The Girl Who Walked Away

by David Adkins

  “The wound was an old wound I was told.”

  She smiled. “Insist on seeing the doctor’s report on it.”

  “You know it was not an old wound.”

  “Just insist on the report and represent Max yourself.”

  “I am not a lawyer.”

  She shrugged. “Then make sure he is represented by someone you trust.”

  “What on earth is going on here? You don’t sound German or look it, Jenna,” I said.

  “Anti-German feeling is still high. No jury would want an English boy hanged for a crime committed by a German woman. I do not want Lucas to hang for a crime he did not commit. Make sure he doesn’t.”

  “They will come after you,” I offered.

  “They will never find me.”

  “Why did you kill Nesterman?” I asked again.

  “It is time to go.” She stood up and put her coat back on and picked up her bag.

  I stood as well and reached out to her. “What is to stop me barring your exit and phoning the police to tell them that I have Lucas’s killer. That would surely get him off.”

  She laughed. “You would not be able to do that, Steve.”

  “Why not?” I said, trying to grab her arm, but as she moved away I caught the strap of her bag instead which snapped. The bag fell to the carpeted floor spilling some of the contents. “I want to know if you know what has happened to Cassandra Mitchell.”

  “Stand back now,” she shouted an order.

  I took a step backwards because of the ferocity of the command and she knelt to put her belongings back into the bag. It was then that I realised one of those belongings was a gun and it was still in her hand. Was she threatening me with it?

  “Who are you?” I gasped.

  “That was a silly thing to do, Steve. Now go back to the far wall and stay there. Do not try to follow me.”

  I retreated to the far wall of my lounge. “Please Jenna, if you know anything about the disappearance of Cassie then tell me.”

  “I know Lucas’s girlfriend recruited your help. I also know that you have got close to this Cassie Mitchell but I do not know where she is and I am in no way connected with her disappearance. Have you considered she might just be avoiding you?”

  “You have been following us,” I gasped.

  She nodded. “I am sorry but I really do not know where she is.”

  “Why have you been following us?”

  “I am leaving now.” She waved the gun at me. “Please do not make the mistake of following me.”

  I was too shocked to follow her and something had caught my eye. I watched out of the window as she hurried down George Lane towards the High Street. I knelt down by the sofa and picked up a piece of paper that must have fallen from her bag. She had not noticed it. I held it up to the light and read it.

  Quick Fire Dry Cleaning Services. 216 Richmond Road, East Putney.

  Your order 7341 will be ready for collection at midday on Monday 12th February.

  For the best and quickest service come to us.

  I cursed as the date was two days previously and the order had probably already been collected. It was possible though that they might be able to give me her full name though that was likely to be false. I very much doubted they would have her address. Scared as I was from having a gun pointed at me I felt that a visit to Putney was now on the agenda. I weighed it up in my mind. Should Tintree or Putney come first? I decide on Tintree.

  Chapter 6

  Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th February

  I left quite early the next morning for my trip to Tintree with no idea what I might find when I got there. It was still quite dark on another cold February morning. I went to the bottom of my long garden and climbed the flimsy fence into my neighbour’s garden like a phantom in the darkness. I then crossed his garden and made my way along the side of his house and emerged into Mount Pleasant Road. I knew that I must have been relentlessly followed for days and I was determined to bring that situation to an end. Whoever they were they would continue watching my house for hours while I was well on the way to Tintree. I felt a small sense of triumph.

  On the train, I thought back on the events of the last couple of days. After Jenna had left, I had had an agitated afternoon followed by yet another restless night. The danger was becoming more and more clear, yet I was not willing to do as Cassie had asked of me. I had come too far and Max Lucas must not be found guilty. I had very strong feelings for Cassie but I had made Max a promise.

  I arrived at Leamington Spa before noon and though there were no taxis around there was a bus due in half an hour going to the village of Tintree. I had a coffee and cake in the station cafe and then boarded the country bus to Tintree. The bright red bus travelled down winding country lanes past fields and woodland and eventually arrived at Tintree after a journey of thirty minutes. The bus deposited me in the centre of the village outside the village post office and general stores and I decided to go inside. There was a very old lady at the counter and I took out the picture of Rupert Nesterman and covered the headline. “Good afternoon. Have you seen this man in the village?” I asked her politely.

  She squinted up her eyes and peered at the picture. “I don’t think I have. My eyesight is not so good these days.”

  “Thank you,” I said, deciding not to bother her any further.

  The village pub was just across the road from the post office and so I headed there. I sat on a stool at the counter and ordered a pint of bitter shandy and a steak pie. It was a homely sort of place with a warm fire glowing and a friendly barman.

  Casually I spoke to him. “I am looking for two gentlemen,” I said amicably as I sipped my drink.

  “Why is that?” he asked with a smile but a touch of suspicion. He obviously valued the privacy of his customers.

  I smiled. “I am a lawyer and I have some good news for them,” I lied and showed him my Butler and Robinson card.

  “Who are these gentlemen?” He sounded more receptive.

  “Their names are Rupert Nesterman and Clive Deepdale. They are regular visitors to Tintree.”

  “I do not know the names.”

  I showed him the picture of Rupert Nesterman but once again, covered the details of the murder. I did not want to alarm him. “Does that help?”

  “It does indeed. He has been in here a number of times in the past six months or so.”

  “Does he drink alone?” I inquired.

  “No, he has a drinking companion, a short man with fair hair.”

  I felt a bud of excitement start to bloom in my chest. Finally I was making progress. “Are they ever joined by others?”

  “Now that you mention it, I have never seen then drinking with anyone else.”

  “Do they have a house in the village?”

  He laughed. “They’re certainly not from the village. Though, they are regulars at the military base, even though they’re never wearing a uniform.”

  “Which military base?”

  He looked surprised by my question. “Tintree Military Base, it is about a mile out of town.”

  “Do the military drink here?”

  “Some do in the evenings. Luckily for my coffers, it’s convenient to the base.”

  “But they never drink with Nesterman and Deepdale?”

  “If they are the two gentlemen you are seeking, then no, for they are never here in the evenings only at lunch… though now I think about it I have not seen either of them for some weeks.”

  “Do you speak much with them when they come in?”

  “Not at all, they keep to themselves and do not converse with me or any of my regulars. Look, if you want to find them I suggest you visit the base.”

  “I will do that as soon as I have finished this fine steak pie,” I smiled. “And thank you for your help.”

  The military base appeared to be quite a stronghold for it was surrounded by high metal fencing and covered quite a large area. This, I reflected, was probably par for the course
for military bases. There was an open gate for pedestrians and vehicles to enter and a box with two guards on duty. I approached one of the guards. “My name is Steve Coulson. I am a lawyer and I am looking for Clive Deepdale as I have some news for him. I believe he is presently at the base.”

  “Wait here and I will find out for you,” he spoke in officious soldier-like tones.

  I waited for all of twenty minutes getting more and more impatient and thinking about my return trip home that evening. Eventually he returned, “Follow me,” he announced.

  I followed him at a brisk pace to a large hut just inside the compound. I looked round to see that there were many such huts within the large compound plus other outbuildings. There were also a large number of army vehicles and army personnel moving around the complex. I was met at the entrance to the hut by a tall, slim, uniformed man about forty. “I am Captain Norman Steele.” He offered his hand and I shook it. “We can talk inside Mr Coulson but I must warn you that I don’t think I can help you.”

  I followed him inside into a room which contained a desk and many cabinets. He sat behind the desk and indicated that I should take a seat opposite him.

  “You told the guard that you are seeking a Clive Deepdale, Mr Coulson. The name meant nothing to me but just to be sure because this is a large base with many personnel I checked our records.”

  “Thank you for seeing me Captain Steele. I know you must be a busy man. Clive Deepdale was a regular visitor to the base but may not be listed among the personnel.”

  “We do not have regular visitors,” he smiled. “This is a military base and the few non-military visitors like yourself are checked in and out. “Where did you get your information?”

  “From what I thought was a reliable source,” I hedged.

  “Not as reliable as you thought then.”

  “Deepdale had a friend Rupert Nesterman who was also a regular visitor to the base. Do you know of him?”

  “It is an uncommon name so it is a name that if I had heard I would have remembered. I am sorry I cannot help you, Mr Coulson.”

  “Do you recognize this man?” I passed him the newspaper clipping and picture but did not cover the details.

  He studied it closely. “I cannot say I do. I see this Nesterman was murdered.”

  “Deepdale is a beneficiary which is why I seek him,” I lied.

  Steele smiled again. “Well it sounds a terrible business. I am glad that these men are nothing to do with our base. Have they got the guilty man?”

  “They have a man in custody. Are you really telling me that neither Deepdale nor Nesterman have been to your base?”

  “That is what I am telling you Mr Coulson. Now I am afraid I have another engagement, so I’ll call a guard to escort you off the premises.” The guard was called and Captain Steele offered me his hand. “It was nice to speak with you Mr Coulson, and I am sorry I couldn’t help you.”

  The guard escorted me from the compound and, as I looked around, I was beginning to realize just how tight security was in this out of the way place. I walked back towards the village where I could get the bus back to Leamington Spa. Part of me wanted to stay in the village and ask more questions but I had a feeling that the answers lay within the compound and that was inaccessible. The other part of me wanted to get back home in case Cassie was trying to contact me. I looked at my watch and it was just gone three in the afternoon. I had come to Tintree because it seemed more likely that I would meet with success there than in Putney where I had nothing but a cleaning ticket. However, Tintree had proved a failure except that I had more than an inkling that Captain Steele was economical with the truth. But perhaps I was mistaken, for why should he lie?

  I had to wait a frustrating forty five minutes for a bus back to Leamington. In that time I decided to go ahead with a visit to Putney the next day even though the possibility of tracking down Jenna seemed most unlikely. I felt I needed something more tangible before talking with Bruitt or James about the legal side. I also needed to visit the Food Basket restaurant and Pete’s Bar. Then, of course, I had promised Max Lucas another visit but that would have to wait until I had the legal side settled. There was a lot to do but it was all so vague and I still thought that Tintree Military base might provide some answers. I could do all these things with an easier mind once I had heard from Cassie.

  It was 9.30 by the time I opened my front door and entered my welcoming home. I collapsed on the sofa for it had been a tiring day. However, my rest on the couch was disturbed by my stomach growling, so I reluctantly rustled up some food and settled by the phone to wait for a call from Cassie. It did not come.

  *

  The next morning I decided on the same ruse to prevent being followed. It seemed to have worked once and so I would repeat the process and hope I was not spotted by any of my neighbours. Once again I was making my way into Central London, but this time I did not have so far to travel. I emerged from East Putney Underground Station straight on to Richmond Road. It was pouring with rain and so I was relieved to see that Quick Fire Dry Cleaning premises were across the road and only a short distance from the station. I rushed across the road and entered the establishment. A middle-aged woman was standing behind the counter, smoking and coughing. She almost disappeared in a cloud of smoke as I approached her.

  “Awful day, sir,” she commented.

  “It certainly is. I wonder if you could help me.”

  “If I can,” she took another puff at her cigarette.

  I produced the cleaning ticket. “Has this been collected?” I inquired.

  “Just a minute I will look for you, 7341,” she muttered. “It is time we started at zero again.

  “Perhaps when you reach 10000,” I suggested

  She nodded. “Here it is. Yes it was collected on the day it was ready.”

  “Can you tell me the name of the person?”

  “It was brought in and collected by a Jenna Smith.”

  “Is there an address or telephone number for Jenna Smith,” I asked.

  “No we do not ask for such things. The onus is on the customer to collect their goods.”

  “Thank you,” I said with more than a little despondency.

  There was a cafe at the station and so I decided to have a drink and a bun while I decided what to do next. I rushed back across the road in the still driving rain and entered the cafe. I ordered a pot of tea and an Eccles cake and sat down to relax for a minute while reflecting on another wasted journey. It was ironic that the name Smith had cropped up again but I had not really expected any success in this particular venture. I had come to London so while here it seemed that I should be doing something before returning home to another telephone vigil, waiting for Cassie to call.

  I decided to head for the Strand and call into my office. I could then update James on what had happened in recent days and see if he had any advice to offer. It would then be just a question of crossing the road to the Gaiety Theatre to see if they had any news of Cassie. I had decided to leave it a couple more days before reporting her disappearance to the police for I was certain that at the moment they would not take me seriously.

  “May I join you?” A voice I recognized asked me a question. I looked up and was amazed to see Jenna looking down at me. “You look surprised Steve,” she smiled.

  I managed to recover enough to stutter out, “Please do,” albeit in slight disbelief. How had she found me?

  She took off a wet coat and sat down. “Now I wonder what brought you to Putney. I have really underestimated you again.”

  “I thought when you walked out of my home the other day you had finished with me,” I said.

  She smiled. “So did I, but now maybe not. I want to know where you went yesterday.”

  I smiled back. “Did I give you the slip?”

  “You did but not today.”

  I had gone looking for Jenna but she had found me. I had felt that I needed to speak with her again for I was sure there was much that she was not tell
ing me. I was not even sure that she was the killer despite her confession. I knew there had been someone else in the apartment for it was not her who had hit Lucas on the head. “I am glad you have found me, Jenna.”

  “That much is obvious for why else would you be in Putney and how did you know to look in Putney for me.”

  “I have my means,” I said. “I feel we should be straight with one another.”

  She nodded. “What do you want to know and I will divulge what I can and then you tell me what you were doing yesterday.”

  “What do you mean what you can?”

  “There are some things I cannot tell you. But go ahead, ask your questions, Steve.”

  I got the impression I was only going to find out what she wanted me to know. “Right Jenna, let’s see what answers I can get. How long have you been following me?” I started with what I thought would be an easy question.

  “I started by having Cassie Mitchell followed and when she led us to you, I thought it would be more productive to have you followed instead. That is why I didn’t know about her disappearance.”

  “Why are you following us?”

  “I know that Max Lucas is innocent. Like you, I do not wish him to be hanged for a crime he did not commit. I knew you were trying to help him so I decided to help you.”

  “You have a conscience then. You need it to accompany that gun you carry,” I grumbled, looking at her bag.

  She raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment at the dig, but simply replied “I do,” and smiled.

  “You gave me the information you believed I needed to get Max off the hook and so why are you still following me?”

  “You believe you can get more evidence and so I continue to support you.”

  “So you are supporting me. Who are you?”

  “My name is Jenna.”

  “Jenna Smith, I know.”

  She looked at me curiously with those dark eyes. “That is right.”

  “Who do you work for?”

  “That is one of the things I can’t talk about.” She leaned forward. “Now it’s my turn. Where did you go yesterday?”

  “I went to the country.”