The Sun gently warming her bare arms was pure bliss. As she stood at the calm shoreline she couldn't help but laugh. Turning her head to the man some way behind her, she called out jovially.
" It's just the sea daddy,come for a swim" Amusement bubbled up from within her as she watched the look of pure distaste set across his face.
" Absolutely not Caitlyn. A storm is coming!" Fear quickly filled his face and voice " Get away Kitty! It's dangerous"
" Don't be silly, it's as calm as…" she turned back to the tranquil ocean. But shock and panic soon had her stumbling away back towards her father. The open water, that only moments ago was as still as a picture, was now are monster possessed. Furious waves attacked the once peaceful beach. The Sun, which only seconds before was bright, had disappeared behind the clouds of the purist black.
" Daddy, what's happening?" She called out.
But he was gone.
The beach stood vast and empty.
"Daddy" she whimpered again as the sky gave way and warm rain slowly soaked her face.
Consciousness was not as fast coming to her as one might have expected. The hardness under her head made her aware she wasn't leaning onto her pillow. Slowly she became aware of someones fingers gently playing through her hair. And a leg one either side of her small body, keeping her feeling safe and secured, reminding her that she'd fallen asleep on Camille's lap. But the rain still fell, trickling down from her forehead.
" Maman, you're crying" Kitty whispered. The fingers stopped in place.
"I didn't mean to wake you little one" Her voice, was horse and stilted.
Memories floated back to her slowly waking mind. The agony of the past couple of days crashed into her. She clung fiercely to her mothers leg.
"I have to go soon, my heart"
"To help the new man?" The voice came out small and shy. A tone Camille hadn't heard from the child since she first arrived on the island a lifetime ago.
"Yes" She choked out
"To find out who….." she couldn't find the words to finish that sentence, so she just stared up at the face hovering above her "can I come?" She asked instead. " Just to meet him" This came out as a gentle plea.
Caitlyn didn't know why, she just needed to meet him. To know and trust that he would do the job. Even at only seven years old, she understood exactly what her beloved father deserved.
Unable to deny her daughter anything, for the time being at least, Camille felt herself nodding.
"But you need to shower, change and eat something before we leave" Neither Camille nor Kitty and eaten much since the world had come crashing down.
"I will" And with a new determination, she jumped up as fast as her little legs could manage.
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The car ride was silent as they made the familiar drive up to the station house.
" Are you sure about this Mon petite?" This was it, her last chance to turn around, flee, run back and throw herself into the arms of her grandmere.
"I want to. For daddy!" New tears sprung into Camille's eyes. Tears of anger at what had been taken, tears of sadness at what had been lost, but also in that moment, tears of pride. Richards daughter, their daughter, was still standing firm. Strong.
She took the girls hand and climbed the stairs to the building. It was all just as Kitty knew it. How could it be the same, when everything was so different? Kitty couldn't take her eyes off her daddy's desk.
" Princess?" Dwayne went to her side, pulling her into a bone crushing hug.
"It's okay, uncle D. I'm alright"
"Camille, are you two sure you're ready to be here?" Fidels voice was gentle yet full of emotion.
Sound outside stopped any answer coming, as the whole team turned their attention back to the door. Kitty, from her spot attached to her uncles leg, watched as her beloved Granda entered with a somewhat dishevelled, confused looking man.
"Ah, you are all here" He focused on the women, his tone kind and full of affection " Camille, are you sure you want to be here? It's absolutely fine to go home. To spend time with Kitty"
"Kitty" the new man asked.
"Me" her voice was small, but firm. Selwyn, not having spotted her upon his entrance, went straight to her, and out of pure habit the girl reached out as he heaved her into his arms. He would have to give this up soon, as she would soon grow too big for him to lift. But he intended to enjoy it while he could.
"I'm Kitty" She extended her hand out for the stranger to shake. Just as a father had taught her. " Caitlyn Poole"
The stranger shook it, a look of understanding setting on his countenance.
" You're here to find out who did it to daddy" She couldn't say the word. Not yet.
"Yes. And you have my promise that we will find out what happened."
She liked him, as she looked into his eyes she saw a quick intelligence that reminded her of her father. The man turned his attention to Camille.
"Humphrey Goodman" he extended and shook her hand too. " so Caitlyn is staying with you for now?"
" Of course" her words were clipped in clear " Kitty is my daughter" She watched as Humphrey looked over at the small blonde child, and then back at her questioningly.
A realisation dawned.
"So you and DCI Poole…."
" Yes" her tone brokered no more discussion.
"Right….. excellent…. So….. ummm"
Dwayne stepped in " Camille why don't you take Kitty home? Between us we will get him all caught up"
Camille nodded, taking the child from her grandfather
" Granda, I want to see, when you get them"
" Ohh Kitty, I can't…" it broke his heart to say no to anything his granddaughter asked for.
" Granda please. I want them to look me in the eye" he gave no answer, no false promise as Camille made their way out the door.
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It'd been a long week. Eight whole days since the walking contradiction that was Richard Johnston Poole had been taken from them. Leaving a gaping hole in so many lives.
Kitty sat on her mothers lap, just a few feet from where her father had died. Humphrey questioned the wisdom of this decision, but held his peace.
"What the hell is going on here" James Moore demanded.
Camille instinctually wrapped her arms tighter around kitty.
" Let's get started, shall we?" Humphrey ignore the other man. " Now, I am the only one here who hasn't met Richard Poole. But during this case I feel as though I've gotten to know him. He was many different things to many different people. And one thing I've learnt is, whilst it wasn't the MOST important part, a very big part of who he was was a detective. A good one. Now, I think he made a Discovery. He had a theory about what he discovered, and then sent back to England for evidence to corroborate that theory. And in doing so, he in essence….. solved his own murder" he paused for breath. " Do you know the biggest problem we had? It was establishing a motive. Why kill someone you haven't seen in 25 years? Now you all say you were insight of each other the whole time. But what about when Roger went out to light the barbecue?"
"Now hold on! I didn't kill anyone" Roger protested.
" No….. no, you didn't"
"What?!"
Humphrey looked him dead in the eye "I said you didn't kill Richard Poole"
" Oh, right, Good. Thank you"
"Then there were three"
"I can't bear this!" Angela interrupted " I couldn't have hurt Richard! You all know that, I loved him"
" You haven't seen him in a zillion years, you didn't know him" Kitty's emotion quickly formed into rage. " and anyway, he loved Maman!"
Angela looked on at the girl with unmasked confusion. " Who are you?" The older woman demanded.
"Hush my sweet, you must stay calm. You promised" Kitty nodded, glaring at the blonde stranger before her.
Humphrey allowed the moment to settle before carrying on, choosing to totally ignore the entire interruption.
"And I believe you, Angela" he felt it. She really believed herself in love. Richard was gone now so why pain her by questioning it further. " And then there were two. You see….. it was like the riddle of the goose, the Fox and the beans. Working out, who did what, when and in what order?"
"First Angela checked Richard was alright. Asked him if you wanted another cup of tea. But when she left him…" Camille choked up slightly, but ploughed on determinedly " when she left, he was alive. If she is as innocent as you say."
" But a little later" Humphrey took up the story " you took him out a bowl of crisps. Remind me, who was it who suggested playing charades that night?"
The group looked at one another confused, trying to recall the tiny events of that fateful night.
"It… it was you wasn't it Sash?" Angela piped up eventually.
"It might have been, I don't really remember. Why?"
"Why" Humphrey declared excitedly. " Because it was a well-known fact that Richard hated games. He was famous for it. In fact, the only person who ever, EVER talked him into playing them was Caitlyn" He waved his hand in the direction of the child. "Because that's what you do with your daughter"
The group couldn't contain their gasps of surprise.
"He has a daughter" Angela whispered in shock.
"The point is, he hated games. Always had. So how better for his killer to isolate him from the group" Kitty whimpered from her mother arms.
"We can go. We can go now, all will be well."
"No!" She was firm " I can be brave. I can be brave for daddy" Humphrey looked to Camille, a slight nod of her head had him carrying on.
"You needed him on his own from the others, didn't you?"
"No" Was all Sasha would say.
" Richard were still alive when Sasha came back inside. H-h-h-he drank his tea, he ate his food" Angela leapt her friends defence.
" I'm afraid not because you see, Sasha had an accomplice. Didn't she James?"
"What?" James asked aghast.
" Angela? When Richard asked for another cup of tea, did you take the old cup back into the house?"
"Ohh. Ermmm, I don't think so, no"
"No. But you did didn't you Sasha?!" They all took a moment to glare at the woman "And James, you didn't take him out a new cup of tea. No you took out the old used one. All to give your wife an alibi. To anyone asking questions, the empty cup showed he was alive after you've both been out to him." Humphrey nearly convinced himself that the pause was the catch his breath and not for dramatic affect. "You see the HOW was reasonably easy. Especially once we knew that one of you had committed the murder. It was the WHY. The WHY was the most elusive. Why did this policeman, this family man; partner and father" he nodded towards Kitty and Camille " Why did he have to die? Why would anyone kill an old friend? When they hadn't seen in 25 years? In fact, by this logic, Sasha was the least likely suspect. After all, they were best mates right back from college. But that's how I knew it had to be you who wielded the pickaxe. Richard Poole wasn't killed by an old friend, as we've been thinking all along.. he was killed by a relative stranger"
"What are you talking about?!" Sasha demanded, though her voice sounded strained.
"You are NOT Sasha Moore! You…. You are Helen Reed, Sasha's sister!" The room gasped " Richard worked it out. You and James had to silence him before he gave you away"
Camille stood abruptly, tears in her eyes " I think it's time I took Kitty home" the girl struggled in her mothers arms
" I want to stay"
"No. I promised you could be here for the 'who' and 'why'. Now it is time to go home." The girl gave up the fight with surprising ease.
"Can you put me down maman?" Camille lowered her onto her own legs but kept a vice like grip on her hand. The whole room stood silent, lost in shock and confusion. All eyes followed the blonde girl as she stood before the policeman. "Thank you Detective Inspector Goodman. You did right by my father" She turned steely eyed to the murderous couple. "My daddy who is worth a thousand of you. You think you killed him, think he's gone. But you haven't. I'm still here. That means part of daddy is here too!" Pulling her mother behind her, head held high, she marched from the room.
And each adult felt something, when the distinct sound of a child sobbing drifted back into the room.
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As the sun set on the longest day he'd ever experienced, Selwyn stood on the station's deck. Dwelling on all that had happened as he looked out over the island he loved so much. As the sun lowered, he sent out a quiet prayer.
Dear lord, protect him.
Keep him safe as I protect his child.
Let those who love him best forgive me.
I did what I had to do for my family.
Keep all of them safe as they live their lives.
Amen.
