Part 8 of 15 - Lily
Next morning
It worked a treat! He found the key an' we're on our way to the bank. This is gonna be easy. Sorry, James, but it's gotta be you. Poole ain't leavin' me any leeway an' I'm outta time. With you inna frame, I'm inna clear. This is the easiest quickest solution. I need to get Poole off the island an' fast!
The yacht
An' it WAS easy! James is the villain an' not able to defend hisself, him bein' dead and all, an'...
Hey, who's that woman an' why is Poole so het up about her? I jump inna water but I don't try my best. I even manage to hamper Dwayne by bumpin' inta him but it does no good 'cause Poole actually catches her hisself. When did he come all over super cop an' action hero? Oh, I gotta bad feelin' about this an' I don't know why. How can this woman interfere with my plan? She's just a cleanin' woman after all.
The Salcombe beach
An' now it's done. James has suicided over Charlie's murder. This case is closed! I'll oversee the crime scene an' I'll make sure Dwayne an' Fidel believe my version of it. If they believe it then Poole will believe it an' he'll go home an' I'm safe! I'm safe at last.
Best of all, I won't have to subject myself to a disgustin' sex romp with the incredibly sweaty under-cooked over-sensitive dough-man! Yuck. I don't even want to think on it. His whiney voice bleatin' in my ear, his hands… his body... no, no, no, I'm NOT gonna think on it! I'm NOT! Gah.
Pool-side at the estate
But… no! Poole's still at it! Merde, what's wrong with him? Him an' Fidel are inside doin' somethin' secret, something manly an' dumb probably but why isn't it ME in there? I thought SURE he'd let me take over the case so's he can go home. But even though I could see it plain on his homely face… he wants to go home SO BAD… he's still harpin' about Charlie gettin' shot inside a locked room! What are him an' Fidel doin' inside there? An' why Fidel? Why not me? He can't suspect ME of anythin', can he?
… can he?...
What's that? Dwayne just rushed by with somethin' in his arms. Was that a metal detector? What's goin' on? Why am I sweatin' alla sudden? Why can't I breathe? Why can't I concentrate on these interviews? I gotta stay calm. There's NO WAY I'm in trouble now! Everythin's cool, cool, cool...
An' now Fidel is rushin' away. I call after him but he says he can't stop, he's goin' for the evidence boxes 'cause the Chief has solved it! Solved it? Solved what?! There's nuthin' to solve. There isn't! Is there?
Oh, why do I feel so cold?
The Big Reveal
Why is the Commissioner here? Why is Dwayne standin' so close? Never mind, girl, pay attention! Somethin's goin' on here an' you'd better get on toppa it before it crashes down onta you!
Yadda yadda yadda, he sure likes to talk, don't he? I think I'll take a little nap while I pretend to listen, try to lower my heart-rate. The book is sittin' RIGHT THERE in plain sight! Why didn't I figure some way to steal it outta here already? Oh well, la la la la, everythin's gonna be alright, alright, alright…
Oh, listen to him talk! He got everythin' absolutely right! I gotta say somethin'! I gotta! Oh! Yes! He asked me a leadin' question an' I can steer him down the wrong path right here! Yes, Charlie got killed BEFORE the room was shut down! Yes! I'm saved. That oughta confuse things until…
Wait. What? WHAT?! Did he just say I killed Charlie? NO! He couldn'ta! He can't KNOW that! How can he know that? What? I'm cuffed? DWAYNE cuffed me? Just like that? On THIS man's say so? Oh, god, what's happenin'? He's talkin' an' talkin' an' all I can hear is roarin' in my ears! He's layin' out the evidence! He's puttin' it all together for everyone to see an' it's clear as a bell!
The Commissioner! I gotta get the Commissioner to listen! He's always had a soft spot for me an' I'm sure he'll believe me when I… But his eyes! His eyes are cold an' calculatin'. He's lookin' at Poole with a weird intensity that I don't like a'tall! He's listenin' to the man close an' I'm suddenly colder than ice.
An' now? Oh, now?! Poole has James' cell phone an he's callin'… he's callin'… an' my world crashes down as my phone goes off in my pocket. He slips my phone out an' what's that I see in his eyes? His f****in' green devil's eyes? Is that regret? Sorrow? Triumph? An apology? For who? Me? James? Charlie? I don't understand any of this. I don't understand anythin' a'tall.
I gotta defend myself. I gotta stop this. He can't know my connection to James… he CAN'T! He doesn't have the book! I gotta get that book outta here! But I can't, not now, but it will be safe on the shelf there. No one will ever find it. I can come back later, when this all blows over, when I'm…
Oh, god, what's he doin' now? He's… he's… the book… the blood… the fingerprint… my name… my name everywhere. I'm done. I'm finished. An' now he's sayin' he admires me? What kinda freak IS he? An' now Fidel… Fidel… oh, Fidel… how do I explain so's you understand? I try… I try… but my words sound small an' weak. How can I make you understand I was forced inta it? Yeah, Charlie is on me 'cause he read the book… but… James? James I HADDA do… 'cause a Poole…
…'cause a POOLE! I shoulda done for him at his shed an' burned the place on toppa his soft squishy corpse! This little jam tart woulda been baked to a nice crispy-crust finish an' I would be free!
Poole… yeah… Poole… everythin's Poole's fault… all his fault… his fault… his fault… his…
In the jail cell
Where am I? Does it matter? No, it don't. Alla my plans… alla my dreams… alla that MONEY… an' James an' Fidel… oh, ALLA it! Gone up in smoke! But how? How did he know? How did he piece it together? Let's see, it all started with Charlie gettin' the book an' then… an' then… an' then… an' then… … …
Lily Thomson's mind spirals inward while she gazes with a hushed blank stare at an empty future. She totally misses the scene happening in the other room. For her, this isn't a romantic comedy. For her, this is a tragedy, dark and gritty and life-changing. Alas, not everything is light entertainment. Maybe, for her, this is more like 'The Wire' after all.
END – Part 8
**next up – Agent Bordey!**