A Secret Killer (Julia Blake Cozy Mystery Book 4) (4 page)

Chapter 7

Julia
shook her head at Cain
’
s confused
expression.
“
Hugo,
do you have to be so dramatic?
”

“
No!
But I want to be so dramatic, it
’
s fun.
”
Hugo caught Cain
’
s
expression.
“
Ah, I
think I may have gone too far. I don
’
t actually find
physical skeletons in wardrobes, just metaphorical ones. I
’
m a genealogist.
Someone who looks for people
’
s ancestors.
”

Comprehension
dawned on Cain
’
s
face.
“
Oh!
Like those TV programmes! Where you draw up family trees. I love those
programmes.
”

“
Me
too. It
’
s
great fun finding out about people
’
s histories. You
’
d be amazed
at what I
’
ve
discovered! Not always good things either. I quite often have to present
unpleasant information to my clients, they can then decide what they want to do
with that information. Many
’
s the time that
I
’
ve
had to leave out  certain black sheep from the family tree. In fact, I
’
ve
got
…
no! I almost let it slip then!
Let
’
s
just say that I
’
ve got a couple of tricky situations at
the moment, I
’
m not
sure how the client is going to react.
”

“
Is it
a dangerous job?
”
Cain
asked.

“
Not
really, I can deal with irate clients.
”
Hugo
’
s
hand flew to his mouth as he tried to stifle a yawn.
“
Excuse
me, I
’
m
suffering terribly from jet lag. I
’
ve had a
wonderful time in America, it
’
s an amazing
place. The people there have come from all around the world. Which reminds me,
Julia, I
’
ve
something to tell you, it might affect the hours that you work for me.
”
The noise of Hugo
’
s
phone pierced the air.
“
Damn it! I wish
they
’
d
leave me alone!
”

Julia
frowned.
“
Hugo,
it
’
s
obvious that you
’
re busy. Look, I
’
ve
got a cancellation for tomorrow morning, we could come back then.
”

Hugo
gave her a grateful smile. Then a twinkle appeared in his eyes. He turned to
Cain and said,
“
You
’
ll
certainly have your work cut out for you tomorrow. This house has six bedrooms
and seven bathrooms. It
’
ll take you an
age to clean them all!
”

Cain
gulped.
“
I don
’
t
mind hard work.
”

Hugo
guffawed. Julia shook her head and said,
“
He
’
s
kidding. Not about the number of rooms, but about how many we
’
ll
have to clean. He keeps most of the rooms closed as he doesn
’
t use
them.
”
She stood up.
“
I
’
ll go
through everything tomorrow with you. We really have to get on, we
’
ll be
late for our next client.
”

Cain
stood up, so did Hugo. Hugo said,
“
Great to meet
you. Perhaps I can do your family tree sometime, I have rates to suit every
pocket!
”

Cain
looked at the table and muttered,
“
No thanks.
”

Julia
looked at his downcast face. She
’
d have to
explain to Hugo about his past soon.

“
I
’
ll
see you out,
”
Hugo offered.

Julia
held her hand up.
“
I know my way out. Will you answer that
phone! It
’
s
driving me mad. We
’
ll see you tomorrow.
”

As
Julia led Cain out of the kitchen they heard Hugo answer his phone.
“
Now
look here,
”
Hugo began.
“
I
’
ve
told you already, I
’
m not interested in your money making
schemes
…”

Julia
closed the kitchen door behind them and said to Cain,
“
I get
drawn into people
’
s lives more than I
’
d
like sometimes. Sorry about Hugo, he
’
s not normally
so loud. He
’
s
probably tired.
”

Cain
shrugged.
“
That
’
s
okay. I
’
ve
seen worse. When we come back tomorrow do you think we might
…
erm
…
if it
’
s not
too much trouble
…”

Julia
smiled.
“
Would
you like to have a proper look around the house? Of course. We
’
ll
have a quick walk around the gardens too.
”
 

Julia
and Cain returned to her car. Julia set off down the drive and out of the
gates. She had to slam on her brakes as a large blue car raced through the
gates. The driver glared at her. It was clear that he wasn
’
t
going to move so Julia reversed her car to allow enough room for him to pass.
The driver passed without even acknowledging her good manners.

Cain
said,
“
That
’
s so
rude. He nearly drove into you.
”

Julia
looked at the car through her rear-view mirror.
“
That
man looked vaguely familiar. Where have I seen him before?
”

In
a hopeful tone Cain said,
“
Do you think he
was an actor? One from Summersdale Secrets?
”

Julia
’
s
brow furrowed.
“
I don
’
t
think so. Oh! That
’
s going to bother me now. It
’
ll
come back to me later.
”

They
had three more clients to visit that day. Two of them were out so Julia could
explain to Cain exactly what each client required.
“
Sometimes,
they
’
ll
leave a pile of ironing out, or even a shopping list. Don
’
t
fall for it! I have a list of specific jobs for each client and it never
includes ironing or shopping. Some people take liberties.
”

The
final client was an elderly man who had mobility issues. He insisted on telling
Cain all about his younger days. Cain listened and nodded as Cyril chatted,
whilst giving the windows a thorough clean at the same time. Julia inspected
the windows surreptitiously later and was impressed, not a streak or smudge in
sight.

It
was nearly six o
’
clock by the time she drove Cain home.
He insisted on being dropped off at the corner of his street. Julia insisted
otherwise. Cain had been waiting outside her house this morning for work but
she wanted to know where he lived, wanted to make sure he had a decent roof
over his head. Cain
’
s cheeks coloured as they pulled up
outside a small bungalow that had seen better days. He said,
“
This
is Gran
’
s
house, she left it to me. It needs a bit of work.
”

“
It
’
s
lovely. My dad
’
s got
loads of spare paint, he
’
ll be happy to
give you a couple of cans.
”

Cain
lifted his chin.
“
I
’
ll
pay for them, I don
’
t expect charity.
”

Julia
gave him a kind smile.
“
It
’
s not
charity, call it a perk of the job.
”

A
smile lit up Cain
’
s face.
“
A
job! Do you mean that you
’
re giving me a
job? Are you sure? Don
’
t you want to
see how I get on for the next few days?
”

“
I
’
m
sure. You
’
re a
good worker. And a good listener. I think we
’
ll
work well as a team for now, get through the cleaning jobs quicker. But in the
future, if you still want to work for me, you
’
ll
have to arrange your own transport so that we can go to different clients.
”

“
I
’
ve
got a bike,
”
Cain added helpfully.

“
A car
would be better. One thing at a time. Off you go, I
’
ll
pick you up at nine tomorrow.
”

A
serious look came over Cain.
“
Thank you, thank
you so much, Ms Blake.
”

Julia
held a finger up.
“
Don
’
t
call me that, I
’
m Julia.
”

Cain
grinned and nodded. He said goodbye, jumped out of the car and almost ran up
the overgrown path that led to the bungalow.

Julia
sighed as she watched him go. He reminded her of a puppy that had been
mistreated. So eager to please, but guarded too, as if expecting to be kicked
at any moment. She hadn
’
t been lying
about him being a good worker though.

She
nodded to herself. She
’
d made the right
decision about employing Cain Andrews.

It
wasn
’
t
long before she was doubting herself.

Chapter 8

The
next morning, Julia looked down at the carpet and gave a heartfelt sigh. Cain
was at her side, looking in the same direction.
“
Well,
”
he said,
“
you
said I wouldn
’
t be
seeing any dead bodies. Not the best start for a Tuesday morning.
”

“
I
…”
Julia began. She couldn
’
t
carry on, her heart felt too heavy.

Cain
touched her arm.
“
I think you should sit down, you
’
ve
gone very white.
”

Julia
finally looked away from the body lying on the carpet in Hugo
’
s
office. She said,
“
My legs won
’
t
move, they
’
re in
shock. Oh, Cain! Look at him lying there! Who would do that to Hugo? He
’
s one
of the kindest people you could ever meet!
”

Cain
peered closer at Hugo
’
s body.
“
It
’
s
obvious he
’
s
been murdered. He would hardly hit himself on the back of his head with that
paperweight. It
’
s the same one he threw to me yesterday.
”
He shook his head.
“
It
always amazes me that there
’
s so much blood
in a human body.
”

A
sob escaped from Julia. She took a step back and turned away from Hugo
’
s
body.

Cain
said,
“
Sorry,
I know I sound callous, but like I told you in the interview, I
’
ve
seen a lot of dead people. You sort of become indifferent to it after a while.
I didn
’
t
mean to upset you.
”

Julia
looked over her shoulder.
“
I
’
ve
seen people who
’
ve died before, it
’
s
just that Hugo was so full of life, and now he
’
s
just lying there, all undignified. I
’
ll never hear
that booming laugh of his again.
”
She took a tissue from her pocket and
wiped her eyes.
“
I
’
ll
phone the police. I could do with a strong cup of tea but we can
’
t go
into the kitchen, we could contaminate any evidence.
”

Cain
walked over to her side. He took the phone from Julia
’
s
shaking hands and said,
“
I
’
ll do
it. I presume it
’
s still 999.
”

Julia
said,
“
Look
at the names, there
’
s a DI Clarke. I
’
ve
dealt with him before.
”

Cain
’
s
eyebrows rose but he didn
’
t say anything.
He was soon speaking to someone on the phone.

Julia
gave herself a mental shake. She remembered Hugo joking that if he was ever
murdered he
’
d
like Julia to investigate. She was sure that wouldn
’
t be
necessary, the police would soon find his killer.

However,
she could always help them a little, point out things that they might not
notice. She put her tissue away. Cain ended his call and gave the phone back to
Julia. He said,
“
The police are on their way. Shall we
wait in the car? We could be contaminating the scene now.
”

“
I
think we
’
ve
already done that,
”
Julia
pointed out. She looked around the room.
“
The
front door was unlocked when we came in, there are no signs of forced entry. I
can
’
t see
that any of the windows have been damaged. Hmm, I wonder if the murderer came
in through the back door. I wish we could have a quick look at it.
”

Cain
said,
“
He
might have left the back door unlocked. Remember what he told us yesterday, he
said he liked to show visitors the back door from the TV show.
”

Julia
’
s
eyes narrowed.
“
That
’
s
true. Do you think he had a visitor yesterday, after we left?
”

“
We
saw that man driving in just as we were going out, the one that you recognised.
He could have been visiting Hugo, he might have been a new client. I
’
m
assuming that Hugo would treat all his new clients to a tour of the kitchen.
”

Julia
’
s
lips lifted briefly.
“
Yes, he loved
showing that kitchen off. And he most likely made his visitor a cup of tea with
that antique set. Perhaps if I took my shoes off I could have a swift peek in
the kitchen. No one would know.
”

“
I
would know,
”
a voice said coldly.

Julia
stiffened. She knew that voice. He had spoken to her in that cold tone many a
time. In fact, she wasn
’
t convinced that
he knew how to convey any other emotion. She turned to the owner of the voice.
“
Hello,
Detective Inspector Clarke. How are you? I haven
’
t
seen you for a while.
”

The
tall thin man in front of her stared directly into her eyes.
“
That
’
s a
good thing, seeing as we always seem to meet over a corpse. What have you been
up to this time?
”

Julia
gave him a shaky smile.
“
Only doing my
work! Hugo Barnes, the man on the carpet, is one of my clients. I was going to
clean his house.
”

DI
Clarke
’
s
gaze didn
’
t
waver.
“
Remind
me to never hire you as a cleaner, you seem to lose a lot of clients in
unfortunate ways. I do hope you don
’
t make mention
of that when you advertise your services.
”

Julia
wasn
’
t
sure if the inspector was trying to make a joke.
“
We
found him five minutes ago, we haven
’
t touched anything.
”
She paused and withered a little
under the intense look that DI Clarke was still imposing upon her.
“
Honestly!
We came through the front door, which was unlocked, and straight into Hugo
’
s
office. We saw his body and then phoned you.
”

DI
Clarke turned his attention to Cain. Julia saw Cain flinch. DI Clarke said,
“
And
who are you? And what connection do you have to Ms Blake?
”

Cain
coughed and then said quietly,
“
I work for her.
”

“
Hmm,
”
came the inspector
’
s
reply. He abruptly turned towards Hugo
’
s body. He
walked forwards and knelt at Hugo
’
s side.

Julia
called over.
“
How
long do you think he
’
s been dead? I would guess that he was
murdered last night, going by the colour of his skin.
”

DI
Clarke didn
’
t
look up.
“
Been
watching CSI again, have you? I
’
m not going to
make assumptions about the time of death. And I certainly can
’
t say
if he was murdered.
”

Julia
pressed her lips together. Of course Hugo was murdered! It was obvious. She
knew she should keep quiet but her words needed to come out.
“
But
look at the room! Hugo kept all his files in that filing cabinet, now they
’
re
all over the place. It
’
s like someone
was looking for something. And look at his computer. There
’
s
liquid on it, someone has tried to ruin it. Do you think it might still work?
Shall I switch it on? I know where he keeps his passwords.
”

There
was a sigh from the inspector. He straightened up and turned around.
“
Ms
Blake, leave the police work to me. We
’
ll take a full
and thorough statement from you both very shortly.
”

There
was a noise coming from where the front door was. A thickset man bustled in,
notebook open in one hand, a pencil in the other. He addressed the inspector,
“
Sorry
for being late, sir, got stuck in traffic. Who
’
s the
corpse?
”

“
He
’
s not
a corpse! He
’
s got
a name!
”
Julia blurted out.

The
thickset man looked Julia up and down. He pointed a pencil at her and said,
“
Who
the hell are you?
”

“
Sergeant!
”
DI Clarke shouted. In a quieter
voice he said,
“
This is Julia Blake, she cleans for Hugo
Barnes, the man lying at my side. Please take a statement from her. And please,
remember your manners.
”

“
Yes,
sir,
”
the man said, a note of
contrition in his voice.

DI
Clarke said,
“
Ms
Blake, this is DS Pendleton, he
’
ll be helping me
with this investigation. Please direct your questions at him whilst I examine
the crime scene.
”

Julia
caught the smug look on DS Pendleton
’
s face. She did
not like him at all. An irrational thought seeing as she
’
d
only just met him, she realised that, but there was something about him that
she didn
’
t
like.

Her
gut feeling was confirmed when the young sergeant pointed his pencil at Cain
and said loudly,
“
I don
’
t
believe it! Stinky Cain! I might have known you
’
d be
at a murder sight. Sir! Did you know this man here is a convicted murderer?
”