Private Sorrow, A

by Reynolds, Maureen

  Molly quickly closed and locked the door and as they climbed the stair to the flat, she turned out the office light. ‘I’ll make you something to eat if you’re hungry,’ she said, looking hesitantly at the packet of bacon and six eggs that she had bought that morning.

  ‘That would be great, but only if it’s not a nuisance.’

  She put on the frying pan and began to cook the bacon. ‘Do you want me to set the table?’

  She nodded but kept her face turned away from him. The flat had warmed up with the electric fire and by the time they were sitting down to the meal, everything was cosy.

  Later, when they were drinking their tea on the couch, he said, ‘I haven’t made much headway with the case. I keep going round in circles with the people you’ve interviewed and I suppose they’ve mentioned it to other people. Yet, however the information reached them, we have a dangerous person in our midst. These weren’t coincidental accidents – they were deliberate attacks. The day Mrs Barton had her accident with the bus, she came here afterwards in the company of an elderly woman. Did you see her before she went along Victoria Road?’

  Molly said she hadn’t. ‘The first thing I knew about the accident was when Vera half stumbled into the office. She said someone called Bella had helped her.’

  ‘I’d like to trace this woman but we’ve no idea where she lives. We have a witness who saw an elderly woman driving a small black car after Peter Walsh’s accident, and then we have an elderly woman who was around when Vera almost landed under the bus. It could mean nothing at all but I’m not sure about this Bella. Vera remembers that she wore nail polish and I’m not sure if older women paint their nails. What do you think, Molly?’

  Molly wasn’t sure. ‘I suppose she could be a woman who likes to keep herself looking good. Did Vera say how she was dressed?’

  ‘Yes, a coat that looked too tight for her, a woollen hat and scarf, which she didn’t take off in the café, and red polished nails.’

  Molly looked doubtful. ‘It doesn’t sound like a woman who takes care of her appearance. Did Vera describe anything else about her?’

  Charlie said, ‘No. She says she was in too much shock and then agitated at not finding the letter writer or the letter.’

  ‘Well, that makes sense. Vera looked totally shocked when she came here. She didn’t even notice her stocking had a large ladder in it and her coat was all grey and dusty. I think she’s been taking sleeping pills for a while now and she probably felt groggy that morning.’

  ‘It makes you wonder if it was just a genuine accident but she swears she felt a big push from behind. I’ve been checking up on some of the women you interviewed. Anita wears red nail polish, Vina wears pale pink and Frances didn’t have any painted nails but she did have the traces of red at the edges of her nails. It looked like she had used remover but didn’t get into the corners. Oh, and by the way, you’ll be pleased to know Vera’s not taking the pills any longer.’

  Molly was relieved by this news. She had switched the wireless to discover it was a music programme. Charlie settled back on the couch with his cup in his hand and sighed. ‘You’ve made this place look really fantastic. I suppose I’ll have to make a move and go out in the storm.’

  By now the wind was blowing rain on the window. For one out-of-character moment she thought of asking him to stay. After all, he could easily sleep on the couch, but then he stood up and put his coat on. ‘Thanks for the meal and the company, Molly. I’ll be back when I have more news, but please watch out for yourself. I don’t like the way this case is going.’

  Molly was going to let him out by the street door but that meant taking him through the bedroom, so they went downstairs and through the darkened office. At the door, Charlie shook her hand. ‘Thanks again.’

  He made his way down the Wellgate to wherever he lived. Molly had no idea where that was, but maybe he was going back to the police station. It was only eight o’clock and the Wellgate was busy with people hurrying to the cinema, the pubs or the dance halls. She shivered in the cold night air and locked up. The flat seemed empty and quiet now that he was gone. She thought about the evening and smiled. Last year, he had been furious with her over her involvement in a case and she hadn’t really cared for him. But now he was showing a different side to his character and she blushed when she thought about how much she liked him.

  43

  The woman was fed up with waiting in the rain. What did the policeman want now with McQueen? Well, it certainly wasn’t to question her, as the woman saw her locking the door and putting the light out. So he was invited up to the inner sanctum was he? Wonders would never cease. She reviewed her plans. There was still quite a bit to deal with but she would manage it. Once again, she was furious that all the memories had been brought to the surface, but these people would pay for their interference. Oh yes, there was no doubt about that. Here he comes, looking like he wanted to stay, but the upright Molly McQueen wouldn’t have had it. Actually, the woman quite fancied him for herself and one never knew how things would pan out. Maybe if he got to know me better, she thought, he would like me. But there wasn’t going to be a chance for that.

  44

  Molly finished some more work and then decided to have an early night after Charlie had gone. She thought about her impulse to ask him to stay but she was glad it had come to nothing. He was just doing his job and because she was involved, it was natural for him to visit every now and again.

  She tried to read her book but it was another boring tale and she couldn’t be bothered with it. She lay for a long time listening to the people pass by on the street but soon she was fast asleep. A fit of coughing woke her up and she couldn’t get her breath. Wide awake now, she was horrified to see the room was thick with smoke and she stumbled and struggled to get out of bed. Her eyes were stinging and her throat felt on fire but the worse thing was she couldn’t make out where the door was. Stay calm, she thought.

  Finding the end of the bed and then the cupboard, she managed to make her way down to the outside door but as she went to unlock it, she realised the key was hot. The fire must be outside this door, she realised, so she retraced her steps and found the stairs into the office. She half stumbled down the stairs and found the office was also starting to fill with smoke. By now she was almost collapsing but she managed to crawl to the front door and unlock it.

  She sprawled like a wet fish on the rain soaked pavement in front of a group of young lads who were on their way home. Molly could only whisper that there was a fire at the side door. One of the lads draped his coat around her while the rest hurried along Baltic Street. They found a fire was built up outside the door, mainly with rubbish and some wood, but there was a small burning tyre on top. The thick wooden door had managed to keep the fire out and the lads tried to kick the burning debris away from the door, dispersing the fire’s fuel into the street where it fizzled in the rain. ‘We’ll have to get the doctor and the police,’ said one lad.

  ‘I don’t think we’ll need the fire brigade because the fire’s almost out.’

  ‘What if there’s also a fire inside?’ said his pal. ‘Maybe we should investigate.’

  By now, Molly was propped up in the doorway. She was still unable to speak. While two of the lads went inside, another one ran to the phone box but he met a policeman on the beat. The policeman said, ‘Where’s the fire, son? Where are you going in such a hurry?’

  ‘There is a fire, constable, down there.’ He pointed to the Wellgate.

  They both ran to the agency and the constable hurried back to the police box at the foot of the Hilltown to report it. They all managed to get Molly back inside the office, which was now reasonable clear of smoke. She was shivering in her wet nightdress and the jacket wasn’t much warmer.

  Within half an hour, a fire engine and an ambulance had arrived. Molly protested she was feeling better but she was whisked off to the infirmary. The policeman promised to lock up the office and the lads stood around looking helpless wit
h their faces, hands and clothes blackened by the fire. Before she went away, Molly tried to thank them but they said they were only glad they were able to help.

  On their way home, they joked about what their mothers would say when they saw the state of them but one of the lads said, ‘That fire was started deliberately. If that woman hadn’t had another door to escape from, she would be dead by now.’

  That stopped all the jokes, as they had to agree with their pal.

  Molly couldn’t stop coughing and her chest felt as if it was on fire. The doctor at the infirmary gave her oxygen to help her breathing and although she was wrapped up in a warm blanket, she was still shivering. ‘I’m going to keep you in here overnight and check you’re all right. Maybe you’ll get home tomorrow but we’ll see how you get on,’ the doctor said.

  He was a tall, thin man with a shock of red hair. He turned to the nurse who was in attendance at the casualty. ‘Take Miss McQueen to the ward, please, nurse.’

  Molly tried to protest but by now she was exhausted and the tears weren’t far away. Another spasm of coughing shook her body and she ached all over. She was worried about the agency but she trusted the policeman to make sure it was all locked up. During all this time, never once did she think the fire had been started deliberately.

  She didn’t get much sleep that night, as she was aware that the doctor and a few of the nurses checked on her regularly, so she was glad when she heard the ward start to wake up. When breakfast arrived, she gulped down the tea and then noticed the jug of water on the bedside locker. She drained that and felt a bit better. She didn’t eat anything, as she was sure her throat would be raw with the smoke and the coughing, but she managed to get a nurse to bring her more water. The cold water helped her and she fell into a deep sleep.

  It was almost dinner time when she awoke and she was surprised to see Charlie sitting beside the bed. He looked grim. She held out her hand. ‘Charlie, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I got the report of the fire this morning.’ He leaned over her so he wouldn’t be overheard. ‘I want you out of that flat, Molly. That fire was started deliberately and it was a nasty and dangerous one. Whoever started it had put a small bicycle tyre on top and that made the smoke even more noxious. You were lucky you weren’t killed by it and if those lads hadn’t managed to put it out then the whole flat and office could have gone up in flames.’

  Molly was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

  ‘Can you go home to your parents’ house where Marigold can keep an eye on you? I have to find out who is doing all this before someone is killed.’

  Her throat felt like sandpaper. ‘Charlie, I can’t think straight at the moment. I don’t know what to do. Is the flat badly damaged?’

  ‘There’s a lot of smoke damage and you’ll need a new door. It was badly burned, but because it was so strong it saved your life.’

  ‘The doctor said I could go home today. Did he tell you that?’

  ‘Yes, he did, but as I said, I don’t want you going back to the flat. The fire didn’t reach the inside but everything will have to be cleaned and repainted.’ He saw the tears in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Molly, but at least you are all right.’

  She suddenly remembered she had been wearing her nightdress when she was admitted last night. ‘I haven’t any clothes to go home in. Can you go to Edna’s house in Paradise Road and get her to bring me up something to wear?’

  He stood up. ‘I’ll be about an hour and that will give the doctor time to check you over to see if you can go home.’

  He had no sooner left the ward than the doctor appeared. It was a different one from the Casualty. ‘How are you feeling now, Miss McQueen?’ he asked, glancing at his notes.

  Molly tried hard not to sound so croaky, just in case he kept her in another night. ‘I feel a lot better, doctor. I’ve sent my friend to get my clothes for getting out.’

  The doctor peered at her over the rim of his glasses and Molly’s heart sank. He glanced at the notes again, then went to see the ward sister who was busy at the bottom of the ward. She saw them having a talk and then he came back. ‘We’ll let you go home but you must stay somewhere else, as I believe your house is still smoke damaged.’

  Molly would have agreed to go and live on the moon just to get out and she said, ‘I’m going to my parents’ house in Newport, doctor.’

  ‘That’s good. Well, as soon as your clothes arrive, you can go.’

  Charlie hurried to see Edna. He wasn’t sure which house was hers but Molly had told him the number. It was Edna’s mother Irene who opened the door and she looked surprised to see a strange man on the doorstep. He showed her his warrant card and her hand suddenly flew to her mouth. ‘It’s all right, Mrs McGill; I’ve come to see Edna.’

  He quickly explained the situation to her. ‘Is Molly going to be all right?’

  ‘Yes, she is. She inhaled a lot of noxious smoke but she’s a lot better today.’

  ‘Edna is away out with Billy but she should be back very soon. She’s taken him to the ice cream shop for some sweeties.’

  It wasn’t long before the pair returned and Edna’s eyes opened in surprise when she saw Charlie sitting by the fire. Irene burst out, ‘There’s been a fire at the agency and Molly is in hospital. This is DS Johns and he wants to speak to you.’

  While this conversation was going on, Billy stood with wide eyes at the drama unfolding before him. Edna said, ‘Billy, do you want to go and play with your friend downstairs?’

  ‘Can I take my garage and cars with me and my Meccano set?’

  ‘No, just the Meccano set.’

  When he departed quite happily to play with his pal, Charlie told the two women about the fire and how it was started deliberately. They were both shocked. ‘Miss McQueen is getting home today but she needs her clothes. She told me to come and ask you if you could bring her up something to wear.’

  Edna still had her coat on, so they left to go to the flat. Charlie opened the door with the key that the constable had given him. The stench of smoke was so strong that it caught their breath.

  Charlie led the way up the stairs and Edna almost burst into tears when she saw the damage. The walls and ceiling were streaked by black smoke and the bedding was covered with pieces of soot. Edna went to the wardrobe but all the clothes had absorbed the smoke and were very smelly. ‘Molly can’t wear anything from here. I’ll give her some of my clothes to get her home,’ she said, going over to the chest of drawers. She didn’t think Molly would want to wear her underwear so she raked about in the drawer and found some that didn’t smell too badly.

  Charlie said, ‘I want to go and question the young lads who helped last night. Can you go to the infirmary and take Miss McQueen back to your house? I’ll come there after I’ve seen the boys.’

  The lads all lived in Nelson Street and Charlie went to the address he was given. They were all neighbours of one another and lived at the top of Nelson Street in a three-storey tenement. When he went to the first house, he found three of them playing cards and he asked if the other two could join them. The cards were put away and the small pile of money was quietly secreted into one boy’s pocket.

  When they were all together, he asked them about the fire the night before. They all looked at one another but the boy who had taken the money and who seemed to be the spokesman of this small group said, ‘We were walking home when this woman almost fell at our feet.’ He turned to his pals. ‘That’s right, isn’t it?’

  They all nodded and said, ‘That’s right, Ben.’

  He continued, ‘We could see smoke coming out of the door but she said there was a fire and pointed along Baltic Street, so Johnny, Bob and myself hurried to the close. There was quite a large pile of rubbish at the door with terrible thick black smoke pouring from it, but the flames weren’t terribly high, so we put our handkerchiefs over our mouths and kicked the burning embers out into the street.’

  ‘That’s when we saw the burning tyre,’ said one lad, who
se name was Jeff.

  ‘We went back to the woman,’ Ben said, ‘and I put my jacket over her because she was in her nightdress and it was raining and the pavement was wet. She was shivering, so I asked Jeff to go and phone for the doctor and an ambulance because she looked as if she needed a doctor.’ He stopped. ‘Is she all right?’

  Charlie said she was.

  ‘I ran up the Wellgate steps,’ said Jeff. ‘I didn’t know where the nearest phone box was and, as I was busy looking for one, this policeman stopped me because he thought I looked suspicious and was having him on about the fire. But when he saw I wasn’t joking, he was the one who got help for her.’

  Charlie looked serious. ‘Now think hard, lads. Did you see anyone other than the police constable?’

  They all shook their heads. Ben said, ‘There were some people in the Murraygate but we passed them and I think we were on our own at that time. When the fire brigade came, a lot of the people who live in the close opposite put their lights on and were looking out of the windows, but the street was deserted when we reached that building.’

  ‘Where had you all been?’

  Again, it was Ben who answered. ‘We were at the Palais and we had met a group of girls. We walked with them to catch the last bus and then headed home.’

  Then, one boy who had remained silent throughout this story spoke softly. ‘I saw someone. I’ve just remembered it.’

  His pals all looked at him. ‘You never said anything, Ian.’

  He looked embarrassed. ‘I’ve just remembered it. When you went up the steps to the phone box, Jeff, I followed because I thought we could maybe look in different directions. But you were ahead of me and as I was coming back, I bumped into an old woman who came from the direction of Meadowside. At least, she was passing McGill’s shop when I saw her. I said sorry but she was really nasty and said to get out of her way.’