by Mairi Chong
‘I agree it seems unlikely,’ Cathy admitted. ‘Please humour me though. Alex has already told me in the car, but I wanted to hear it from you. Not so much the story, as how everyone reacted when you told it. Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.’
This tactic seemed to work wonders, and Cathy knew she had judged things correctly when the old man leaned forward and rubbed his hands together happily.
‘It was a strange story,’ he began, ‘I don’t mind telling you, it’s kept me awake many a night, thinking of the poor chap who perished.’ Neil got up. ‘They all enjoyed hearing about it, I seem to recall. Although I was surprised that they didn’t remember. When I came home and told Roslyn what we had been talking about that day, she reminded me of something I had quite forgotten.’
‘Oh?’ asked Cathy.
‘Tricia. Well, she should have remembered because she was a student nurse up there. Roslyn said she didn’t think she completed her training. They worked together for a short time, but she dropped out halfway through. I thought it odd that she hadn’t said and she must surely have remembered. Perhaps she was just being quiet and not wanting to ruin my little bit of fun telling the tale,’ the old man said. ‘Anyway, if you wait a bit, I’ll find the paper.’ He shuffled to a bureau by the bay window. After raking in one of the drawers, he located what he was after. ‘This was what I showed them all when I went back in after Christmas. Roslyn found it for me tucked away. Did Alex tell you about her funny turn? It’s usually Carol who has those, isn’t it? Falling all over the shop, very unsteady on her feet. I’ve told Carol before, that she hares about the place far too fast.’
‘Who?’ Cathy asked. ‘Who had a funny turn?’
‘Betty,’ the man said. ‘Went all wobbly, and looked like she’d seen a ghost. Knocked her tea all over the place. Of course, she’d not been in there when we were talking about it before, had she Alex? I told my story in the kitchen and she was still out by the till. So, it was the first time in maybe a while since she’d been reminded.’
Cathy took the newspaper cutting and scanned through the report quickly. It didn’t add anything to what she already knew. ‘Did you know she was a matron up at the old hospital?’ Cathy asked.
‘Of course,’ Neil said, receiving the paperback and returning it to the drawer. ‘Used to see her regularly up there.’
‘Oh?’ It was Alex’s turn to speak. ‘How come, Neil?’
The old man turned slowly and grinned. ‘Woodwork,’ he explained. ‘Didn’t I say? I used to run a class with them. Only for six months or so, I did it. It was just before I bought the antique place on Broad Street. Kept me out of mischief, so Roslyn would say. Not my cup of tea and some sad cases up there.’
‘Did you know the doctor who died, then?’ Cathy asked, feeling that finally, they were getting somewhere.
‘Don’t recall his name,’ Neil said, meditatively. ‘Not much missed when he did die, by all accounts, despite the gruesomeness. Bit of a cad. The young girls didn’t like working alongside him. Even Roslyn said that. Bit touchy-feely, and worse. Rumour had it that they locked their doors when he was on nightshift, prowling about the place. Don’t think the patients liked him much either. That’s what they said at the time anyway. Not missed a great deal. A bit like poor old Betty, I suppose,’ he said, shrugging. ‘Can’t say anyone will miss her either, although, I know, no one at the charity shop would dare to admit it.’
When they were back in the car, Cathy looked out of the window. The sky was darkening now and the clouds were moving rapidly across the deep-blue.
‘You’ve already put up with a lot from me,’ she began, but Alex shook his head and laughed.
‘Don’t say that,’ he said. ‘It’s been fine to spend any time with you, however strange. I honestly didn’t expect to see you, and then when you randomly turned up in the shop, it was almost too good to be true. All these years I’ve wondered. I’ve thought of you often. And then, you actually agreed to see me. That, I didn’t assume would happen either. You’re this high-flying doctor now, and I’m, well, I’m an ex-cop doing odd jobs about the town.’
‘What happened with that?’ she asked. ‘If you don’t mind me asking. It’s none of my business, really.’
He patted his leg. ‘Retired after I bust my leg. Long story. A lot of hospital appointments and pain since it happened. I didn’t want to leave if I’m honest. I was in a pretty dark place for a while. It wasn’t long after Sally and I split, and it was a really difficult period in my life. I moved back up here to forget, but it wasn’t that simple.’
Cathy nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I thought a lot about you after Sally and I, well, you know? I think we both sort of felt it back then, didn’t we? Things were difficult though, and I was already … Anyway, I’m not now, and I’m glad to see you. I’m in a better place too. I’m planning on starting a business of my own. I’ve been speaking to the bank about it this past month, and it’s ready to go. Things have been looking up, and then you walk in. I’d hoped, well, maybe not even that. To pick up maybe, where things might have started back then. I assume you’re not …?’
‘What? Married?’ Cathy laughed.
‘Well, not exactly Cathy, but you know, attached to anyone? I don’t want any misunderstanding right from the word go.’
Cathy shook her head. ‘No. I’ve been in no position really.’
‘Career? You were always very smart.’
At this, Cathy snorted again.
‘You were always smart at speaking to folk. That was something I noticed long ago. People liked to tell you things, just like now, when you worked your magic on Neil.’
‘I suspect Neil would have told anyone his silly story,’ Cathy said. ‘He’s a bit of a brag, isn’t he?’
Alex nodded. ‘So, what now? Did anything Neil say, actually help you? I assume you are wanting to get to the bottom of Betty’s death, and that’s what all of this is about? It’s funny because it’s exactly what Holly was trying to do too. I’ll need to take better care of you though,’ he laughed.
Cathy nodded but was thoughtful.
‘Well?’ he asked again.
Cathy turned to face him. They were sitting very close to one another, and his arm rested by the handbrake. She accidentally touched him as she turned.
‘I was going to ask about Holly as it happens,’ she said quickly. ‘Please don’t be abashed. I guess I noticed that there had been something between the two of you when I first came in the shop, and then the way Neil was carrying on …’
Alex was shaking his head. ‘No. You’ve got that wrong,’ he said. ‘She came over to mine a couple of times, I’ll admit that. We had a drink and that was about it. I asked about her home life, but she was so odd with me. So cagey about it all. I guess it put me off. Look, I’ll not deny, I was rather flattered. She was a pretty girl. But troubled too. I felt sorry for her, in a way. That’s all.’
Cathy grimaced. ‘I’m not asking for myself,’ she said, and then laughed. ‘Well, a bit, if I’m honest. But no, it’s more this whole business, Alex. She knew something, and if we knew more about her, it might give us the answer. Quite apart from anything else, I’d like to know if she was on any medication or had a past medical history of any sort. It would help the hospital out. Her next of kin really should know she’s unwell, that’s if she has anyone.’
‘So,’ he said sighing, ‘what are we doing now?’
Cathy wasn’t sure what he’d think of her suggestion.
‘Does breaking and entering sound like a hot first date?’ she asked. ‘I know it rather goes against your past occupation, but you’ll know the tricks of the trade, I presume?’
30
He knew the address of course. At least he knew which block of flats, having walked up the road with her a couple of times in the past, so he said. On the two adjoining lots, both along Hopefield Avenue, was what looked like council housing. Low, slightly rundown bungalows of indistinguishable dimension and co
lour. Around the parking area, was a low privet hedge with a few small trees evidently planted recently.
Cathy parked the car not within the car park itself, but on the street. Several windows were lit in the flats, so Cathy hoped someone would allow them access to the building at the very least. As they got out of the car, she felt a sudden thrill of excitement. Would this be the evening when they found the answer to the mystery?
They approached the main entrance, crossing the road together and walking along parallel with the hedge. Cathy glanced up. A figure showed in one of the windows, lit from behind by the ceiling light. Cathy momentarily met the person’s gaze.
‘You never know,’ Alex had said earlier in the car as they drove. ‘She might have hidden a key in case she lost hers. If she has, I guarantee I can find it.’
But Cathy felt less optimistic. She was determined to get into the flat that night though. They had to find out about the girl. At the very least, they must get a contact number for her relatives and let them know what had happened. She had rung the hospital once more before leaving work and had checked up on both her and Thomas Hogg. She was told that both of their conditions remained unchanged. Thomas was now recovering well, but the girl Holly was still unconscious. Cathy had wondered if gaining access to Holly’s house might have been a police responsibility, but Alex had shaken his head. ‘If the hospital hasn’t alerted the police to the case, it’s unlikely,’ he had said. ‘And presumably, if she’s now stable, there’s no real life-or-death hurry until she wakes.’ Cathy knew that what he said was true, but she also felt that it was of vital importance that they find out what Holly knew, as soon as was practically possible. One person was dead, and two people had been injured already. The police didn’t seem too concerned, but she certainly was.
The detective in charge of the case had left a message on Cathy’s phone while they had been in visiting Neil, saying that nothing had been found in the skip behind the charity shop. Cathy was disappointed but unsurprised. Whoever had poisoned Holly, had of course gone out and removed whatever it was that was so incriminating. It was all so sinister and calculated. Cathy felt sure that Holly had known far too much.
The evening was growing darker, and the street lights had come on. Together, they crossed the car park, and coming to the entrance, Cathy climbed the stone steps first. She looked at the intercom to the left, and beside it; a list of flat numbers, eight in total, with names next to each. Holly’s name wasn’t on the list. She turned to Alex.
‘It’s only rented of course. She’s hardly the kind of girl to slot in a little name tag when she moved to make it easier for the postie,’ he hissed. ‘Just press any and ask. Go on.’
Cathy, having done a thousand house calls to the area in the past, swallowed and pressed at random. She allowed her hand to drop and turned around to Alex who was nodding encouragingly.
There was a crackle and then a voice answered.
Cathy turned back and spoke into the intercom. ‘Sorry to be a pest, I’m looking for Holly?’
‘She’s number six, not three,’ the voice said angrily. ‘I’m pissed off, folk pressing this buzzer like I’m some sort of domestic.’ But the buzzer on the door sounded low and grating all the same, and Cathy quickly pushed.
‘Thank you,’ she said cheerfully to the intercom, but the angry recipient had gone.
‘Six,’ Cathy said as they walked into the lobby. There were three flats on the ground floor, and the staircase through another door on the left led them up to the next story. Cathy opened the door and checked that Alex was still behind her. Their feet echoed in the stone stairwell.
‘Bit grim,’ Cathy whispered.
‘Yes, could do with better lighting,’ he agreed.
They came to flat six and Alex immediately began snooping. First checking that her neighbours weren’t looking, he stooped and lifted the front doormat outside.
‘Anything?’ she asked, but he straightened up empty-handed. ‘Window ledges? Behind curtains? She might have left a key with one of the neighbours. Should I try?’
Alex was checking the landing outside the flat. He returned to the front door and looked in the letterbox, but snapped this shut without comment and then quietly, putting his shoulder to the door and turning the handle, he pushed. His face grimacing with the effort.
Cathy snorted. ‘Don’t be an idiot. I’ll tap on four and five and see if they have a key or know how else we might get in.’
The occupants to the two flats were unhelpful, even when Cathy explained that she was a doctor and was concerned about the woman who might be inside the flat.
‘Well, she’s not inside,’ the man in flat four said. ‘She’s gone, thank God. Keeps us up half the night playing her music and stomping about. I’d know if she’d come back. Vomited on the stairs the other week. Drunk half the time. God knows how the flat looks.’ He had then unceremoniously shut the door in Cathy’s face.
‘Nice,’ she said, stepping back. She turned again to her co-conspirator. ‘Ideas?’ she asked.
‘Well, it was your scheme in the first place,’ he said. ‘Can’t we just wait until she wakes up and then speak to her? This is all a bit over the top.’
‘No,’ Cathy hissed angrily. ‘I thought you were going to be of use, but you’re such a defeatist. I want this sorted tonight.’
‘Well, I can’t get you in this way,’ Alex said.
She began to descend the stairs.
Alex followed. ‘Are we heading home then?’ he asked, but he should have known better. They exited the building and instead of crossing the car park, which was now quite dark, Cathy veered off around the edge of the block of flats, until she stopped by a metal cage that held all of the industrial-sized bins. She looked up at the window above. It was in darkness. She turned to Alex who stood despondently behind her, shaking his head.
‘Come on, give me a leg up.’
As he half-carried, half-pushed her up onto the roof of the bin shelter, he cursed her a thousand times for her obstinate nature, but by the time she was up and grinning down at him breathlessly, wobbling and slipping on the icy surface, he was seemed over it and called out for her to be careful, for God’s sake.
A quadrant of the moon was rising, but, for the moment, everything outside the reach of the street lamps was hidden in a dark shroud. Cathy clawed her way across the uneven roof, trying to be as quiet as she could. Behind her, she could hear Alex’s repeated attempts to hoist himself up also, but she told him to wait until she was off the roof, fearing that it might not hold their combined weight. She came level with the window finally. Her fingers gripped the ledge, thankful for the extra security it gave her. The blind behind the glass of the window was drawn shut but there was a slot of the room visible at the base. Cathy looked up and saw an extractor fan, circular and grimy, inserted into the top righthand corner. It made sense that she had chosen the bathroom, but it must undoubtedly be the correct flat as the others on the floor were occupied and the windows lit. Cathy examined the window itself. It was new, which disappointed her. She had hoped that splintering and rotten, the bottom of it might easily be pried up. The handle, although not fully pulled down, had locked the window shut. Cathy attempted to jerk it open, but with little to hold onto, her fingertips slid and the window didn’t move.
‘Alex,’ she called as loudly as she dared. ‘I can’t get it open. The handle’s not totally down though.’
She could hear him tutting from below. ‘If you’d let me get up there, I could have done it,’ he hissed. ‘You need something like a coat hanger.’
Cathy couldn’t disguise her disgust at this suggestion. ‘Well, I’m unlikely to have one of those to hand. Go and find me something. I’m fine waiting here, but don’t be ages.’
She stood, becoming increasingly stiff with the cold, until after perhaps five minutes, she heard his footsteps jogging back around the edge of the building.
‘Don’t know if this will be any help,’ he said, passing something up to he
r. ‘It was tying up one of those newly planted trees at the front.’
Cathy removed one hand from the window ledge and slowly bent down and retrieved what he had placed on the roof.
‘Right, listen,’ he said. ‘You need to slot it in the bottom of the window if you can. It may not be narrow enough and if it won’t fit, I don’t know what we’ll try next. If you can thread it through a gap at the base, pull it along the underside of the window until it comes in line with the latch. Push as hard as you can. It might need a good bit of jiggling. With any luck, it’ll pop open.’
Cathy smiled and without speaking, got to work. She wished that she had worn gloves because by now her hands were quite cold and painful. But spurred on by the task, she continued. The tree buckle was flexible and narrow. This meant that it was easy enough to insert into the gap in the window, but harder to manoeuvre along and gain any pressure on the lock. Cathy fidgeted with the thing, time and again withdrawing the strap and restarting the entire process. Below, she could hear Alex pacing back and forth, rubbing his hands to keep warm. He called up to her once and asked how it was going, but she was at a critical moment and didn’t answer. When the window bolt finally popped, releasing the handle inside, Cathy nearly fell backwards in her excitement.
‘Well done,’ Alex called up to her, but now came the issue of getting inside.
‘Alex, you’ll never get through,’ she whispered. Her heart was beating very fast.
Carefully, she grasped the bottom of the window and slowly raised it outwards. She ducked under it and gently pushed the blind aside. Cautiously, she leaned in and across the edge of the window. With infinite care, she edged forwards until she was, at last, lying stomach-down across the ledge. Her hips stuck in the gap and she had to wiggle herself free, finally resting her hands on either side of the toilet cistern that was conveniently below the window. Her ultimate move was ungainly and not without noise, but finally, she was in the bathroom. She stood still, listening, her heart hammering in her ears. She prayed that the neighbours hadn’t heard and called the police. But no noise came to indicate that they had done so, and she leaned out again, calling down the Alex that she was OK.
