“You too. Be safe out there,” said Carol. “There’s a murderer about.”
Eleven
Carol turned thehandle and shook the door. Locked. It had been an effort to get up the steps.
Beside the lift doors on her floor, the top floor, there were doors to the stairs. As far as she could tell, this was the only entry to the roof. Police tape had been stretched over it in anX.
“You lost?”
She turned. It was Tyler, the scruffy teenage gardener, Elisa’s son.
“You ain’t supposed to go up there.”
“Why is it locked?”
“Dunno. Police don’t want no one up there. Crime scene, innit?”
“Yes, but, I mean…why is there a lock at all? Isn’t that unusual? You could lock somebody up there, if you wanted to. I would have thought that wasn’t allowed.”
“Dunno. That’s the way they wanted it.”
“You fitted the lock?”
Tyler grunted in the affirmative.
“Who asked you to fit the lock?”
“D’you want me to help you back to your apartment?”
“I want you to tell me who asked you to fit that lock.”
Tyler looked over his shoulder, then spoke with menace. “I ain’t gotta tell you nuffin.”
Carol narrowed her eyes. If she had a trigger, it was bad manners. She and Tyler were close enough that she could land a headbutt on the bridge of his nose, then slam her heel into his foot. That would be enough for her to gain the upper hand. If she was carrying a weapon, she could finish him there and then.
Carol was shaken out of her violent fantasy by a female voice, echoing down the corridor.
“Can I help you? Are you a little lost?” It was Elisa.
“Oh, sorry,” said Carol. “I sometimes get a bit confused.”
“Oh, Carol, don’t worry. Let me help you down those steps.”
“It’s like a maze in here. This young man was being so helpful.”
“Thank you, Tyler,” said Elisa, placing a hand on her son’s shoulder. Tyler flinched, still young enough to be embarrassed by a touch from his mother, and scarpered. Elisa took Carol by the arm and led her toward the corridor. “I was just about to knock on your door, actually. I’m sure you heard about what happened.”
“I saw him fall.”
“Oh, yes, I did hear about that, yes. Now, I don’t want anybody to worry but the police are coming to speak with us all at five o’clock today. In the hall.”
“Oh, I see.”
“They probably just want to put everybody’s minds at ease.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“Were you friendly with Desmond?” asked Elisa. “You were in the baking group together, weren’t you?”
