Sorry guys, I have had a super busy week! Another update tomorrow or Saturday at the latest xo
"So your neighbour lent some writing paper to her son?" She had (after much debate about whether she wanted to see the Inspector) driven to City South deciding that catching a killer was more important than her own feelings. It appeared that Jack however was in no mood to see her and was fighting everything she said.
"Yes, don't you see, he is obviously linked to the death somehow."
He gave her a look which suggested that he was far from convinced. He wasn't sure if he did think that or if he was just trying to argue with her. She apparently felt the same way, "If you don't think they're related, then who did it Jack?"
That was something he was struggling with and gave her a very tense look before speaking, "There were no witnesses to the actual crime. But the fruit vender on the corner reported seeing a man with diamond cufflinks hanging around at the approximate time of death. There was also the delivery van which usually parks out the back, which he thought was strange as well as a woman who was crying near the light post."
"Why would anyone with diamond cufflinks be hanging around a florist at 8 o'clock in the morning?"
Of course she would pick at this piece of information he thought, "Perhaps he needed some forgiveness?" his tone was dry which for some reason made her blood boil, he wasn't taking her seriously and she knew it.
"Or" she stood from the chair she was half sitting on and leant over his desk "he murdered Tommy, which isn't much help because we don't know who he is."
"We also don't know about the van or the crying woman." He decided he was in the mood to argue with her, although he wasn't sure why as he usually lost.
"You and I both know it was cufflinks."
His brain was spinning, he was remembering something, it was on the tip of his tongue, not that she was really helping standing over him waiting for a response, daring him to argue with her.
"That man you were talking to." She gave him a blank look but he went on, "Mr" he flipped through the file, "Mr Taft." She hoped he wasn't about to yell at her again, she really wasn't in the mood, she was trying her best to be civil to Jack for the sake of the murder. One mention of her apparent flirting and she was fleeing.
"Mr Taft was wearing diamond cufflinks." She was visibly taken aback removing her hands from his desk and crossing them over her chest, although Jack was not deterred, "You were too busy gazing into his eyes to notice, however I am almost positive he would fit the man's description."
She wanted to make some cutting remark, but something in her brain flicked. She suddenly felt very tired and realised she hadn't said anything, which had caused a worried look to creep onto Jack's face before he called out ignoring her as she slunk back into her chair.
"Collins" they heard scurrying as the young man walked towards the office, "Get Mr Taft down here for another interview. I want to know exactly what he was doing this morning. "
"Of course Sir"
"And would you be so kind to escort Miss Fisher out."
"But Jack" the look he gave her left her words hanging in her mouth, "Just think"
A scowl had crept onto his face, overtaking his worry, "I would rather not have to watch that thank-you, I am sure I can cope on my own." She frowned and he was almost sure she wasn't going to leave when she made a small noise and stood, collecting her hat and following Collins out of the Inspectors office feeling like she could scream.
"Mr Taft."
"Inspector, is it serious?" He looked around as though expecting someone, "That Miss Fisher isn't around is she?"
"No, she's not." He gave the other man a very short answer and led him towards an interview room, feeling glad he had gotten rid of her. "I just had a few questions for you regarding where you were Tuesday morning."
"Of course Inspector." They both sat and Mr Taft paled slightly at the thought that he was somehow involved in this crime.
"Where were you this morning around 7.30?"
"I was at home and then as you know I left for the florist around 8 as I do every week, you saw me there."
Jack sat still for a moment, wondering if the man was telling the truth.
"Can anyone confirm this?"
The man tensed for a moment, "our butler probably heard me leave, my mother was still asleep, drunken old sod."
Jack's brain was doing some sort of dance at that piece of information, but he said nothing, deciding to take a different tack,
"Did you know Tommy Jones?"
The man didn't even flinch, "Not until he became my florist."
"Thank- you Mr Taft, that will be all for now."
Lady Cleo Arden, or Mrs Evans as she chooses to be called in Melbourne was sitting in her drawing room when she decided that this had gone far enough.
"Do phone that lovely girl that lives with Miss Fisher and have her over at her earliest possible convenience." The butler merely nodded and walked out of the room to place a call.
20 minutes later Miss Dorothy Williams found herself being escorted into a beautiful room where a very thin blonde lady sat with a sad looking smile on her face.
It was 11am and Constable Collins had just walked into the station after a very late night involving two armed robberies and a fire.
"Collins, did you find any police records on Mr Taft?" Something about this mans name had sparked in Jack's brain and he had left him to look into it while he had trailed home and fallen into a restless sleep.
"Ah yes Sir, hold on."
"According to this he sold off a lot of his assests to invest in a silk merchant company earlier in the year. But after he had given the money the trader disappeared with the money. It's all here in the police report Sir."
"Thank-you Collins." he took the report from the Constable and frowned suddenly. This did not look good at all. "Did you find something Sir?"
"Miss Fisher never discovered who was blackmailing the victim did she?"
"Not that I know of Sir, only that it was that lady's son across the road from her."
"I think we need to get Mr Taft back in."
