Thursday Murder Club, #2
The Man Who Died Twice
by Richard Osman
Contents
Chapter 54
Overview
Prompted by Kendrick spotting her bracelet on the biker, Joyce and the group compile a list of possible wearers. Joyce then independently verifies that the Left-Luggage clerk would have required the biker to remove the helmet and that desk-area CCTV exists.
Elizabeth notifies Donna to obtain the footage, positioning the team to identify the biker and possibly Douglas and Poppy’s killer.
Summary
After Kendrick spots that the biker on the locker CCTV wears one of Joyce’s friendship bracelets, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron build a suspect list of recipients. They consider the four friends, Kendrick, and several others, including Sue Reardon, Lance, Siobhan, Martin Lomax, Bogdan, and a few locals. They discuss who might know about Douglas’s stash and who might have ignored the crisp packet.
As the evening winds down, Mark arrives to take Kendrick home, Ibrahim dozes, and Ron plans to return for his film. Joyce then has an idea to confirm the biker’s identity but decides not to involve Elizabeth immediately.
The next morning, Joyce travels alone to Fairhaven and speaks with the Left-Luggage clerk. The clerk confirms she would never allow helmeted access to the lockers without seeing a key and a face, and that there is CCTV covering the desk area. Joyce suggests it’s government business to keep the clerk cooperative.
Joyce goes to the police station but misses Donna. Back home, she tells Elizabeth, who is pleased yet irritated not to have thought of it first. Elizabeth messages Donna to obtain the desk-area footage, which should reveal the biker’s face and potentially identify who emptied the locker—and who killed Douglas and Poppy.
Who Appears
- JoyceDrives the inquiry; compiles bracelet-recipient suspects; confirms desk CCTV should show the biker’s face; informs Elizabeth.
- ElizabethAssesses suspects, reacts to Joyce’s initiative, and alerts Donna to retrieve the desk CCTV.
- IbrahimHelps list bracelet recipients but is exhausted and falls asleep, still recovering.
- RonJoins the suspect discussion and looks after Kendrick before leaving to watch his film.
- KendrickSpots Joyce’s bracelet on the biker in the locker CCTV, triggering the suspect list.
- Left-Luggage clerkConfirms helmet removal policy and existence of desk-area CCTV that should show the biker’s face.
- DonnaOff duty when Joyce visits; later receives Elizabeth’s message to obtain the CCTV.