A Meditation On Murder. Robert Thorogood

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СКАЧАТЬ me often enough. So I know how gentle and supportive he is. He doesn’t take advantage of anyone. But Aslan told Dominic he didn’t want him offering any more hypnotherapy sessions. Dominic was furious, but there wasn’t much he could do. The hotel belongs to Aslan and Rianka. But here’s the thing, Aslan said Dominic could stay on as the hotel’s handyman. That’s the sort of guy Aslan was. He still offered Dominic a job even though they’d argued so badly.’

      ‘And Dominic took it?’ Richard said, surprised.

      ‘It allowed him to stay on the island,’ Julia said.

      ‘I see,’ Richard said, even though he couldn’t.

      ‘But the thing is, you have to believe me, Dominic is amazing at getting people to remember memories they’ve buried because they find them too upsetting. And if you let him hypnotise me, I bet I’ll be able to tell you how I got the knife into the Meditation Space. And why I … did what I did,’ Julia finished with a gulp.

      ‘Unfortunately,’ Richard said, ‘that would be totally unethical. So why don’t we just leave you here for a bit longer, and when you remember anything that might help us, you just call out. We’re only next door.’

      Sensing that Camille was disappointed with this ruling, Richard returned to the main office, calling out to Fidel as he entered through the bead curtains.

      ‘So have you dusted the drawing pin?’

      Fidel looked up from his desk in surprise.

      ‘Yes, sir, I have.’

      ‘And what did you find?’

      ‘Well, sir, I was only able to dust the flat bit you press down on with your thumb.’

      ‘Of course. But is there a fingerprint there?’

      ‘No, sir. There’s no print on it, it’s entirely clear.’

      ‘Now that is interesting,’ Richard said, excitedly.

      ‘Yes, sir,’ Fidel said, baffled by his boss’s sudden enthusiasm.

      ‘But doesn’t that just mean it’s never been used?’ Dwayne asked.

      ‘And that’s where you’d be wrong,’ Richard said as he started writing on the board.

      ‘I would?’ Dwayne asked, puzzled.

      ‘Yes, because I think that drawing pin was part of the killer’s plans—and they then wiped it clean of prints once it was used.’

      Richard wrote up this latest development on the whiteboard, and then he took a step back to look at his handiwork.

The Murder Five guests go for a swim Paul hands out robes Aslan prepares the tea 5 guests + Aslan go into Meditation Space Aslan locks it down from inside Drink tea—all cups turned over 10-15 minute window for murder, (8.00-8.10/8.15) Right handed killer?	Investigation / Leads How did the knife get into the room? Was the tea drugged? WHY KILL IN PAPER HOUSE? WHY A DRAWING PIN? Who wiped it of prints? Who was in Aslan’s office @6pm the night before shouting ‘You’re not going to get away with it’?
Outside the Meditation Space
Rianka Kennedy Wife Has no idea who’d want Aslan dead	Dominic De Vere Ex-hypnotherapist. Now handyman Sacked by Aslan Argued with Aslan
Inside the Meditation Space
Aslan Kennedy Victim Everyone says he’s nice	Julia Higgins Worked at The Retreat last 6 months Confessed to murder But NO MEANS: where did she get the knife from? NO OPPORTUNITY: how did she get the knife to the room? NO MOTIVE: why kill Aslan? PLUS: left-handed, but the killer was right-handed?
Ann Sellars Housewife Married to Paul	Paul Sellars Handed out the white robes Pharmacist
Saskia Filbee Single, 45 yrs old Here on her own. Says she arrived night before Heard argument in office night before—at about 6pm—a man, but couldn’t identify him	Ben Jenkins Property Developer. Portugal. Brush with authorities before?

      ‘Okay, Dwayne,’ Richard eventually said. ‘I want background checks on our suspects. One of the five people locked inside the Meditation Space with Aslan Kennedy killed him. Who was it? And why?’

      ‘Yes, sir.’

      ‘As for you, Fidel, I want you trying to lift whatever fingerprints you can from the murder weapon. And if you can’t get any admissible prints from the handle, at least see if you can tell if it was wielded left-handed or right-handed.’

      ‘Yes, sir.’

      ‘Which leaves you and me, sir,’ Camille said, ‘and I think we should go back to The Retreat.’

      ‘You do?’ Richard asked, already suspicious of his subordinate’s motives. ‘And why exactly is that?’

      ‘Well, sir,’ Camille said, her eyes shining with innocence, ‘you said it yourself. There’s something about the Meditation Space that meant Aslan had to be killed in there and nowhere else. I think we need to inspect it again.’

      Richard took a step towards Camille and drew himself up to his full height.

      ‘And this has got nothing to do with finding Dominic so we can ask him to put Julia into a hypnotic trance, has it?’

      Camille was shocked by the suggestion. ‘Of course not, sir. You’ve already said that would be unethical. But there’s also the matter of the murder weapon to consider. Because if Julia didn’t have the carving knife about her person when she went into the room, it must have already been hidden in the Meditation Space beforehand. I think we need to work out how Julia got the carving knife into the murder room.’

      Richard looked at Camille a very long moment.

      ‘And you promise that this has got nothing to do with asking Dominic to put Julia into a trance?’

      ‘Of course not, sir,’ Camille said, shocked by the suggestion.

      ‘Very good,’ he said. ‘Then I think you’re right. We should go back to The Retreat.’

      Satisfied that he’d clipped Camille’s wings for once, Richard went off to get his briefcase. But what he didn’t see was the sly grin and slow wink that Camille gave Dwayne and Fidel the moment her boss’s back was turned.

      Getting Dominic to put Julia into a trance was precisely why Camille wanted to go to The Retreat.

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