I take a deep breath and push the thoughts away. No. I need to stick to Lola’s plan. She didn’t kill Stuart – I did. She didn’t make me do it – I panicked and did it myself. I messed up her plan. And whether I like it or not, I am as guilty as her now. If I confess, we both go to prison, for murder and probably other things as well, perverting the course of justice or something like that. If I get on with things and do as she has asked, ‘man up’ or whatever it was she said, everything will turn out OK.

Won’t it?

Taking a deep breath, I use my key card to open the surgery door. ‘Hello?’ I call gingerly, listening intently in case I can hear Stuart banging or shouting from inside the mortuary drawer, but thankfully, all is quiet. Would he suffocate in one of those drawers? Surely not so quickly. Are they refrigerated when the mortuary is, officially, not in use? I’ve got no idea. But even if they are, I doubt being inside one would kill someone in such a short amount of time. Would it?

Taking the trolley with me so I don’t have to drag the body any further than necessary, I pick up the elephant statue I hit Stuart with before in case I need it again and head to the mortuary. Inside, it is still quiet as the grave, I think to myself, inappropriately, and stifle a nervous laugh. What is wrong with me? A man is dead, or I am about to kill him. This is hardly a time for levity.

I lift the elephant high above my head and in one quick movement, open the drawer.

It’s empty.

64

Alice

5 February 2022, 13:30

The Caribbean

So I found out who is stealing the food using the footage from Bill’s cameras – Antonio. It’s so strange. He’s always seemed so straight and normal – until recently.

I think he must blame himself for Lola’s suicide, after the row they had and him hitting her like that. And while she was always great fun to spend time with, there was definitely a dark side to her, a more troubled side. She was never the most stable of people, so I wonder if their row was the final straw for her.

Poor Lola. I really miss her. But she is gone, and I can’t do anything about that, sadly. However, what I can do is prevent the crew in my culinary care getting food poisoning.