Poison

by Charlot King

  “Sir?”

  “Hold him for now. We can decide about bail shortly. I’ll speak to his solicitor later.”

  “You have a call from a Professor Green, Sir.”

  “Thank you Lemon.”

  Lemon hands Abley the phone, who takes it and listens intently.

  “Hi, yes we’ve got Eruna here. I’m going to question him about Edward.” Abley’s eyes open wider as he continues to listen to Elizabeth. “But that means. What?” The Inspector can’t believe his ears. “Yes. Okay. Don’t leave without me. I’ll get the blues in on this. Just wait for me there. We can go together. Elizabeth?”

  Abley looked shocked. He hands Lemon back the phone.

  “She hung up on me.”

  Lemon stands stationary, he has more news for the addled Inspector.

  “And we have the call results from Edward Wiley’s mobile, sir.”

  Lemon hands Abley a document.

  “Lemon, can you get a squad car. I want to go over to Elizabeth Green’s.”

  Lemon is flustered. But points to the call sheet for Abley to look at and then hurries to the car park. Abley looks at the phone call sheet, and Lemon’s notes along the right hand side. He takes one last glance at Dr Eruna inside and then dashes off to pick up his jacket.

  49. Gifts

  Elizabeth and Godric are sitting on the sofa in the drawing room. Elizabeth has a blanket over her legs, peppermint tea steaming by her side. She puts the phone down after talking to Inspector Abley and turns to Godric.

  “He was saying ‘servus tip’. Emily reminded me that servus is the latin word for name. Though why Edward would speak in Latin lord only knows. Perhaps it was the poison. But he was saying a family name ‘Tip’, and I then found this book.” Elizabeth points to the huge book of African family dynasties on the coffee table, clearly marked ‘Cambridge university library, do not remove’ on its cover. “I’ve been looking through it. There is a big family in Africa, called Tip. Edward had just got back from Africa. He was warning me about the Tips, you see?”

  Elizabeth pulls the book open to a page where she’s inserted a marker. We see pictures in history of white men, standing in front of mines, and black workers going into the mines, and some young children too. Godric doesn’t understand what she is trying to tell him.

  “Are you feeling better after the slip in the greenhouse, Nanna? I’m still happy to do your leg work. I felt quite the detective, talking to Rebecca like that. She had no idea I was trying to glean just how much she knew about plants. Let me tell you, she was a real first class idiot when it came to the basic green finger questions. You were right.”

  “Did you close the greenhouse?”

  Godric nods and continues, “Interesting that Kara is so wealthy, Bunny. Is that why she’s changed her name to Kat, to be less conspicuous?”

  Elizabeth has already made up her mind on Rebecca, Kara and Jonathan. Nothing Godric will say from now on will change it. Elizabeth drums her fingers against the open page.

  “Maybe she’s embarrassed about her wealth. Maybe it doesn’t fit with her soon to be husband’s political career?”

  Godric is still in the dark; he screws up his face as he drinks his coffee.

  “How could someone in Africa kill Edward? He died here. So did Susan, and the Professor. What is it with the family and mining Bunny?”

  But Elizabeth is in her own world. She doesn’t hear Godric now. Almost as if talking to herself she starts to speak.

  “I should have known when I saw they both had the same paintings of horses with toothy grins. Susan and Rebecca. They both had scarves with little Scotty dogs on. Blue scarves. There are coincidences and coincidences. I was blind.”

  Godric has really now lost his grandmother. What does she mean scarves and paintings? What can Bunny be talking about?

  “I don’t follow.”

  “Edward bought his wife and his mistress the same presents, he always bought two presents. They both had the same Scotty dog scarves. So what else did he buy them both? Just think, when he came back from Africa. What if he bought them the same presents there too?”

  Godric is finding this hard to follow, then remembers the necklace.

  “What, you mean the necklace?”

  “There had to be more than one necklace because the beads were not missing from Susan’s. What if there were two necklace presents to two women he actually knew? Get the Talbot out. You’re driving me to Ely. We need to get to Rebecca. Before we have yet another murder on our hands.”

  ✧

  Dr Eruna’s legal brief walks down the steps of the police station. He stops for a moment, breathes in fresh air and then continues along Warkworth Terrace with its tall houses, heading towards the local pub, the Free Press. They know him well in there, and he hopes to get a pint or two with his friends before he goes home to his empty house. His mother never told him how unpopular he’d be as a lawyer, and all the stress attached, when she pushed him to work harder at school and get a proper job. Inside the police station, in a cell, Dr Eruna sits on a hard bed. Having failed to get bail and awaiting the magistrate in the morning, who will assign the case to Crown Court. This is not how his week was supposed to go. He sits in the dark, without a television, so is unable to see the news bulletin which has his mug shot against his formal charges of GBH against an esteemed Cambridge Don.

  ✧

  Elizabeth and Godric are in the Talbot, racing along a country lane. Godric is driving, and glances at Elizabeth.

  “Bunny?”

  “It took me longer than usual this time. I’m losing it. I hope we’re not too late. Faster!”

  “Are you sure? I mean, it’s the Talbot.”

  “Just drive!”

  Godric looks at her again, and back on the road, with increased determination to get there in time. The Talbot speeds along the lane, passing a car and narrowly missing, continuing rather too quickly.

  ✧

  Jonathan is still in his rooms, desperate to leave. His assistant opens the door and Jonathan dreads having to talk to one more constituent in his evening surgery.

  “No, I don’t care who it is I have to go home. So do they, it is very late!”

  “It’s the Prime Minister on the phone.”

  “Put him through.”

  50. Manhattans

  Rebecca is on the terrace. It has grown darker since Godric was here earlier, but this has not deterred her from remaining outside as it is an unusually warm night. Sparkly pool and terrace lights illuminate much of the garden and lawn. For the first time since Edward died she has managed to stop crying every ten minutes, and instead feels rather calm. She has just been for a dip in the pool and is now wearing a towel dressing gown, covering her swimming costume. She lays back on a sun lounger and is almost drifting off to sleep, her eyes shut and a blanket covering for warmth. Kara has crept back up the garden and now stands silently over Rebecca. Watching her for a while, and then with some water from a drink bottle she drips a little on Rebecca’s face so as to wake her. Rebecca stirs with a start.

  “Oh, oh. You made me jump. What did you do that for?” Rebecca can see the bottle, hanging over her head. Kara shrugs and smiles. Rebecca opens her eyes properly and tries to be friendly, remembering their last encounter and Kara’s distress at the news about the wedding.

  “I’ve been for a swim, Kat. I highly recommend it. It’s been so hot today, hasn’t it? I think I’m ready for bed soon. Where did you go?”

  Kara is subdued and moves away from leaning over Rebecca, shrugging her shoulders. “Oh, just for a walk. I don’t know. I had to get some air. This family is enough to make anyone want to run away and never come back.”

  Kara perches temporarily on another sun lounger adjacent to Rebecca’s. She throws down the bottle of water and it rolls into the pool. She watches it bob for a while, and knock
against the side.

  “I don’t know. The wedding, eh?”

  Rebecca shakes her head, smiles a little, then reaches across to place her hand on Kara’s.

  “I do understand. It must be devastating. We’re both in the wars.”

  Kara takes Rebecca’s hand and holds it between hers close to her chest, causing Rebecca to have to lean towards Kara, the blanket falling off her body. Kat starts to pour out her feelings to Rebecca.

  “The thing is, you see, I see you as my sister. I mean, I know we’re not related, but I thought we would be, and well, I don’t want you to leave here now you’ve just moved in. I would love it if you’d stay with me, even if Jonathan doesn’t. We can live here together. And anyway, I’m sure he was just in a mood when you spoke to him, he has been acting strangely because of the Cabinet reshuffle.”

  Rebecca can see that Kara is getting her hopes up about Jonathan. She feels awkward and so places her other hand on top of Kara’s.

  “I’m sorry for telling you what Jonathan said. But, he seems pretty certain, Kara. He doesn’t usually change his mind once it’s made up. You should know that more than anyone. He’s a stubborn old fool. But of course, talk to him.”

  Kara pulls away, gets up and walks over to the bar. She leans on the bar with her back to Rebecca.

  “Why are you determined to upset me? Of course Jonathan wants to marry me. You got the wrong end of the stick.”

  Rebecca thinks this odd and sits up, covering her legs with the towel robe to try to stop the goose bumps.

  “No, I haven’t. He just phoned me from the car and he seemed pretty angry actually.”

  Kara laughs to herself.

  “Always phoning you, seeing you. He always puts you first. Why don’t I get a call?”

  Rebecca points to the table, bemused by Kara’s more harsh tone than she recognises.

  “You left your phone here. And Kat, how can you say such a thing? It’s not my fault you two haven’t been getting on.”

  Kara twists round and glares harshly at Rebecca.

  “Isn’t it?”

  Rebecca shifts in her towel robe, now feeling uncomfortable.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Kara turns back round to face the bar, putting ice in a couple of glasses. “Oh nothing. I’m just stressed. Why don’t we have something strong, eh? I’ll mix us up some Manhattan’s. Something with a kick.” Kara sets about mixing a couple of cocktails, bourbon, sweet vermouth and angostura bitters. There is silence between the two until Kara has finished and pours the drinks into pretty shallow green cocktail glasses. Rebecca takes hers from Kara and looks at it.

  “Ooh, this looks nice. Bit strong for me right now though I think. Thanks anyway.”

  “Nonsense. You have to join me. Let’s cheers. We must have things we can cheer about, eh? To sisters.” Kara clinks her glass gently against Rebecca’s and then raises the drink to her mouth. As she does someone starts violently banging on the front door and ringing the bell. Rebecca looks at Kara.

  “Who on earth?”

  “Ignore them. It will be cold callers. We get so many round here. Jonathan has his keys. C’mon, let’s make a toast. To you.” Kara clinks her glass again on Rebecca’s and then raises her glass to her lips and takes a sip. But the banging continues and Rebecca can’t ignore it. She gets up, still holding the cocktail, and starts walking to the door.

  “I’ll just see who it is.”

  As Rebecca opens the door Elizabeth comes into the room just as Rebecca puts the drink to her lips.

  “Don’t drink that!”

  Elizabeth points at Godric to take the drink and as he does he mouths ‘hello again’ to Rebecca, then follows his grandmother, now cocktail in his hand, through to the terrace.

  “What are you doing? Hey?” Rebecca is bemused by the fact that they have waltzed straight in and past her. On the terrace Kara turns to see Elizabeth coming through the living room, and also spots Godric now holding Rebecca’s drink. In her panic, as Godric steps outside and gets closer, she tries to grab it off him.

  “What are you doing with that?”

  As Kara reaches for the drink Godric accidentally spills the contents in the swimming pool. He then looks at Rebecca.

  “Rebecca, come over here.”

  “What?”

  Godric takes Rebecca’s hand and pulls her aside, away from Kara. Elizabeth spots the pool pump and turns it off. Kara is angry at Elizabeth. “What are you doing? That’s my pool.”

  “Preserving evidence, Kara.”

  Kara spits at Elizabeth, her cheeks aflame with anger.

  “Get out of my house! My fiancé will be furious when he gets home.”

  Elizabeth looks at Kara with calm resolve.

  “There is no need to be rude, Kara. It’s Kara Tip not Kat Anderson really, isn’t it. And, he’s not your husband yet, is he. Some people will go to extreme lengths to marry though, won’t they. Never thought you were the type. How wrong I was about you.”

  Rebecca looks confused.

  “Kat. Whatever’s the matter?”

  Kara screams at Rebecca.

  “Why couldn’t he just love me? Even half the amount he loves you? But no, that would be too easy. He just saves it all for you, so there’s nothing left. You are a very selfish little bitch!”

  Jonathan slams the front door and walks in holding two bottles of champagne, and finds Elizabeth, Godric, Kara and Rebecca by the pool.

  “I got in!” Jonathan is in a state of euphoria, happy to share his news with everyone and anyone who will listen. He disappears into the kitchen to get some champagne flutes and comes back in. “I’m in the Cabinet. How about that?” Jonathan smiles hugely. “Secretary of State for Justice in the end, not Home Office. Phoned me, didn’t want to drag me down to tell me in person because of the circumstances. But it’s official. So I don’t care what you’re talking about, or even that I appear to be celebrating with you, Professor Green. I don’t care that you’re in my house, or what you think or say. Today is my day. We’re having champagne!” Jonathan starts to pour out the champagne and hands the first one to Rebecca. It is only then that he can see Kara’s face is red and her eyes watery, and that Rebecca is looking a little upset.

  “Er, is everything all right here? Someone?”

  Elizabeth interrupts, walking towards Rebecca and Godric and away from Kara.

  “I think you should ask your fiancée. It may have a bearing on your own news.”

  Jonathan continues to pour, while glancing at Kara.

  “Kat?”

  Kara starts to pace along the side of the swimming pool, feeling increasingly uncomfortable following Elizabeth’s use of the word ‘evidence’ in relation to the drink. She can’t look Rebecca in the eye, but manages to glance over to Jonathan.

  “Why wouldn’t you marry me? Was I so unloveable? I’m pretty aren’t I? Faithful. What was it? Do I have to pay for the sins of my father? Is that it?”

  Jonathan puts down the champagne bottle and takes a flute of champagne over to Kara, unhappy with the way the conversation is developing.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I think you know. I know you’ve found out.”

  Jonathan’s eyes dart to Elizabeth, Godric, Rebecca and then back to Kara, urging Kara not to spill the beans about Africa.

  “You’ve broken my heart it’s true, but now is not the time.”

  Kara picks up the water bottle bouncing in the pool and starts to peel off the label, pacing again.

  “You knew where I came from. That didn’t stop you wanting to marry my money.”

  “Nonsense. What is this?”

  “You politicians are all the same. Say one thing, do another.”

  Jonathan defends himself, picking up his own champagne and then pointing a finger at Kara
.

  “Oh no. Oh no. You can’t say I’m complicit in this. You told me nothing. Nothing about your family.”

  Rebecca is confused and stands up from her seat.

  “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Rebecca looks at Godric. “First, you grab my drink. And Kat, why be so horrid? How could you call me those names?”

  Elizabeth interjects.

  “Anything to become Mrs Smythe-Jones, wasn’t it Kara.”

  “Get her out, Jonathan. Just get her out. I didn’t invite her. She just walked in of her own accord. Isn’t that illegal?”

  Elizabeth ignores this and continues.

  “The notorious African mining company Kara’s father runs to this day, is still using child labour. I say labour, as I believe payment is not involved. Here we call that slavery. Not something Kara has been keen to share. So when I said I liked your dress when I first met you I didn’t know your family had blood money. I don’t like it anymore.”

  Kara’s face has gone from upset to angry as she spits at Elizabeth.

  “What would you know about Africa?”

  Elizabeth remains calm, and picks up a pink flamingo cocktail stirrer from a sun lounger and looks at it. “I like these, Godric.” She twirls the flamingo in her fingers, then directs her attention back to Kara. “Quite a bit actually. My husband worked there on many occasions, but he helped people, rather than sending them to an early grave through torture and slavery abuse.”

  Jonathan tries to close the conversation down.

  “Is this the best time to rake this up? What has been happening here?”

  Elizabeth is shocked.

  “You knew about this?”

  “I had it confirmed yesterday. I still can’t believe it, Kat.” Jonathan turns to Elizabeth. “But I didn’t want it to ruin my day. At least today could be free of this stress.”

  “Stress? Your fiancée has just tried to kill your sister.”