Chapter 23
Steve spent the rest of the day exploring the diaries once more and trying to find any reference to Charles that could indicate how he knew the diaries existed in the first place but there was nothing at all. It did allow him to track more of the 'Holly' entries for when Christopher was actually in a relationship with the real Holly and when with someone else. Steve read more about this other person's interactions and noted down any details he could about their relationship. He quickly picked up on the headaches and odd visions or dreams that Gwen told him about.
It was only Kate catching his attention by putting on her coat that he realised the working day was over. He had kept a close eye on her all day. Bringing her cups of tea or coffee and doing anything he could to ease her day. When Kate got a phone call from her mum to say Mark had been round to pick up some of his stuff while Josh was napping in his room, he noticed Kate's mood damper and she became withdrawn. That was when he began delivering biscuits with the cups of tea. That made Kate smile. It was a small gesture and she knew it was all Steve could do for her without drawing attention which she was thankful for.
"What time is it?" he asked her.
"4:00pm but I want to get home to sort out dinner and such for Josh. I have missed him so much today. I hope that is ok?"
"You don't have to ask. Of course it is …. Just so you are aware, what you told me stays with me. No one needs to know until you are ready for them too" he clarified knowing it would be bothering Kate if he didn't confirm it. She smiled softly and he could see a weight being lifted off her shoulders.
"Thanks mate. Look I might need to juggle a few things over the next few days so I might not be around much. I spoke to the gaffer and he told me to do what I need to. I don't want to let you down –" Steve held up a hand stopping her.
"Stop, Kate. Family comes first. You've been there so many times for me and Lottie, about time I return the favour. You do what you need to do, and if you need me, day or night, you know where to find me."
Kate bent down and kissed his forehead at his hair line surprising him. It was quick and seemed to confirm their friendship but also greatly intimate. Both felt a tingle run through them as it happened but didn't admit it to each other. "Thanks" was all she could say. It was then she saw the diary entries open on his screen and his vast amount of notes. "Told you they make good reading. Spot anything?"
"Nothing that stands out about Charles knowing the diaries but I find it very odd to someone would name their cat "Cat". I think I want to talk to the others before I speak to him. If they can indicate how Charles knows or how they know about these, that could be a big deal for when we get to speak to Charles next. I just hope the extra knowledge and the drug testing on Christopher's hand will point us in the right direction. Am finding it interesting to see what Christopher deemed a good date night. His love for old cinema explains all the cinema stubs collected in his belongings. Nothing like an old film screening at the cinema and a meal at his place with jazz music to follow. Seemed to work a treat for him."
"It's a classic but it works. If someone took me out to the cinema to watch my favourite old film and then an evening of jazz music and wine, I'm not sure I could turn that down, personally."
"Jazz fan? I never would have thought" Steve smiled sitting back in his seat. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time and it made him beam.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Steve Arnott. I am a bit of a contradiction to tell the truth."
"That's not a bad thing at all."
The compliment on a day of feeling like shit threw Kate. Not for the nice words but for the way Steve said them. There was a twinge of flirting in his tone and both realised it. Steve had let the mask slip without meaning to. A sudden silence fell between them and the two stared at each other not knowing what to say. Kate broke it.
"Well I best be off and see to Josh. I won't be at The Winslow of course so send my love to Lottie and your parents. Hopefully I will get to meet them before they go."
"I will." Steve watched Kate go and then mentally kicked himself. He was meant to be supporting her not flirting with her. He remained working for another hour until Ted came out of his office indicating it was time for a drink and the two headed for the pub.
Despite Alex's nerves, he passed the parent test with flying colours as Steve predicted. Jane took a bit of time to lower her guard but once she recognised Alex's good qualities she accepted him. The four of them had stayed at the flat during the day given the streets were so busy with shoppers wanting to find a holiday bargain and given what had happened recently, Jane didn't want Lottie getting lost in a crowd in case something happened. A trip to The Winslow though was a certainty to happen at 5pm. It allowed for fresh air in a safe place, Steve would be there as well as friends and Alex was working too so he could keep a look out for anyone odd. The four arrived before Steve and Ted due to Alex's shift time which Lottie used the opportunity to thank Pete and the other regulars she knew well for her guitar case. When Steve and Ted arrived half an hour later, Ted welcomed Jane and Joe as if they were old friends.
"No Kate?" Lottie asked Steve as the two stood at the bar waiting for drinks.
"Something came up with Josh. He's fine, she just had to head home" Steve explained seeing Lottie's concern on her face. "So, how did it go?" he quizzed her.
"More embarrassing stories and photos but all went well. I am looking forward to mum and dad going back home in a couple of days though if I am honest."
"That bad huh?" he asked and the two knew he meant the protection hold their parents had over her in their visit.
"That and I miss my bed! Seriously through, I want life to just get back to normal, you know? You can't tell me you aren't feeling that way too." Steve nodded. She knew him too well. "If I am still being honest, I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow at work. I'll be fine I know it is just that …. It will be the longest amount of time I will have been on my own since everything happened. Does that make me pathetic?"
"No it makes you human. If it helps, I heard it on the grape vine that mum and dad might be popping in tomorrow to check on you from a distance but you didn't hear that from me!" Lottie nodded and now with the drinks they headed back to their table and found themselves in the middle of a conversation between Ted and Jane.
"If you are going to say that Ted Hastings then I'm going to have to teach you a thing or two about cinematic history" Jane was saying.
"What's this?" Lottie asked.
"Ted just made a controversial statement that Spielberg's best film is Empire of the Sun." Both Steve and Lottie pulled a face to say he was completely wrong.
"Sorry Sir, I should have explained that our mother is a lecturer at University College London specialising in film history. You just basically threw a grenade into her world and her dissertation was on Spielberg" Steve explained. It was then that Steve caught something in Ted's eyes. An idea forming but he didn't know what it was exactly so he let it play out.
"I see. Can I make it even more interesting?" Ted asked and Jane nodded. "There are better directors than Spielberg."
"I actually agree with that. Yes he has still a lot to give I am sure but some of his choices of late haven't been great and there are others who are outshining him."
"I'm sorry did we just enter the twilight zone?" Joe asked Steve and Lottie. This was unheard of. Spielberg was like a god to Jane so hearing those words was a surprise. The conversation continued on Spielberg and classic films for a while.
"Funnily enough, there is a collection of cinema ticket stubs we have in our possession with titles I have never heard of like Red Dust." It was then Steve realised what Ted was doing. He was finding a new way of getting information about the types of films Christopher saw and so a new angle for questioning their list of suspects for when finding out who knew about the diaries. Lottie slowly raised her head from her drink to focus on Ted. This had clearly caught her attention.
"Clark Gable and Jean Harlow from 1932. When exactly are these ticket stubs from? I am going to guess some time ago given that titles from that time aren't shown in cinemas anymore."
"1970s."
"I see. Alright then, it would make sense these would be shown in specialist cinemas. You see when the 1950s hit and television came in, Hollywood was threatened by a new source of entertainment. So to encourage people to come to the cinema, they would re-show old films from back catalogues as there were nowhere else to see them. Films weren't yet shown on TV in the 1950s, but by the 1970s films were, but not going back to the 1930s. Could have been a specialist cinema that showed them. If you look back in records from that past for cinemas in the area it might narrow down the location the stubs were from. What was the most recent film, release wise, that was in the ticket stubs?" Jane asked intrigued.
"That goes to The Exorcist."
"So 1974 then. What about prior to that?"
"There is a bunch from 1970 – 1974 which fits with a timeframe we are looking at so they were modern films so to speak. However, before that is West Side Story."
"1961? Interesting. That's quite a range of years if the cinema is screening films from the 1930s onwards. Surprised you didn't say Breakfast at Tiffany's for 1961."
Suddenly multiple things slotted into place. Jigsaw pieces so obviously connected but he wasn't able to see the connection until now. "Oh shit" Steve said under his breath catching everyone's attention. His face clearly couldn't disguise his realisation. He pulled out his pocket notepad and flicked through the notes from earlier that day. He had written:
Fake Holly = Unknown (Holly Lightfoot)
First date: Cinema. Breakfast at Tiffany's. Jazz music, food and wine at Christopher's flat. First kiss to Moon River.
Fake Holly bought Christopher his marmalade tabby cat named "Cat" treasured by Christopher until his death.
Not hearing everyone asking him what was wrong or Ted's glare at him for looking at police work at the pub, Steve tried to remember the story of Breakfast at Tiffany's but couldn't remember.
"Mum, Breakfast at Tiffany's, what is it about?" he asked urgently, looking at Jane.
"About? I thought you would know that as it is one of my favourite films. I've watched it plenty of times with you around. It's a romantic comedy about a naïve society girl who falls in love with a writer."
"Does she have a pet cat?"
"Yes, famously! A marmalade tabby cat called Cat." Steve and Ted glanced at each other.
"Her name wouldn't be Holly would it?" Ted asked.
"Again, yes! Famously! Holly Golightly. Audrey Hepburn played her and sang Moon River in the film. You must have heard of that?"
Steve wrote Holly Golightly next to Holly Lightfoot and the word 'Code name = killer' on his notepad. He passed it to Ted who nodded. They had to get back to the office. Ted and Steve stood up and put their coats on quickly.
"Jane, thank you so much! I think you may have just busted our case wide open. We have to go back to the office. Thank you again and tell Alex to give you all whatever drinks you want for the rest of the evening, they are on me" Ted explained.
"When will you be home?" Joe asked Steve.
"No idea, I'll be there as soon as I can" Steve said rushing to the door with Ted and just like that they were gone to examine all the evidence again. Steve decided not to call Kate until the morning as this could wait and Josh needed her more than him in that moment.