40
Hannah sat at the kitchen table, her hands closed around the coffee mug, dark smudges beneath her haunted eyes. She had spent the night on the bed unable to sleep as she thought about James in the hospital, her phone clasped in her right hand, dreading the call to tell her that her husband had died alone during the night.
Every minute had felt like an age as she lay on the bed, her eyes fixed at the blackened bedroom window. She had got up twice to visit the bathroom and, on both occasions, she had heard hushed voices from behind Morgan's closed bedroom door.
When they had arrived home from the hospital, Elle had been waiting under the porch, and Hannah had sighed in relief as the two girls hugged one another both sobbing as they embraced.
Over the last few months, she had asked Morgan why Elle had stopped coming to the house, but as usual her daughter had brushed off her questions without providing an answer, in much the same way that a well-oiled politician would squirm their way out of a difficult grilling with ease.
In the end, she had stopped asking, assuming that they must have had a falling out at some point, though she had always been convinced that eventually they would make it up, so when she had seen Elle at the door, she had felt a flood of relief, glad that Morgan would have someone to talk to about her father.
Taking a sip of coffee, she thought about James, his smile, the way he would laugh, head thrown back, eyes shining. They had met in their early twenties, both working at a local software company, and had hit it off straight away, though Hannah had been the one to keep James at arm's length, believing that any work-based relationship was not a good idea. He had been a good-looking guy, still was, and popular both in and out of work, and the last thing she had wanted was to be a carving on his bedpost, another successful conquest.
She had made sure they had remained nothing more than friendly work colleagues, but over time she had learned a few things about James that had surprised her. She could recall seeing him in the local park, it had been a Saturday and she had been shopping in the town centre, and on her way back had decided to get a coffee and sit in the park to enjoy the weather. The sun had been shining and as usual on days like that the place had been full of people soaking up the rays and relaxing. There had been blankets spread on the ground as some families had a picnic, the ducks and pigeons pottering about looking for scraps. Children had been running around the play area crammed with kids on the swings, roundabout and slide, the birds singing in the trees. It had been a picture-perfect summer's day, the ice-cream van doing a roaring trade in fizzy drinks and frozen lollipops.
When she had seen James walking over the short-cropped grass with the small girl on his shoulders and the woman by his side she had watched in surprise as he swung the girl down and she gave him a huge hug before sitting down on the grass.
Taking a sip from the coffee, she had watched as James and the woman sat down facing one another, chatting away as the woman lifted the sandwiches from the carrier bag.
Although she had worked with James for a few months she had been unaware that he was married, or perhaps the woman was his girlfriend.
'Smooth operator,' she had said, and watched as the red ball bounced across the grass to where James and his family were sitting.
Leaping to his feet, he had trapped the ball under his right foot as the nearby teenager raised his hands, and James had kicked the ball back.
'Thanks!' the lad had shouted over before turning and dribbling the ball across the grass.
Then James had turned and spotted her sitting on the bench, his eyes widening in recognition, the smile spreading across his face.
Hannah had nodded in return before taking another sip from the drink, and then he had bent down to the woman and said something before heading over towards her.
'Hello, Hannah, lovely day,' he'd said as he sat down by her side on the bench.
She had turned and smiled. 'Mm, it is.'
'Been shopping?' he'd asked, looking at the carrier bag on the bench by her side.
'I've got a friend's wedding coming up in a couple of weeks, and I needed some new shoes, the truth is I hate shopping, but I couldn't go to the wedding in trainers.'
'Trainers would have been a talking point, that's for sure,' his smile had grown wider.
'I didn't know you had a daughter,' Hannah had suddenly said, half expecting to see the smile slip from his face.
'Oh, Jenny isn't my daughter.'
'Ah, so you're like a stepfather to her?' Hannah had asked before finishing the rest of the coffee.
James had laughed and shook his head. 'No, she's my niece and that's my sister Beattie.'
'Sister?'
James had nodded. 'Yeah, sister, she's having a tough time at the moment, her husband has buggered off and left her, so I help out when I can.'
For the first time she had looked at James Pence and saw the real man, rather than the one she had imagined him to be.
'That's a nice thing to do.'
James had looked at her, the smile slipping slightly. 'She's my sister and I love her; it has nothing to do with being nice.'
'I'm sorry that came out wrong.'
He had shrugged and smiled again. 'Why don't you come over and say hi?'
'Oh, no that's OK, I have to get back, there are a few things I have to do, and I'm going out tonight.'
James had smiled again before rising to his feet. 'No problem, Hannah, I guess I'll see you at work on Monday.'
She had watched as he walked away across the grass, and then she had done the same, dropping the empty cup into the bin as she headed through the park.
On the walk home she had thought about James and had to admit he had surprised her, and she wasn't used to that. Normally, she was a good judge of character and she'd had him down as someone who had a high opinion of themselves, a bit flash, a bit of a player. She had come across his type before, the laugh, the smile, the way they would look you in the eye when they spoke to you as if they really cared about what you were saying, though usually it was a front as if they had read some manual on what women found attractive. In the past she had even had one man compliment her on her shoes even though she had been barefooted, and yet now she had seen a different side to James Pence, she had watched him playing with his niece and chatting to his sister, and the fact that he had taken the time to come to the park with them showed that he actually cared about others rather than just himself.
That had been the start of it, and a month later they had gone out for a drink together, James had arranged to pick her up at home and then he had driven out of town to the Owls restaurant. They had sat outside in the warm sunshine, the food had been delicious, and she had found that they had a lot in common, but more importantly she had discovered that James Pence really was a nice guy. They had laughed together, and despite her initial reticence, she had found herself telling him about her life and family, sharing things that she had never shared before, and he had listened, really listened, not with that slightly vacant look that some people sported when they were pretending to be interested. By the time they had finished the meal the sunlight had vanished for the day, though the outside space had been full of light from the string of bulbs hanging from the trees and the solar lights strategically placed in the colourful flower beds, the scent on the evening summer breeze had been intoxicating.
They had been the last people to leave, even on the journey home they had continued to laugh and chat with one another, and the most surprising thing of all, was the disappointment she had felt when he hadn't tried to kiss her goodnight.
Now, she sat at the kitchen table reliving old memories that brought tears to her eyes. They had been married ten months later and the wedding had been wonderful, a day she would never forget, a day that had never diminished over the years. Twelve months later Morgan had been born, and again it had been a wonderful highlight and she had marvelled at how easily James had taken to fatherhood, it had been like the first time she had seen him in the park with his sister and
niece, the laughter and warm smile. Morgan had loved him so much, a proper daddy's girl, she would often fall asleep on his knee as a child, and normally he had been the one to read her a bedtime story, tucking her in for the night. Then he had started the business with Robert, and she could remember the feeling of unease, worried that by giving up a good salary he was putting everything at risk. Yet he had done exactly what he said he would, the business had flourished and, although he had worked hard to make it a success, he had always done it with a smile on his face, and now he was in the hospital with a suspected brain tumour, and the thought terrified her.
When the knock came at the front door, she jerked and spilled some of the cold coffee onto the table.
'Shit,' she hissed before grabbing the kitchen roll from the worktop, ripping off two sheets she placed it over the pool of coffee before heading out of the room and down the hallway.
Opening the door, she looked out at Robert, his shoulders hunched against the morning wind and rain.
'Jesus, Hannah, I'm so sorry, I can't believe this is happening,' he said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Standing back, she beckoned him inside, and he crossed the threshold with a shiver as she closed the door and headed into the kitchen.
'Is there any news?' he asked as he followed her.
Moving over to the kettle, she flicked it on, her pale reflection staring back at her in the kitchen window.
'Hannah, are you OK?'
Taking a deep breath, she turned. 'There's no news yet, Rob, it's too early to ring but I'm going to head to the hospital in another hour to see how he is.'
Pulling out a chair he sat down, his face etched with concern. 'I knew something was the matter with him and…'
'What are you talking about?' she interrupted.
Looking up at her he sighed. 'He didn't say anything to you, I take it?'
'About what?'
Sliding the zip down on his jacket, he flicked his gaze to the boiling kettle. 'We had words at work the day before last.'
'Words?' she asked in confusion.
Robert Flack sighed again before running a hand through his damp hair. 'To be honest, James lost the plot, one minute we were talking about sending the staff on a bonding weekend and, the next he was literally ranting about stuff.'
The kettle clicked itself off, but Hannah ignored it as she moved across the room to stand in front of Robert. 'What do you mean ''ranting'', James never rants?'
'Look, I know how it sounds but he wasn't himself, he didn't look right, and then he just exploded, all the office could hear him, I have no idea what he was going on about and…'
'My husband would not just lose his temper over nothing, he's not like that, and you know it, so what was this ''stuff'' you're talking about?' she demanded.
Robert started to look more uncomfortable as Hannah fixed him with a hard stare.
'It was about the business and money.'
'And?' she remained unmoving in front of him, eyebrow raised.
'He seemed to think I was spending more time away from the office than I should. According to him I was taking the piss, but you know how it is, Hannah, I'm not like that, he seemed to think that he was the one doing all the work – which is nonsense – but I couldn't get him to see sense. He kept going on about the contracts saying how we had to keep on top of things and give one hundred percent. I have no idea why he was having a go at me like that, we've always shared the workload, you know that as well as he does. I will admit that sometimes I may be late getting in or leave early on a Friday, but that's why we employ others so we can have some free time.'
'And what did he say when you told him that?'
'He flipped, really flipped, he even threatened to fire me, it was almost as if I didn't recognise him. I tried to get him to calm down, but he was having none of it and in the end, I stormed out of the office. It was the wrong thing to do but I've put as much time and effort into the company as he has, and yet to listen to him you would think I was some kind of freeloader taking advantage…'
Hannah snapped up a hand and he closed his mouth with an audible clack of his teeth. 'The truth is right now I don't care what went on, James is ill, and we have no real idea what the outcome will be, but I do know he would not have said those things if he didn't feel you had been using him in some way or not pulling your weight.'
'Whoa there, Hannah, let's just calm down, like you said, now's not the time for us to be having words over this, you asked me what happened, and I've been straight with you. The truth is James didn't look well, and I know it's out of character for him to lose his temper, he's normally Mr Cool, but I can only tell you what took place.'
Hannah could feel the words queuing up in her mouth, and then she sighed, as far as she was aware Robert was telling the truth, James had never mentioned anything about his partner being lazy or somehow not giving one hundred percent.
It all seemed so out of character, so unlike him.
'I was wondering if this illness was what made him act out of character?' Robert suddenly asked.
Hannah looked at him, and then her shoulders sagged, and she pulled out a chair and sat down opposite. 'I have no idea, he'd not mentioned anything about feeling unwell, and he rarely talks about work, so I have no idea about any of that.'
'Well, the company's in great shape, that's why I couldn't understand why he was so angry, we have great staff who are all pulling in the same direction. I admit I enjoy some of the benefits but what's wrong with that? But I promise you, Hannah, that I don't take the piss, I do my share.'
Hannah looked at the man opposite and nodded in understanding, then they heard light footfalls on the stairs and, a few seconds later, Elle appeared in the doorway.
Hannah smiled, and Robert glanced over his shoulder before looking away as Hannah rose and headed across the room.
'My mum's picking me up in a couple of minutes for school and…'
'How's Morgan?' Hannah asked as she came to a stop in front of Elle.
'She's still asleep.'
'I heard you talking late into the night.'
Elle nodded; her face flushed with colour. 'I'm sorry if we kept you awake.'
Stepping forward, Hannah put her arms around Elle and gave her a hug. 'I couldn't sleep either, but I just want to thank you for coming over, I know how scared Morgan is and I feel the same way, but it was good to know she had her best friend here to help her.'
The heat in Elle's cheeks intensified as she smiled nervously. 'I've told Morg that I can come back later if she wants me to; I can sleep over again if it helps.'
'I would really appreciate that; Elle, and I know Morgan will feel the same way.'
'OK, I'll ring later, and I hope Mr Pence gets better real soon,' she said with a sniff, her eyes shining with tears.
Hannah felt her own emotions bloom as she gave her another hug, and then they heard the beep of a car horn.
'That'll be my mum,' Elle said as she stepped back.
Pulling the tissue from her pocket, Hannah dabbed at her eyes as Elle walked along the hallway and out through the front door, the wind whipping along the hall, cold and damp.
When she turned, Robert was standing behind her.
'Listen, Hannah, is there anything I can do, anything you need?'
Shaking her head, her shoulders slumped again. 'Just look after the business, Robert, until James is back on his feet.'
'You can count on it,' he replied before dipping and kissing her cheek. 'I'll keep you in the loop, and if you need anything, anything at all then just pick up the phone.'
She nodded. 'I will.'
Robert slid by her and seconds later there was another blast of cold air as he left.
Suddenly the house fell silent as the tears slid from Hannah Pence's eyes.
41
Bannister cracked a yawn as they headed along the towpath, shoulders hunched against the rain.
'Another shit day,' the DCI complained going under the bridge
and up the slight incline to where the car was parked.
Lasser said nothing until they were both in the Audi. 'Did you sleep OK?'
'Like a log,' Bannister replied.
'I know that's a comfortable bed in the spare room.'
'You've slept on it after falling out with Jackie no doubt.'
Turning the key Lasser grimaced. 'We don't fall out; I just sometimes crash there when I get in at daft o'clock.'
'A likely story,' Bannister said as he clicked the seat belt into place.
'Anyway, what did you reckon to the unsolved murders we found?'
The car backed out and Lasser nipped through the lights, turning left down Red Rock hill as Bannister smoothed his hair down.
'I agree that your theory is worth pursuing and let's face it, we have sod all else to go on,' the DCI admitted.
'Well, we found five unsolved local murders since Ethel Brab died.'
Bannister lifted the mints from his pocket and popped one into his mouth. 'To be honest, I thought there would have been more.'
'I guess there are, but we were only looking at females that had been murdered and their killer was never found.'
Bannister grunted in response as he sucked on the mint, the wipers swishing back and forth.
'I would imagine Odette and Roger would have found the same cases and, knowing Rog, he will have come up with some that we've missed.'
'No doubt you're right,' Lasser agreed.
Crunching the mint, Bannister swallowed and then lit two cigarettes before handing one over. 'We have to find Clara Bell before she ends up like Julie Rawlins.'
Lasser blew the smoke out on a sigh, it had been late by the time they had called it a night and during that time the feeling that Clara had been taken by the same bastard responsible for killing the young nurse had grown.
'If it is the same man, then we have to hope that he's not got everything sorted for his next copycat killing,' Bannister said as he slid the window down, the sound of the wind and the wheels splashing through standing water drifted into the car.
Lasser thought about what the DCI was saying, it made a kind of sense, the killer had set the scene for the murder of Julie Rawlins, and no doubt that had taken time and planning, it wasn't something that could be rushed. In fact, he was still perplexed as to how the killer had found out all the details in the first place about how Ethel Brab had died. Now, if it was the same man who had snatched Clara then perhaps, he was holding her until he had everything in place to re-enact a different unsolved murder from the past.
Third Eye - DS Lasser Series 25 (2021) Page 14
