Nobody else knew - although she bet they wondered - whether she was still a virgin. She was twenty-six years old and untouched, unsullied and virtuous. She didn’t regard herself as strange; a relationship would have added an unnecessary complication to her life. She did feel a little guilty standing in the pulpit and preaching to her congregation about promiscuity and adultery, but it was expected of her, so she did it.
On the other hand, she was under no illusion as to how attractive she was. She often caught the eye of some of the male parishioners and wondered what was going through their minds. Some of them made it very obvious with their lascivious leering, even with their wives sitting next to them. The Bishop had asked her how she was going to cope with being a young, attractive female if he let her loose in the Loch Lomond parish. She didn’t know at the time whether her placement hung on the answer to that question. His attitude was easy to understand: his newly ordained ministers either cut the mustard and went to the front line straight away, or they went onto his staff to gain experience and maturity. Gabrielle assumed she lacked the former but appeared to have the latter.
‘Are you asking me whether I can cope with men’s minds, Your Grace, or are you asking me whether I can defend myself against physical attack?’
Bishop Archibald Stephenson stifled a smile. ‘There’s nothing you or I can do about men’s minds, young lady, other than encourage purer thoughts.’
‘I agree, Your Grace. As to the possibility of physical attack or just unwanted advances, I will cope with whatever the situation presents.’
This time the Bishop did smile openly. ‘You are not in a relationship at the moment, are you?’
‘No, Your Grace.’ It was one of the questions she had to answer when her immediate future was being discussed.
‘And if you do meet somebody?’
‘Then I would feel more able to preach the gospel.’
‘Ha!’ The Bishop clapped his hands.
* * *
And now she believed that just perhaps that somebody had come along.
He’d appeared under the most unlikely of circumstances but now he was on the point of leaving.
What could she do to stop him - delay him? - just so that she could have a few more hours with him?
She had introduced herself into his life and from the moment she saw him standing and looking towards the loch, preparing to end it all, she knew she was smitten, but had no idea why. When she was thirteen she remembered her mother telling her that when the right man came along she would know instantly. She thought her mother was talking a load of baloney; surely relationships needed time to develop, and sometimes couples who eventually got together took an instant dislike to their eventual partners. Her mother said this was a defence mechanism and that deep down the true feeling was there.
But her mother had been right.
Instantantly.
She’d never felt it before, so didn’t know how to react.
‘I’ll go back to Ashbourne,’ Adam said, ‘and take things from there.’
She had a feeling Adam was actually more certain about what he was going to do than he was telling her. ‘Will you go back to work, in the City?’ Please carry on holding my hands forever, she screamed at him inside her head.
‘No, that’s a decision I’ve made. If I’m to make use of the second chance you’ve given me then it means a complete change.’
Adam could see in Gabrielle’s eyes that she was on the point of bursting into tears.
It was crazy and unbelievable.
He’d come to Loch Lomond to end his life and now only twelve hours after they first met he and Gabrielle were saying goodbye as though they were the closest of friends. Of course there was something rather special about the relationship, very special. She had saved his life and it’s not every day that two human beings become so close so quickly.
But that must be it: if he stayed another twenty-four hours he would become involved, and becoming involved was not part of the plan.
Becoming involved would delay what he needed to do.
He let go of her hands. For both their sakes he had to put distance between them.
‘I must go now,’ he said.
* * *
‘Will you be having breakfast before you leave?’ Doris asked, this time clearing the way for Adam to ascend the stairs.
‘Yes, if that’s all right.’
‘Of course, Mr Harrison, it’s what you’ve paid for.’
‘If you have any of that haddock left, then -’
‘If I had’ne I would go and catch it meself!’
‘Thank you.’ Adam started to climb the stairs.
‘Oh, and Mr Harrison ...’ He stopped and turned to look at her. ‘You’re doing the right thing -’
‘You’ve got your vicar to thank for that.’
‘No, I mean you’re doing the right thing by her.’
‘What, in walking away?’
‘Yes, Mr Harrison, by walking away.’
‘I hope you’re right, Doris. I do hope you are right.’
Chapter Nine
Adam had not expected to be in the house again.
He glanced at the envelope he had left on the kitchen table. He was pleased he’d made the conscious decision not to send it to anyone. When he left Ashbourne for the final time he had no idea when he would do what had to be done, but the last thing he wanted was a nationwide search.
As he’d closed the front door he had not made any allowance for the Dorises and Gabrielles of this world.
And as he’d written the letter only a few days earlier he had not been sure who it was for. There was nobody left who really cared what happened to him. There were those who would say what a jolly good chap he was and he would be missed. They would then turn away and start talking about the weather or the next test match wondering if England would continue to be an embarrassment. And there were those who would perhaps benefit from his death: Jeeves, Prendaghast and Oliver (Accountants) of Pall Mall was a big firm and his loss would mean confirmed promotion for somebody with the obvious knock-on effect below that.
And then there was Mrs Gladys Moules.
Poor Gladys would be the one person who would really be disadvantaged by Gabrielle’s saintly behaviour. But perhaps not; perhaps she could still enjoy a small windfall. He would see.
Adam took out the sheet of paper from the envelope and read it:
14th October 2004
To Whom It May Concern
Dear Sir or Madam,
How long it will be between me taking my life and you finding this note is of little consequence. I have not gone into the detail of the whys and wherefores of my actions but the Coroner has my permission to declare a verdict that I took my own life while my mind was disturbed. There was definitely nobody else involved.
Upstairs in the main bedroom, behind the large picture of the water lilies, is a safe. The combination is: start on Zero, clockwise four turns to nine, three turns anti-clockwise to four, two turns clockwise to six and then a single turn anti-clockwise to zero again. Inside the safe is my will and my mind was definitely not disturbed when I wrote it. Jacobs and Wrights (Solicitors) in Ashbourne will act on my behalf. The will in the safe upstairs supersedes the one currently held by them.
Yours faithfully
Adam R Harrison
Adam tore the note into small pieces and dropped the bits into the rubbish bin. He decided to leave the will in the safe for the time being - without any amendments.
He knew what had to come next - his final resignation from Jeeves, Prendaghast and Oliver (Accountants) - then visits to his solicitor, Jeremy Jacobs, the police and his mother and father, and finally Hong Kong.
But first the house.
Other than getting rid of the living room carpet and the bed linen, the house had not been touched since the loss of Lucinda and the children. If Gabrielle Brooks’ hard work was to achieve anything, he had to move on and not live in a mausoleum.
He start
ed upstairs in what had been Charlotte’s bedroom.
* * *
‘Your coffee’s as good as usual, Jeremy,’ Adam said. ‘And thanks for seeing me without an appointment.’
‘Whenever have you needed an appointment?’ Jeremy Jacobs asked. He was resplendent in his Georgio Armani charcoal grey suit whereas Adam was dressed in cream slacks, a light blue long-sleeved shirt and dark blue sweater. The two men had known each other for just over fourteen years which was when Adam and Lucinda had moved to Ashbourne. Lucinda was pregnant with Timothy within a year and then thirteen months later she fell pregnant again with Charlotte, so Jeremy knew the children too.
As well as being the family solicitor, Jeremy and his ex-wife, Annabelle were close friends to Adam and Lucinda, having met and got on at various dinner parties they’d attended together. In many ways, Adam and Jeremy were opposites. Whereas Adam was a very private person, Jeremy was gregarious and had a reputation for being a bit of a womaniser.
‘It’s still good of you to see me, Jeremy. I know how busy you are.’
Jeremy took a sip of coffee before steepling his fingers in front of him. ‘And how are you, Adam? Really, how are you? I haven’t seen you for a while.’
‘Functioning,’ Adam replied with a wry smile. He’d already decided he was not going to mention his trip to Loch Lomond and what happened there. There was no need for Jeremy to know: he had gone, he had met Gabrielle Brooks and she had made him see reason. ‘I’m going away for a while,’ Adam told him.
‘Away? Where to?’
‘Hong Kong.’
Jeremy tapped his index fingers together. ‘Do you know, I thought you might?’
Adam looked surprised. ‘Really? I didn’t know myself until a couple of days ago.’
‘So why are you going?’
‘I still don’t know that. I hope to find out when I get there.’ Adam spread his hands. ‘I came in to tell you that, and also I’ve put the house on the market.’
It was Jeremy’s turn to look surprised. ‘Oh right. Things are that definite, are they?’
‘If I’m going to come out of this, I have to move on. Lucinda and the children were that house. I would never move on if I stayed there.’
‘So you might be moving away from Ashbourne as well?’
Adam nodded. ‘Again I don’t know yet. My resignation is in, so when I get back from Hong Kong I’ll see how the land lies’
Stealing a look at his watch Jeremy leant forward. ‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
Adam ignored Jeremy’s question. ‘Look,’ he said standing up, ‘you’ve got an appointment to attend to. I’ll get out of your hair.’
Coming from behind his desk Jeremy asked: ‘When are you flying?’
Adam shrugged. ‘Not sure yet but it’ll be within the week. I’ll let you know when I’ve booked the flight.’ He held out his hand.
Jeremy shook Adam’s hand but then put his arm round his shoulder and embraced him. ‘Look after yourself, Adam. Nobody but you really knows what you’ve been through and what you’re still going through.’
Feeling a little uncomfortable with Jeremy’s affection, Adam took a step backwards. ‘Thank you, Jeremy. I’ll be all right. As I said, I’ll give you a ring when I know when my flight is.’
* * *
Fortunately DS Caroline Brown was on duty and she was able to see him.
Adam felt that he hadn’t struck up a particularly good relationship with DS Brown, yet there seemed to be an air of mutual trust. DC John Tilsey on the other hand had been downright hostile from the outset and Adam was convinced that even after providing the police with proof, Tilsey still believed he had something to do with the death of his family.
Adam and Caroline Brown took their cups of coffee into a side room.
‘What can I do for you, Mr Harrison?’ she asked sitting down opposite Adam. Her hair had changed. It was shorter and it suited her; it emphasised her high cheekbones. As usual she wore no make-up, allowing her unlined ebony skin to accentuate her attractiveness.
‘I’m not sure if there’s anything you can do for me but I wanted to let you know that I’ll be going away for a couple of months, maybe longer, and I wondered if that might present any complications.’
‘Complications? You’re free to go wherever you please and for as long as you please, Mr Harrison. But might I ask, just out of personal interest, where you will be going?’
‘Yes, of course. Hong Kong.’ Adam took a sip of his coffee. DS Brown was looking directly at him, emphasising the piercing blackness of her pupils. Although she was casually dressed in a loose, sleeveless linen shirt and a pair of jeans, she seemed to ooze authority and awareness. Adam understood why she was in the police and why she would deservedly go far.
‘I remember you telling me Hong Kong was where you spent most of your childhood. Didn’t you lose both your …?’ DS Brown paused. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Harrison, under the circumstances that was insensitive of me.’
Adam smiled. ‘That’s all right and yes I did. My parents were killed in a plane crash.’
‘Of course.’
Adam looked down at the cup in his hand. ‘Do investigations into murders ever close?’
‘Not unsolved ones, no.’ Caroline Brown crossed her legs. ‘Obviously time allocation is governed by other cases but in answer to your question, the investigation into the deaths of your wife and children is ongoing.’
‘But other than me, there were never any other suspects, were there?’
‘No, and you were never really a suspect.’
‘DC Tilsey thought -’
‘DC Tilsey always looks for the most obvious way out and in some cases it is the right approach to take. In your case it wasn’t.’
Adam nodded. ‘So there’s nothing new?’
‘Unfortunately not. Whoever murdered your family, Mr Harrison, left no clues whatsoever. There were no finger prints, no DNA, there was no sexual motive and there was nothing stolen. In fact the killings appeared totally without motive. The only conclusion we did draw was that it was more than likely your wife and children did know their attacker.’
‘Attacker not attackers?’
‘Yes. I don’t want to go into the gruesome details, Mr Harrison but your wife and children were almost certainly killed by the same man and with the same knife. We even know the order in which their lives were taken. They -’
‘How?’
DS Brown gave Adam a careful look. ‘Are you sure you want to know?’
‘Yes.’
‘All right, if you’re sure. None of them was moved after they were killed, your wife in the living room and the children in their beds. The murder weapon has never been found but your wife was killed first, then Timothy, followed by Charlotte. The knife was not wiped clean between each killing and as well as finding traces of blood on the carpets and floor, we also found your wife’s blood on Timothy’s neck and then both Timothy’s and your wife’s on Charlotte’s.’
Adam closed his eyes as the scenes he discovered on that fateful Friday evening found their way into his mind. The ghastly pictures were there for his every waking hour, in his nightmares and dreams - everywhere. As Charlotte and Timothy slept, their mother was killed and then as Charlotte slept Timothy had died, and finally Charlotte.
‘Is there anything else? You say that the killings seemed to be without motive. Did you follow up every possible avenue of enquiry to try to find one?’
‘Yes, we did.’
‘Even in Hong Kong?’
‘Yes … is that why -?’
Adam looked deeply into the ebony eyes staring at him. ‘I’m going to Hong Kong because it’s where I first met my wife. It’s where we spent our first fourteen years of life together and it’s where I must lay her soul and the souls of our two children to rest. That is why I must go to Hong Kong.’
‘I understand, Mr Harrison. I understand.’
* * *
As the gravel crunched under the tyres of the Lexus,
Adam noted that both of his parents’ cars, the Bentley and the Porsche, were outside the garage. He had told them so many times that they were asking for trouble by doing that but they had not taken a blind bit of notice then, so why now?
Especially now.
It was just after eight on Thursday morning. He had done the journey from Ashbourne to Dorset in record time, starting well before the rush hour traffic. Adam knew his mother would still be in bed. His father was likely to be at the bottom of the lawn near the lake doing his constitutional exercises. It was a lovely morning and unseasonably warm, though the weather was irrelevant to his father’s routine. It was unlikely Joseph would have heard the car. Forestgreen Lodge was a large Victorian mansion and its thick walls would block any sound so far off the beaten track. But his approach may have been detected as the driveway was covered by CCTV.
Lolita, the Philippino amah who had been employed a year before the family left Hong Kong, would be aware, though, and she would be watching him from one of the downstairs windows, waiting to see what he did. Ah Ho and Ah Ping, the erstwhile Chinese amahs who were with the Yongs for over fifteen years, were released with excellent severance pay-offs. Although it had been their choice to go, Lucinda had told Adam that there was much wailing and breat-beating when the time came for them to actually leave.
Lolita was employed as a replacement having declared her willingness to go to the UK when the time came. She had worked in Hong Kong for several years, sending most of her earnings back to Davo in Mindahao, so that her parents, brothers and sisters could live just above the bread line. Bearing in mind the circumstances of his own entry into the UK, Adam had never asked how his father had also managed to gain permission for Lolita to work in the UK permanently. But that was eighteen years ago and there had never seemed to be a problem. Lolita had dedicated herself to the Yongs and became a relative recluse, only venturing out once a year to return to her family in the Philippines for what they all called her long leave. Surprisingly she always returned.
In Denial Page 10
