“Fuck. It could be a coincidence?” I say because it could, but I’m not convinced. I flex both my arms and place them behind my head as I spin.
“What exactly happened in the book?” Willow asks, looking between us because it’s clear the others are clueless to our theory.
“There's a number of murders throughout, but someone is hit over the head and drowns in the pool. Pretty sure they used a shovel though.” I say, remembering it was indeed a shovel, lodged into a flower bed that the parish council had been working on for the summer fate.
“Who was the killer?” Lily asks hoarsely.
“It was the wife. She found out not only was her husband cheating, but he was going to remove her from the village council. It’s all she had.” Cardinal explains, before frowning to himself. I can’t help but smirk, because he’s totally fallen into the storyline like I had. She was a brilliant writer, no doubt about it.
“It has nothing to do with Corbin’s death.” I say with a flat tone, putting a stop to this. “I was with her most of the night and had my door open, opposite his room. I didn’t hear anything. That means he didn’t go back to his room.” I don’t tell the girls about him trying to assault Robin.
“I didn’t see him downstairs before I came up.” Lily chimes in.
“So he must have gone back outside and ended up in the pool house.”
“Phin and I stayed up most of the night in our room talking. God, I don’t even think either of us left to lock up for the night.” He winces, realising his grave error. Not locking up the hotel meant everyone could come and go as they please; or if someone somehow had gotten onto the property, they could have slipped inside. If the cameras hadn’t picked anything up, it meant that person was already on the property.
Fuck. Maybe the detectives were right.
“Where were you both?” I nod at the girls.
“I said goodnight to my friends, and Aya, before heading to bed, probably half an hour after we all went inside.” Lily sniffles, running the side of her thumb under her eyes.
“You saw my sister?” Cardinal asks suddenly, very invested in the conversation.
She nods. “Yes, the sweetheart was in the lobby but I just didn’t think anything of it. She asked where we’d kept everyone’s car keys, but I assumed the office would be locked. She said something about just using her spare and she’d get you to grab the other pair before leaving.” His brows furrow into a permanently displeased line.
“Did she say anything else?”
“I’m sorry, no. I went straight up to bed and didn’t wake up till seven.” She gives him a watery half smile.
“What about you?” I ask Willow, who rolls her eyes like this is the biggest inconvenience. Confident, with her hands on her hips, Cardinal looks down her body like he’s offended she’s barely clothed.
“Jesus, can't you put a t-shirt on or something?”
She pops her hip out further in his direction and points a sharp nail at him. “I could, but then I’d be giving in to apes like you who can’t concentrate around a pair of boobs. Sounds like ayouproblem.” Ripping his own t-shirt over his head to reveal hard abs and unexpectedly dark tattoos that flow onto his chest and back. Her eyebrows hit her hairline as he throws the t-shirt at her, and grumbles she should wear it. Pausing, she reluctantly puts it on, the material brushes her knees because it’s so long.
“I went straight to bed. I was going to have a little drink with Mavis, but she wanted to head up straight away with Bran.”
“Her boyfriend? I had a nightcap with him before going to bed, but that was for at least an hour. It was just the two of us.” Cardinal replies and we all frown.
Right ok, so we needed to talk to Mavis.
OUR little group didn't stay outside for long after we narrated our whereabouts on Friday. The girls went upstairs whilst Merle went to find Phoenix, leaving me with the grump who stuck his giant hand out across my body as we passed the library. I'd been aiming to grab a coffee from the kitchen, but voices hit us through the slightly cracked open doorway. Before my brain can catch up however, I make a protesting noise, but he slams a large palm over my mouth and pulls me closer to himself and the door. I instinctively lick, pushing at his still naked chest to let go of my face.
“Stop being such a weirdo and listen!” He whisper hisses. Giving him the middle finger, I shoot him a glare which of course is returned. I've never been one of those guys to feel challenged by another male, but the moment Roo laughed and smiled at him, I felt like I needed to stand taller and be louder. It was fucking weird, like I needed her to ignore the bastard and pay me all of her attention I clearly crazed.
“Miss Osbourne can I just get you to confirm one more time. Mr Hastings–Wren, punched Mr Claythorne because he was kissing you?”
“No. As I'll say again, for the fourth time, he didn't kiss me. He pinned me to the wall and wouldn't let me go. Wren dragged him off me.”
“Right, ok. Got it.” That's Starling, humming.
“So what then? Did Mr Hastings stay in your room?”
“No. He went back to his room and I stayed in mine.”
“Until?” That’s Goldie, who's impatience leaks through the door.
