man in Kassia’s life had captured Wesley’s attention and he couldn’t quite believe that these people knew nothing about him. There must be something, however small, that she’d let slip even if they weren’t aware of it. ‘Please think hard. It could be very important. This man she was involved with: can you remember anything she said about him? Anything at all?’
Scarlett and Pixie exchanged looks, as if each was wondering if the other was in possession of some secret knowledge. It was Pixie who finally broke the silence.
‘Remember when I went into Tradmouth with her a couple of days ago?’
Scarlett nodded.
‘We were walking down the High Street and she dodged into a side alley. She said there was someone she didn’t want to see. When I asked her about it she said she thought she’d seen someone from her past.’
‘Was it a man?’ Wesley asked.
Pixie shrugged. ‘She just said someone she knew once. Could have been a woman, I suppose. I really don’t know.’
‘When was this?’
‘Last week… Thursday maybe. Come to think of it, she did seem a bit jumpy after that.’
‘Was it the man she was involved with, do you reckon?’
There was a flicker in Pixie’s eyes, something Wesley couldn’t read. ‘Sorry. No idea.’
‘What about her family? Do you know anything about them?’
Scarlett shook her head. ‘She said they were dead. She never talked about them.’
‘How long has she lived here?’
‘About four months. Someone left and we put an advert on the noticeboard of the wholefood supermarket in Neston. She was the first to answer and we liked the look of her.’
‘You didn’t check her out? Get references?’
Scarlett gave him a scathing look. ‘We like to trust our instincts.’
‘What did she tell you about her life before she came here?’
‘She said she’d lived in London for a while and that she’d dropped out of uni. She decided to come down here and try her luck busking in Neston.’
‘Anything else? Anything at all?’
‘I think she said her grandparents came from up North,’ said Scarlett. ‘She might have mentioned Manchester but I’m not sure. She was always vague about details. Evasive.’
Pixie nodded in agreement.
‘Does she have a computer here?’
‘I won’t allow computers in the house. Don’t believe in them,’ Scarlett said piously.
Pixie’s face went red and Wesley suspected he might have disobeyed the house rule. But that was hardly a crime.
‘What about a mobile phone? Did she own one?’
‘No,’ Pixie said. ‘We’ve got one between us, a sort of house phone. She used to give people that number if they needed to get in touch with her and whoever answered it would pass on the message. Once she’d joined this early music group we got a few calls from the man who led it – Dan his name is – arranging rehearsals and all that.’
‘Nothing else?’
‘No.’
‘Dan says he’s been trying to get in touch but there’s been no answer.’
Scarlett sniffed. ‘We can’t always get a signal here. That’s probably why.’
Wesley thought it unusual that this young woman should be so dismissive of modern technology but he assumed her rejection of the modern world was a matter of principle. He couldn’t help feeling a small twinge of sympathy with her stance.
Gerry stood up. ‘We’ll send someone round to take your statements and ask where you were at the time of Kassia’s death. Don’t worry, it’s just routine.’
‘Can we have a look at her room before we go?’ Wesley asked.
Scarlett led the way up a once-magnificent staircase which wouldn’t have taken a great deal of effort to polish up and restore to its former glory. Kassia’s room was near the top of the stairs and Scarlett opened the door reverently.
‘Nobody’s been in here,’ she explained. ‘We take our privacy very seriously.’ She looked around as she stepped into the room, as though the surroundings were unfamiliar to her.
Wesley stood behind
Scarlett and Pixie exchanged looks, as if each was wondering if the other was in possession of some secret knowledge. It was Pixie who finally broke the silence.
‘Remember when I went into Tradmouth with her a couple of days ago?’
Scarlett nodded.
‘We were walking down the High Street and she dodged into a side alley. She said there was someone she didn’t want to see. When I asked her about it she said she thought she’d seen someone from her past.’
‘Was it a man?’ Wesley asked.
Pixie shrugged. ‘She just said someone she knew once. Could have been a woman, I suppose. I really don’t know.’
‘When was this?’
‘Last week… Thursday maybe. Come to think of it, she did seem a bit jumpy after that.’
‘Was it the man she was involved with, do you reckon?’
There was a flicker in Pixie’s eyes, something Wesley couldn’t read. ‘Sorry. No idea.’
‘What about her family? Do you know anything about them?’
Scarlett shook her head. ‘She said they were dead. She never talked about them.’
‘How long has she lived here?’
‘About four months. Someone left and we put an advert on the noticeboard of the wholefood supermarket in Neston. She was the first to answer and we liked the look of her.’
‘You didn’t check her out? Get references?’
Scarlett gave him a scathing look. ‘We like to trust our instincts.’
‘What did she tell you about her life before she came here?’
‘She said she’d lived in London for a while and that she’d dropped out of uni. She decided to come down here and try her luck busking in Neston.’
‘Anything else? Anything at all?’
‘I think she said her grandparents came from up North,’ said Scarlett. ‘She might have mentioned Manchester but I’m not sure. She was always vague about details. Evasive.’
Pixie nodded in agreement.
‘Does she have a computer here?’
‘I won’t allow computers in the house. Don’t believe in them,’ Scarlett said piously.
Pixie’s face went red and Wesley suspected he might have disobeyed the house rule. But that was hardly a crime.
‘What about a mobile phone? Did she own one?’
‘No,’ Pixie said. ‘We’ve got one between us, a sort of house phone. She used to give people that number if they needed to get in touch with her and whoever answered it would pass on the message. Once she’d joined this early music group we got a few calls from the man who led it – Dan his name is – arranging rehearsals and all that.’
‘Nothing else?’
‘No.’
‘Dan says he’s been trying to get in touch but there’s been no answer.’
Scarlett sniffed. ‘We can’t always get a signal here. That’s probably why.’
Wesley thought it unusual that this young woman should be so dismissive of modern technology but he assumed her rejection of the modern world was a matter of principle. He couldn’t help feeling a small twinge of sympathy with her stance.
Gerry stood up. ‘We’ll send someone round to take your statements and ask where you were at the time of Kassia’s death. Don’t worry, it’s just routine.’
‘Can we have a look at her room before we go?’ Wesley asked.
Scarlett led the way up a once-magnificent staircase which wouldn’t have taken a great deal of effort to polish up and restore to its former glory. Kassia’s room was near the top of the stairs and Scarlett opened the door reverently.
‘Nobody’s been in here,’ she explained. ‘We take our privacy very seriously.’ She looked around as she stepped into the room, as though the surroundings were unfamiliar to her.
Wesley stood behind
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