I stood in the exact same spot as Percy and Sissy, twirling a branch one that may have covered her body not that long ago.
Last night brought nothing, the girl’s face did not rung any bells and retracing my steps had not unearthed any major discoveries. I slowly walked back home with a heavy heart; the officer would be disappointed that my detective days are over. On returning I noticed a police van parked outside my house. “Maybe I did do it.” My old insecurities had returned with gusto. “These officers are asking where everyone was on at the night of the murder.” I recognised one from the police station. “Memnun oldum.” Hey my Turkish isn’t that bad. I gave him a knowing wink. They knew I was a part of the team and were just going through the motions, the officer looked a bit unnerved. I pointed first to him then to myself, whispering “Together, we are together.” Or that is what I thought I said in Turkish. My wife looked at me horrified. She recounted that we were in the house all-night and translated my confirmation and whisked them out of the house as quickly as she could. The officer glaring back at me with anger and confusion. “Well, that went well and my Turkish is improving, isn’t it my love?” “No, it isn’t, you said to him that you and him were together and in love.” “Oh dear.”
The officers phoned back to the office. “Any joy?” “Nothing, except one person was very suspicious, he said I was with him and we were in love.” “That wouldn’t be Mr Miller by any chance?” “How did you know?” “Just a guess. Good job boys, are you coming back to the office now?” “Soon boss, just got to question them folks on the top of the hill.” “Leave it, we have an agreement not to disturb them.” “But boss maybe...” “You heard me, get back to the station at once.”
Percy had a swagger in his step as he strode down the stairs, he was all man. The smell of fresh coffee and toast wafted in the air as he greeted his wife. “Good morning my darling.” As he stretched his arms, she ran up to him and kissed him slowly on the cheek. “Just perfect purrrfect my Percy.” A calm love had descended on the house. “And what have you been doing my love?” “Well, I’ve been going through 1930s killings but there are so many, it’s giving me a headache.” Percy gently closed her laptop. “You need some rest, why don’t we go out with the English group tonight? To celebrate our achievement.” “Yes, dear. That would be lovely.” A smile growing on her face. “Mum’s the word, Sissy.” “Of course it is.”
I took the bus into town to see the officer. I was hoping I had taken the wrong one and would end up in Calcutta. But I arrived quicker than I thought. The officers’ room was open. I passed by the police officer from today, who moved away from me very quickly. I knocked quietly on the open door. “Ah, come in Mr Miller, I’ve been expecting you. So what news do you have?” “Well, I don’t recognise the girl and I remember one neighbour who passed me. Mustafa.” “Mustafa Erman.” “Evet.” He glanced at his notes. “No, his alibi is watertight. So, is that it?” “Well, yes officer.” My detective career was well and truly over. “Well then, thank you for your time Mr Miller.” His disappointment was clearly visible when he was showing me the door. “There was one other thing, that I thought was a bit odd,” I said suddenly. “Go on.” He returned to his seat. “As I left my house, all the houses were dark except one, which had all its lights on and I heard a car’s motor in the distance.” “And where was this house?” “Oh, that one on top of the hill.” The officer fiddled with his papers on the desk, looking visibly uncomfortable. “It’s not illegal to have lights on in a house Mr Miller,” he said with a pretend smile and chuckle. “If it was, we would be locking up everyone.” “I didn’t say they’d done anything wrong, officer. It just looked a bit odd.” I was quite taken back by his demure, he was riddling in his seat. “Well, that will be all then. Do contact us if you have any more information. Goodbye.” In a flash I was standing outside the police station. “What was all that about?” I mused, scratching my head.
In a daze I caught the bus home. What was all that about, I couldn’t figure it out. When the bus was driving towards my road, I gazed up at the house on the top of hill, who lives there and why at the sheer mention of the place did he become uncomfortable and why was the house lit up like a Christmas tree in the early hours of that morning. I had no answers to any of these questions. I decided to keep stum and chew on it in silence.
“You look dreadful.” “No, it’s okay. It’s just I had nothing to give to the officer,” I said, staring blankly into thin air. “Let’s go out tonight. You’ve had a stressful few days.” “That’s true.” “Let’s join the English group tonight, eh?” I didn’t t have the heart to refuse; she looked so enthusiastic. “Okay then.” But the sheer mention of the group sent shudders down my spine.
They were meeting, English speaking natives, once a month at the Black Horse pub. A more desperate ramshackled annoying group you could ever wish to meet. At home I would avoid them all like the plague but we were expats and were bound to each other like shackles.
The group consisted primarily of Anthony and his wife, a couple of middle-aged Londoners, he with a white curly mullet and she with the intelligence of a very slow tortoise. They mocked everyone, especially people like me from the north of England. it got so bad that I told him one New Year’s Eve that he was like Hitler or Stalin in his attitude. His wife was offended by the comparison to Stalin, but said nothing about Hitler. Some of the group had washed up on these shores to escape problems at home and create a new identity. Anthony and his wife had been booted out of a few areas in Turkey, and for some reason couldn’t go back home. I was pretty sure if they did the police would be waiting for them. Another elderly couple just roamed around the world aimlessly; an Irish woman who seemed to have no friends had decided to up sticks and plonked herself here as randomly as sticking a pin in a map. But most had come to teach English as a foreign language, after obtaining the most meagre exam results back home. One such person was John who worked at a private school. When I pointed out he had no qualifications for this he quickly changed the subject. A few others had retired from this and lived out their life in penniless loneliness. Occasionally some others joined the group, a couple from the states who’d arrived a few years ago. So full of themselves. There was nothing they hadn’t done or nothing they couldn’t afford.
We entered the bar, our presence greeted as if someone had just shit on their table. After a few seconds came the fake greetings. “How we doing mate,” with a slap on my back from the Cockney throwback. I’d put a time limit of being here, just one hour. I glanced at the clock it was 8.02. So 58 minutes to go. The conversation turned to the best cheese shop, which shops had closed and opened in town, someone once had a speeding fine. I yawned. “Too many late nights, old fella?” Cheeky chappy Cockney remarked. No, you’re all so fucking BOOOORRRING. I didn’t say that of course. “Well, lots going on near me. “Oh, you mean the murder.” At that point, the flash couple walked into the room to kindly grace our presence. I hope we are not interrupting anything, said Percy with a swagger. Both were dressed as if they were Hollywood actors from a bygone age.
“Well, what were you talking about when we rudely interrupted you?” “I was just about to mention the murder.” “And what murder would that be?” “The one in our village.” “Ah, I see, but how do you know it is murder, Mr Miller?” “Well, it’s all over the papers.” I was about to say the police told him but thought better of it. “So, you believe everything you read?” puffing on his cigar in a none smoking establishment. “And do they know who died and who did it?” “No, urm, that is a mystery.” His wife suddenly said, “So, what’s been going on in town?” and the same conversation as before did the rounds. “Well, we can see that they’re building a new block of flats on the edge of town.” Percy chipped in. The group turned to each other with fake interest. “Oh, I’ve not seen that” said someone. “Yes, we have a good view of the whole town from our house.” “And where would that be?” I asked, starting to be interested in the conversation. “Oh, sorry, I never said we live in that large house on the top of the hill, not that far from your place, Mr Miller.” “You live there!” “You all must come sometime.” They all nodded like excited children. I looked at them carefully and paused before I spoke. “Yes, I noticed your house early one morning a few days ago,” I said nonchalantly. “All the lights were on and I think you had a car running.” I had never taken my eyes off them, one of Percy’s cheeks flinched and Sissy nervously laughed. “What an odd thing to notice Mr Miller. We were getting the house ready for a guest.” Percy patted her thighs. “Come on, let’s get the party started,” said the annoying Cockney and he want on to murder Bohemian Rapsody on the karaoke machine. I checked my watch, it was 9 pm. I had survived. I bid our goodbyes to the relief of the others. When we were out, “What’s so odd about lights being on David?” questioned my wife in a puzzled look. “Nothing. Yet.”
Percy gently patted his wife’s bottom as they left the pub. “yYu little minx,” he said looking at her admiringly. “This is fun,” giving a little widdle as she walked towards the car. “Did I do well?” “You did perfect, guest indeed.” Back home she looked a bit troubled. “You don’t think they suspect anything?” “No, They are all just jealous that we live in this beautiful house.” She was reassured. Opening her laptop she said, “I can’t find anything I like in the 193os or in the 40s. Is it okay if we skip to 1950s?” “You’re the researcher.”
She looked up at him lovingly. This had given a new meaning to her life and she had not put a foot wrong so far, he thought.
I had started to fall into a listless depression, the obsessions had kicked in and I was driving my wife round the bend. “Is that picture straight enough?” “I don’t know, you’ve moved it at least 20 times today.” “They say this film maybe based on a true story, but they’re not sure.” The night would then consist of rabbit hole, Google searches until it was too late to see the film. I was well and truly back to my normal. The only chink of life was my interest in the murder and the Grainger’s.
Media interest in the murder had waned and few people spoke or cared about it, especially when the rumour circulated that it was a refugee that had got lost having come to shore.
I didn’t think the Grainger’s had anything to do with it but, but inside I felt something was wrong; from asking around I found that their money and businesses ran this town, did they even have the police in their pocket? I dismissed this as nonsense but the officer did look troubled when I enquired about the house we now know is theirs. This is all just my over active sick mind, I thought and I took myself to bed again.
Percy walked down the stairs blurry eyed after the night before. His wife sat at her desk lost in thought. “Look, what do you think of this. A middle-aged couple living in isolated area fell of a cliff near their house, it seemed suspicious but was filed as an accident.” Percy paced the room mulling this over. Sissy pushed her case. “The risk of us being caught is minimal, DNA etc.” He scratched his ear. “Okay then, we’ll do it.”
From the balcony he could see for miles with binoculars in hand. He noticed some blue plastic sheets, a sure sign of nomads living there. “I’m just going out darling.” “See you later,” she winked, knowing he was onto her plan. He drove up a deserted dust road lined with dead olive trees with not a soul in sight. Parked at a safe distance, he scanned the camp and noticed a solitary tent a big distance from others. Could this be it, he thought. He noticed there was a septate dirt track leading to this tent. Perfect. He sped off to home in a determined fashion.
“Is the electric car charged? We’re going on an adventure.” “Should I make sandwiches?” “Yes, and a flask of coffee.” Her little heart raced. This is just so thrilling, she muttered to herself. On the journey he filled her in on all of details he had found. “There’s a deserted dust road leading to the tent, we’ll park as close as safely possible and see who lives there.” They waited binoculars in hand, eating cheese sandwiches and drinking coffee. “Look, there’s a middle-aged man and woman coming.” Sissy clapped her hands in thrill. “Shush. Okay, this is it.” There was nothing left but waiting now.
As the sun was just starting to go down, he drove up close to the tent on the edge. They approached the tent and he repeated the Turkish sentence he had just learnt from Google. “Our car broke down and we are lost.” The couple came out to help. Sissy gently took the woman’s hand. They all slowly walked up to the cliff’s edge. Percy pointed into the distance, the man and woman looked and as if on cue, Percy pushed the man and Sissy the woman, over the cliff. It was one hell of a drop. The gentle thud thud of their bodies and a slight moan from the woman was all that could be heard. Sissy dusted her hands down, Percy grabbed her by the waist. “What a beautiful sunset.” Then he led the way to the car. They both sat in quiet contemplation on the way back home, Percy especially pleased at how silent the electric car was. Then he had an idea. “Let’s make sure we’ve covered our tracks, let’s go for a meal.” He turned the car round and went into the town centre. They stopped at the first place they found, went in and ordered a meal. Percy then turned to the clients in the restaurant. “Has anybody got the right time?” “8.30” came a few voices. “it’s as I thought dear, my watch must have stopped, it states 8 pm.” He made sure the waiter noticed, shaking his head to signal how silly he was. “Well, that’s done let’s tuck in.”
Sissy gazed at him as if he was Tom Cruise in the cockpit of Top Gun and started to hum the title music to herself, “Take my breath away.”
The story concludes next Saturday...
