Kitty Neale 3 Book Bundle

by Kitty Neale

  It took several more trips, but at last the wardrobe was empty other than the top shelf. Pearl pulled a chair over to stand on, but Derek came back in, immediately saying, ‘Don’t go climbing on that, it doesn’t look safe. I’ll clear the shelf.’

  One by one he handed her hats that Pearl could never imagine Bessie wearing, and then came handbag after handbag until he paused. ‘There’s a long box of some sort tucked into the corner at the back.’

  Pearl could guess the contents. ‘No doubt it’s full of gloves,’ she said, taking it from him.

  But she gasped with shock when she opened it.

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Derek exclaimed as he looked at the contents.

  Pearl took out a few rings, puzzled. One was a diamond solitaire, though she wasn’t sure if the stone was real, another a cluster of what looked like sapphires and the third a red stone, perhaps a ruby, set among more diamonds. ‘They’re all different sizes,’ she said, ‘and I don’t remember Bessie wearing any of them.’

  ‘She bought second-hand clothes and stuff; maybe she did the same with jewellery.’

  ‘Yes, that must be it, but look, it’s full to the brim with more rings, necklaces, brooches and a lot of watches.’

  ‘I’ve heard of treasure chests, Pearl, but I never expected to find one. What are you going to do with it?’

  ‘Do with it?’ Pearl parroted. ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it.’

  ‘Well, love, if you don’t want to keep it, how do you feel about selling it?’

  ‘I can’t do that. It isn’t mine,’ Pearl protested.

  ‘Don’t be daft, of course it is. Bessie left you everything, this place and all the contents.’

  ‘There was no mention of jewellery in her will.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. That lot still comes under the contents.’

  As Pearl thought back to her last conversation with Bessie, tears threatened. Bessie had said something about finding a cache of stuff when she sorted her things out, but this box of jewellery was the last thing Pearl had expected. ‘It just doesn’t seem right to sell it.’

  ‘It’s up to you, but to be honest I’ve got to admit I was a bit hasty in spending most of what we had saved on doing this place up. I wanted to make it nice, thought it might help you to see it as a fresh start, but until I get hold of some work things are going to be a bit tight.’

  Pearl was touched by Derek’s thoughtfulness again and said, ‘Don’t worry, there’s the shop.’

  ‘Yes, but will it make enough to tide us over until some decorating jobs come in?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to look at the stock,’ she replied.

  ‘Pearl … Pearl … where is you?’ Nora wailed.

  ‘Listen to her,’ Derek said, shaking his head ruefully. ‘It looks like she still isn’t going to give you a moment’s peace. I don’t know how you’re going to run the shop with Nora under your feet all the time.’

  ‘Bessie managed, but I must admit I wouldn’t mind a bit of a break now and then. I’ve got a bit of an idea, but it depends how much income the shop will generate.’

  Before Derek could question her, Tommy walked into the room, Nora behind him. ‘That’s everything unloaded,’ he said, ‘and I’ve had a cuppa. Are you ready to move that wardrobe now?’

  ‘Yes, but where do you want it, Pearl?’

  She told them and then urged Nora out of the way while the two men heaved it into place. ‘Thanks, Tommy.’

  ‘You’re welcome, missus, and unless you need me for anything else, I’ll be off.’

  ‘We’re fine now,’ Derek said, ‘and I owe you one. Do you fancy a pint later?’

  ‘You’re on. Oh, and by the way, there’s a market stall up for grabs if you’re interested.’

  ‘I’d love it, but how much is the backhander?’

  ‘I dunno, but it’s a good pitch so probably a fair few bob.’

  ‘That leaves me out of the bidding then.’

  ‘That’s a shame,’ Tommy said. ‘It would’ve been nice to see you back on the market.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m with you there,’ Derek agreed, ‘but if you hear of anyone looking for a painter and decorator, point them in my direction.’

  Pearl could sense Derek’s disappointment, and as Tommy said goodbye she looked down at the box still clutched in her hands.

  ‘This Bessie’s room,’ Nora said.

  ‘Yes, I know, but Derek and I will be be sleeping in here now.’

  ‘Bessie likes that.’

  Pearl only smiled, her mind on other things. With Nora following, she went downstairs, and as Derek returned from seeing Tommy out she held out the box. ‘Here, sell the lot and hopefully it’ll be enough to get that stall.’

  His eyes lit up. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Of course I am,’ Pearl said, grinning. ‘Mind you, if you’re going to sell china again, I’ll expect a discount on a nice new tea set.’

  ‘Come here,’ Derek said, putting the box down and holding out his arms. ‘You can have anything you want from the stall. After all, we’re partners, ain’t we?’

  ‘Always,’ Pearl said as she was enfolded.

  ‘Once we’ve got our stuff sorted, if you can manage without me for an hour or so, I’ll pop down to the old folks’ home to see my gran.’

  ‘What did she say about us moving back to Battersea when you last saw her?’ Pearl asked.

  ‘She was over the moon, said she’d expect to see more of me, and I don’t think she was far off suggesting that she’d like to see you too.’

  ‘Derek, don’t tell me that she’s softening after all these years?’

  ‘If she is, how do you feel about paying her a visit?’

  ‘When your gran is ready to see me, of course I’ll visit her.’

  Derek hugged her again. ‘Thanks, love. I know she’s a stubborn old woman, but she’s my gran and I think the world of her.’

  ‘Of course you do,’ Pearl said. It was obvious how happy Derek was to be back in Battersea, and maybe, just maybe, she thought, there’d come a time when she could be happy here too.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Rupert was still fretting. When Kevin had returned from seeing his parents again, he’d looked self-satisfied and happy, but there had been no explanation. He knew that Kevin was a very private person; that he hated anyone prying into his business, but it had been so hard not to probe.

  Rupert groaned, wondering if Kevin’s parents were persuading him to move in with them. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, yet how could he convince him to stay? Unlike the others, Kevin wasn’t just after his money, but Rupert wasn’t naive enough to think that Kevin returned his feelings either. He knew that Kevin swung both ways; that he saw this as a temporary arrangement, but Rupert felt that there had to be something he could do to keep Kevin under his roof.

  With his mind still on the problem, Rupert boiled Kevin’s egg just the way he liked it, and toasted the bread to perfection. ‘Kevin,’ he called, ‘breakfast is ready.’

  They always ate the first meal of the day in the kitchen, and when Kevin walked in, Rupert blurted out, ‘Are you going to move in with your parents?’

  ‘I don’t know yet.’

  ‘I’d rather you stayed here.’

  ‘I’ve told you. I’ll only do that if I can pay my own way.’

  Rupert knew he had to come up with something and fast. The seed of an idea struck him and he said, ‘Kevin, I’m a wealthy man and I don’t need your money. However, what I do need is someone with a bit of expertise. You see, I’d like to invest some of my capital in a business.’

  ‘What sort of business?’

  ‘I’m not sure yet,’ Rupert mused, ‘but one that would give me a good return on my investment. The problem is I’m not getting any younger and I would need someone to run it for me. That’s where you would come in.’

  Kevin just looked at him for a moment, his eyes un readable, but then he said, ‘Rupert, you’re off your rocker
and it’s no wonder you’ve been taken for a mug in the past. I’m not a businessman, and I know nothing about running one.’

  ‘You must have expertise in something.’

  ‘I trained to be an engineer, but hated it. My parents had a café, but that was many years ago, and for the last thirteen years I’ve been in prison. That hardly qualifies me to run a business.’

  ‘You would only have to manage things,’ Rupert said quickly, ‘act as an overseer, with staff employed to do the work.’

  Once again there was a pause, Kevin frowning in thought, but then he said, ‘I don’t know, Rupert. I suppose with good bar staff I could run a pub or a club.’

  ‘See, I knew you’d come up with something.’

  ‘Hold on, buying a profitable and established one won’t come cheap, or setting up a new one. Just how much money are you thinking of investing?’

  Rupert had inherited his wealth and had no idea about commerce. His stockbroker handled his portfolio, and he knew the dividends paid well. He found anything to do with stocks, shares and bank interest rates tiresome, but they provided him with all the money he needed while his capital remained untouched. He shrugged and said nonchalantly, ‘Oh, I don’t know, Kevin, forty to fifty thousand. More if necessary.’

  ‘You can get your hands on that sort of money?’

  ‘Dear boy, of course I can.’

  ‘In that case, I suppose I could look around,’ Kevin said, though his voice lacked any real enthusiasm, ‘make some enquiries with commercial agents, that sort of thing.’

  ‘Does this mean you agree? That you’ll find a business and run it for me?’

  ‘If I think I could make a go of it, then yes.’

  ‘Wonderful, and as you’ll be spending your time searching for the perfect pub or club, it’s only fair that I start paying you a salary straight away,’ Rupert cried, thrilled that he had found a way to keep Kevin close.

  In Battersea, Pearl was relieved to discover that a local school had a place for John, and that he could attend the next day. She was now on her way back to the flat with John and Nora, and knew she would have to think about opening the shop soon. Hopefully though, once Derek sold the jewellery, money wouldn’t be so tight.

  The musty smell still greeted them when they went in, and once again John wrinkled his nose. ‘If I was a customer and walked into this stink, I’d turn round and walk out again. Come to that, yuk, you wouldn’t catch me wearing someone else’s castoffs.’

  ‘Not everyone is as fortunate as you, John. There was a time when I didn’t have the money for new clothes and I had to buy second-hand ones from this very shop. It’s how I met Bessie.’

  ‘I didn’t know that. But surely there isn’t a call for second-hand clothes now. Can’t you sell something else?’

  ‘I’d love to, but new stock would cost a lot of money. Perhaps as this sells, I can gradually replace it with something else. We’ll just have to wait and see,’ Pearl said, unwilling to voice her ideas yet. Derek had gone to Hatton Garden hoping to get a better price for the jewellery there, and surely, even after he had bid for the stall there’d be some left. Enough to at least get her plans off the ground.

  Kevin kept his composure until he left Rupert’s house, but then he couldn’t suppress a huge grin. He’d feigned a lack of interest in Rupert’s suggestions, but in reality he was over the moon.

  Rupert was going to invest forty grand, maybe even more, and Kevin knew he had two choices. He could run a pub or club, skimming a good living off the top, but it would probably mean he’d still have to live with Rupert and he didn’t fancy that.

  On the other hand, Kevin thought, there might be a way for Rupert’s investment to land in his own coffers. He was driven by his lust for money and with that sort of cash Kevin knew he’d be in clover. Of course it would take a lot of careful planning to set Rupert up and though he might be a mug, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to just hand over a cheque for that sort of money … Or would he?

  If he had a pot like that, Kevin thought, licking his lips, he could put his parents on the back burner for a good few years, and in the meantime he could go anywhere, live anywhere. The idea of living abroad appealed, perhaps in Spain, but with no idea of how long it took to get a passport, he’d need to apply for one straight away.

  That just left Vince and the payback for the scar that made his guts churn with anger every time he looked in the mirror, but he’d already worked out a quick and easy revenge. All he had to do was find out where Vince lived, take Adrianna from him, and then torch his place with the bastard inside. Kevin smiled, relishing the thought.

  For now though, he’d get hold of details of a few commercial properties to lull Rupert into a false sense of security, and then tonight he’d head for Battersea where he hoped to get the information about Vince that he needed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Derek was staggered by the amount he’d been paid for the jewellery. Bessie must have had a keen eye, and though some of the watches weren’t up to much, the other stuff along with the gold chains fetched a good price. Bessie had never looked as if she had two bob to her name and he couldn’t understand why she hadn’t sold it herself instead of salting it away for years.

  He’d now made an offer for the stall, and as some of the other costermongers remembered him, they backed his bid. With plenty of money left over, Pearl had decided to completely refurbish the shop, and Derek just hoped she knew what she was doing. It wasn’t that he was worried about the money she’d be spending. What concerned him was how unhappy Pearl would be if her grand ideas for the shop didn’t work out.

  ‘Nora’s gone to bed early,’ Pearl said, ‘so I’m going to take the opportunity to pop round to see Lucy. I’m thinking of offering her a job.’

  ‘Shouldn’t you wait to see if you’re going to need help in the shop?’ Derek asked, but Pearl just gave him a swift kiss on the cheek before she hurried out.

  Derek frowned. He just hoped that Pearl didn’t bump into anyone who would tell her that just a short while ago Kevin Dolby had been sniffing around. It was Tommy who had passed on the news and Derek had been furious. He’d calmed down when Tom said that Kevin hadn’t been interested in them, just some bloke called Vincent Chase, and that he hadn’t been seen in the area since. Derek just hoped it would stay that way. If there was one thing guaranteed to make Pearl want to leave Battersea, it was hearing that Kevin was back.

  Lucy was busily ironing one T-shirt after another when someone knocked on the door. She opened it, smiling when she saw who it was.

  ‘Pearl, come on in. It’s lovely to see you.’

  ‘I’m sorry to call so late, but it’s the first chance I’ve had,’ Pearl said, her eyes scanning the living room. ‘This is nice.’

  ‘It’s not bad,’ Lucy nodded. ‘But I’ve got to move out.’

  ‘Have you? Why?’

  ‘The landlord is going to sell this place.’

  ‘Where will you go?’

  ‘I don’t know yet. I went to the council today, but they fobbed me off by telling me to apply to a housing association that’s doing up a lot of property around here. They said they’d support my application, that with a kid I stand a good chance, but as I’ve got to be out of here in two weeks I’m not banking on anything,’ Lucy said, then remembering her manners she added, ‘Sit down, Pearl, and can I get you anything? A cup of tea?’

  ‘No thanks, I’ve not long had one.’

  ‘Excuse the mess. You caught me in the middle of ironing this lot.’

  Pearl looked puzzled as she noticed the rows of T-shirts suspended by hangers on a door frame.

  ‘I’ve had a go at tie-dyeing and now hope to sell them,’ Lucy explained. ‘I could do with the money.’

  ‘They’re lovely and I’m sure they will.’ Pearl said.

  Encouraged, Lucy smiled. ‘Fingers crossed.’

  ‘Lucy, I’m going to make alterations to the shop,’ Pearl said as she took a seat, ‘and it’s going to cause
a bit of disruption. Nora hates change and she might find it a bit stressful. Not only that, since Bessie died she constantly clings to me.’

  ‘Her world has been turned upside down, but once she settles you’ll see a big difference. Bessie mostly kept Nora in the shop with her, or she let her go upstairs to do some housework. The two of them seemed to chug along nicely.’

  ‘Yes, I know,’ Pearl agreed, ‘but I’ll have a lot to reorganise and until Nora settles I really could do without having her under my feet all the time. With that in mind I wondered if you’d be interested in a part-time job?’

  ‘Oh yes, I’d love to work in the shop again,’ Lucy said eagerly.

  ‘I’m sorry. The shop won’t be opening until all the alterations are done and in the meantime I need someone to look after Nora, to keep her occupied. It could turn into a permanent position, and as Nora knows you, you’re the first person I thought of.’

  ‘Do you mean a sort of carer?’

  ‘Yes, that’s it.’

  Lucy was disappointed. She had hoped for a job in the shop, but at least it was work. There was still a problem though, and she hoped Pearl would understand. ‘I’d like the job, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to start straight away. Until the housing association comes up with something I’ve got to find somewhere to live.’

  ‘If it would help, I’ve got a spare room. You and Clive would have to share it, but it’s not a bad size.’

  ‘What about my furniture?’

  ‘You could put it in storage for now,’ Pearl suggested.

  Lucy calculated what it would cost for a deposit on another flat against putting her furniture in storage, and asked, ‘How much would you want for the room?’