Ellis frowned.
“That sounds useless.”
“If the door is open, the reflection catches part of the fireplace wall. Maybe enough to compare the silhouette of the panel edge.”
Romy stared at him.
“Maybe enough to see whether it was still spaced.”
“Yes.”
They went to the site office.
Leo loaded the raw video onto the largest monitor.
At 6:56:14, the Blue Study door shifted.
Someone passed inside or close to it, not visible enough to identify.
For two seconds, the framed glass opposite caught a distorted slice of blue wall and light.
Romy enlarged it.
Grain.
Reflection.
Movement.
Then one frame steadied.
The panel edge appeared as a darker vertical sliver.
Romy compared it with a similar angle from an earlier test photograph.
The later reflection looked flatter.
But reflections lied too easily.
“I can’t certify this.”
Leo’s disappointment showed.
“But I can say the profile may have changed.”
“By 6:56?”
“Yes.”
Ellis looked at the screen.
“That narrows it.”
“Maybe.”
“From after 6:31 to before 6:56.”
“Yes.”
“Celeste had access.”
“Yes.”
“Adrian.”
“Yes.”
“Marcus.”
“Yes.”
The three names remained.
Adrian had no known charcoal, no likely motive, and no reason to defeat the vent.
Marcus had the equipment and provenance motive.
Celeste had charcoal and career motive.
The case had compressed again.
Not solved.
Sharper.
At five twenty, Celeste’s second interview ended.
She came out furious.
Her solicitor touched her arm.
She shook him off.
Then saw Romy.
“You wanted this.”
“What?”
“You have been waiting for everyone to decide I am the obvious answer.”
“That is not true.”
“You’ve been picking apart my room since before Sebastian died.”
“I protected the building.”
“You photographed the vent.”
“Yes.”
“You told police I wanted it closed.”
“You did.”
“You told them about my argument.”
“It happened.”
“You asked about the lamp.”
“You stole it.”
“Borrowed.”
“Still not your strongest defense.”
Celeste’s anger cracked.
“I did not kill him.”
“I don’t know who did.”
“You think I did.”
“I think you lied.”
“Yes.”
“You had charcoal.”
“Yes.”
“You had access.”
“Yes.”
“You had motive.”
Celeste flinched.
“And that is why the truth matters more now, not less.”
She looked away.
When she looked back, her voice was lower.
“I begged him.”
“I know.”
“He enjoyed it. He enjoyed hearing me ask.”
“That still doesn’t justify killing him.”
“I know.”
Her eyes filled, but she did not cry.
“I removed the lamp. I did not touch the panel. I did not put charcoal in that room. I did not touch Marcus’s warmer.”
“Did you know he was taking it upstairs?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him not to?”
“I don’t remember.”
“That is becoming a problem.”
“I know.”
“Did you return to the Blue Study after 6:47?”
“No.”
“Service corridor?”
“No.”
“Any route near it?”
“No.”
“Who could prove that?”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“Nobody.”
Her solicitor said, “That is enough.”
This time Celeste let him guide her away.
Ellis came up beside Romy.
“She gave you nothing new.”
“No.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I believe she is frightened.”
“That was not the question.”
“I know.”
Romy looked at the Blue Study door.
“I don’t know.”
Ellis nodded.
“Good.”
“You approve of uncertainty?”
“I approve of not forcing evidence.”
Then he said, “The charcoal in her car changes this.”
“How far?”
“Far enough that motive is no longer the only reason she matters.”
“Because she lied about when she bought it.”
“Yes.”
“And the exterior shoot was already cancelled.”
“Yes.”
“She had firelighters too.”
“Yes.”
“And access during the setup window.”
“Yes.”
Romy exhaled.
“What happens now?”
Ellis looked toward the room where Celeste had spent hours answering questions, then back at Romy.
“The charcoal in Celeste’s car is enough to justify a much harder second interview.”