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“Why, yes, I am sure.”
“How sure?” Moss’s gaze sharpened.
“Well, fairly sure. The last time I saw Sally I was at her house. I left through the front door, but nobody was out on the street because it was early evening and about to rain. Nobody was around, I am sure of it.”
“Well, someone was,” the Captain muttered.
“What are you thinking?” Cameron asked.
“That someone is following Clementine,” Moss whispered. “I hate to say it but that can be the only reason why you speak to people and they die. I think we have to consider that you have seen someone or heard some gossip, or something from one of the deceased that has put your life in danger.”
“But I don’t know anything,” Clementine cried.
“I am not saying you do but unfortunately, the killer thinks you do,” Moss replied.
“How do we resolve this?” Cameron asked quietly. “I mean, if Clementine stays out of sight surely the killer is l
ikely to come here?”
Clementine closed her eyes.
“I think the killer might wait a day or two but, yes, it is inevitable,” Moss sighed.
“What could the killer want in Sally’s house? What is he looking for?” the Captain asked. “If someone is following Clementine, why are they hanging around there?”
“I am trying not to put too much emphasis on it because there might be a perfectly credible explanation for that person’s presence in Sally’s property. But it is difficult to believe that someone needs something from Sally’s house so soon after her death.”
“What in the Devil’s name possessed you to go around there?” Cameron demanded.
“I wanted to see if there was anything strange there. I was the last one to see Sally alive. I don’t believe she died from natural causes and just wanted to resolve things in my own mind. I have already told you that.”
“But you didn’t need to go around yourself,” Cameron snorted.
“She tried to tell me that something was wrong, but I wouldn’t believe her,” Moss interjected. It wasn’t until he had spoken that he realised just how sharp he had sounded, how protective of Clementine he was being, but he made no apology for it. The last thing he wanted was for anybody to start to throw accusations around.
“Nobody really believed anything unusual happened to Sally until Mrs McGaffney died,” Cameron sighed.
“What are people saying?” Moss asked both men.
“Nobody is saying much,” the Captain admitted. He looked at Clementine who shook her head.
“I think people are afraid to discuss it in case they put themselves on the killer’s list,” Clementine admitted.
“There are some who are trying to go about their business as if everything is fine, but nobody is truly themselves. The village is nearly deserted, and everybody is wary,” Cameron added.
“I must confess that I didn’t believe a killer would even want to try to take people’s lives in an area like this. I mean, in town there are plenty of other people around who will add a smokescreen. It is easier to hide in a crowd. Out here? With locals who rarely miss strangers? Something is wrong with anybody who thinks they can start killing locals and not be found. When Clementine came to tell me that she thought there was a murderer at work in the village, I thought it sounded a little fanciful. One or two deaths can be easily explained. Three or four? Five or six? There is something unusual going on.”
“Do you think this killer is a little unhinged?” The Captain made a circular motion with his finger at the side of his head.
“No killer is sane and rational, are they?” Moss retorted. “It’s not normal for anybody to want to take another person’s life. It’s even less normal for anybody to choose to kill people in a village like this. It smacks of ignorance or arrogance. One thing we have to do is report the horse rider this morning to the magistrate.”
Cameron snorted. “That, I am afraid, is going to be far harder than you can ever imagine.”
“The damned man’s a buffoon. Magistrate Olley won’t come out of his house to deal with something like this.”
Moss looked the Captain in the eye. “I didn’t say I was going to report it to the local magistrate. If Olley is incapable of doing his job, and is still not taking this situation seriously, there are other official channels I can turn to who will side-step the man. Seeing as there have now been four deaths, all of which Olley is trying to sweep under the carpet as it were, steps have to be taken to ensure that this is investigated without him.”
“Who do you intend to contact?” Cameron looked at Clementine and lifted his brows, a little surprised that Moss was prepared to go to such lengths.
