Chapter 7
Summary: As everyone will have guessed, Richard's meal is a nod to Robert Thorogood's novel. At last he can enjoy his meal in relative peace! He deserves it.
Chapter Text
Two days later, he received the autopsy results of the deceased. Fidel took it to Richard, who was allowed to read to Camille. They were both eating at La Kaz with their children.
´I thought you would like to read it as soon as possible. It's quite interesting, sir.´ Ever since he had his stripes as a Sergeant, a Fidel meter liked him most in research. Of course Richard noticed, but he liked to encourage him to have more initiative in the investigations.
´Who was going to say it´ evaluated Camille. When they finished reading it, Richard put it all away quickly (the children also frequently interested in ´reading it´) and he gave it to Fidel.
´Thanks, Fidel. We should speak to Mr. Stephen. It´s incredible that his wife is dead and he doesn´t appear. Try to locate him,´ said Richard.
´Okay, sir,´ said Fidel before leaving.
At that point Richard focused on his two fried eggs and chips. His food was sacred and this time he was going to finish it properly.
´Here you are: a potato for each one´ he said to his children as he proceeded to give them to them. Julian and Richard were delighted.
´You really know it's not the best thing, honey,´ Camille said, though not bothering to take them away from the children at all.
´Bah, nonsense! They love them and they taste very rich.´ He said the latter while saying it directly to them. ´After all, if they eat their food without question, they are entitled to their reward. My mother did the same with me and I am perfectly normal and charming´ he finished smiling at his children. Seconds later he smiled at Camille with his half-cocked smile.
Camille laughed and said: ´What you say´
They always tried to respect the time they spent with their children. They wanted those moments to be just for themselves and to spend with the family, although for Richard there was still a small problem: Catherine used to be present, albeit from afar, at meals with the children.
At the Police Station Richard Poole is confronted by a nervous, upset and worried Alex Stephen.
´I can't believe everything that happened. What happened to Sabrina?´
´All we can tell you at the moment is that she has died of poison, Mr. Stephen.´ Richard responds. ´Almost a week ago. Are you trying to tell me that you haven't tried to contact your wife all this time?´
Alex Stephen is silent, pondering what he can say to that.
Camille asks him:
´Did you get along well, Mr. Stephen? Neighbors have told us that you often argued.´
Alex looks at her, pain on his face. ´Ours had long since broken. But that doesn't mean I wished her dead. That never! I didn't call her because I knew it wouldn't do any good. In fact, just so you know, I was planning to ask for a divorce. And I didn't care that he kept everything.´
Richard Poole looks at him after reviewing his notes.
´Do you know that one of your neighbors saw you at the small airport on the island saying goodbye to a woman? Can you tell us about it, please?´
´She´s my secretary. I met Olga about two years ago. She then worked for a company that was doing an advertising campaign for us. It was my turn to give her all the information and help she needed at the time and so I did. She is a pleasant and lively person. And happy. And very positive. It´s very easy to talk to her. I think it was at that moment that we began to feel attracted to each other. It didn't matter, I think that when she realized it, she finished the job she was given and, feeling guilty, she stopped working for us. She left her company and went with another advertising company.´
At that moment he stopped thoughtfully. And continued:
´I saw it as an opportunity to fix mine with Sabrina. And it seemed that everything was going really well. But she has a pathological jealousy problem.´
There Richard raised one of his eyebrows and made a note.
´Because she never, and I say never, trusts you, although then she certainly couldn't have any reason, she had no reason for it. I saw Olga again a year ago. They sent me to Guadalupe to try to convince a possible buyer and they commissioned the same customer's advertising campaign. We had no choice but to see each other. And I could verify that neither she had forgotten our attraction, much less I had forgotten her. It happened what had to happen and it was at that moment that I began to take divorce seriously. You only live once, and if something doesn´t work no matter how hard we have tried, you have to think about stop wasting your life and start being happy. I even thought of Sabrina when I thought of all this. After telling Olga all this, I was able to convince her to be part of my team and become my secretary. And, in the not too distant future, my wife. I was trying to play fair with both of them.´
´Did you mention any of this to Sabrina?´ Camille asked.
´No. I was gathering the necessary courage. But it wouldn't take long to tell her. ´
And so it continued until Richard was clearer on this matter and, warning him not to leave the island under any circumstances, thanked him for his statement and they said goodbye.
Of course, before he left the Station, he left his fingerprints for the case file.