The idea that she might be grieving for her one-time best friend, who had cheated on her, only proved what a sweet and kind person Cathie was. Although, for all he knew, it could really be Ryman she was missing, and she blamed Davina for having caused her to lose the man she loved. If only he could be certain.
‘I thought I’d investigate this Barbara person, although I’m not optimistic that her father will be very helpful,’ he said, explaining how she’d been thrown out when she fell pregnant. ‘The war yet again taking a bite.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Cathie said, but Steve shook his head.
‘Let me do it, you’ve had enough to deal with lately. I don’t want you to become even more upset, and who knows how her father will react.’
A quiver of longing ran through him as she met his gaze with a warm glow of gratitude in her hazel eyes. Reaching up, Cathie gave him a little peck on his cheek and desire flared within him. How he loved her, with all his heart and soul. But all Steve felt he could do right now to prove how much he cared was to attempt to discover the answer to this mystery that was troubling her so much. And somehow protect her from that selfish bully.
‘Enough of this, I’m going to pop out and fetch a beer and a glass of shandy from the pub, then we’ll sit back and enjoy a drink on this lovely warm autumn evening, and not talk about this painful subject any more.’
Cathie laughed. ‘Good idea.’
‘I’ll be no more than ten minutes,’ he said, risking planting a kiss on her upturned nose before dashing off.
But, as he strode along Byrom Street, he heard the echo of footsteps behind him. Convinced he was being followed, he slipped quickly into a ginnel to hide in the shadows of a doorway. Moments later, who should stride past the entrance but Ryman himself. Drat the man! He must have been stalking him. Was he stalking Cathie too? Steve shuddered at the thought, a beat of anger pummelling in his chest.
When Steve returned to the yard with a jug of beer and bottle of lemonade, he made no mention of having seen Alex, and set about making Cathie a shandy and pouring himself a beer. The pair of them spent a contented evening together, laughing over hilarious memories of the past.
‘I remember Mam scolding me for playing by the barges on the canal, telling me how Jinny Greenteeth might get me,’ she said with a chuckle. ‘“What will she do to me?” I would ask. “Eat thee all up,” Mam would say. A total myth I never believed in.’
‘I expect she was only pointing out the dangers of the waterways, and didn’t want you to drown. Have you learned to swim yet?’
‘Oh, I’m finding it so difficult, but Brenda is doing her best to help. Heather loves it. She’s a real little water baby.’
They also shared dreams for the future. Steve, however, failed to summon up the courage to mention what his greatest hope for his own future was, that had nothing at all to do with a possible career as a teacher.
As they said goodnight he gave Cathie a tender peck of a kiss on each cheek, the sheer touch of her soft skin and the lovely scent of her creating a stir of longing within him that he found almost impossible to suppress. As she smiled up at him they exchanged a long, quite serious and thoughtful look, almost as if they were assessing and reviewing their emotions.
‘Goodnight, love. Sleep well, and make sure you lock the door after me.’
The next day Barbara’s father, who lived in a rather grand house out in Cheetham, refused to speak to him, denying that he even had a daughter. As the housekeeper showed him out, Steve asked if she knew where the girl was living now, but received no answer. He was getting nowhere. What a maelstrom of problems this war had created, he thought, as he walked slowly home to face more of his own.
Alex was savouring the charms of a pretty young wench he’d picked up at the Pack Horse, taking her round to an alley behind the pub. Her figure was a bit scrawny and childlike, but his needs were such that the lack of fleshy breasts didn’t trouble him in the slightest. He revelled in the powerful pitch of excitement that brought him to a climax. Sadly, the coupling was over far too quickly, but then he had been in something of a desperate situation. Losing both Cathie and Davina had done him no good at all.
In addition, there’d been a fury cascading inside him as a result of two of his most useful associates having been sacked from the supply warehouse, their connections with his scheme against that Steve Allenby character having been found out. Someone must have been investigating those chaps. He would so like to know who it was, as they may well be aware of his own role in the enterprise. Alex’s anger had been such that he’d pounded her hard against the wall. Still, the tart didn’t seem too bothered. He handed her a shilling and sent her on her way, then, adjusting his clothes, returned to the pub.
As he ordered himself another pint of beer, together with a tot of whisky, a voice rang in his ear. ‘Mr Ryman, may we have a word?’
Assuming this to be one of his black market colleagues, Alex swung round only to be shocked to find himself facing a tall gentleman in a somewhat shabby raincoat and trilby hat, standing between two uniformed policemen. For some moments he was struck dumb as his heart raced, then with a smirk of a smile he politely asked, ‘What can I do for you?’
‘What can I do for you, sir?’
‘Sir,’ Alex repeated with a snarl, recalling how his sergeant major used to address him in exactly the same tone of voice.
‘I assume the young lady you were pleasuring has been paid and dispatched, and you are now free to accompany us down to the station?’ the fellow airily enquired.
Alex swallowed as embarrassment skittered through him. ‘Why would I wish to do that—sir?’
‘We have a few questions that need answering regarding a former lady friend of yours.’
‘And who might that be?’
When the officer said Davina’s name, the desire to turn and run hit Alex like an exploding grenade. This was the last thing he’d expected, assuming he was about to be questioned about his black market activities. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to escape as the two constables were now standing on either side of him. They clipped handcuffs on his wrists and, within seconds, Alex found himself being led outside and ushered into a police car.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The questioning went on for hours, taking so long that Alex found himself held in the cells overnight, only for the interview to start all over again the next morning. The interview was about Davina, and nothing to do with the black market, or even the stolen ring. They wished to know where and how he’d met her; why she’d followed him to Castlefield; and why he hadn’t revealed his relationship with her to his fiancée.
‘Do you know where she is now?’ the sergeant asked.
Alex gave a sad shake of his head. ‘Sorry, I’ve no idea. She just vanished.’
‘With your child?’
Thoughts raced through his head as he wondered if he could deny any knowledge of her being pregnant, but then he remembered his conversation with the landlady. ‘Sadly, yes. She wrote to tell me she was in a Home for Unmarried mothers. She must have moved in while I was away being interviewed for a job, perhaps because her landlady threw her out. When I returned, I replied and arranged to pick her up, but she never appeared.’
‘Would this be her?’ A snapshot was placed on the table before him, the sight of her dead body chilling him to the core.
‘Oh, my God!’ he murmured, hoping he sounded suitably shocked and distressed. ‘What’s happened to her?’
‘Good question. The nuns believe the poor girl took her own life. What do you think? Did she show any signs of being suicidal, depressed or anxious?’
‘Not at all. Why would she be when I had agreed to do the decent thing and marry her,’ he blithely announced.
‘Did you inform your fiancée of that fact?’
None of these were easy questions to answer, but Alex did his best to keep as close to the truth as possible, and not to trip himself up on his own lies. As a result of a fairly sleeple
ss night, tiredness overcame him when the questions kept being constantly repeated, till finally he demanded permission to call the family lawyer. He was greatly relieved when instead he was released, thankfully without charge.
‘You are still under investigation,’ the officer tartly informed him, as he returned Alex’s belongings and conducted him out of the station. ‘Once we have more evidence, we’ll call you back in for another little chat.’ Leaning closer, he added with a wry smile, ‘Don’t attempt to leave town. We’ll certainly know about it if you do.’
Alex’s head was spinning as he marched smartly away as fast as he could go without appearing guilty. Something was very wrong here. Why had the police chosen to question him about Davina? Had someone used his name in relation to that stupid girl? If that was the case, he needed to find out who that might be and deal with them forthwith.
In view of her suspicions about Alex, Cathie was feeling such concern for her mother that she went to meet her at the mill at the first opportunity, hoping to fill her in on what was happening, or at least some of it. As she waited for Rona to come out at the end of her shift, Cathie glanced over at the barges tethered in the canal alongside. They brought coal every day, and she had a memory of her father trundling a loaded wheelbarrow across a plank, tipping it down the chute to the mill cellar, then hurrying back for more. She saw no sign of that activity today, but there were a few men standing smoking at the street corner who looked as if they might be in need of work. Were things really improving with the advent of peace, she wondered, or going worse? It was hard to tell.
The mill door opened and a host of women came clattering out in their clogs, laughing and gossiping, Rona amongst them. Seeing her daughter waiting she came bustling over, her beautifully made-up face puckering with concern. How could anyone look so lovely after a long day’s work? Cathie thought with a sigh, feeling very much a shabby mess by comparison. But at least her mother was looking more herself.
‘I suppose you’re here because you’ve heard Alex was arrested?’ Rona said, the moment she reached her. ‘Did you have summat to do with that?’
‘Of course not!’ Cathie retorted, a curl of fear unfolding inside her. ‘I know nothing about any such arrest. I’m here because there’s stuff I thought you should know.’
‘Well, happen I know it already, chuck.’
‘What was he arrested for?’
‘He told me it was all to do with black market stuff.’ Rona laughed. ‘Nay, what a shock! Only half the population is involved in that.’
‘I don’t think that’s quite true, Mam, and it is illegal. Certainly the way I believe Alex is doing it, making money he has no right to make.’
‘Nonsense, there are too many flipping rules. I remember a woman being fined for feeding a few crusts of bread to the birds, and another for selling home-made sweets she’d made using her own sugar ration. Anyroad, the police issued no charges and he’s a free man.’
A chill rippled down the back of her neck as Cathie wondered if he’d told her mother the truth. The police might have arrested him for some other crime entirely, which in the circumstances would be no surprise at all. She found herself glancing about her at the canal, across the bridge, and back along the road that ran between Ancoats and the city centre. There had been moments recently when she’d imagined she heard footsteps echoing behind her, as if she was being followed. But whenever Cathie turned around to look, she could see no one. Remembering Steve’s careful instructions, she always made sure that she kept the door locked, and Heather in her sight. Today the little one was safely back at the flat with Brenda.
‘Come on, I’ll walk part of the way home with you, although I won’t come in for a cuppa as I’ve no wish to see him again.’
‘I reckon he’d be happy enough to see you, chuck. He never stops talking about thee.’
They walked down Blossom Street, then, crossing over to the Rochdale Canal towpath, took a leisurely walk home to Castlefield. Avoiding the main streets seemed like a good idea, as Rona would always check her appearance in every shop window they passed. This way she could only admire the barges, narrowboats and ducks. Besides which, it was a more pleasant walk.
Cathie was worrying about how much she should reveal of the information they’d learned. Dare she speak about their suspicions of what he might have done to Davina, even though they had no proof? Rona still seemed to be very much on Alex’s side, so there was a danger she might reveal to him everything Cathie shared with her. But at the same time Cathie felt a responsibility to protect her mother, and make sure she was safe.
‘Mam, what I have to tell you must be kept just between the two of us, all right?’
Rona gave a bark of laughter. ‘Don’t tell me you’re about to share a secret wi’ me? Can’t recall you ever doing that before.’
Cathie flushed, not for the first time wishing they enjoyed a better relationship. ‘This is not about me it’s about Alex. Nor does it concern his involvement in the black market. I have learned, from someone who must remain nameless, that he didn’t buy that engagement ring at all. He stole it.’
Rona stopped in her tracks, jerking Cathie to a halt beside her. ‘What are you accusing him of now?’
‘It isn’t me making this accusation. I just need you to know all this so that you’ll take care. The last thing we want is for Alex to start stealing from you. You’ve little enough left after what you’ve been through.’
Rona seemed to sober up a little at this thought, falling silent as they started walking again along the towpath. ‘When I were a lass I realised my mother never had learned to read or write. She spent her life looking after me brothers and sisters, and I were expected to help her, which is the reason why I became sick of all that baby stuff from a very young age. But when she died, I discovered that Mam had saved all my wages, probably because she never had any of her own, as she wanted me to have a good start in life. I would never have been able to afford the rent on that house in Duke Street, let alone buy all the furniture and rugs we had, without her help. Then we lost it all when that bomb dropped.’
‘Oh, Mam, I didn’t know any of this. I do wish you’d told me before.’ The more she heard of her mother’s past, the more Cathie came to understand her. ‘But it makes it all the more important for you to protect what you do have left, as well as yourself. And that I must protect the money Tony left for his own lovely daughter, Heather.’
Cathie made the difficult decision not to mention their suspicions about Alex’s possible involvement in Davina’s death. That might be one step too far, and incite Rona to rise again to his defence. Besides, they still had no evidence.
The next time Steve called, he asked Cathie if this time they could go out for an evening together. Thrilled to be invited out on a proper date, she happily agreed, and he explained that he’d bought tickets for them to see Vivienne Leigh in The Skin of our Teeth at the Opera House on New Quay Street.
‘Oh, what shall I wear?’ she asked Brenda, who readily agreed to babysit. The pair of them spent hours going through their respective wardrobes before deciding on a pink linen short-sleeved dress with a pleated skirt and bows on the neckline. Brenda lent her a navy blue beaded evening jacket to go with it, and a small embroidered purse, which made Cathie feel very classy. Could her old friend once have had more money than she’d perhaps appreciated? Despite always seeming to be short of cash she certainly possessed a marvellous wardrobe.
‘I shall cook every meal next week to repay my debt for your kindness,’ she told her, and Brenda chortled with laughter. ‘This is about friendship, for which no debts are accrued.’
But then at the last moment, on the evening in question, Brenda suddenly announced that she had to back down on her offer. ‘Sorry, darling, but my brother-in-law is creating absolute mayhem again, at which he is an expert, and demanding that I go over to deal with yet another family crisis. I dare say it’s all to do with this legal dispute over land, which I won’t bore you with. Fortunately,
our kind forewoman at the factory has agreed to my taking a few days off work, since we didn’t take a holiday during Wakes Week. So I’m afraid I can’t babysit for you this evening, after all.’
‘Oh!’ Disappointment bit deep in her at having to cancel the date with Steve, which Cathie had been so looking forward to. In addition, a hollow feeling opened up inside at the prospect of being left alone. Brenda would be away at the family farm, or more likely an estate by the sound of it, and Steve far too busy working on his course to call in as often as he used to, even though he was still in Manchester.
‘You’ll be stuck in without a babysitter for a little while, I’m afraid.’
With the door locked, Cathie thought, remembering what Steve had told her. ‘I accepted that fact of life when I decided to keep my lovely little niece, and I have absolutely no regrets. Don’t worry, I’ll let Steve know that it’s all off,’ she replied sadly.
‘No, no, you won’t. Your mother’s on her way over. She’ll be here any minute.’
‘What? Are you seriously telling me that Mam has agreed to babysit?’
A knock came to the door at that very moment. ‘Here she is, right on time. Enjoy yourself tonight, darling. Now I must go.’
‘Oh, I will, thank you,’ she said, as she ran to let her mother in. ‘Since you’ve gone to so much trouble to help, let’s hope Steve doesn’t let me down by cancelling, as he has done on a few occasions recently.’
‘I’m sure he won’t. Have faith in him.’
Pulling open the door, Cathie sighed at the sight of her mother, gloriously dressed in a scarlet, drop waist floral dress, looking very much as if she was off to a night at the Opera House herself. ‘Hello, Mam, what a pleasure to see you. Thank you so much for your generous offer to babysit.’
Home Is Where the Heart Is Page 24
