Free The Grotesques by Tia Reed Page A

was dead keen to stash an item her suspicions rose.
    “I already told the police I left ’er at the shopping centre. Ain’t no more to tell.”
    “You understand I can only print new information. the Informer can’t go copying what’s already stated in the Nationwide Daily .”
    “But the murderer, the police ain’t caught him yet, ’ave they?” He was looking between them, his mouth slightly open, bloodshot eyes wide.
    Ella attempted to soothe him. “Not yet, but my article’s only going to run after they do, the complete story so to speak. You could provide the vital clue that identifies him. the Informer would hail you as a hero.”
    “Laying it on a bit thick,” Adam muttered so only she would hear.
    “Um. Don’t really know what I can tell you.” Matt scratched behind his ear.
    The truth for a start , Ella thought. His nervous scratching had moved to his head. In Ella’s experience, nerves indicated a person was hiding something. “Were you close?”
    “We were tight. I wasn’t about to marry her or nothin’, but she was a good chick.”
    “I’m sure she was,” Ella said dryly, noticing there wasn’t a single article of hers in the room.
    “We’re very sorry for your loss,” Adam said.
    “Yeah. Me too, ’bout your cousin.”
    “Well,” said Ella, rising, the video still in her hand. “If you can’t add anything, we’ll be on our way to Alicia Moffat’s family.”
    “You mean you ain’t gonna quote me?”
    “Have you got new information, Matt? We’re clear she was a great girlfriend. We know you’re devastated by her loss.”
    “Yeah. Sit down, yeah, maybe. I mean, you ain’t goin’ to the police with this or nothin’?”
    “You have my word,” Ella said, dropping back onto the sofa. “The police don’t hear of this until after the murderer is caught.”
    “Yeah, it’s just, well, we had a fight that night.”
    “What about?”
    “She, Bekka, she wanted to buy these shoes. Ninety bucks they cost. I told her they were too expensive. Then she made a big fuss coz I’d bought this new DVD, Alien Menace . The chick didn’t understand it was only thirty bucks.”
    At a quick glance, Ella estimated several hundred dollars worth of movies to be lying around the room. “So what happened?”
    “She stormed off.”
    “You mean she didn’t go into the shopping centre.”
    “Nah. She went across the car park and crossed the road.”
    “Toward the church?”
    “The Old Port Canal Park.”
    Right , Ella thought, establishing the connection. The church was at the other end of that reserve, just across a street with the curious name of The Minories. “You just let her go?” Adam placed a hand on her tense wrist.
    “It ain’t far from here. I was mad, hey, and I really wanted to watch Alien Menace. ”
    “Why didn’t you tell the police about this?” Ella asked.
    “’Cause they’d think I did it. You know, us fighting and me being the boyfriend. They always pin it on the boyfriend.”
    “I quite understand,” Ella said, wanting to hit the good-for-nothing jackass. “You’ve been a tremendous help. I’ll make sure you get a good write-up, but remember it may not be for a while yet.”
    “Sweet. You ever watched it?” He waved at the video in her lap.
    “Eh . . . No.”
    “You can have that. It could help you find some aliens, help you know what to look for, ay, give you a break with the paper.”
    Ella gave a couple of long slow nods. “Thank you,” she said, trying to sound sincere.
    Beside her, Adam covered his mouth and pretended to cough to cover his laugh.
     
    UNFORTUNATELY, ALICIA MOFFAT’S best friend, Jane Browning, was less forthcoming. Her pain manifested itself as open hostility toward Ella. Immediately recognising her, Jane slammed the door in their faces and refused to answer their second ring.
    “Jane, I’m Cecily Williams’ cousin,” Adam called, giving Ella a defeated look. In the face of grieving friends and relatives, his own pain