DCI Randolf leaned back in his chair, his pen tapping thoughtfully against his notepad. ‘Aunt Clem,’ he repeated. ‘And is Aunt Clem staying here, too?’
I shifted uncomfortably, the leather chair creaking beneath me. ‘Yes. She’s Miles’s aunt. Married to Uncle Fergus, who is George’s brother. George is–wasMiles’s father.’
I am going to prison for this. God I could kill Jeannie for this, Ihadto tell them.
‘I see,’ Randolf said, scribbling something down. ‘And did Aunt Clem happen to mention how she knew this information?’
I hesitated, my throat suddenly dry. ‘She… she didn’t say specifically, no. I only overheard her conversations withJeannie, and she tried to tell Toots.’
Oh God, oh God. Why was I the first person to be interviewed. I squirmed, growing hot.
‘Phew,’ I said, fanning myself. ‘Is it just me, or is it insanely hot in here?’
‘Not particularly,’ Randolf said with a bored expression. Birch sat in silence behind him, constantly making notes.
Randolf’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘Mrs Weiss, I need you to understand the gravity of this situation?—’
‘I do,’ I said in earnest. A beat passed between us, the air thick and hot. If I didn’t tell them now, and one of the others got there first, I would incriminate myself by not coming clean. I had to say something, Jeannie and Artie sodding Peverill be damned. ‘Clem– Clem is dead,’ I blurted out.
Birch stopped scribbling and they both stared at me.
The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity. DCI Randolf’s expression darkened, his eyes never leaving my face. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my brow.
‘Clem passed away in her sleep,’ I blurted. ‘She’s upstairs.’
He looked angry as hell and my breathing quickened. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and controlled. ‘Mrs Weiss, are you telling me that there’s been another death in this house that you neglected to mention until now?’
I swallowed hard, my mouth feeling like the Sahara. ‘I… I’m sorry. It just happened. We found her, um, yesterday, I think it was.’
Randolf exchanged a quick glance with Birch before turning back to me. ‘Justhappened?I don’t think that counts asjust happened,do you?’
‘Yes, no. It all sounds ridiculous when you put it like that,’ I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘But– but Jeannie said she had handled it. That she had called someone. We thought you were here because of that, not because of Mimi.’
‘Right.’ Randolf’s tone was clipped. ‘We’ll need to examine the body immediately. Sergeant, please call for backup and a forensics team.’
As Birch stepped out to make the call, Randolf leaned forward, his gaze intense. ‘Mrs Weiss, do I need to tell you that you have succeeded in implicating yourself by keeping this from us until now? You are going to sit here and tell me everything you know, or I will be forced to file a warrant for your arrest for perverting the course of justice.’
I felt my heart racing, palms sweating as I tried to recall everything I had seen and heard.
* * *
Jeannie was pacing, angry at Miles and me that we had spoken to the officers without Artie Peverill present. She had told Beebee about Mimi’s death– she said the poor girl was distraught and wouldn’t come out of her room. None of us could get hold of Ceecee; her phone was turned off and we had no other way of contacting her. Miles had offered to drive to Cambridge and go to her halls of residence if she didn’t pick up in the next two hours.
I sat on the edge of the sofa, my hands clasped tightly in my lap as Jeannie continued her tirade.
‘The police are swarming the house, treating it like a crime scene! You should never have spoken to them without Artie,’ she muttered for the umpteenth time. ‘God knows what you two have said to them.’
‘We told them the truth,’ Miles said, his voice strained. ‘What else were we supposed to do?’ He rubbed his eyes, looking exhausted.
Jeannie shot him a withering look. ‘The truth? And what exactly is that, Miles? Because from where I’m standing, all of us are looking like suspicious characters in an episode ofMidsomer Murdersright now!’
‘We didn’t have a choice, Mother. They were asking questions, and we had to answer.’
‘You always have a choice,’ she snapped. ‘You could have insisted on having legal representation present.’
I couldn’t take it anymore. ‘What does it matter?’ I burst out. ‘Clem is dead. Mimi is dead. George and Tristan are dead. What difference does it make!’
A heavy silence fell over the room. Jeannie was right, of course. With multiple deaths in such a short space of time, all of us were under scrutiny. The weight of it all suddenly felt crushing. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes and Miles moved to sit beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. ‘It’s going to be all right,’ he murmured, but his voice lacked conviction.
