The Corpse with the Sapphire Eyes by Cathy Ace Page A

Well, not Alice, I guess, because there’s no way she’d get down here because of her wheelchair. But anyone else. We just don’t know.” Bud sounded exasperated. Not with me, I hope.
    I had to admit it. “You’re right, Bud. In fact we hardly know anything about the whole matter. If I’m brutally honest, we don’t even know if any foul play took place at all. And I don’t like not knowing. I can’t help it. It’s my nature. I like to understand things. And this is a puzzle.”
    â€œA puzzle. A maybe-murder mystery? With treasure?” Siân had finally roused herself. “Sounds just like your cup of tea, doesn’t it?” Is she sneering?
    â€œIf you like,” I replied softly. She didn’t look well. Beneath the glow of her suntan, I could see that her face was drained.
    â€œHow are you doing, Siân?” I asked.
    Siân shook her head in despair. “Not good, sis, not good at all. I thought I’d put it all behind me. I honestly thought I’d got over what he did to me, how he made me feel at the time, and the anger that I allowed to grow inside me afterwards. But seeing him lying there, like that, it’s all as fresh as it ever was. Oddly enough, I can even remember how very much I loved him. And why. I feel sorry for him.” She rubbed her face with both hands. “I’ve got to pull myself together. I cannot allow him to win again. I will not become full of the same hate. We have to find out who killed him. However horrible he was to me, no one deserves to die before their time. Not even him. I was a nurse. I helped to save lives. Then I created two new lives, my children, and now I keep them safe. I owe it to him, as a human being I cared about, to help him now, the only way I can.”
    She stood, steadying herself against the chair. I reached up and put my arm around her shoulder. She’s a good three inches taller than me, so I stood on tiptoe. This time she allowed me to comfort her.
    â€œI’m so sorry, Siân, I know this must be difficult for you,” I said.
    â€œIt’s okay, Cait. I’ll be fine. I just have to come to terms with how all this is making me feel. It’s weird. I don’t like it. But I’m really glad you’re both here, because you can help me work out how he died and who killed him.”
    â€œOh no, we’re not doing anything like that,” said Bud firmly.
    Siân gave Bud a cold stare. “I don’t know you well, Bud, nor, frankly, do I really know my sister—as an adult. But I do know what you two have done for complete strangers, when justice has needed serving. Cait’s at least shared that with me in her emails. So, maybe, this time, you can help someone who’s family.”
    It was clear that this was a critical moment for the future of my relationship with my sister. I chose my words carefully.
    â€œI think we could at least make some inquiries, Bud,” I said gently.
    Bud and I locked eyes. Eventually, he nodded. “It’s the moral thing to do, and the right thing to do, I know,” he said quietly. I smiled my gratitude.
    â€œThank you, both,” said Siân. “If someone meant to kill David, by whatever means, then I’d like to know who it was, and why they did it. I’ll be honest and say I’m surprised at myself, because I didn’t think I’d care if, or when, or how he died. But I do. And if we can find out who did it, then, I admit, I think I might be tempted to shake their hand. I know that causing someone’s death is wrong. I do. Of course I do. Everyone does. But, frankly, for most of my adult life, I’d have fought off a crowd to be able to push him down the stairs myself.”
    She nibbled her lip as Bud and I stood in silence, then added, “I . . . I am finding it hard to believe that I’m so . . . that I feel so strongly about this.”
    Bud