Chapter Eleven
"So, it seems to have all started that night in the woods," Will said as he, along with Nikki and Jack sat around the conference table at the Lyell.
"What do we know so far?" Nikki asked.
"There's an old building about a mile or so into the woods. When we got there, it was boarded up but Kitty told us it was an old shepherd's hut,"
"But they played there as children?"
"Apparently. However, we know there was incident. Kitty and Jessica Richards both refereed to it as an accident,"
"But from Nikki's findings we know that's not quite true?" Jack asked and Nikki nodded.
"The stairs are rotten, but not damaged. Kitty said she put her foot through one but that doesn't seem to be the case," Nikki said.
"I know Kitty can bend the truth a little," Will said.
"What makes you say that?"
"She told me that she's not an Austen fan, but when we met the other day, she was reading Pride and Prejudice,'
"So, she's reading a book she hates. Why is that relevant?" Jack asked.
"I think Kitty reads too much. She gets caught up between fact and fiction. She seems to have concocted the story about what happened in the woods that night and she's sticking to it,"
"I didn't have here down as manipulative,"
"I don't think she is. I think she's trying to protect herself. Something traumatic happened that night and I think Kitty is trying to block it out. Whatever happened, she was the only one to get injured out of the four of them. It was a stab wound, wasn't it?"
Nikki nodded "There is evidence to suggest that it was a stab wound, but no broken bones were present on her medical records,"
"She told us something different," Jack said.
"This is why I think Kitty gets confused. She believes her own story that much," Will theorised.
"So, she's blocking it out?" Nikki asked and Will nodded.
"So, we need to work out who had the knife and why did Kitty end up being stabbed," Will said "But we need to tread carefully. If Kitty was that traumatised that night in the woods, I don't want to add to that. But I think that the night is at the centre of this all,"
…
"So how long have you and John been engaged?" Will asked Jessica as they sat down in the small B&B in the nearby village where Jessica and John were staying.
"A few years now,"
"That's a long engagement,"
"John is busy with work. We want the perfect wedding so we're taking our time,"
"What does John do?"
"He's an investment banker,"
"How did you two meet?"
"Dating app. I was still living with Dad and Catherine. But when we met it was like a fairy-tale. He swept me off my feet and took me away from the dump that us our farm,"
"You didn't like living out here?"
"It's not just the farm that I hated. The farm was going under financially. I just wanted to live a life I could get accustomed to,"
"And the farm wasn't that?" Will asked and Jessica nodded "What did you mean about the farm's finances?"
"We never really recovered from Foot and Mouth disease out here. The farm had been going under for years. Dad started drinking more and more as our finances went down. That obviously added to our money problems,"
"And I suppose John was a way out for you," Will said
"I'm not money grabbing," Jessica said tartly "I just jumped ship before it sank. I offered Kitty a way out as well. I said she could come and live with us when we were set up. But she was too loyal to Dad,"
"Had you heard of Flynn?"
"Oliver told me a couple of days ago that Dad had hired someone. They must have been mad to work on a farm that was about to sink spectacularly,"
"But you never met him?"
Jessica shook her head "Oliver told me that he thought that Flynn was in a relationship with Catherine,"
"Ryan told us that. He said your Dad didn't approve?"
"Dad was pretty strict when it came to boys. It wouldn't have surprised me if he didn't like this Flynn person,"
"What about you and Ryan?"
Jessica paused for a second and stared down at her engagement ring "It was never going to work. He couldn't offer me that life that John could,"
"And you left soon after Ryan and you broke up?" Will asked and Jessica nodded "That can't have been long after the incident in the woods?"
"I suppose so,"
"I heard Kitty was quite badly hurt. Didn't you want to stay around to make sure she was okay?"
"The doctor checked her over," Jessica shrugged.
"How did she hurt herself?"
"I didn't actually see. Ryan and I were outside the cottage. He'd gone away for a second and told me to close my eyes. He had a surprise for me'.
"What was it?"
Jessica shrugged "I never found out because next thing I heard was Catherine screaming,"
"What happened?"
"I've already told you this," she sighed "Catherine put her foot through a rotten stair,"
Will paused "That's funny because when we examined the place, no stairs were broken,"
"Dad or Oliver must have fixed it," Jessica shrugged.
"But you told me that they boarded up the place. Why would they fix the stair before boarding it up?"
Jessica paled "Look," she said sharply "I was outside. I didn't see anything. Catherine is the one who hurt herself. Ask her not me,"
…
"I've already told you what happened," Kitty frowned.
"That's true and so far, you've helped us out a lot," Will said "I just need a few more details,"
"I fell down the stairs and broke my leg," Kitty said with the same sharpness as her sister's tone
"You told me you put your foot through it,"
"Do the details really matter?"
"Yes, Kitty. They do because I think something happened in the woods that night and for some reason you and Jessica don't want to tell me,"
"Nothing happened. It was just an accident,"
"So, you were accidently stabbed in the leg?"
"How did you…?"
"We saw from your medical records," Will told her "So what happened that night?"
"I can't say," Kitty said after a pause.
"Why not?"
"I just can't. Why not ask Jess?"
"Funny. That was her response,"
"Then why not ask Ryan and Samuel?"
"We will in due course, but you're the one that got injured. Everyone else was okay. So how come you get hurt?"
"I don't remember everything that happened that night," Kitty said.
"Do you think that sometimes you get confused between what's real and what happens in your books?" Will asked and Kitty paused before nodding.
"I want to help," Kitty said, "But I'm not sure exactly why you need to know?"
"We think that it might be linked to your Dad and Flynn's deaths,"
"I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Kitty said.
"Why do you think someone will get hurt if you tell me the truth about that night?"
"It shouldn't have happened that night," Kitty murmured, more to herself than to Will.
"Kitty," he said "I need to know what happened that night. I need you to help me,"
"I can't," she said sadly "I just can't," Kitty dropped her gaze to the floor and said nothing else to Will.
Marple looked up at Will and whined softly before licking Kitty's hand to comfort her.