Iris Pierce Mysteries

Part 7

'Where's our tea, Iris?' I walked into the living room with a tea set in my arms. Hampton and Howard moved all the photographs and drawings to one side of the tea table to make space. It had been more that two weeks since Beatrice Banks was arrested for suspicion of murder and still the detective duo refused to believe her the killer. Most of the evidence was stacked against her, the untrue alibi, the body in the backyard and her hate for the young woman.

I was surprised when I learned of this fact. When Miss Banks had first come to us for help with her niece's disappearance I felt that she cared for Elizabeth deeply, that she was like a daughter to her. But apparently this wasn't true. During an interrogation by Howard and Hampton down at the police station, we had found out that Miss Banks hated Elizabeth to the bone! The exact reason is unknown since the woman refuses to say anything else.
'Thanks Iris,' said Howard without even looking at me. The whole agency seemed to be wary of me. No one fully looked at me, no one spoke to me unless they had to and I had been kept in the dark about most of the evidence found.

'What's on today's agenda?' He asked without looking at anyone in particular. But it was clear who he was talking to. Because of my 'Asleep', as they called it, Rowena had taken the job as temporary schedule maker, but that temporary became permanent. My blood boiled, slowly turning into fire as I watched Rowena read out the schedule in her perfect smooth voice. I half thought that the tray in my hands might snap as my fingernails tried so hard to dent it.

'Well, there isn't much. That interview that you wanted with Miss Banks will be in an hour so I suppose we should get going.'
Howard leaped from his chair to the coat rack. 'Robert, come on. Grab what you need and I'll call a cab.'
'Actually, I have something I want to do so you take Iris. Trust me, you'll get more done with her around.' He smiled at me for a brief second and then turned to Howard. I wondered what he'd say. If he'd pick Rowena.
'Alright then. Iris, with me. Robert, Rowena, take care of yourself.'

➿

'Miss Banks, do you have anything to say?' The woman looked as if she hadn't even heard the question. Miss Bank's face was pale white, her hair greying at the ends and her green eyes looking at something nonexistent beyond Howard. She was a statue. Her complexion matched the pale ash coloured walls of the interrogation room.

'You do realise that we are trying to solve the death of your niece? Miss Banks, every time you ignore a question you face more time in a cell!'
'I don't care,' this was the first time she'd spoken since she was arrested. Even though it was nothing insightful, Howard leaned back in his chair in satisfaction. 'I don't care, put me in a cell. Just leave me alone.'

'Who was with you and Elizabeth in the house on the day Elizabeth Dougherty died?' This question made Miss Banks flinch and me confused. What did he mean "who" was with them? Probably another piece of information Howard forgot to mention to me. 'Forensics put another person at your house on that day and the doctor said Elizabeth was strangled by a man. Who was the man?' Miss Banks made no sign of answering the question but I could see her lips quivering and her eyes blinking furiously. She knew who Howard was talking about, that much was obvious.

'Your husband? Are you married? A brother? A father, a lover?' Howard's green eyes glared at the suspect so hard like they had the power to force her to say something.
'Wouldn't you do everything you could to protect the ones you love? Even if they have mistakes? Even if you hurt yourself?' Miss Banks' voice sounded like a wounded dog, I almost felt sorry for her.
'So which one was it? Lover, husband, father...son?' She flinched as Howard said the last word. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks like drops of mercury, she knew she had given it away.

➿

Me and Howard sat in silence in the cab. He was smiling while he looked out of the windows to the tall town houses and tower blocks, and even as we passed the Nirvana Diner. 'What do you make of Miss Banks, Iris?'
I talked without making eye contact, 'She's worried. Not for herself but for the man that you were talking about. She didn't want Elizabeth's death and didn't know the body was in the pond. She's just a normal woman who got mixed into affairs that she didn't want to be involved with.'

'You know, one of the main reasons I hired you was because of the way you read people. It's a detective's skill to notice small details that are possibly linked to the crime. You do that better than anyone.'
'I can't read all people. I can't read you.' He looked away from me. My mind wandered to the door to the attic, the one that was locked up and shrouded in mystery and even death. I could sense it all around the landing. Something happened up there.

'Probably for the best that you can't,' he said, 'Iris, I don't want you communicating or seeing any ghosts. I don't want you putting yourself in danger-'
'I'm not putting myself in danger! I'm finally doing something useful for a change! It was because of me you found the body!' I hadn't meant to get angry. But for once I was doing something other than cleaning or making tea! I was being useful and he wanted me to stop. He wanted me to go back to being nothing but a stupid shadow, shadow to Rowena! I wanted to yell at him that I was better than Rowena and she was just a stuck up princess!

'Even though that's true you hurt yourself! I can't have that happening again!'
'Why not? You seem to be doing fine without me! You have Rowena! The perfect hell hated ratsbane!' What an idiot I'd been! What had come over me to yell at him this way! It wasn't Howard's fault Rowena was more annoying than Encyclopaedia Brown!
The rest of the trip was silent and heavy with the feeling of regret. Mainly from me.

As Howard and me walked up to the door of his house, he said, 'It wasn't my idea to hire a new assistant.' I didn't say anything in return.
Waiting for us inside was Hampton and Rowena, Hampton was playing with a silver locket in his hands. 'Found something about our unknown friend.' Hampton said with a wicked (but exciting) smile on his face.