Nine Liars (Truly Devious, #5)(30)

The door of the shed was open and rainwater had pooled on the floor, eliminating any potential footprints and washing away blood and other debris. Light for the shed was provided by a single lightbulb fixed to the ceiling. This had been smashed, and faint traces of blood were found on the edges, suggesting that it was broken by the axe during the attack. Bits of broken bulb were found on top of the wood that covered Mortimer, but under Butler’s body. This seems to indicate that Mortimer died first. Butler likely entered the scene after Mortimer was already dead and under the logs.

Medical examiner arrived on the scene at 2.00 p.m. Initial impression is that both Mortimer and Butler died around the same time. This time could not be determined with any exactitude; however, the pair had been dead somewhere between ten and twelve hours. As they were last seen at 11.00 p.m., this places the window at between 11.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m., covering all the hours of darkness.

Several of the witnesses state that they passed the woodshed during the course of the game and found it intact, with no wheelbarrow in front. There were two keys to this shed: one with the gardener, who was at home, and one on the key ring of Holt-Carey, who had it in his possession at all times. (It was established for the game that outbuildings were locked and off-limits.)

Unless the intruder(s) came on foot, which is unlikely considering the location of Merryweather and the size and weight of potential stolen goods, this suggests the intruder(s) arrived and left the scene prior to the loss of power at 2.30 a.m. Vehicle was likely parked out of view of the house. Note time discrepancy of statement of witness Rillington re: torchlight. If intruders left at 2.30, there would be no torchlight at 3 or later. Likely explanation in that witness had been consuming alcohol all evening and there was a good deal of lightning in the night. Timeline of power services much more reliable.

Addendum 12 July: blood found on remains of lightbulb still in ceiling has been matched to Mortimer.





8


“A PANOPTICON,” VI SAID.

They were sitting around a tall, slightly wobbly table at the corner Pret a Manger, having breakfast. Stevie had opted for a large coffee and a brownie, which was maybe not the best choice, but it felt right. She was a little confused about what time it was, and therefore she would need to be powered by all the sugar and caffeine she could pump into her system.

“It’s a concept of a prison,” Vi went on, picking out the chunks of mango in their fruit cup to eat them first. “It’s circular. The people in the prison are arranged around a central guard station that you can’t see into. The idea is that you only need one guard, because the imprisoned persons never know when they are being watched, so they have the feeling of always being watched.”

Vi was a student of prison reform, and this was the kind of thing they knew off the top of their head.

“Quinn doesn’t have to be everywhere,” Vi went on. “She just has to be somewhere.”

“Do you think she’s really got someone in the building who’s watching us, or did she get lucky?” Stevie asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” Vi said. “That’s the point.”

“Why does she even care?” Stevie said.

“When you’re a guardian, you have to make sure sex isn’t happening, even when you know it is and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s patriarchal hangover. Not even a hangover. Just patriarchal.”

Their face took on a disappointed cast, as they had eaten all the mango, the single strawberry, and the three grapes, and now reached the milky-pale melon pieces that lurk at the base of every cup of fruit. Vi was not a waster of food, so they grimly set about consuming the tasteless melon.

Throughout this discussion, Janelle had been consulting the schedule on her phone and nodding at various points to show her agreement. She was looking spectacular for their big day out in London. Janelle had recently gotten into online consignment shopping and had picked up some clothes she referred to as “pieces.” She was wearing one now, a formfitting sweater dress with zigzagging rows of multicolored autumnal shades. (“This is vintage Missoni. I got it for fifty-five bucks because it had a little hole in the hem. I can fix that no problem. Missoni.”) Her hair was up in two bunches, which she had accented with multiple bronze and orange barrettes. Janelle was not playing around on a trip like this.

“We should walk back the way we went last night,” she said, “along the river, and catch the hop-on-hop-off bus at Temple Pier, which is really close. So we should finish and go. Nate, are you going to get anything to eat?”

“Not hungry,” he said. “We should get going.”

The plan, which had seemed so sensible and short and compact when Stevie had first seen it, was now in motion. They bought passes for the hop-on-and-off tour bus and rode around London, Janelle tracking on her phone. They got off to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, which involved standing at a gate while people in huge black fur hats moved around. Back on the bus to the far corner of Hyde Park. Hyde Park was exactly what the name suggested—a park, and a lot of it. It connected to more park. Travel has so much between time—walking around and trying to figure out where you were. There was Kensington Palace, the Peter Pan statue, the Serpentine, where they considered getting a boat but there was no time, Speakers’ Corner . . . then through an arch to more park, a different park. This one was Green Park, which was basically Buckingham Palace’s back garden. This led to St. James’s Park and St. James’s Palace (there were way more palaces than Stevie thought), down to Westminster, to 10 Downing Street and the Imperial War Rooms. Back on the bus. Back in some other direction. Where were they? Covent Garden? Soho? Russell Square. Just names now. Names and massive buildings.