Murder in House

by Veronica Heley

  Ellie said, ‘If one of you can lend me a mobile phone, I’ll order a minicab and take Mia away. At some point the police will have to be involved, but more immediately, I think you should prepare yourselves for a visit from Mia’s stepbrother, who sounds a very nasty piece of work indeed.’

  The blonde had a bright idea. ‘So we say it is not Mia, but a cousin from Poland, who was with us for a few days only.’

  ‘That might work. But suppose he catches sight of something of Mia’s: a credit card, a scarf, a piece of jewellery? I suggest you pack up everything that might give him a lead to Mia, and I’ll take it away with her. We don’t want him getting the idea that you’ve been stealing from her, do we? Or he might start on you too. As and when the police come round, they’ll be looking for traces of her, too, won’t they?’

  Trying not to see the dismay and fluster that greeted her speech, Ellie got to her feet, and beckoned Jackie away from the others.

  Jackie was hiding a smile. She said loudly, ‘We can put everything back in Mia’s bag, can’t we? And find her some nice clothes to wear?’

  Ellie looked out of the window. They were high up here, over the shops. Even in the dark, the Avenue had plenty of people in it, coming and going from the Co-op and the pharmacy below. She couldn’t see a really expensive car anywhere, which didn’t mean, of course, the brother wasn’t lurking in a side street.

  Ellie said, ‘Jackie, do you know what time of the month it may be for Mia?’

  Jackie’s breathing quickened. ‘She has not said, or asked for . . . Mother of God. You think . . .?’

  ‘Let’s hope not. Can you make sure nothing of hers is left behind?’

  ‘Mia had some money, not a lot, but I think—’

  ‘Forget it. But if someone has been using her credit cards—’

  Jackie looked across at Sharp-face, who was bad-temperedly removing her things from Mia’s designer handbag. ‘I am stupid. I do not think.’

  ‘You have done wonders, but now Mia must see a doctor. When the police come, tell them the truth. When the brother comes—’

  ‘I can lie but the others may not.’ A shrug.

  ‘If he makes himself unpleasant, you must refer him to the police and say they know where she is.’

  ‘I can do that, but—’

  ‘I know. You need a number where you can reach me.’ Ellie took out her diary, tore a blank page out from the notes section and wrote on it. ‘Here, this is my home number. Leave a message if I’m not in.’

  Jackie produced a mobile phone. ‘You want a minicab? Where do I say they take you?’

  ‘I will give them the address when we leave.’

  Ellie thought, Good try, Jackie, but I’m not so stupid as to let you know where I’m taking Mia. And indeed, where could she take her? Ellie tried to think. She needed a place where she could use a phone that nobody could overhear. The offices of the Trust and Stewart’s lettings office would be closing about now. She had keys to both offices – back at home. But not on her.

  She couldn’t involve Stewart, with his precious family. Nor Felicity with baby Mel. Too many hostages to fortune. She could ask Roy . . . but his office was next door to her own home, and using the phone there would be leading the stepbrother straight to her front door.

  The blonde led Mia into the room, wearing a mid-blue sweater, jeans and her own leather jacket. The clothes were her own, but she’d lost weight since they’d been bought. The leather handbag hung from one shoulder. She wasn’t wearing any make-up. So where had her make-up gone? On to the blonde girl’s face?

  Forget the make-up, thought Ellie. It’s not worth worrying about. Sharp-face tugged in a good quality suitcase on wheels.

  ‘Credit cards, evidence of identity, driving licence?’ asked Ellie.

  Sharp-face grimaced. ‘All there, except money for our trouble. We earned that.’

  ‘So you did,’ said Ellie, trying not to think about misuse of credit cards. Well, let the police deal with that later.

  Jackie was looking out of the window. ‘The minicab is here, I think.’

  Ellie collected her bags of shopping, gave one bag to Mia to carry and then took it back again. The girl wasn’t capable of walking in a straight line to the door, let alone carrying shopping. Jackie took Mia’s hand from Sharp-face and, trailing luggage, they went down to the cab together.

  ‘Where to, Mrs Quicke?’ The cabbie knew her, of course.

  ‘The police station,’ said Ellie, and waved goodbye to Jackie, who had registered the destination, of course. But then, Ellie had given them her name and telephone number right at the start, hadn’t she? Easily traced.

  Once round the corner, Ellie leaned forward to address the driver. ‘I’ve changed my mind. Can you take me to my old house? You know where I used to live?’

  ‘Will do.’ He made a U-turn and took the shortest way. The house was lit up, with workmen putting the finishing touches to the interior. The driver helped her out with her shopping and Mia’s suitcase, and volunteered to see them safely into the house before he drove off. As Ellie guided Mia down the driveway, she noticed that the 2Ds Estate Agency board had been put back up again. Well, she couldn’t bother about that now.

  A painter clattered down the stairs, accompanied by the sound of muzak from his transistor. ‘Everything all right, missus? We’re pretty well done here, now. Just tidying up, a coupla things left for tomorrow morning. Want a look before we go? There’s been someone looking around today. It should let pretty quickly, eh?’

  Ellie looked at the space on the floor where her telephone used to be, and caught her breath. It was no longer there. What was she to do now? Ask the painter if she might use his mobile? She couldn’t trust him not to talk if the stepbrother tracked him down. She made herself smile. ‘Everything looks perfect. Are you on your way, then? I’ll drop the latch when I go. Just wanted to use the bathroom before . . . you know?’

  He laughed, called to his mate that they must be off now, collected his radio and an armful of dust sheets, and made it to the outside world.

  Mia stood where she’d been left by the door. Ellie gently urged her to sit on the bottom stair, and swiftly went through the downstairs rooms, hoping against hope that somewhere a telephone might have been left, to be connected at a later date. No telephones anywhere. She supposed Stewart would have considered her old phone obsolete and decided that a tenant would want the latest cordless gadget.

  There was nothing for it but to ask to use Kate’s phone next door. As they’d drawn up outside the house, Ellie had spotted Kate’s car already parked in their driveway, with her husband’s close behind it. Red-headed and foxy-faced, Armand was head of department at a local secondary school, although Kate was the real breadwinner in the household, or would have been if she didn’t have to pay for a day nanny every time she was needed to sort out someone else’s financial tangles.

  Kate and Armand were the proud parents of two noisy toddlers, whom Ellie could hear shouting even through the party wall. Ellie reflected there were compensations to one’s only grandchild having passed beyond the screaming stage.

  Ellie decided she wouldn’t tell Kate and Armand the extent of her problem; just ask to use their phone for five minutes. She gathered her shopping together, and pulled Mia to her feet. ‘I’m going to let us out the back way into the garden and then cross into next door to use their phone. If I take your suitcase, can you manage, because I’m going to turn out the lights in here as we leave?’

  Ellie helped Mia out of the back door, down the steps and on to the path.

  There was a lamp in the alleyway that shone across the bottom of the gardens thereabouts so it was possible to see where one was going, if one took care where one put one’s feet. Mia stumbled and Ellie, burdened with shopping and Mia’s suitcase, was unable to help her except with a rushed prayer, and a word of encouragement.

  ‘Not far. Can you see the gate between this house and the next? It’s a bit overgrown, but we used it a lot whe
n I lived here.’

  The gate squeaked and caught on the ground, but finally Ellie got it open, only to find herself floodlit from the house. A sensor had triggered a light on the patio next door. Mia was crying, without sound.

  A door opened, and Armand came out, carrying a hockey stick. ‘Who’s there?’

  ‘Only me,’ said Ellie, humping her shopping up the steps, and then turning to give a hand to Mia. ‘Orphans of the storm and all that. May we come in for five minutes and use your phone?’

  Armand shouted back into the house. ‘It’s all right, Kate. It’s only Ellie. Plus a girl.’

  Where Ellie had built a conservatory on to the back of her house, Kate and Armand had constructed a rumpus room in which the family could relax and muck about. At Armand’s shout, Kate appeared with a baby in her arms, and a toddler clinging to one leg. Kate took one look at Ellie and said, ‘Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. I’ll just finish giving this lot their tea and then you can tell us all about it.’

  ‘Bless you,’ said Ellie, dumping all her belongings. ‘I’m not here, you understand. You haven’t seen me. If I could just use your phone for five minutes, I’ll get out of your hair.’

  Armand closed and locked the door against the dark night, and pulled down the blinds. He was not as tall as Kate, but he was a bundle of energy with a sharp tongue and a warm heart. He removed a toy rabbit with only one eye from a chair, and pushed it towards Mia. ‘Sit before you fall down. Kate, I’ll give the babe his bottle while you deal with Madam. Find yourself a seat, Ellie, and Tell All.’

  ‘Can’t,’ said Ellie. ‘The less you know the better.’

  Armand started throwing toys into a large cardboard box with his usual forcefulness. Reaching past Mia, who was still standing by the door, he put his hand on her arm to nudge her in the direction of the chair. He hardly touched her, but Mia opened her mouth and screamed. With eyes fast closed, she gulped and screamed again. And went on screaming.

  Armand was shocked. ‘What did I do?’

  Alarmed, the toddler started to cry. Kate pushed the baby into Armand’s arms, and soothed the toddler out of the room. ‘No need to cry, little one. The lady’s poorly and I’m going to help make her better, all right? Now you go off with Daddy to eat up all your soldiers, there’s a good girl. Armand, can you finish giving them their tea?’

  Ellie took Mia in her arms. ‘There, there.’

  Armand took the children off into the kitchen while Kate pushed a chair behind Mia’s knees. Between Kate and Ellie, they got the girl seated. Over Mia’s head, Kate murmured, ‘She’s been beaten up. And raped?’

  Also speaking softly, Ellie said, ‘I suspect it, yes, but I don’t know. I need to get her seen by a doctor, privately.’

  ‘What about the police?’

  ‘I’m not sure she’s in any state to give a coherent statement.’

  Kate took in Mia’s damaged face, frowned, and shook her head. ‘But wouldn’t her family—?’

  ‘They’re involved. Or some of them are.’

  ‘Ouch. Her father?’

  ‘Not sure. Maybe. Definitely her stepbrother.’

  ‘Still, the police should be notified.’

  ‘Her disappearance was reported to the police. They interviewed the parents who said the girl had been sleeping around till she’d gone off with some riff-raff or other. They said it was good riddance to bad rubbish. The parents have clout in the community and the police have closed the case. Now, the parents may not care what happens to Mia, but her stepbrother is actively looking for her. What I think is that she should be admitted to a private clinic somewhere until she’s in a fit state to go to the police. I’ll pay, but I don’t know how private medicine works. I was going to phone round, see if I could find someone who might know.’ She rocked Mia to and fro. ‘There, there.’

  Kate stood straight and tall, biting her lip. Frowning. ‘Tell me the name of the family.’

  ‘Prior. Big developers. As far as the police are concerned, their word counts.’

  Kate swallowed. ‘Prior? As in the people who’ve put up that expensive block of flats on the North Circular? The ones who want Roy to mortgage his future to invest in it? I’ve heard rumours about the way Mr Prior does business. They say that if you want to sup with the devil, you’d better bring a long spoon.’ She made up her mind with a decisive nod. ‘I’ll phone around, ask if anyone knows a doctor who’ll see Mia out of hours. I have a client who might know.’

  ‘I don’t want you involved.’

  ‘Too late.’ Kate whisked herself off into the house.

  Mia made a convulsive movement in Ellie’s arms, sobbing and shaking so hard it was all Ellie could do to hold her. Now and again she seemed to be trying to speak, but didn’t make it. At last she grew quiet, and Ellie was able to pull up another chair to sit down, while still keeping an arm around the girl. Two mugs of tea appeared at Ellie’s elbow. Armand, doing his bit.

  Ellie tried to get Mia to drink, but the girl turned her head away. Ellie sipped tea and tried to think, and failed. Tried to pray. Didn’t get any further than, Dear Lord, what do I do now? I don’t want Kate and Armand drawn into this. I am so stupid. I ought to have been able to think of something else. Don’t let them get hurt.

  There were reassuring noises from the kitchen. Children being fed and watered. Armand coaxing the toddler and burping the baby. Kate talking on the phone. There was a small television on the big all-purpose table in the rumpus room. It had been on a children’s programme when Ellie arrived, and no one had bothered to switch it off. Mia slumped down in her chair, eyes closed, relaxed except for a faint quiver now and then.

  Ellie was stiff from sitting in an awkward position. She inched herself to her feet, rubbing her lower back. Mia didn’t move, so Ellie went into the kitchen, where Armand was tidying up after the children’s tea.

  Kate came out of the hall, shutting off her own iPhone. ‘All fixed. Mr Abrahams will see Mia in two hours’ time at his consulting rooms in Harley Street, discretion guaranteed. Here’s his name and address.’ She gave Ellie a piece of paper with the details. ‘Mr Abrahams’s receptionist assures me that he can get her a room in a private clinic tonight, if he considers it warranted. I’ll drive you there, of course.’

  ‘I’m very grateful,’ said Ellie, ‘but no way are you getting involved. I took a risk coming here but that’s where it stops. Mia’s stepbrother has threatened to kill her, and I believe he means it. There’s been one death in her group of friends already, and I’m not exposing you to him in any way whatsoever. If you can help me get Mia out the back way and across the Green, I’ll pick up a black cab there.’

  ‘Mummy, look at me!’ The toddler had balanced a spoon on her upper lip.

  Kate looked and applauded, while the baby obligingly brought up his wind.

  ‘In this weather?’ said Armand, as sleet hit the window. ‘Don’t be so stupid, Ellie. As if we’d let you.’

  Kate picked the toddler up, and gave her a cuddle. ‘We’ve got an hour or so before we need to make a move. Let’s put these two to bed and have some supper, while you tell us all about it. Ellie, do you want to phone Thomas and tell him you’re going to be late?’

  Ellie held up both hands. ‘I’ve only got a silly iPhone and I don’t know how to use it. May I use your landline?’

  Kate was amused. ‘Have my old mobile. It’s easy to use. As you can see, Father Christmas brought me the latest iPhone, so I don’t need the old one.’

  Ellie accepted with pleasure, and indeed, Kate’s old mobile was easy to use. She got through to the house only to find that Thomas hadn’t returned yet, so she left a message with Rose to say she was having supper with friends and was that all right?

  Ellie could just hear Rose’s voice over the noise of her television, which had been turned up high. ‘Of course it’s all right, and what I say is, it does you good to get out and about a bit, after you’ve had the flu. Mr Roy has been ringing and popping round to see if you’re in, bu
t I told him you’d see him when you were good and ready and he should attend to his own business.’

  Ellie grimaced. She’d forgotten about contacting Roy. Well, he could jolly well wait.

  ‘There’s only one other thing, some strange woman keeps ringing up asking for you, she’s rung twice already, a Miss or Ms Wood-something, most insistent that you call her. I did tell her you might not be back till supper, so she said it was about some tickets for a matinee that you might like to go to with her which, seeing as if you were going to the theatre you’d go with Thomas, I didn’t think you’d want to be bothered with. Not that I told her that.’

  Ms Woodyates. Oh well, Pat had warned Ellie about Grace Woodyates, hadn’t she? ‘Thank you, Rose. If she rings again, say I’m out for the evening but will get back to her tomorrow.’

  Ellie went to check on Mia, who was still asleep in her chair. Kate came downstairs, having put the babes to bed. She switched the baby monitor on as Armand said, ‘Pasta up!’ They ate a lot of pasta and vegetables in that household. Armand ladled it out, saying that they must eat first, and hear Ellie’s tale after.

  So they ate in the kitchen and over coffee Ellie talked. She began with Ursula’s challenge to her, and went on from there. Every now and then Ellie leaned back in her chair to check on Mia, but it wasn’t till the end of her narration that the girl stirred and opened her eyes. Ellie rose as the girl wobbled to her feet, desperately trying to speak.

  As Ellie reached her side, Mia finally made it. ‘Tell Ursula, she mustn’t!’

  ‘Mia, you can speak to her yourself in a minute. You need to drink something, and to eat. It’ll help you to speak. When you’ve done that, I’ll get her on the phone.’

  Mia seemed to understand, for when Kate got her a glass of milk and coaxed her to drink, she managed a few mouthfuls. She still shivered now and then, and kept on the far side of the table from Armand, but she did finish the milk, though she refused all offers of food.

  Ellie used Kate’s phone, which of course had Ellie’s old mobile number on it. ‘Is that you, Ursula? Good news. I’ve found Mia. She’d run away from home and was staying with friends. She’s been through a bad time, and I’m taking her to see a doctor tonight to get her checked over, but she’s safe and wants to speak to you. I’ll hand her over to you now.’