‘Yes, sir.’
78
Felicity took in three deep breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth.
I breathe in calm, I breathe out stress.
I breathe in success, I breathe out failure.
I breathe in the truth, I breathe out lies.
She pushed open the door with the palm of her hand and gave a smile to the woman lying in the hospital bed.
‘Felicity, it was good of you to come. Peter not with you?’ Mary-Beth looked around as though Peter might be hiding somewhere ready to jump out and shout ‘surprise’, and when he didn’t her face fell in disappointment.
‘He wanted to come,’ Felicity assured her. ‘I asked if perhaps I could come and speak to you alone this time, I hope you don’t mind?’
Mary-Beth smiled slightly. ‘We had to talk sooner or later. I thought you’d have waited until I got out of hospital.’
‘Oh, is this a hospital?’ Felicity pretended to look around in surprise. ‘It looks more like a four-star hotel.’
Mary-Beth rolled her eyes. ‘You know Peter.’
‘Yes,’ Felicity said quietly. ‘I do.’
They sat in silence for a moment, neither knowing where to begin.
Eventually Mary-Beth said, ‘I suppose I’m the evil stepmother now then?’
The words rang closer to the truth than Felicity was supposed to know.
‘When did you find out about me and Peter?’ she asked.
Mary-Beth looked momentarily shocked but recovered quickly. Because that’s what she did, Felicity thought. She recovered quickly and made snap decisions. Mary-Beth looked as though she was considering lying, then thought better of it.
‘From the beginning,’ she said.
Felicity felt the shock reverberate through her chest.
‘I knew about you before Peter did, actually. Your Aunty Laura told me that your mum and Peter had slept together a few times – we were having a drink together in the pub, and I don’t think she meant to. Anyway, she said that your mum was four months pregnant with twins.’
‘She—’
Mary-Beth ignored Felicity’s attempt to cut in. ‘I made a vow to myself that we would be gone before those babies were ever born, and if your mother didn’t tell him then neither would I. We moved away from the area before she even started to show. Peter, like a typical man, had no clue. I took my fiancé and ran, never thinking about the young single mother he was responsible for, or the twin girls growing up without a father. It was my fault you grew up without your dad. I could have insisted he took responsibility for his actions but I chose to ignore your existence.’
Felicity bit her lips, poking at her feelings to test what they were telling her. Did she hate Mary-Beth now? For so long she’d felt guilty that she and Peter had kept this secret from her, when all the time it was Mary-Beth who was keeping secrets.
‘Did you know who I was when I moved here?’
‘Of course I did. I always thought that Peter was a bit rubbish at keeping secrets, he would make up stupid excuses to pop out for ten minutes – not long enough to have any kind of an affair, but long enough to spend some time catching up with you. At least, that’s what I thought he was doing.’
‘When did you find out the rest?’
‘The same time as you. I was there, the night she fell. I heard everything.’
Felicity closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She could still picture it so clearly, spotting Erica climbing into the tree house and making the split-second decision to confront her about what she had been playing at, daring Peter and her to kiss. She had been so angry. It was obvious she knew at that point that Peter was her father – why did she get such a kick out of being a bitch?
Felicity pulled herself up onto the platform, feeling a thrill of satisfaction at the surprise on Erica’s face. She’d been expecting someone different to follow her out of the party. But who?
‘I don’t know what it is that you think you’re playing at,’ Felicity started. ‘But you can just stop it, Erica. This isn’t some kind of game. It’s only Mary-Beth you’re going to hurt.’
Erica raised her eyebrows. ‘Who I’m going to hurt? And how do you think she’s going to feel when she realises her husband’s secret daughter has been living next door for the last two years? Not to mention that Daddy funded the empire she’s built for herself.’
‘I paid Peter back every penny he put into my business. And he’s going to tell her about me, just when the time is right.’
‘Which will be sooner than expected, I dare say,’ Erica smirked.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Well, let’s just say your mother wasn’t Peter’s last, erm, indiscretion.’
Felicity watched in horror as Erica’s hand slid to her stomach.
‘You’re lying.’
‘Afraid not. How many does that make, five? He’s very virile, your dad. Although your inheritance will be somewhat diluted.’
Felicity could barely make sense of the thoughts that smashed through her mind as she processed the implications of Erica being pregnant with her father’s baby. If Erica told Mary-Beth, there was no way she would forgive him for getting her best friend pregnant. They had convinced themselves she would forgive a mistake made twenty years ago – but only three months? And so close to home . . . no, she would leave, take the kids, or . . . she would kick him out. Either one or, most likely, both of them would leave and her father would do exactly what he’d done the first time, he’d disappear. She’d be alone again. And poor Mary-Beth . . . Peter loved her, Felicity was sure he did. How could he be so stupid?
But he had always been weak – her own mother had told her that. ‘Your father was a weak man who loved his wife, just never quite enough not to dabble elsewhere.’ And Felicity had been furious, not at him but at her, at her mum for getting involved with a married man and denying them a father – which was ironic, given how her own life had turned out.
‘You can’t tell her,’ Felicity had said. ‘And why would you want to? It would end your own marriage, devastate your children. You would ruin everything for everyone.’
‘It’s going to anyway,’ Erica replied simply. ‘Jack had a vasectomy after Emily was born. The minute I tell him about the baby, he’ll know.’
‘So don’t tell him. Get rid of it.’ Felicity heard herself say the words and she was disgusted at herself. How many people had told her she needed to get rid of the twins when she fell pregnant at seventeen? Her lover, his wife, her own mother, and she’d never known how they could so callously tell another person to kill their own child. Yet here she was, trying to save her father’s marriage by doing the same thing.
Erica blinked twice.
‘You don’t do unfeeling well, Felicity. I’m guessing you don’t want to be here when I tell her?’
‘I’m asking you not to tell her, Erica. You can sort things out with Jack, tell him he’s a medical miracle, whatever. Just don’t ruin your best friend’s marriage.’
‘I’ll think about your concerns, thank you, Felicity. Do fuck off now.’
Felicity couldn’t remember ever being so angry. Erica sat on the floor, swaying slightly, her eyes drooping. She had clearly drunk too much and wasn’t used to the consequences. Well, let her stay in there and stew a bit. As she left, Felicity kicked at the loose top step, the wood splintering under her heel. When it came free she shoved it under the door of the tree house with all her strength. There, at least now she could warn Mary-Beth before Erica came and made her announcement.
‘But I couldn’t find you,’ Felicity said. ‘I wanted to warn you what she’d said about Peter, but you were nowhere to be seen.’
‘I was in the garden. I heard every word she said to you. I watched you jam that step underneath the door. I thought about confronting her myself after you’d gone but I wanted to compose myself. I went to get a drink. I never saw Tristan go up there. I thought she fell.’
‘I didn’t se
e him go up either,’ Felicity whispered. She could still remember the confusion and relief when she’d realised that Erica hadn’t fallen from the tree house trying to slam into the jammed door. That someone else was to blame for the death she’d taken on her own shoulders all this time. ‘I went to look for you in the house. I went upstairs. I was in the back bedroom when I heard her scream. The steps to the tree house were hidden from view, Tristan must have run straight home.’
Mary-Beth looked at her sharply. ‘You heard Erica scream?’
Felicity nodded. ‘I heard her scream. The music wasn’t as loud upstairs, and I was looking in that direction. I saw her hit the floor.’
‘So you saw . . .?’
‘I saw.’ Felicity swallowed. This was what she’d come here to say. ‘I saw you go out there, just seconds after she’d fallen. I expected everyone to go running out but no one else had heard her. They were all on the other side of the house. You looked at her lying there on the ground. She put up her hand to you. You walked away. You let her die.’
79
‘Peter!’
Peter saw DC Allan get out of the car and pretended not to have heard him. He broke into a jog. Did this man never give up? What happened to the incompetent police officers the media were always moaning about?
‘Peter, wait!’
Peter swung around, his face etched in a scowl. ‘This is harassment, do you know that? If you have any more accusations – sorry, I mean questions – you can direct them to my lawyer or arrest me.’
‘There’s no need to be like that.’
Peter picked up his pace towards the entrance to the hospital, but Allan matched him step for step.
‘I just wanted to know how Mary-Beth was doing. I’m the one who found her, you know that?’
Peter stopped. Perhaps he was being paranoid. As annoying as it had been, Allan had only tried his best to help Mary-Beth. It wasn’t his fault they’d never wanted his help. ‘I do, and I’m grateful, of course. DS Harvey said if it wasn’t for you she might have starved to death.’
‘Oh, I don’t think that would have happened, do you?’ Allan cocked his head to one side.
‘Obviously it would have. She couldn’t have survived any longer on those scraps of food that boy left her.’
‘No, you’re right. Convenient really, that she had just the right amount of food left when we found her. You know what else is convenient?’
Peter’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like where this was headed. He should have just kept walking. ‘What?’
‘Well, for one thing, it was awfully convenient that Mary-Beth had been in that basement for weeks, and yet she had no lasting physical effects. In fact, I’ve spoken to the hospital and once the observation period is over she will be cleared to leave. No hypothermia, no malnutrition, nothing.’
‘Something to be glad of, that she was so lucky.’
‘Yes, very lucky. You know what else is lucky?’
Peter’s teeth clenched. ‘I’m sure you’re going to tell me.’
‘I will. It’s another one of those pesky coincidences, like Tristan Patterson being found the exact evening the last podcast aired. You see, there’s a row of static caravans on that site. You know who manages the empty caravans for them? Tonks – I know, the estate agents your wife works for. What are the chances?’
‘Quite high, actually.’ Peter sucked his bottom lip. ‘Tonks manages over a thousand properties in this area. You’ll find a house in every street they are selling or renting.’
‘Including your street.’
‘Yes, including mine.’
‘Mary-Beth told us that Tristan arranged a viewing of a house the afternoon of the picnic. She parked across the road and was getting out of her car when he took her hostage.’
‘Then that’s what happened.’
‘Yes, of course. Just strange that the taxi driver said he picked her up in town later that evening and then dropped her at the exact place we found her.’
‘He must have been wrong.’
‘Lucky guess? And the name she used, Erica Spencer? That was another lucky guess, was it? I still can’t figure out why she’d do that. Maybe she was just trying to get caught. Stopped before it went too far. Maybe she was getting cold feet.’
‘Or the taxi driver saw the name on TV and came up with a story that matched the news. Why don’t you just say what we both know you’re trying to say?’
DC Allan grinned. ‘Okay, I’ve been waiting to share this theory with someone. You see, I think that Mary-Beth suspected that Tristan was behind the podcast, knowing of his relationship with Erica, and that he planned to name you all as suspects, just like she claims. But rather than him arranging a fake viewing in order to kidnap her to keep her quiet, I think – correct me if I’m wrong – that your wife confronted Tristan in the empty house he was using and something happened. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe she didn’t mean to hurt him but she did. So she pushes him off the balcony to make it look as though he couldn’t go on living without Erica, and then runs.’
‘This is—’ Peter started. His heart was thumping so fast he thought he might have a heart attack on the street. That would shut Allan up, at least.
‘I haven’t finished. She checks her handbag and runs to the only place she had keys for – an empty caravan on Dalton campsite. I’m guessing we’ll find evidence of Mary-Beth being there.’
‘You probably will. Like you just said, she manages those vans – she’s in them all the time.’
‘How convenient. You didn’t mention that, when I told you the taxi driver dropped her off there.’
‘I didn’t know Tonks managed those empty vans until you just said. It’s not like she gave me a list of all the thousand-odd properties on their books.’
‘Shame. We might have found her sooner.’
‘Except she wasn’t in the caravan – she was in that horrible hole.’
‘So she says.’
‘Okay, let me check I’m understanding you. Mary-Beth – my murderous wife, who lets spiders outside rather than step on them – kills Tristan, goes on the run and is hiding in a static caravan half an hour away. How is it that you found her locked in a basement?’
‘Well, that’s the thing.’ DC Allan’s eyes narrowed. ‘She wasn’t locked in, as such. Okay, the ladder to the hatch had been pulled up, and the door was heavy. It’s true she probably couldn’t have got out by herself. But she could have got in. All it would take is for her to lower herself down and pull the hatch closed. Then wait until we find her.’
‘And if you didn’t find her? Do you think my wife would be stupid enough to trap herself in a basement on the off chance you lot did your job properly? Because you were so competent when Erica died!’
Allan ignored the jibe.
‘We didn’t just find her on the off chance, Peter. Didn’t anyone tell you? We had an anonymous tip-off. Except Tristan was supposed to be the only person who knew she was in there, and Tristan was already dead.’
‘Maybe someone heard her shouting.’
‘Why wouldn’t they just come forward? Someone finds a missing woman, they’re a hero. Seems strange not to wait for the police to show up.’
‘So Patterson told one of his mates what he’d done.’
‘If he did, we can’t find them.’
‘Look . . .’ Peter felt his patience snapping. How had he thought they would get away with this? ‘My wife has been through a traumatic ordeal at the hands of an obsessed young man who I’m not sorry is dead. I realise it would be a much better story for you if Mary-Beth and I had planned the whole thing for our own twisted amusement, but you’re wrong. You can’t expect me to explain the actions of a crazy man. And if you keep harassing me, I will have no choice but to go to your boss, DCI Barrow, is it? And tell him your ludicrous theories.’
DC Allan held up his hands. ‘Okay, I get the point. I’ve just got one more question for you and I’ll leave.’
‘What now?’
&nbs
p; ‘I was wondering if you could tell me.’ DC Allan leaned in so close that Peter wondered if he could smell the faint vestige of alcohol that hung around him. ‘I’ve been trying to get my head around it but I can’t. If Tristan was dead by the 21st of September, and Mary-Beth was locked in that basement, how do you think the PTA’s WhatsApp message was delivered to her phone? It wasn’t read,’ he added, watching the colour flush through Peter’s face, ‘but it was delivered. Yet by the time Cynthia Elcock called me to report it, just ten minutes later, the phone was off again.’
Peter’s mouth dropped open slightly. DC Allan held up a hand. ‘Of course you’re not a detective – I don’t expect you to have all the answers. I’m sure the tech team at CID will give us all the answers we need. Send my regards to Mary-Beth.’
80
‘I let the baby die,’ Mary-Beth corrected. ‘My husband’s baby. Erica was collateral damage.’
Felicity had seen Mary-Beth walk away from her best friend, dying on the grass, and yet this coldness was still shocking to hear.
‘Do you really think I could have risked Erica living? The baby living? I’d kept hold of Peter once, when he got your mother pregnant, but there was no way I’d be able to deny this one. When she told everyone, my life would be over. I’d made the decision that I could live with the evidence of a twenty-year-old infidelity living right next door, but to have a fresh humiliation living the other side? Sandwiched between the proof that my husband wasn’t just fucking around but fucking around with my best friend? At that moment I hated her. And I didn’t kill her, I just let her die. I let them both die.’
‘And Tristan?’
She hadn’t thought Mary-Beth could look any whiter, but she seemed to pale at the boy’s name. ‘That was an accident. He knew – or I thought he knew.’
‘You thought he’d seen you?’
‘I didn’t know he’d pushed her out of the tree house. When I saw her fall I didn’t even think to look up, I thought she was in there on her own. The steps were on the other side, I didn’t see Tristan at all. When those Facebook posts appeared saying someone had murdered her, well, I assumed he meant me. As far as I knew, I was the only one anywhere near her when she died.’
Someone Is Lying Page 24
