All in the Mind

by Judith Cranswick

  The front page of the local evening edition carried a banner headline:

  POLICE IN MURDER HUNT

  Beneath a photograph of the college and a much smaller grainy picture of a woman who could have been Eunice, was another line in bold print running the width of the page:

  College lecturer mown down by colleague’s car

  Sarah scanned the article quickly, then reread it while George stood agitatedly twisting the signet ring on his little finger.

  The first paragraph was a graphic account of how a silver convertible, crawling up Broad Street, suddenly speeded up and mounted the pavement to hit a pedestrian, knocking her up into the air and over the bonnet. There were statements, purportedly from an eyewitness who happened to be at her window drawing her curtains, about the car driver aiming straight at the woman, plus other comments from those who heard the bang of the impact and saw the car disappearing at top speed.

  It was not until the final paragraph that there came a reference to the car believed to have been involved. It stated that it belonged to a fellow member of the college staff and went on to say, “Police are investigating the possibility that the car may have been stolen.”

  Sarah felt suddenly numb and cold. She heard herself say in a calm, distant voice, ‘Well this isn’t going to do the College reputation much good.’

  ‘It does make it sound as though the police aren’t convinced. I’m sure you’ve got grounds to sue the paper.’

  ‘I doubt it. Their legal people will know exactly how far they can go. It’s all innuendo. There’s nothing actually libellous.’

  He slumped onto the chair. He looked more angry and upset on her behalf than she felt herself. ‘I’d no idea it was anything other than an accident.’

  ‘I don’t think any of us did. But, if it was a deliberate attempt to run her down, it does explain all those questions on Friday.’ A thought suddenly occurred to her. ‘Did they ask you how well I got on with Eunice?’

  He looked at her sheepishly and nodded. ‘They did ask about her relationship with all of the staff but, yes, they mentioned you specifically.’

  ‘Now we know why the national tabloids and the radio station have been pestering us for a statement, though how they got wind of it, Heaven only knows.’

  Who would want to kill Eunice? It did not make sense. If her death was no accident, did that mean that the wire trap had been intended for the Head of Student Services and not, as Sarah had assumed earlier, an attempt aimed at her?

  But why? Did Eunice have to be silenced? What could she possibly have found out that could have been worth her life? Eunice only rarely came up to the administration block and surely it was pure chance she happened to be up there on that particular day. Had she told someone she intended to speak to Sarah? Eunice wasn’t exactly the sort to gossip about her plans to anyone. As far as Sarah knew, Eunice never used the fire escape stairs. They were the wrong end of the corridor.

  In any case, a trip wire was more likely to cause a broken arm or leg, and that would hardly stop her talking if she had discovered some dark secret. This was the stuff of television drama. Not real life.

  And why use Sarah’s car? Killing someone in order to make it look as though Sarah was a murderer was totally irrational.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Sarah’s mind came back to those questions, but she was no nearer answering them by the time it came to leave for home.

  When the front doorbell jangled, Sarah was in two minds whether to answer it. As the Press had been chasing her all day, presumably tracking down where she lived was only a matter of time. She peered out of the landing window and saw Elizabeth’s car parked outside.

  ‘Thought you might like some company,’ she said brandishing a bottle wrapped in tissue paper as Sarah opened the door.

  They were both more than slightly merry when the phone rang. Sarah did not get up to answer it. Having cut short two calls with a ‘no comment,’ not long after she got in, she had learnt her lesson. Judging by the number of blank messages on her answerphone, there had been a fairly constant attempt, presumably from reporters, for much of the afternoon. Just how they had managed to get hold of her number was a mystery.

  ‘Sarah, it’s me. I’ve just seen the paper.’ Nathan’s voice boomed into the room as the machine went into action. ‘I expect you’re screening your calls. Don’t feel obliged to call me back. I only wanted you to know that I’m here if you want a sympathetic ear.’

  ‘Patronising git,’ Elizabeth exploded. ‘Does he really think you’re such a weak, pathetic female that you need him to comfort you?’

  ‘Like you did, you mean.’

  Elizabeth glowered at her for a moment and then they both burst out laughing. She lifted the bottle and slopped more Bacardi into her glass. The cola had run out long ago. ‘Okay. I suppose it was nice of him really. Are you going to ring him back?’

  ‘Not till I’m sober.’

  As soon as she heard her mother’s voice, she knew the news was grave. She had never phoned her at the college before.

  ‘Crohn’s disease,’ Sarah repeated.

  ‘I’d never heard of it before. According to what the doctor told Greg, it’s one of them things that’s very difficult to diagnose, but now they know what it is, they say they’ll be able to sort him out.’

  ‘That’s good isn’t it?

  ‘I suppose so,’ her mother said doubtfully, ‘but they’re going to have to put him on those horrible steroid things that have all them nasty side effects.’

  ‘You mustn’t worry about that,’ Sarah said firmly trying to jog her mother out of the uncharacteristic depression. ‘The doctors will keep a close watch to make sure everything is under control.’

  ‘Yes. Greg said Todd will have to keep going back until they get all the doses just right,’ she went on, as much to reassure herself as Sarah.

  ‘And is that what’s stopped him growing as well as giving him all the tummy trouble?’

  ‘Apparently. They’re going to give him special hormones to deal with it. He should catch up with all the other children after a bit so at least that’s one thing they won’t have to worry about any more.’ Despite her words, Sarah could still hear the heaviness in her mother’s voice.

  There was a silence as they contemplated poor Todd’s future. Sarah had a feeling that yet another reason for her mother’s continued troubled state lay not so much with her grandson as with her daughter, whose continued overreaction didn’t bode well. She wanted to ask how Jenny had taken the news but it was difficult to think how to phrase her question without sounding insensitive.

  ‘Don’t forget to give Jenny my love. I don’t suppose you’ve seen much of her lately. She must be rushed off her feet what with spending so much time at the hospital and trying to look after Justin and Greg.’

  ‘Mmm.’ Her mother’s noncommittal response was all the answer Sarah needed. She was torn between sympathy and a sudden desire to shake her sister out of her self-defeating wallow.

  ‘What with all this about Todd, I forgot to ask you about your troubles. How is everything at college? I’ve kept that poor lady in my prayers and all the rest of you. It must be dreadful to lose a colleague like that.’

  ‘Yes, well. . .’ Now it was Sarah’s turn to be left trying to cover up secret fears and apprehension.

  ‘And what about your car? Did they catch those joyriders?’

  ‘These things take time, but the insurance company have given me a courtesy car so it’s not a problem. It won’t stop me being over with you all tomorrow anyway.’ Her voice sounded unnaturally jolly but thankfully, her mother didn’t seem to notice.

  ‘Yes, that’ll be nice.’ Her mother sounded relieved.

  ‘Perhaps we can have a little celebration now that we know Todd will be on the mend,’ Sarah went on brightly.

  They said their goodbyes and, as she put down the receiver, Sarah wished fervently that she knew more about Crohn’s disease.

  She clicked onto th
e internet and spent the next three-quarters of an hour searching through the references. Not that reading up on all the details of ileo-caecal, small-bowel, colonic and peri-anal Crohn’s disease was much help. Even if she could have understood all the medical jargon, she had no idea of the specifics of Todd’s condition.

  Whatever they were, it did not sound as though the family’s troubles were over.

  It was almost a relief when the call eventually came. She had been expecting a summons ever since the newspaper had revealed that Eunice’s death was more than a tragic hit-and-run accident. After testy encounters with Sir Richard and a few select members of the Governing Body, an encounter with the police seemed a far less daunting prospect than Inspector Parson and his morose sidekick might have hoped.

  It would have come as no surprise to have DS Harper arrive at college ready to escort her off in a police car in full view of all the staff and students, but all that happened was a polite phone call requesting her to go down to the station.

  As she went through the details of what she’d done in the three-quarters of an hour after Eunice had left, for the umpteenth time, she had the impression, from the way the inspector studied every blink of her eyelids, that he was more interested in her reactions that in her words. She had been on enough of those body language lectures as part of Man Management courses to know what they were up to. The trouble was that trying to decide how an innocent person might react made her feel instantly guilty. The calm, measured answers she was trying to give belied the turmoil she was feeling inside. She reasoned that if they had discovered who had taken her car, there would be no point to the interview, so presumably she was still at the top of their list of suspects.

  ‘So remind me, what was it that you and Ms Robinson were arguing about?’

  ‘There was no argument,’ she kept her voice deliberately matter-of-fact. As she went over their discussion yet again, it occurred to Sarah that she ought to ask for a solicitor, not that she had the faintest idea of how to go about getting one.

  ‘Other members of staff seem to think that Ms Robinson felt that she had a justifiable grievance against you.’

  ‘Eunice was always adamant about anything she saw as a lack of attention given to the pastoral work of the college, and was prepared to argue her corner accordingly. She came to discuss her plans for the next training programme. Though there is no one to confirm it now, I can assure you that, on reflection, she would have been pleased with the concessions that she gained from that meeting.’

  The questions continued to dart from one subject to another. What were the exact times that Eunice left? – she had made herself coffee? – had discovered her car was missing? Who saw her as she went to Eunice’s room? – the engineering block? – and the computer suite? The only thing they did not seem interested in was the wire on the stairs.

  Keeping her cool under the constant bombardment of questions, and her failure to demonstrate even mild irritation at the sergeant’s snide insinuations and obvious antagonism, probably labelled her as more guilty in the man’s eyes than the righteous indignation that might be deemed the normal response. Nonetheless, it was a small triumph for her not to yield to such provocation.

  When the questions eventually ran out, she asked pleasantly, ‘Have you any idea when I can have my car back?’

  There was a silence. Neither man looked at the other. It was the Inspector who eventually felt the need to explain.

  ‘We do have a problem there, Sarah.’ He must have noticed the way she bristled at the familiarity but he continued, ‘Although Forensics have been all over the car, the only prints they can find are yours.’

  ‘Is that surprising?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘Surely whoever did this would have worn gloves? Had the position of the seat been altered?’

  She noticed the flicker of surprise in his eyes but it was something she had given some thought to over the last few days and had wondered why no one had bothered to ask her. Perhaps they had simply worked it out from her height, but surely, such things depended on leg length? Even if it had been changed, it was little help to her now. The fact that she had brought up the idea could well imply that she had altered it herself to avert suspicion.

  When he broke the silence, the inspector changed tack. ‘More significantly, they cannot find anybody who noticed anyone taking your car around the time it left the car park.’

  ‘But, as I did not drive it out, you have no witnesses to suggest that I was anywhere near it either.’ Anger bubbled just below the surface but every instinct told her to keep it in check. She would gain nothing by antagonizing them.

  Chapter 29

  Sarah got to Norwich early for once. As usual, her mother made a fuss of her and she could tell that her father was just as pleased to have her home again so soon. Naturally, they asked after her troubles and, when she said the police hadn’t come up with anything positive yet, were quite happy to drop the subject. They obviously hadn’t had sight of the damning article that had continued to haunt her thoughts in the early hours when sleep stubbornly refused to come, and she fervently hoped they never would. None of them wanted to bring up the subject of Todd’s illness and it didn’t seem right to chat about more trivial things so, soon after ten thirty, she pleaded tiredness and went up to her room.

  Sarah had never been a particularly deep sleeper, but recent events had resulted in a tendency for her to wake at the slightest noise. At first, she thought it was just creaking pipes but then she realised that someone had turned on the tap in the kitchen immediately below.

  Her mother was standing over the kettle when she walked in.

  ‘I didn’t wake you did I, dear?’ She looked anxiously at her daughter.

  ‘No, I couldn’t sleep.’ Sarah got herself a mug from the cupboard and placed it next to one standing on the work surface. ‘Todd is going to be all right you know.’ She put a reassuring arm around the older woman’s shoulder.

  ‘Yes, dear. I know.’ Her mother patted her hand and gave her a weak smile. ‘I just wish I could get Jenny to believe that. I thought things would improve once they knew what was wrong with Todd but, if anything, she’s worse. She’s so down and she’s cutting herself off from everyone.’

  ‘Not you, surely?’

  ‘I phone everyday of course, but she hasn’t been round here for weeks. Not since you brought Justin back.’

  The words struck an icy chill in Sarah. Jenny and her mother had always been close, and the family Sunday tea at her parents’ house a tradition broken only by holiday or dire emergency. They were more than mother and daughter. They were best friends. Jenny confided in her mother about everything, from trifles such as the discovery of a new remedy for carpet stains to secret hopes and fears that she would never tell to another soul. This sudden rejection had hit her mother hard. They both stared at the boiling kettle until Sarah took the teapot from her mother’s hands and filled it.

  ‘Thanks, love,’ her mother said as she took hold of the steaming mug.

  The two of them stood leaning against cupboards sipping their tea, both deep in thought.

  ‘If only I could wave a magic wand and make things right for both my daughters.’

  ‘What do you mean both your daughters?’ Sarah’s stomach gave a sudden lurch as for a horrible moment she thought her mother must have heard about the police suspicions. ‘Why should you worry over me?’

  ‘Did they ever catch that student?’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘The one that was making all those nasty phone calls. Justin said your policeman friend was going to arrange a phone tap.’

  ‘No. It really wasn’t necessary. Not once I had the number changed.’

  ‘And there hasn’t been any more bother?’

  Bother. That was one word for it, Sarah thought bitterly. How could she add to her mother’s worries by unburdening all her problems? ‘Not a single unwanted call.’ At least that much was true.

  ‘But I can tell you’re not happy. You’ve never
been one to share your troubles with anyone but I know when something’s wrong. You’ve lost weight again and your face looks drawn. I know you’ve got your really important job, but there’s more to life than work. I hope this new man of yours is treating you all right. I don’t want you to get hurt again.’

  ‘There is no new man, mum!’ Time to face up to it. At least she could be honest about something.

  ‘Justin said you were very friendly with this police inspector. I hope you coming home hasn’t meant you’ve had to cancel anything special.’

  ‘It’s not like that, honestly. Matt is just someone I go to the theatre with occasionally. That’s all. There is nothing between us so I’m not about to get my heart broken. If I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately, it’s because things have been very busy at college but everything is under control.’ Best not to get onto the subject of Eunice’s death even as an excuse.

  ‘If you say so, love.’ The frown she gave belied her words.

  ‘You can cross me off your worry list, I promise you.’

  Sarah felt she was letting her mother down with all the glib assurances but she couldn’t add to the burden, especially as her mother could do nothing to help.

  There still had been no word from Matt. Although at first, Sarah had tried to tell herself that the on-going police investigation put him in a difficult situation and that he was only keeping his distance until the true culprit was arrested, she knew deep down that their relationship, such as it was, was now over.

  Sarah was quite resigned to the fact. She was surprised to discover that it caused her so little heartache. She had certainly shed no tears. Whether that was simply a numbing reaction to the shock of all that was happening around her, she had no way of knowing. Perhaps time would tell. Naturally, it would have been a considerable boon to have his insider knowledge and his advice and support, but she felt no great pangs of loss.

  They could hear the boys pounding up the path long before the door was thrown open. Her mother was there ready to meet them as Todd hurtled through, flinging his arms around the rotund figure of his grandmother, and even Justin was happy to receive a hug and kisses. Sarah was relieved that Jenny didn’t turn away from her welcoming peck on the cheek but she didn’t miss the way that Jenny made sure she didn’t have to sit next to her sister when they all went into the living room.