person or persons,” replied Karl, deliberately omitting the grisly details of Ivana’s gruesome murder: her throat had been cut from ear to ear, almost severing the head.
Naomi sniffed more, dabbing tears with a wet Kleenex. “They’re evil … evil, Karl.”
“Hello,” said a voice, directly behind Karl and Naomi, interrupting the conversation.
Turning, Karl stared directly into the face of Detective Malcolm Chambers.
“Hello,” said Karl, trying to control the rise in his voice. “Naomi, this is Detective Malcolm Chambers, one of Detective Inspector Mark Wilson’s
new
and
improved
men.”
“Oh … hello,” sniffed Naomi, reaching out her hand.
“Hello,” responded Chambers, smiling, shaking Naomi’s hand before directing his attention back to Karl. “This is weird, but I still don’t know
your
name.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Karl, easing Naomi back, closer, away from the smiling Chambers.
“I’ve been put in charge of the Gilmore murder inquiry.”
“The Gilmore? Oh … Ivana.” Hearing Ivana’s surname being spokenwas almost alien to Karl’s ears. “Don’t take offence, Detective, but just how many murder inquiries have you been involved
in?
”
“This … this is actually my first.”
“It’s good to see the police are taking this seriously,” replied Karl, sarcastically.
“Have you any suspects, Detective Chambers?” asked Naomi.
“Well …” Chambers looked uncertain. “Actually, the inquiry is ongoing, and I’m not supposed to divulge anything to the public.”
“We’re … we were Ivana’s best friends. Practically family,” assured Naomi. “Surely you could tell us?”
Chambers glanced over his shoulder. A police photographer stood a few yards away, snapping pictures of the mourners and gathering onlookers. “We have a suspect in custody.”
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Naomi.
“That was quick,” said Karl, his face knotting slightly. “Who is it?”
“Please, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone – especially the media.”
“No. Of course not,” said Naomi, easing closer to the young detective.
“A Mister Vincent Harrison. He was seen leaving the Gilmore house at the time of the murder.”
Naomi’s face paled. “Oh my goodness.”
“He’s denying everything, of course, but it’s only a matter of time before he admits it. Initially, we thought it was a burglary gone wrong. But we got a tip from a member of the public on the confidential phone line, stating they saw Harrison leave Gilmore’s house at the time of the murder.”
“That was nice and confidentially convenient,” stated Karl.
“You sound almost disappointed,” replied Chambers.
“Forgive my scepticism. Being an agnostic probably has something to do with it.”
“Well,
we
know for certain that Ivana had a date with Harrison,” cut in Naomi. “She told us that only a few days ago.”
“She did? That’s great,” proclaimed Chambers. “That’s a vital piece of information that could strengthen our case against Harrison’s denial, Naomi.”
“No,” corrected Karl. “That’s
hearsay
. We don’t know for a fact that Harrison ever went to Ivana’s. And we certainly aren’t
certain
of it, at all. Just what Ivana told us, at the time. It’s circumstantial and would be thrown out of any court in the land.”
“No need to be so gruff, Karl,” admonished Naomi, face flushing slightly. “I’m only telling Detective Chambers what Ivana said to us.”
“You seem to know a lot about the law … Karl,” said Chambers.
“I know a lot about everything, which makes me an expert on nothing.”
“Well, the evidence is piling up against Harrison, and that certainly won’t be hearsay.”
“What evidence?” asked Karl, not expecting an answer.
“I … I shouldn’t really be discussing it.”
“You can tell us,” said Naomi. “We won’t tell a soul. Promise.”
Chambers looked at Naomi, and then at Karl, before returning his gaze back
Naomi sniffed more, dabbing tears with a wet Kleenex. “They’re evil … evil, Karl.”
“Hello,” said a voice, directly behind Karl and Naomi, interrupting the conversation.
Turning, Karl stared directly into the face of Detective Malcolm Chambers.
“Hello,” said Karl, trying to control the rise in his voice. “Naomi, this is Detective Malcolm Chambers, one of Detective Inspector Mark Wilson’s
new
and
improved
men.”
“Oh … hello,” sniffed Naomi, reaching out her hand.
“Hello,” responded Chambers, smiling, shaking Naomi’s hand before directing his attention back to Karl. “This is weird, but I still don’t know
your
name.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Karl, easing Naomi back, closer, away from the smiling Chambers.
“I’ve been put in charge of the Gilmore murder inquiry.”
“The Gilmore? Oh … Ivana.” Hearing Ivana’s surname being spokenwas almost alien to Karl’s ears. “Don’t take offence, Detective, but just how many murder inquiries have you been involved
in?
”
“This … this is actually my first.”
“It’s good to see the police are taking this seriously,” replied Karl, sarcastically.
“Have you any suspects, Detective Chambers?” asked Naomi.
“Well …” Chambers looked uncertain. “Actually, the inquiry is ongoing, and I’m not supposed to divulge anything to the public.”
“We’re … we were Ivana’s best friends. Practically family,” assured Naomi. “Surely you could tell us?”
Chambers glanced over his shoulder. A police photographer stood a few yards away, snapping pictures of the mourners and gathering onlookers. “We have a suspect in custody.”
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Naomi.
“That was quick,” said Karl, his face knotting slightly. “Who is it?”
“Please, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone – especially the media.”
“No. Of course not,” said Naomi, easing closer to the young detective.
“A Mister Vincent Harrison. He was seen leaving the Gilmore house at the time of the murder.”
Naomi’s face paled. “Oh my goodness.”
“He’s denying everything, of course, but it’s only a matter of time before he admits it. Initially, we thought it was a burglary gone wrong. But we got a tip from a member of the public on the confidential phone line, stating they saw Harrison leave Gilmore’s house at the time of the murder.”
“That was nice and confidentially convenient,” stated Karl.
“You sound almost disappointed,” replied Chambers.
“Forgive my scepticism. Being an agnostic probably has something to do with it.”
“Well,
we
know for certain that Ivana had a date with Harrison,” cut in Naomi. “She told us that only a few days ago.”
“She did? That’s great,” proclaimed Chambers. “That’s a vital piece of information that could strengthen our case against Harrison’s denial, Naomi.”
“No,” corrected Karl. “That’s
hearsay
. We don’t know for a fact that Harrison ever went to Ivana’s. And we certainly aren’t
certain
of it, at all. Just what Ivana told us, at the time. It’s circumstantial and would be thrown out of any court in the land.”
“No need to be so gruff, Karl,” admonished Naomi, face flushing slightly. “I’m only telling Detective Chambers what Ivana said to us.”
“You seem to know a lot about the law … Karl,” said Chambers.
“I know a lot about everything, which makes me an expert on nothing.”
“Well, the evidence is piling up against Harrison, and that certainly won’t be hearsay.”
“What evidence?” asked Karl, not expecting an answer.
“I … I shouldn’t really be discussing it.”
“You can tell us,” said Naomi. “We won’t tell a soul. Promise.”
Chambers looked at Naomi, and then at Karl, before returning his gaze back
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