Inspector Charles gives a shudder, probably at the sight of the knife. In fact, he looks devastated, which strikes me as unusual for a hardened senior police officer.
Detective Donna provides the explanation for her boss's behavior. "The Inspector had to deal with a case almost identical to this, two years ago," she says. "Over on the Main Island. Young woman, knife in the chest. Only it wasn't just a young woman. She was the Inspector's niece. About the same age as your friend here. But she was pregnant."
Inspector Charles nods slowly. "In my mind for months I kept seeing that knife sticking from my niece's body." He shudders again and looks decidedly pale. "I still dream about it."
I turn to Kat in alarm. "Then the murderer could be …"
But Detective Donna cuts me off. "The murderer was arrested on the spot. The boyfriend. He had blood on his hands and clothes, standing there almost paralyzed and still holding the knife when we responded to a 911 call. He admitted to the murder. It happened during an argument about the unborn baby and their future. We had two reliable witnesses. He's safely behind bars and there for life."
Chung, the young police officer, has finished his photography and joins us. He kicks at the ground. "Before my time," he says, "but it's still the talk of the station. There hasn't been a murder since then on the islands – until now."
"A terrible crime." Inspector Charles seems to be recovering from the shock. "It should never have happened to someone so young. Maybe these things happen for no clear reason. A sudden compulsion to wound. Who can explain it?"
I'm not sure if he's referring to Sue or to his murdered niece, and I don't like to ask. He seems too shaken. Of course, all murder is terrible, male or female, young or old, friend or stranger. I'm feeling sick just staring down at Sue's body bobbing gently up and down in the small waves.
Inspector Charles says, "All right, everyone into the house." He's looking at all seven of us.
We go into the living room, and subconsciously sit in the same seats we were sitting in before he arrived.
The Inspector asks, "Okay, someone please tell me how the body moved from the lounge chair, where you all say it was, to being tied to the pier?"
"Well, I guess somebody moved it." The tone of Nadia's voice is shaky, yet impatient, implying that it's a stupid question.
Ignoring the unspoken accusation of stupidity, the Inspector continues. "Exactly, but who moved it? After you found the body, did you all stay together? And who got to the body first?"
We all nod our heads and quietly answer, "Yes, we all stayed together."
Erica adds, "Paul got to Sue first. He also went upstairs for a few minutes to get the note."
"What note?" the Inspector asks.
Paul hands the note to the Inspector who reads it to himself. "Okay, someone tell me what this is all about?"
We all start talking at the same time, trying to explain how we found the note on the front door, and how we thought it was some kind of joke.
"Slow down," the Inspector pleads.
We all turn to Paul.
"Okay, okay," Paul says, "it was a joke. Sue and I planned it at university as soon as you all agreed to come here. We thought it would be fun. I sent the sealed note to one of the servants to scotch-tape on the door before they left. They left Wednesday, and we arrived on Friday.
"But when Sue and I thought about it later, we didn't think it was such a good idea. We wanted these five days to be a fun and relaxing time, so we changed our minds. I tried to get to the door first when we arrived. I was going to take it down and tear it up. But Kit, you got there before me. And since everyone thought it was a joke anyway, I didn't say anything, so I put it in my room and Sue and I decided we wouldn't mention it again. We'd come up with all sorts of plans and surprises for the next five days anyway."
The Inspector examines the envelope. "Who was the first person to open it?"
I look at him. "I opened it and read it to myself, but then Steve grabbed it out of my hand."
Nadia says, "I took it from Steve before he could read it. Then I read it to the others."
The Inspector asks, "Think about this. Was the envelope sealed before you took the note out?"
Because he is looking at me, I say, "No, I'm sure it wasn't."
Nadia agrees. "I remember watching Kit open it. The envelope definitely wasn't torn open. The flap wasn't sealed."
The Inspector turns to Paul. "When you sent the note to your servants, was it sealed?"
"Yes, of course. Sue typed the note on her computer at university, and I did the word, 'Welcome' on the envelope and then sealed it. I put it into another envelope with a note for Kathy, one of the servants, to please put it on the door when they were leaving. Kathy phoned me to tell me she'd received the letter and would do as I asked her. She's been with my family since I was a little boy. Of all my parents' servants, she's always been my favorite. I trust her, and I'm sure she didn't look inside the envelope."
The Inspector turns to Steve and, waving the note in his hand, asks him, 'How long was Paul gone when he went upstairs to get this note?"
"I don't know. Maybe five … ten minutes."
The Inspector asks us, "Would you all agree that Paul was gone for five to ten minutes?"
I don't think any of us know for sure, but we all say, "Yes."
The Inspector looks grim. "That would be enough time for Paul to go around the house, take the body and put it into the water. It seems to me that he was gone a long time just to pick up a note."
We all gasp.
"Impossible!" I say. "We would have heard him going out there. Besides, he would have gotten wet when he tied the body on the pier."
Paul says, "I went to the bathroom while I was upstairs and washed my face and hands, trying to get my composure back so I could think straight and deal with Sue's death."
The Inspector turns to Paul. "You could have tied the body on the pier, then lowered it gently into the water. Maybe you thought you'd left too many fingerprints or DNA on the body, so you put it in the water hoping it would wash away any evidence against you."
Kat says, "But Paul brought the note back from his room, so we know he went upstairs."
"Did he? Maybe he had it in his pocket all the time."
"That's ridiculous," says Paul angrily. "Why would I want to kill Sue? What was my motive?"
The Inspector shakes his head. "Maybe the autopsy will reveal something to us."
"An autopsy?" With those words, Paul becomes silent. I can detect guilt and fear in his voice.
The Inspector says, "I need contact details for Sue Greene's home. It's better if the police let her family know about the tragedy, and not any of you."
We give him Sue's home phone number and address.
The Inspector puts it in his pocket. "I want you all to stay inside while Donna and Chung help me search for evidence for the next hour or so. And I'll be back tomorrow morning around ten. No one, I repeat, no one is to leave this island. And since the note says two of you will die, my advice is for you all to stay together. Double up your sleeping arrangements. No one should be alone for any length of time. If any of you think of anything that might help us solve this case, please let us know. Sometimes the smallest or most irrelevant thing can help in a big way. This afternoon someone from the Coroner's office will come and pick up the body, and a fingerprint expert will be here. So keep away from the area and don't touch anything."
He leaves and we stare at each other. I still can't believe this is happening. I walk over to Paul. "Don't worry, none of us here believe you killed Sue."
Paul looks miserable. "I hope you all feel that way tomorrow, when the Inspector returns with the autopsy report."
Those words and the anxious look on his face puzzle me.
Chapter 7
It's now about 4:00 in the afternoon. Sue's body was picked up around 2:00, and we all had our fingerprints taken. I don't know if the elderly man who dusted the area for prints found anything of use. He
spoke very little, and we were all too stunned to ask.
It's been a sad day, and I think it would help us a lot if we'd been allowed to speak to Sue's mom or dad. But maybe not. How would we know the best way to break such tragic news? Probably the Inspector will get someone in Sue's home town to call round.
We haven't eaten yet. No one touched any of the breakfast that the girls had prepared. I ask Kat if she'd like to help me make some sandwiches. She, of course, says, "Yes," and we go into the kitchen together.
We're in there about fifteen minutes when Erica joins us. We're cutting up tomatoes, onions, lettuce and other things for the sandwiches, and agree to just put them all on the counter, then everyone can come in and make their own sandwiches. Lunch meat is also available.
Erica sits down on one of the bar stools and begins to cry again. Between sobs she asks Kat, "Do you think Sue is in Heaven?"
Kat says, "I don't know for sure. Kit and I have shared many times with all of you about Christ and Heaven, but we're not sure if any of you have invited Him into your lives."
I decide to cut in. "If it was Kat's body out there instead of Sue's, and you were to ask me the same question, I could say, 'Yes, I know for sure Kat is in Heaven.' And I know that because she's said a prayer and invited Christ into her life. As we don't know if Sue has ever done that, we can't say for sure that she's in Heaven. All we know is that God looks into the heart of a person. We just look on the outside."
Kat says, "How about you, Erica? Do you think you'll go to Heaven when you die?"
"I'm not sure."
"Would you like to be sure?" Kat asks.
In a hushed voice, Erica says, "Yes," with tears filling her eyes again.
The three of us hold hands, and Kat prays for Erica, asking the Holy Spirit to help her to have faith and to believe in Jesus.
Erica has heard the plan of salvation in our church on the occasions when she came with us, and our Pastor always gives an altar call. She's also heard it from Kat and me as we often share with our group about Jesus and why He came to this earth. Our friends have always listened and never made fun or got mad at us. And they always seem to make a conscientious effort to hear what we're saying, never putting us down because of our beliefs. This is another reason why we're all such great friends. We respect each other.
Again Kat prays, and I notice Kat squeeze Erica's hand.
I say, "Erica, if you really want to know for sure that you are part of God's family, forgiven and accepted by Him just as you are, and will definitely go to Heaven when you die, please repeat this prayer after me. 'Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner … '"
We wait, but no words come from Erica's mouth.
Kat says, "Erica, if you don't want to invite Christ to come into your life, just tell us. We don't want to pressure you. The choice must be yours. You must have faith, and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord."
There's silence in the air. Then quietly we hear the words coming out of Erica's mouth. "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner."
Then, as if she knows the prayer by heart from hearing it when she came to our church, she continues with no help from us. With guidance from the Holy Spirit, she goes on, "I believe You are the Son of God, that You died for my sins, rose from the dead, and today I want to give my life to You. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me and giving me eternal life … Amen."
Kat and I squeeze each other's hands. We can hardly believe that Erica knows the whole prayer. And because of this, we're sure she's serious about asking Christ into her life. Kat and I are smiling and praising Jesus all the while Erica says the prayer, with no help from us.
When we look up, she has the biggest smile on her face, even though the corners of her eyes are filling up with tears that slide down her cheeks.
Kat asks her, "Erica, where do you feel Jesus is right now?"
Erica doesn't say a word, but with a look of peace she smiles and points to her heart.
We sit there for a long time with no one saying anything. We are just enjoying and taking in the moment, all of us with tears streaming down our faces. Steve and Nat come into the kitchen. They both look at us. They probably think we're crying over Sue's death. They begin making their sandwiches, so we get off our stools and join them as the others come in.
All three of us, I can tell, have this great joy and peace in our hearts. Erica is now sure that when she leaves this earth, she will spend eternity with God in His kingdom, and she knows the joy and peace of God's love and forgiveness now.
Chapter 8
Now that we've eaten, we sit around and chat. None of our conversations make any sense. We talk, then everyone becomes silent. Then someone starts talking again.
We avoid the main topic that's on our hearts: Who killed Sue? Is there someone else on the island? And if so, why would they want to kill any of us? We know no one here, except for Paul, and if he's made an enemy in the past, why was Sue killed and not him? We've never been here, and believe me, I'm sure none of us ever want to return to Paul's Island.
I keep wondering to myself, Could it have been Paul? Did he have time to go around the house and move Sue's body from the lounge chair into the sea? The answer is probably yes. But why would he do that? If he'd managed to kill Sue and not be seen, why would he then take the chance of someone seeing him move the body?
He would have needed to use the kitchen door to get outside. The chances of one of us hearing him would have been great. Paul is extremely intelligent. He'd know better than to take a risk like that.
I'm also wondering: What is he hiding? And why is he so broken up about Sue's death?
Thinking back to when we found the body, it was Paul who got there first, before any of us. It was Paul who said, "She's not breathing."
I'm wondering if perhaps Sue was still alive, so he stabbed her again before we went outside. I have to shake these thoughts from my mind. Paul and I are good friends, so how could I be thinking these things about him?
My imagination is running wild. Why? Maybe it's because the evidence is stacking up against Paul.
Again, why? What was Paul's motive? And why is he so concerned about the autopsy? Why did he say he's hoping none of us will change our minds about him being innocent after the report? Fingerprints? DNA? Some item of his clothing caught in Sue's fingers? None of us checked Sue for clues before Nat covered her body with a beach towel, in spite of Kat and me majoring in criminology. It's one thing to have the correct answers in class, and quite another to be confronted by a dead friend with a knife in her chest.
I look around at the group, wondering if any of them are having the same thoughts that I'm having.
I glance over at Kat, who gives a little smile. I want to wink at her, but I don't think it's the appropriate thing to do at this time. I decide that if this had been Kat dying instead of Sue, I would have reacted very much like Paul.
Thinking of this, I'm wondering if there might have been a deeper relationship between Paul and Sue, more than any of us know. Is that possible?
Nadia breaks the silence. "I'm tired. I want to go to my bedroom and rest, but I'm afraid to go there alone."
We all agree that we have to make new sleeping arrangements. Since there are twin beds in each room, the men decide to move another bed into Kat's so the three ladies can sleep together. I'm to move in with Paul, and Nat and Steve will continue to share.
Although it's not much after 10:00 we decide to go to our rooms and settle down, and think about what the Inspector said to us: "Let me know if you remember anything about last night, large or small, that might help me solve the murder."
My thoughts again turn to Paul. I'm wondering if he already had the note in his pocket. He's the one who knows this house and this island well enough to be free to move in and out quietly and efficiently. And he did leave us for a long time just to get the note.
I'm hoping that before Paul and I go to sleep, we'll have time to talk to ease my mind of these thoughts. Paul is innocent. I wouldn't be shar
ing the room with him if I thought he was a murderer.
We all say our goodnights and remind each other that the Inspector will be here at 10:00 in the morning.
Kat says, "I'll be up early to fix something for breakfast. If any of you want to help, I'll be in the kitchen around seven-thirty."
She turns to me with a pleading look on her face. I smile and say, but only for her to hear, "I'll be there."
She gives a smile of relief.
I actually want to be alone with Kat before retiring. We haven't been alone together all day, and I want to bounce my concerns off her and hear any of hers. So I look at her, put one finger up and whisper, "Soon. In the kitchen."
Chapter 9
Paul's taking a shower, so I holler at him that I'm meeting Kat and will be back shortly, and he should get to bed.
Kat is waiting for me in the kitchen. We give each other a hug, as we always do. This time, however, the hug feels a little different and lasts just a few seconds longer than usual. I enjoy these few seconds.
We start to talk about what happened this morning. We still can't believe it. I ask Kat, "What do you think is going on? What's your gut feeling?"
Kat looks worried. "I'm totally confused. Who would want to kill any of us? Do you think it's one of us? Or is there someone else on the island?"
We always go back to someone else being on the island.
I sigh. "There may be, although all evidence points to Paul. What about the others? Would one of them want to see Sue dead? And if so, why?"
Kat says, "I'm not going there. I can't believe it's any of our friends. I think we should work on the assumption that someone else has been on this island, and may still be here."
I have to agree with her. "Maybe we should go out and search the island."
"I'm thinking the same thing," she says. "I saw some flashlights in one of the drawers this morning when I was looking for a knife to cut up the fruit." She pauses for a moment. "I'm nervous, Kit, but with you right next to me I feel comfortable. But please don't leave me out there, even for a second."
I don't want to tell Kat that I'm nervous myself, probably more nervous than she is. In our criminology classes, we were taught that finding evidence quickly is vital. So that's what we're going to try and do – try to find something the Inspector overlooked earlier.