Brought to Book

by Anthea Fraser

  ‘That’s a serious claim, Ms Parish; I must remind you that the inquest returned an open verdict. Mr Harvey’s death was thoroughly investigated, and there was nothing to suggest suspicious death.’

  Rona brushed this aside. ‘What about the man at the gate?’ she demanded. ‘It must have been him! I told you – he caught hold of me, and I only just managed to get away. I’ve given you a full description – about six foot, mousy hair, in his twenties, wearing denim jeans and jacket. Surely someone should be out there looking for him?’

  ‘It’s being followed up,’ the inspector assured her, ‘though if the sprayed gravel is an indication someone left in a hurry, why should he return and wait at the gate?’

  That, Rona felt in exasperation, was for them to find out. And when she seemed to have repeated the whole story a hundred times, she was not, as she’d expected, allowed to go home, but passed into the care of PC Crowther, the sturdy, plain-faced woman who now sat opposite her.

  It was almost three thirty when at last the door opened and a uniformed constable came in and handed over her phone. ‘Mr Bullen says you’re free to go, miss; but he’d like you to call at Stokely police station tomorrow morning.’

  Rona rose stiffly to her feet. ‘Why? I’ve told you all I know.’

  ‘Your statement will be ready to sign, and there may be some other points to clear up.’

  She started towards the door, then hesitated. ‘My car’s at the garage; could—?’

  The doorbell clarioned through the house, and almost immediately the front door was flung open to the accompaniment of raised voices, among which, in an enervating wave of relief, Rona recognized that of her husband.

  ‘I believe my wife is here,’ he was saying loudly above the remonstrations. ‘What the hell’s going on?’

  She ran past the constable and straight into Max’s arms, feeling them come tightly round her.

  ‘Oh Max!’ she said in a rush. ‘Meriel’s been murdered – this morning, while I was here! I—’

  ‘Your wife is free to go, sir,’ someone was saying, ‘but we’ll expect her at the station in the morning.’

  With his arm still round her, Max led her at last out of the house she hoped never to enter again. The policeman on duty at the door glared at him as they passed, and Max moved a few paces down the drive before drawing to a halt and turning Rona to face him.

  ‘Now,’ he said, ‘tell me exactly what happened. Meriel Harvey’s dead, you said? Just now?’

  ‘Yes.’ She drew a steadying breath. ‘When I arrived, we had coffee and I told her about the books. She took it better than I expected, though she said she wanted the diaries back. Then I went to the study and spent a couple of hours looking through photograph albums. At one stage I thought I heard voices, but when I listened, they’d stopped.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Well, at about one o’clock I went to see if there was any lunch on offer. And when I opened the kitchen door—’ She closed her eyes.

  ‘You found her?’ Max prompted.

  ‘Yes, she’d been stabbed with the bread knife. I – panicked and ran outside. But Max, it started even before that; I was followed on the way here.’

  ‘Rona—’

  ‘I saw his face in the mirror, and it was the man who’d been on the plane and at the hotel! It can’t have been coincidence! And then, when I ran out of the house, he—’

  ‘Rona!’ He shook her into silence. ‘Listen, sweetie, there’s something I must tell you.’

  He looked towards the gate, and, following his glance, she gazed in total disbelief at the man standing there. Grabbing hold of Max’s arm, she tugged it frantically.

  ‘Max, that’s him! Go back and tell them – quickly! He’s the one I—’

  ‘No, darling, no.’ He was restraining her struggles. ‘I’m afraid I owe you an apology. Dave has been keeping an eye on you for me.’

  She went still. ‘You had me followed? Without telling me?’

  ‘I was worried about you, and when Archie said the police couldn’t help, I phoned Dave. He’s also one of my students, out of work at the moment, and he was glad to help. In particular, I wanted him to keep an eye on you in Edinburgh.’

  As her heartbeats slowed, she said accusingly, ‘He didn’t prevent the wreath being delivered. Max, you’d no right—’

  ‘I’d every right, darling. I love you.’

  Reluctantly, she allowed him to lead her down the remainder of the drive to the young man waiting in obvious embarrassment to meet her.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Mrs Allerdyce,’ he began quickly, as soon as she was in earshot. ‘I never meant to frighten you – that’s why I overtook when I realized you’d spotted me. I knew you were going to The Grange, so I parked at the Golden Feather and waited for you to drive past; but you never came. So I drove to the house, thinking I must have missed you, but your car wasn’t there, either. That really threw me – I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you – and I went haring back, looking down all the lanes and side turnings, but without any luck. I tried ringing Max at home but got the answer-phone, and I couldn’t reach him on his mobile.’

  ‘It needs recharging,’ Max admitted shamefacedly, ‘and I’d been later leaving home than I expected, which is why I still wasn’t back.’

  ‘So as a last resort,’ Dave continued, ‘I left the car at the restaurant and set off on foot for The Grange. I was going to ring the bell – pretend to be a salesman or something – and try to find out if you were there; but of course you came hurtling out, and I couldn’t make you understand who I was. Not that I blame you, in the circumstances.’

  ‘They’re worse than you think, Dave,’ Max said grimly. ‘Someone’s been murdered, that’s what all the panic was about. The woman Rona went to see was stabbed while she was in another room.’

  He turned back to Rona. ‘When I finally got home, there was a clutch of messages from both of you. Your first one, about being followed, I discounted, but then came a couple from Dave, reporting that he’d lost you and gone back to look for you, so far without success. That was bad enough, but then you came on again, speaking so quietly and so fast that I couldn’t unscramble it. All that was clear was that you were frightened – and when I found your phone had been switched off, so was I. At which point Dave rang again, saying you’d come flying out of the house like a bat out of hell, calling for the police, and then gone flying back inside again. Believe me, I broke every known speed record getting here.’

  Rona drew a deep, steadying breath. ‘You’re right about my being frightened, and at least part of it was down to you two. Don’t ever do anything like that again.’ Then she frowned. ‘But if Dave didn’t kill Meriel, who did?’

  The three of them stood silently, the question hanging unanswered between them. Rona turned to Dave.

  ‘The reason you didn’t see me go past,’ she told him, ‘was because my car was playing up. I had to leave it at the garage, and a mechanic drove me to The Grange. The killer must have thought no one was home, made his way round the back and broken in. Meriel would have heard something and gone to investigate. God, if only Gus had been with me! His barking would have frightened him off.’

  ‘Looked at another way,’ Max said grimly, ‘if the murderer had known you were in the house, he’d have killed you, too. It makes me cold even to think of it.’

  Another police car turned into the drive, and as they moved aside for it, they saw a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered on the opposite pavement.

  ‘No point hanging round here,’ Max muttered. ‘You say your car’s at the garage? What’s wrong with it?’

  ‘I don’t know; they rang to tell me, but I wasn’t allowed to speak to them.’

  ‘They won’t have touched it without giving you an estimate. We’ll call in and see what the damage is, but we’re not hanging about; I want to get you home as soon as possible.’

  Max’s own car was parked at the roadside. Having taken her leave of Dave, Rona got in while M
ax had a final word with him. And the thought came to her that, with Dave exonerated, Rob was back in the frame. Where, she wondered fearfully, had he been today?

  Fifteen

  The garage informed them that the car’s stuttering was due to a breakdown in the ignition. They’d have to obtain the parts, and, with the weekend ahead, it would be Monday before they could make a start on it.

  ‘It must have finally gone just as I got there,’ Rona observed, as they drove off. ‘The car came to a sudden halt as I reached the shed. Thank God it didn’t give out when I was miles from anywhere.’

  ‘And thank God they haven’t yet heard what happened up the road,’ Max said feelingly.

  Rona’s intention of keeping the day’s happenings from her father was overtaken by the evening news bulletin, which reported the murder of Meriel Harvey, widow of thriller-writer Theo Harvey. The television vans must have arrived soon after they’d left, a fact for which they could only be grateful.

  ‘As you can see, I escaped unscathed,’ Rona assured her parents, having admitted she’d been in the house at the time.

  ‘Anything could have happened!’ her mother declared theatrically.

  ‘But thankfully it didn’t,’ her father rejoined, holding tightly on to her hand. ‘I must say, I hadn’t realized writing biographies was such a dangerous profession.’

  ‘So far, Rona’s name has been kept out of it,’ Max told them. ‘The report merely says the alarm was raised by a phone call.’

  ‘The press will have it soon enough,’ Lindsey predicted. ‘And since she was there at the time, she’ll be regarded as prime suspect. I’m surprised the police let her go.’

  They all stared at her.

  ‘I’m only being realistic,’ she defended herself. ‘The person who finds the body is always the first to be suspected.’

  ‘Well, thanks very much,’ Rona said shakily. ‘Perhaps that’s the real reason they want me to clock in tomorrow.’

  ‘Look at it from their viewpoint,’ Lindsey continued. ‘If you’d fallen out with Meriel, you could have faked a “break-in” as cover, smashing the glass from the outside so it would fall inwards, and scouring grooves in the gravel. You’d have had a clear field.’

  ‘Are you specializing in criminal law now, Lindsey?’ Max spoke lightly, but his anger was apparent. ‘If that were the scenario, why would she have phoned the police, instead of getting the hell out?’

  ‘Double bluff,’ said Lindsey triumphantly.

  ‘You’re a great comfort, I must say,’ Rona commented. ‘Remind me to do the same for you sometime.’

  ‘I’m only saying that’s how the police mind works.’ Lindsey stood up. ‘Sorry to have to leave on a note of gloom, but I’m meeting Rob at seven. Seriously, Ro, you’ve nothing to worry about. You’re innocent, so you’ll be OK. I’m a great believer in British justice.’

  ‘Before you go,’ Max cut in, ‘could you possibly put Rona up tomorrow night? I have a reunion in London, and though I’ve offered to cancel it, she’s insisting that I go.’

  ‘Sure. Glad to have her. Mum—’

  ‘That’s all right, dear, I’ll be going home this evening. It was sweet of you to have me last night, but now Tom’s doing so well, I’ll be better in my own bed. You two have a nice, girly evening.’

  ‘Doesn’t Saturday night equal Rob?’ Rona asked steadily.

  Lindsey laughed. ‘Won’t hurt him to be turned down, for once. Don’t worry – I’ll clear it with him this evening. Lovely to see you so much better, Pops.’ She stooped to kiss him, and with an airy wave of her hand, left them to mull over the import of her words.

  ‘What about Gus while you’re away?’ Rona asked later that evening. ‘I doubt if he could make those stairs at Lindsey’s – they’re pretty steep.’

  ‘I’d be happier if he was with you,’ Max commented.

  Rona smiled, looking down at the sleeping dog. ‘He’s not up to protection duty at the moment. Perhaps the vets would board him for the night.’

  ‘I’m sure they would. God, I’ll be glad when all this is over and we can settle back to a normal existence. I hope this has at least persuaded you to drop that bloody book.’

  ‘And let him win?’ she retorted. ‘I’m still under contract, and I owe it to Meriel; she only asked me to stop because she was frightened. As she had every reason to be.’

  ‘Rona, for God’s sake, surely—’

  ‘I’ll put it on hold,’ she compromised, ‘and wait to see what the police come up with. If they find who killed Meriel, my problems should be over.’

  ‘Could it have been Gary?’ Max asked after a minute. ‘He’d broken in before.’

  She shook her head decisively. ‘I’m sure not. The first time was totally out of character, and as he destroyed the final manuscript, he wouldn’t even have that faint motive. He’s not in the least violent, Max, I’d stake my life on that.’

  ‘Not a happy choice of phrase.’

  She shuddered. ‘It was easy to shrug off while it was just notes and vague threats, but I never dreamt it could go this far.’

  ‘I’m still not sure it has, and that we’re not all jumping to conclusions; it’s still possible this was simply a burglary gone wrong, someone thinking the house was empty, as you said, and panicking when Meriel walked in on him. He didn’t come armed with a weapon, after all, but used the nearest thing to hand. Still, whatever the truth of it, the thing to hold on to is that so far, no one apart from the family and the police knows you were there.’

  ‘Rob will!’ Rona said suddenly, alarm ringing in her voice. ‘Lindsey’s sure to have told him. God, why didn’t I ask her to keep it quiet?’

  Max reached for her hand. ‘Even if he was the culprit – which is extremely unlikely – he’d know you didn’t see him, so he’d have nothing to fear from you.’

  ‘He might think I saw him driving away.’

  ‘Shall I ask Dave to sleep with drawn sword across the threshold?’

  She smiled unwillingly. ‘No, I’ll be OK with Linz. God knows, though, if I’ll ever be able to sleep again; every time I close my eyes, I’m back at the kitchen door, looking down at Meriel.’

  ‘I have some of the sleeping pills the dentist dished out after that extraction. They’ll see you right.’

  And, to her surprise, they did. It took a long time to drag herself up from the depths of sleep, and as she surfaced, the horrors of the previous day came flooding back. If only they could have been a nightmare, she thought despondently.

  They had a leisurely breakfast, then Max drove her to Stokely police station, where she was asked to read through the statement she had made – now neatly typed – and sign it. To her relief, there appeared to be no more questions for the moment.

  Nor was there any further news on the lunchtime bulletin. Rona wondered impatiently what the police were doing to hunt down the killer; surely the first twenty-four hours were crucial?

  After lunch, Max went up to the studio to sort out some sketches and Rona, with a lurch of the heart, picked up the diaries he’d collected from home. These three, for ’94, ’95 and ’97, were the crucial ones, containing details of Theo and Sheena’s affair, her subsequent death – the direct cause of his two-year block – and the truth on the authorship of the last two books.

  Randomly, she flicked through the pages of neat, cramped writing, interspersed with the code in which he’d concealed his deepest anguish. It seemed incredible that all these disclosures, central to everything he’d become, had come to light since their return from the cottage six short days ago. She had set out to find the truth about Theo’s death, and, in the attempt, had learned of Sheena’s. Now, there was a third death to concern her. Was it possible they were linked in some way?

  The ringing of her mobile broke into her reflections, and she dug it out of her handbag.

  ‘Rona!’ It was Barnie Trent. ‘We’ve been worried about you! Wasn’t the woman who was killed the one you were working with on her husband’
s bio?’

  ‘That’s right, yes.’

  ‘Nothing to do with the book, I trust?’

  ‘I don’t know, Barnie.’

  ‘Well, for God’s sake be careful! If I were you, I’d drop it like a hot brick!’

  ‘I’m under contract until I hear otherwise,’ she answered wearily.

  ‘Your life’s more important than any bloody contract. I’m surprised Max hasn’t put his foot down.’

  ‘We’ve hardly had time to take it in,’ Rona defended him.

  She heard Barnie inhale. ‘Sorry, I’m sounding off as usual, as Dinah is pointing out. I appreciate it’s none of our business, but we’re fond of you and don’t like to think of you taking risks.’

  ‘It’s sweet of you both to worry, but I’m fine, honestly. Thanks for ringing.’

  ‘We must fix another supper soon.’

  ‘Love to, but you come to us.’

  She rang off, wondering how they’d feel when they learned, as they surely would, that she’d been in the house at the time of the murder, and hoping they’d understand it was self-preservation that had kept her silent. Resignedly, she rang her voice mail and listened to similar anxious queries from both her agent and editor. Time enough to contact them on Monday; by then, she might have a clearer idea of what to say.

  Tired of her sombre thoughts, she went up the open staircase to the studio. Max turned as her head and shoulders appeared above the stairwell.

  ‘Who was on the phone?’

  ‘Barnie; they’d heard about Meriel.’

  ‘There’ll probably be a lot of similar calls over the weekend, as people cotton on to your link with her. I should switch off the mobile and let them leave messages. They won’t track you down at Lindsey’s.’

  Rona walked to the window and leaned on the sill, looking down into the sunny street. The drop seemed negligible compared with her study window at home. On the opposite pavement, a little boy was cautiously trying out his two-wheeler under the watchful eye of his father, amid shrieks of encouragement and derision from his elder brother.