The Case of the Hidden Flame

Epilogue

Despite the efforts of counsel, the jury refused to accept a charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in the case of Crown v. Swift. Alice was sentenced to serve twenty years for the murder of Dr. Sylvia Norquist. After two years at HMP Wainscott, Alice became involved in the prison’s historic working farm and enjoys recreating various tableaux vivant for visiting members of the public. Her exhibition of Tudor tapestries has received high praise.

Colonel Graves left Jersey to join an affordable retirement community for military veterans on the British mainland. There, he has several ladyfriends but no one in particular. He has abandoned his Stateside investment plans, preferring to live a modest life that is within his means. He still quietly grieves for “my darling girl.”

Anne and Nigel Pilkington quickly resolved never to speak of “the Jersey matter.” They returned to Britain and never visited the island again. Nigel Pilkington is now under hospice care but bears his burden bravely to avoid upsetting his wife.

Carlos Alves sold his sailboat and returned to his native Ecuador where he reconciled with his wife. He has resolved to stay closer to home in the future.

Janice Harding, buoyed by the arrival of the new Detective Inspector, found herself looking forward to Mondays with unusual enthusiasm. Fancying herself a matchmaker and with some self-sacrifice, she has made a list of her friends for whom the DI might fit the bill.

Following the conclusion of the Alice Swift case, Jim Roach spent his next pay packet entirely on books purchased from the Jersey police force’s online store. One Saturday at 2 a.m., his mother was surprised to find him reading Policing Organized Crime: The Rise of the Military Cop.

As far as locals could tell, the regime change at Gorey Constabulary had no effect on the burly Barry Barnwell save two notable exceptions. On his weekly visit to the supermarket, Barnwell was seen quietly abandoning a six-pack on an empty shelf just before joining the checkout line. He also seemed a little more cheery in the mornings.

Ever the ladies' man and a little bored by his current run-of-the-mill workload, Dr. Tomlinson embarked on a relationship with a feisty, glamorous widow from St. Helier. To Tomlinson’s relief, she was not a fan of Asian food, and their favorite haunt turned out to be a tiny, but charming, hole-in-the-wall French restaurant in St. Brelade. After a few months, he ended the relationship when he realized that “hot and spicy” in any form was simply not for him.

DI Graham settled into the White House Inn and the staff got used to his quirks, finding him a humble, polite, and gracious guest. He was regularly seen alone, walking the beaches and the cliffs around Gorey. While Graham was a sociable, long-term guest, Mrs. Taylor would have preferred to see him mix with people closer to his own age. Graham was aware of Mrs. Taylor’s preference and took great pains to thwart her efforts in this regard.