Am I losing you?
Who was messaging her man? He didn’t answer her message. Maybe he was taken up with her, whoever she was. That had to be a sign.
She needed a friend. She needed someone. Kerry. Keep it cool and polite. She’ll need a friend soon and I’m here waiting. After all, one of Kerry’s besties was murdered at her wedding reception. I will be a good friend. I’ll be the best. Just like old times.
She answered the earlier message from Kerry.
Kerry. You take care too. I’m here if you need me. X
Playing it cool was beyond her. Impatience was setting in already. Answer me, answer me, she kept repeating in her head. One of you, say something. Elvis? Kerry?
She swiped the chocolate spread off the table. Holly took Kerry from her all those years ago and she was going to get her back. She didn’t care how, but Kerry was her friend, her best and only friend and she’d forgiven her for being horrible back then. The glass from the jar shattered, covering the tiles and her bare feet. She didn’t care. All she cared about was fixing her sad meaningless life. She wrapped the bread up and wiped the blood globule from her thigh. No more food today. She’d had enough. She could claw this back by not eating again – not failing.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Someone forgot to put sunscreen on,’ Gina said as she parked the car in the brewer’s car park.
‘Shut up, guv! I knew I’d never live this red nose down. I fell asleep on the sun lounger and Jennifer had gone to get a massage.’
‘You two make a sweet couple. The crime scene investigator and the detective. Your parents will be as proud as punch on your wedding day,’ she said, teasing him.
‘Shut up. Enough. We’re a long way from weddings.’
The brewery looked like a large barn and was adorned with their signage and logos.
‘So this is where Furnace and Blower Ales are made?’
Gina nodded. ‘Yes, and as we know this is where Holly Long worked. Her mother, Marianne told us that Holly had had an argument with someone here but she didn’t know who or why.’
‘What did she do?’ Jacob rubbed his nose and flinched a little.
‘Some sort of accounts admin but her mother didn’t entirely know.’
Gina rang the buzzer, focused on the little camera above it and was buzzed into a tiny holding room with two doors leading off it. She tried one of the doors but it was locked. ‘I suppose we just wait.’
A yeasty smell seemed to be coming from everywhere. ‘I’d love a pint.’ Jacob smiled.
‘When we’ve solved this case, I’ll buy you one.’
‘I’ll hold you to that, guv.’
A man with an identification card pinned to his jacket pushed open the door in front of them. Gina could see that his name was Rick. ‘Hello. Who are you here to see?’
Gina held up her identification. ‘We’d like to talk to Holly Long’s manager.’
‘Has something happened?’
‘We would need to discuss that with Holly Long’s manager first.’ Gina needed to know who Holly had been arguing with before speaking to the other staff.
‘That would be me. Rick Elder. Come through. We can talk in the lounge.’
They followed Rick along the corridor that led to a room with a floor to ceiling window. A large mural was painted on the wall depicting the brewing production cycle, from the hops being harvested to the final bottle of ale. Several cosy couches were positioned around small coffee tables and a single white carnation in a miniature vase adorned every table. Gina shuddered as Holly’s body covered with the little petals scattered all over her torso flashed through her mind.
‘We try to make the staff as comfortable as possible when they take breaks. Fortunately, no breaks are due for another half an hour.’
Gina took a seat on the couch and pulled out her notes, as did Jacob.
‘I love the smell of this place,’ Jacob said, with a smile.
Rick ignored Jacob’s comment. ‘Now can you tell me why you’re here?’
Gina crossed her ankles and placed her hands on her knees. ‘Unfortunately we have some bad news. I’m sorry to tell you that Holly Long was murdered last night and we’re conducting investigations.’
Rick removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. ‘Are you serious?’
‘I’m afraid so.’ She paused, giving the news a moment to sink in. ‘We need to ask you a few questions, about Holly.’
He walked over to the coffee machine and pressed a button. ‘Want one? I could do with one.’
They both nodded. Gina needed a coffee more than anything. Her lips hadn’t been wet since her morning coffee during the briefing and she was beginning to feel even more headachy. As soon as she was done, she’d be heading home to work before having a shower and catching up on some sleep.
‘Here.’ Rick placed three cups down and dropped a few sachets of sugar onto the coffee table.
‘I was surprised but glad to see that you were open on Sundays.’ Gina sipped the hot coffee.
‘We’re a twenty-four seven operation. We have orders coming out of our ears and are hoping to secure bigger premises soon. It’s been tough stepping up production but while the going’s good, we keep going.’ He paused. ‘I’m sorry. Things aren’t good. I only saw Holly on Friday. She mentioned that her friend who got married in Greece was having a reception in Cleevesford. She said she was looking forward to it.’
Jacob flicked over to a clean page in his pad.
‘How did she seem when you last saw her?’
He shrugged as he stirred some sugar into his drink. ‘I didn’t know how to take Holly. One day she could be all smiles, the next she looked like she’d just lost her dog or something.’ He slapped himself on the head. ‘I’m sorry. I have this way about me. I sometimes say things that aren’t appropriate. I shouldn’t have mentioned death. Idiot.’ His leg jittered slightly as he took a sip of his drink.
‘It’s okay, Mr Elder. Please go on. How did Holly seem on Friday?’
He inhaled and put his glasses back on. Gina guessed he was in his mid-thirties. No wedding ring, quite handsome with his light stubble and designer suit. Gina wondered if the man in front of her could be the man Holly was hiding in her kitchen. Mr Blue Shirt.
‘On Friday, she seemed distracted. I’m the office manager amongst other things, which means I’m responsible for everything in the office and when things go wrong, I normally have to deal with them. I had a few billing complaints. Holly had wrongly charged a few customers and had sent out a couple of letters containing confidential quotes to the wrong clients. She also sent a notice of court action to a debtor who had paid the week before. I guess what I’m saying is her mind wasn’t on the job. She’d complained of having a headache, feeling sick, feeling tired, anything. I suggested she go to the doctors, she said she was fine.’
‘Did this result in any conflict?’ Maybe the person Marianne heard Holly arguing with was sitting right in front of her.
‘I’m afraid it did. She’d go on about how much she loved this job and wanted to progress further, to behaving like she didn’t care. She’d come in late, took longer breaks and was always checking her phone. I had to have a word with her.’