by Carol Wyer
‘That’s Claire, my friend. That was just after Izzy was born. Claire was almost as excited about Izzy as we were. She still is. Loves her to bits. Jackson took the picture. It’s a nice photo of Claire. She doesn’t smile often.’
‘It’s good to have friends.’
‘Yeah, she’s a really good friend. I haven’t seen enough of her recently. She’s been so busy. Her photography business has done well. We talk a lot on the phone or message each other. I wish she were here now. She’d help me work out what is going on. She’s away on an assignment. I spoke to her earlier and she wanted to travel all the way back from Scotland to be with me. I’m lucky to have her. She’s my only real friend. Well, her and Jackson.’
‘I often wish I had a best friend. Doing this job makes it difficult to have any friends. It’s long hours and when you do get home it’s bath, bed or straight to the fridge for a tub of ice cream and then watch a chick flick. I spend my free time in the gym. It helps me forget I’m alone. You forget a lot of things when your muscles hurt so much you can barely walk.’
Abigail thawed a little and managed a weak smile.
Robyn waited for a moment then added, ‘Your husband’s genuinely concerned about you. You know that?’
Abigail nodded.
‘I’m sure it isn’t as bad as you believe it is.’
‘I don’t know who to trust. Who is doing this to me?’
‘You can start by trusting me. This isn’t my territory though. You need to call it into the nearest station. Jackson explained that you have reason to believe someone is watching you and has been telephoning you. Has the person who’s been calling threatened you?’
‘Only to say they are going to destroy my life. They try to scare me by using some voice-altering device. They seem to know what I’m doing at certain times so I know they’re watching me. They could even be watching me now.’
She looked around the room with wild eyes.
‘It all began when I was sent an anonymous note about keeping secrets. After that, I got a text saying Jackson was keeping secrets from me. Up until the first call, I thought it was a silly prank, then I got a phone call from someone who knew what I was wearing at the café in town, followed by another call when I reached home. They knew I was being sick at the time. They couldn’t know that unless they were spying on me. My Facebook account got hacked and my friends were sent horrid messages from me. I changed the house alarm code after that episode, and the locks. I ought to have confessed everything to Jackson then but I thought I could handle it all. I didn’t imagine it was serious. I had more calls then telling me Jackson was shagging women, and finally the email with the photographs attached. Now, I don’t know how to trust Jackson and he thinks I’m completely neurotic. I daren’t tell him I’ve been hearing voices too or he’ll really believe I’m crazy.’
‘Voices?’
‘Oh, it’s nothing. My mind’s been playing tricks on me. I keep imagining someone is in Izzy’s room and when I get there, there’s no one. I’ve been reading too much into day-to-day noises, I’ve been so tired. I’ve never felt so worn out. Whoever is doing this is destroying my life.’ She corrected herself, ‘Zoe could be the person destroying my life.’
Abigail was distraught and in need of some assurances, while Robyn wanted to find out more about Zoe. She spoke calmly. ‘If you want my opinion, I think your husband is telling the truth. I don’t think he is having a relationship with your friend Zoe.’
‘How can you be certain of that? You don’t know him?’
‘I’ve come across accomplished liars in my profession. I don’t think your husband is one of them. Photographs can be photoshopped or altered. Are the photographs clear shots of him? Is it really him? Can you see his face or his body or any identifying marks that prove beyond doubt it is your man? In this day and age you can transfer anyone’s face onto a different body and produce convincing pictures. Don’t jump to conclusions. Jackson told me you’ve been worn out the last few weeks and tiredness affects how you think and function. This mysterious caller knows that. They are using your weaknesses to manipulate you. They have gone to extraordinary lengths to send you photographs and also to erase them before you can show them to Jackson and tackle him on the subject. If they were genuine photographs, surely they wouldn’t have deleted them?’ Robyn remained sceptical about the mystery phone calls and photographs but for the time being she was more interested in gaining the woman’s trust.
Abigail covered her face with her hands and let out a long, painful groan. ‘You’re right. Of course you’re right. I’ve been so wound up and tormented by that damn person that I believed them. It didn’t cross my mind that those photographs were anything other than real.’ She rocked on her chair. ‘I’m making such a mess of everything,’ she moaned. ‘And poor, poor Toffee.’
‘Your cat’s death could be unconnected. It could just have been a random act of violence. Someone who hates cats.’ Robyn smiled at her. ‘I expect the calls are cruel prank calls from someone who is jealous of you but given the fact your cat is dead, I would definitely get someone to look into it. You can’t be too careful. I recommend you try the Hampshire Constabulary and report what has happened and let them take it from there. I wouldn’t worry unnecessarily but if someone has deliberately killed Toffee then you need to take precautions to keep yourselves safe.’
‘I’ll sound like I’m making the whole thing up. The call log and texts have gone from my mobile. I can’t prove anything. Jackson said as much last night before I got so mad with him I stopped listening.’
‘You’d be surprised what technicians can do with mobiles. They can find lost data and trace your texts or call logs. Contact Hampshire Constabulary online or call the station for your area. Explain I have spoken to you and arrange an appointment to visit them, or for an officer to come and see you. You really ought to let the police investigate this. I don’t want to scare you but from what you’ve told me, there is cause enough for concern and they should look into it for you.’
Abigail thought for a moment. ‘You’re not from the area then? How come Jackson asked you to help?’
‘I was on a case down here in Farnborough and interviewed Jackson. He couldn’t assist but I gave him one of my business cards. When this happened to you, he got in touch.’
‘You’re still here in Farnborough. Does that mean you haven’t solved your case?’
‘Not yet, no. I was hunting for a missing man.’
Jackson returned with an ebullient Izzy who crawled towards Robyn and sat by her feet, happily chewing on a rusk.
Robyn chose that moment to ask. ‘Maybe you can help me. Do you know or have you ever heard of a man who goes by the name of Lucas Matthews?’
Jackson threw Robyn a quick look but she ignored him, concentrating only on Abigail who blew her nose on a tissue before shaking her head and answering, ‘No. I’ve never heard of him.’
‘Would you look at a photograph of him for me, please? He was very interested in Zoe for some reason and you might have spotted him in the area.’
Abigail paled as Robyn pulled out the picture and handed it over. Abigail glanced at it and handed it back. ‘No, sorry. I haven’t seen him before.’
‘Look again. He might have been in a café when you were with Zoe or in the street while you were shopping. Is there nothing familiar about him? Zoe thought she had seen him somewhere but couldn’t remember where. Are you certain you haven’t spotted him?’
‘No. I definitely haven’t seen him.’ Abigail returned the photograph and wiped her nose again.
Robyn slipped the photograph back into a folder in her bag. ‘Oh well, it was worth asking. Okay, if you have no more questions about what to do, I’ll get going.’
Abigail bent to collect Izzy and cuddled her tightly. ‘Thank you for your help,’ she said, turning away quickly as Jackson showed Robyn out.
The door shut behind Robyn and she meandered to her car, processing the information she had just gleaned. W
hilst Jackson was telling the truth about not having an affair, his wife was lying about the photograph she had just looked at. Robyn had observed the widening of her eyes when the name Lucas Matthews was mentioned and had seen her stalling for time by blowing her nose. Abigail had unconsciously twisted the tissue tightly while looking at the photo. Robyn was convinced Abigail Thorne knew Lucas Matthews.
Abigail stood at the lounge window and watched Robyn pull away. Jackson returned and waited for her to turn around. She stood for a while before speaking. ‘I don’t want to discuss this any more at the moment.’
He knew by her tone that it was pointless to push her on the subject.
‘Okay. But we need to sort it out. I’m going to contact the police as DI Carter suggested. I think it’s important we do.’
‘I guess so. But let’s talk first.’ She headed for the door, Izzy in her arms. ‘I have to go out. We’ll talk this evening. Leave it until I can collect my thoughts.’
Jackson called out, ‘It’ll be all right.’
‘I know,’ she replied and, gathering up her bag with her free hand, took Izzy upstairs.
47
Robyn pulled up beside Ross’s car. He was leaning against it, dressed in jeans and a grey T-shirt. She stared at the entrance of the garden of remembrance. Inside lay Christina Forman: wife to Josh Clifford, fiancée to Paul Matthews and mother to Alice.
‘I just got off the phone with Mitz,’ said Robyn. ‘He’s been talking to the SOCO on the Christina Forman case again to get all the facts. Poor cow was strangled during an S&M session with her boyfriend, Frank Parsons. Parsons went missing for a couple of days but was tracked down to one of his favourite haunts – a pub in Bicester. He confessed as soon as they arrested him and said it was an accident. The local police thought otherwise. There was an anonymous phone call from a concerned citizen who claimed to have heard the couple rowing and then seen Frank strike her, then drag her inside the house. He denied it, of course, but given the state of her, there was fair reason to believe he had murdered her. However, Mitz says there is insufficient evidence and Frank will probably only get sentenced for death by misadventure. Case is not for another month.’
‘What a rotten end to her life,’ said Ross.
‘Lousy. She hadn’t had the best of times beforehand. Parsons told the police she’d been on the game for years. She’d used a load of aliases but she’d gone back to using Christina Forman when he met her. She told him she missed being Christina.’
Robyn stared off into the distance. ‘I wonder if Alice knows that her mother is dead.’
‘Maybe. Maybe not. I hope Alice’s life improved. Maybe she married a rich bloke and lived happily ever after.’
‘That only happens in fairy tales, Ross. Anyway, we have a massive clue.’
‘I thought you were looking perkier than usual.’
‘Mitz said officers at the scene uncovered S&M bondage kit strewn about the place and that Christina was in the full leather outfit, attached to the bed by handcuffs. They also discovered a fluffy toy rabbit propped up on the bed beside her. Their initial thoughts were that this was part of the game they were playing until Parsons lost his temper and strangled her, or it was a gift she had been given. He’s going to text photographs of the crime scene when they have been sent over.’
Robyn smiled at Ross. ‘First, Lucas was holding a rabbit at his death scene, then we found a rubber toy rabbit at Mary’s house, and now Christina has one on her bed. It has to be related.’
‘Great. You deserve a lucky break. I hope it is and not just a coincidence. Want to see Christina’s resting place now?’
‘I suppose so. I feel I ought to.’
They trundled into the garden of remembrance and past all the tributes to loved ones. Neither spoke. Both had lost people they were close to and this only brought back unhappy memories. They stopped in front of a small plaque.
in loving memory of christina justine forman – a beautiful butterfly who now flaps her gossamer wings in eternally bright skies
Robyn wondered if Alice had arranged the words on the stone.
‘Tragic isn’t it?’ Ross said.
‘Death is,’ she replied. ‘Any death is tragic, especially for those left behind.’
Ross put an arm around her shoulders and for a moment she leaned into him. She savoured the kind gesture.
‘Okay, kiddo,’ he said in a poor American accent. ‘Go find this Alice or whoever you are looking for and get this case sorted.’
‘I think I’m getting there, Ross. I can feel it. I have the jigsaw pieces. I just have to fit them together.’
‘Well, if anyone can crack it, it’s you. Let me know if you need me. Jeanette will be glad I’m going home early. She wants me to go dancing with her.’
‘Line, ballroom or tap?’ asked Robyn, delighted at the thought of Ross attempting to dance.
‘Salsa,’ he replied, wrinkling his nose. ‘I wish you’d asked me to help you. Now look what you’ve forced me into.’
Robyn chuckled. ‘Make sure you send me a selfie of you in your outfit,’ she shouted, as he wandered back to his car. He raised a finger and carried on walking.
48
‘Are you accusing me of taking a drug that made me sick – so sick I could hardly function – and which I think poisoned my baby as well?’
The doctor looked up from the computer screen, removed his glasses and sat back in his chair.
‘Abby, I am suggesting nothing of the sort. I am merely telling you we discovered traces of ipecac in your blood. Let me explain what that is and how serious it might have been had you ingested any more than you did.
‘Ipecac is a small, perennial tropical plant native to the forests of Bolivia and Brazil and has been widely used in syrup form as a potent and effective emetic. In layman terms, an emetic is a substance that induces vomiting and diarrhoea when administered orally or by injection.’
Abigail was not fully taking in the doctor’s words. Somebody had poisoned her and now she had a good idea who that was – bloody Lucas Matthews. Why hadn’t she thought of him before? It was only after the policewoman mentioned him that it became apparent who was responsible for the calls and everything else. Lucas Matthews was a total bastard. He, of all people, would know how important Izzy was to her. He was deliberately scaring her and now she’d just found out he could have actually killed her baby. She thought back to the day in the café. Rachel had bought the drinks and had ordered syrup with her coffee. At the time she wondered why Rachel had felt the need to put it in her drink yet had not questioned it. The syrup had been so strong Abigail had not been able to taste the coffee. What better way to disguise the ipecac? Her mind whirred with possibilities. Rachel and Lucas must have secretly planned the whole thing together.
‘So, have you taken any ipecac at all, Mrs Thorne?’
The doctor was clearly anxious that she was doing harm to herself. He suspected she had swallowed the stuff deliberately to make herself sick. If she admitted to having taken it he would chastise her, but if she told him someone had tried to poison her, what would his reaction be? Would he tell the police?’
A knot formed in her stomach. She wanted to get out of the surgery and search for Lucas. He had promised he would leave her be and yet now he was back to torment her. Well, he wasn’t going to succeed this time around.
‘No,’ she said.
He spoke kindly. ‘It is not uncommon for women who wish to lose weight to use it. It is accessible on the Internet. You have lost quite a lot of weight in the last few months,’ he continued. ‘Over a stone, to be exact.’
‘I’m not bulimic,’ she answered. ‘I know what you’re suggesting but I would never take something like that. It’s been a stressful few months. That’s all.’ She felt tears springing to her eyes again. ‘Please don’t tell anyone but I think someone deliberately put ipecac into a coffee I had that day. You can’t tell anyone though. Besides, there is the matter of patient confidentiality.’
Dr Toman shook his head. ‘Abigail, I’m sorry but if you’re telling me a person or persons have deliberately spiked a drink with ipecac then I have a duty of care to let the authorities know. And, if you suspect Izzy was also tainted by it, then that sets off all sorts of alarms.’
She wished she hadn’t mentioned it now. She needed to buy some time because she was going to track down Lucas Matthews and rectify all this mess. She pleaded with the doctor.
‘I don’t know who could have dropped it into my coffee. I was out with three friends at the coffee house in town and when I came home I suddenly became really sick. It must have happened at the café. I didn’t go anywhere else and no one other than Izzy and me was sick. None of my friends fell ill. I hardly think an employee would tamper with a drink so I suspect it has to be one of the women who were with me that day. What shall I do?’
‘Leave it with me. I’m afraid the police will want to speak to you. Tell them what you know. It’ll be fine. You and Izzy are okay now, aren’t you?’
Her head bobbed in acknowledgement.
‘Go home, Abby,’ he said. ‘Tell Jackson what you told me and leave it to the authorities.’
She left the surgery in a fury. Lucas Matthews had gone one step too far. If Rachel knew Lucas, and was involved in his plans to upset her life, then Abigail was going to speak to her too. The police might do their job but Abigail wanted to confront Rachel herself. Everything was swimming into focus. Rachel passing the rainbow teddy to Izzy in the café with possible traces of ipecac on her fingers from dropping it in Abigail’s coffee, or she might have deliberately wiped the teddy bear with ipecac. Izzy had put the teddy in her mouth, as she did with most objects. No wonder the poor little mite had been so sick. Abigail shuddered at the thought of how much more serious it might have been. The thought of what might have happened awakened a fierce maternal instinct in her. How dare Rachel jeopardise her child’s life and at the same time pretend she cared about Izzy, showering her with gifts? What a twisted, warped mind she must have.
