Page 137 of Reinventing Cato
The kitchen door opened and Pedro came in. “I thought I could smell something baking. Bloody hell, Cato, is there no end to your talents?”
Cato chuckled. He cut the brownies into squares and lifted them out using the greaseproof paper he’d cooked them on.
“I’m going to do a disappearing trick now and go out for a couple of hours. Don’t eat them all before I get back.”
Chapter Twenty
Once they were heading away from the house into town, Cato gave an audible exhalation. “I want to find a time machine we can climb into. We can press a button and wherever we end up will be better than here right at this moment.”
Vigge took hold of his hand.
Cato looked down at their linked fingers. “It’s broad daylight. Saturday in Cambridge. Lots of people about. You might see someone you know and you’re not supposed to be associating with me.”
“You’re the only person I want to associate with.”
“What did you do with the letter opener?”
“It’s in my car. It wasn’t taped to the chest of drawers when we last searched.”
“Then how did they get into my room?”
“Copied your key? Used a window? Is there a hatch from the attic?”
Cato gripped his hand. “Oh God. Yes. One in my bathroom.”
“Then that’s the most likely route assuming there’s another way in.”
“It’s on the landing.” Cato sighed. “Why do you think the letter opener was put there now?”
“I’m guessing this is drawing to a close. I think whoever is doing this wants your room to be searched, the weapon found, you to be arrested.”
“But you moved it. Won’t you get into trouble for that?”
“I’ve taken it for safe keeping. I’ve not contaminated the evidence.”
“But you should have called it in straightaway.”
Vigge glanced at him. “When did I find it? Only two of us know the timing.”
“Ah. Okay.” Cato gave a shaky sigh. “Except nothing’s okay. So it’s Sam or Pedro?”
“It looks that way.”
“I’m not sure we can rule out Louise or Max. They both had opportunity. They were in my room on their own.”
“Whoever it is, we need to find a link between one of them and the murder victims, well maybe one victim. Marcie. A similar weapon was used but the pathology suggests the blade was longer. She’s the key.” Vigge stopped outside a small vegetarian restaurant. “This place okay?”
Cato nodded. “I don’t know if I can eat anything.”
They were given a table at the back. Vigge chose what he wanted and Cato said he’d have the same.
“Do you have a plan?” Cato asked.
“Without being too obvious, talk to Sam and Pedro’s friends tonight, find out what sort of guys they are. Ask about boyfriends, girlfriends, family. We know Sam went to Brighton uni. Marcie was from Brighton and found near Brighton. That’s too much of a coincidence to ignore. And we know Pedro is a regular visitor to Brighton.”
Cato looked up when the waiter brought them coffees.
“Watch how much you drink tonight,” Vigge said once the waiter had left.
