The Cedar Face: DI Jewell book 3 (DI Elizabeth Jewell) by Carole Pitt Page A
Authors: Carole Pitt
Ads: Link
devastated when he lost out to me. I came along and took away his last opportunity for promotion.'
'It happens,' Elizabeth stated. 'You got the job because you were the right person. I wouldn't dwell on it too much.'
Jackie wiped away another tear. 'Can we get on?'
'This isn't a formal statement, more of a chat. We can do the formal stuff later. I thought it was better to get you away from your students. My boss says you have important information about Wilson.'
Jackie fiddled with her bag then stubbed out her cigarette only to light another. 'Keith collected unusual art. He had many interests, being an art teacher you would expect that, but he was obsessive about his collection. He was a competent artist himself but not a commercially viable one. He believed in painting for spiritual release . We had plenty of arguments about art and career choices in the art world. Keith wouldn't accept students needed commercial talents to get anywhere. He believed you were born an artist and no amount of teaching turned you into one. I think differently. Those who choose to follow the fine art path without any talent have no chance of doing well.'
Elizabeth needed to steer Jackie back on track . 'So what's this information?'
Jackie's hand shook as she picked up her coffee. 'It all started after I invited Jacob Morven to Grasmere.'
Over the years Elizabeth had learned how to interpret witness statements. Whether it helped solve crimes was another matter but in the field of forensic linguistics recent progress had helped officers identify individuals who consistently lied. Elizabeth was no expert, but had learned from experience . Studying body language wasn't a difficult science. If Jackie lied to her, she would know.
'Towards the end of the six weeks project on First Nations art everyone who took part had to do a five minute presentation about their work. Keith asked me if he could talk to them afterwards as he had something to show us. He seemed excited and upbeat, which was unusual for him. He brought in a box and made a performance about opening it and unwrapping what was inside. To me the object looked very unremarkable, a wooden mask with no eyeholes. Jade Harper made a big fuss about it, telling the rest of them how she'd seen a similar one in a museum during her trip to the North West area of British Columbia. She's a girl who likes to take centre stage, and boasted that she knew exactly where the mask originated from and how old it was. To be honest the rest of the students were fascinated and waited for Jade and Keith to tell them more, but he just clammed up and put the mask back in the box. Then the subject came up as to whether the mask was valuable. Keith wasn't going to answer but the kids pressured him. He admitted he didn't know which I thought was strange. Keith liked to brag when he had a captive audience so I assumed the mask was worthless apart from any intrinsic value. Jade kept badgering him, insisting it was worth quite a lot, which made me wonder how she really knew. Then Keith started to bang on about how his life was about to change and how he would give up teaching and bugger off. We all thought he was talking nonsense until he hinted it was to do with Morven. I suspected he was lying because he didn't even know the man . Anyway, it all blew over until the day before Morven 's talk. Jade came to my office and told me the mask was very rare and I should make sure Keith had it valued. I asked her how she knew and she explained she'd seen a similar one on the internet, listed in one of Sotheby's auctions in New York. Someone had paid almost two million dollars for it. I should have spoken to Keith straightaway, but didn 't and that's why I feel guilty.'
Elizabeth paused before answering, hoping to strike the right balance. 'You shouldn 't feel guilty. There was nothing you could have done to prevent his death.'
'You don't understand,' she said . 'I believe Keith did show the mask to Morven, and Morven
'It happens,' Elizabeth stated. 'You got the job because you were the right person. I wouldn't dwell on it too much.'
Jackie wiped away another tear. 'Can we get on?'
'This isn't a formal statement, more of a chat. We can do the formal stuff later. I thought it was better to get you away from your students. My boss says you have important information about Wilson.'
Jackie fiddled with her bag then stubbed out her cigarette only to light another. 'Keith collected unusual art. He had many interests, being an art teacher you would expect that, but he was obsessive about his collection. He was a competent artist himself but not a commercially viable one. He believed in painting for spiritual release . We had plenty of arguments about art and career choices in the art world. Keith wouldn't accept students needed commercial talents to get anywhere. He believed you were born an artist and no amount of teaching turned you into one. I think differently. Those who choose to follow the fine art path without any talent have no chance of doing well.'
Elizabeth needed to steer Jackie back on track . 'So what's this information?'
Jackie's hand shook as she picked up her coffee. 'It all started after I invited Jacob Morven to Grasmere.'
Over the years Elizabeth had learned how to interpret witness statements. Whether it helped solve crimes was another matter but in the field of forensic linguistics recent progress had helped officers identify individuals who consistently lied. Elizabeth was no expert, but had learned from experience . Studying body language wasn't a difficult science. If Jackie lied to her, she would know.
'Towards the end of the six weeks project on First Nations art everyone who took part had to do a five minute presentation about their work. Keith asked me if he could talk to them afterwards as he had something to show us. He seemed excited and upbeat, which was unusual for him. He brought in a box and made a performance about opening it and unwrapping what was inside. To me the object looked very unremarkable, a wooden mask with no eyeholes. Jade Harper made a big fuss about it, telling the rest of them how she'd seen a similar one in a museum during her trip to the North West area of British Columbia. She's a girl who likes to take centre stage, and boasted that she knew exactly where the mask originated from and how old it was. To be honest the rest of the students were fascinated and waited for Jade and Keith to tell them more, but he just clammed up and put the mask back in the box. Then the subject came up as to whether the mask was valuable. Keith wasn't going to answer but the kids pressured him. He admitted he didn't know which I thought was strange. Keith liked to brag when he had a captive audience so I assumed the mask was worthless apart from any intrinsic value. Jade kept badgering him, insisting it was worth quite a lot, which made me wonder how she really knew. Then Keith started to bang on about how his life was about to change and how he would give up teaching and bugger off. We all thought he was talking nonsense until he hinted it was to do with Morven. I suspected he was lying because he didn't even know the man . Anyway, it all blew over until the day before Morven 's talk. Jade came to my office and told me the mask was very rare and I should make sure Keith had it valued. I asked her how she knew and she explained she'd seen a similar one on the internet, listed in one of Sotheby's auctions in New York. Someone had paid almost two million dollars for it. I should have spoken to Keith straightaway, but didn 't and that's why I feel guilty.'
Elizabeth paused before answering, hoping to strike the right balance. 'You shouldn 't feel guilty. There was nothing you could have done to prevent his death.'
'You don't understand,' she said . 'I believe Keith did show the mask to Morven, and Morven
Similar Books
