Kiss and Tell

by Leo McNeir

  “Ronny’s father knows where to find this place?” said Ralph, spreading himself out on a sofa.

  Marnie stretched her limbs on a bunk and closed her eyes. “I gave him precise directions. He said he’d arrive at eight sharp.”

  “It’s good of him to offer to do this,” Ralph said.

  “I know.” Anne smiled and yawned at the same time, closing her eyes. “I told you. Ronny would do anything for me.”

  16

  They crashed out as soon as Ronny’s father dropped them off at Glebe Farm, Marnie and Ralph on Thyrsis, Anne in her loft. With the answerphone fielding calls, Marnie hoped for at least four hours sleep. They managed three before the mobile rang. To her surprise, it was Anne.

  “Sorry, Marnie, but the phone’s gone berserk. For the last half hour it’s been ringing every few minutes.”

  Her mind fuzzy from sleep, Marnie propped herself up on one elbow and blinked. “Have you heard the messages?”

  “I caught part of the last one. It was Stevie from the boatyard. You’ll never guess what.”

  “Try me.”

  “She said something about the police being there.”

  “The police? Anything else?”

  “She wants you to ring her as soon as you can.”

  Marnie swung her legs out of bed and ran a hand through her hair, her mind racing. “Are you dressed, Anne?”

  “T-shirt and knickers.”

  “You’d better get some clothes on. First, switch everything on in the office, including the kettle. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  “Expecting visitors?”

  “Guess who.”

  *

  Marnie was towelling her hair while she jogged through the spinney. Ablutions had consisted of a splash of water on the face, followed by running wet hands over her head. A dab of foundation and a touch of eye pencil completed the picture in thirty seconds flat. Only the builder’s van stood in the yard, as she raced into the office to find Anne pouring coffee into mugs. Satisfied that it looked and smelled like a working office, she grabbed the phone and rang Stevie.

  “Where’ve you been, Marnie? I’ve been going frantic.”

  “Talk to me. What’s up?”

  “I’ve had the police here asking about anything strange going on, any visitors, anything at all out of the ordinary. Had I seen anyone hanging about? That sort of stuff.”

  “What did you tell them?”

  “I didn’t know what to say, but I thought I’d better mention the man who was here with the camera the other day.”

  “And?”

  “They wanted to know all about him. What did he ask me, what did he want, what was he looking for?”

  “Did you mention my name?”

  A pause. “Oh, Marnie ...”

  “How did it crop up?”

  “They asked me for the names of every visitor to the yard on business or otherwise in the past few days. I didn’t know what to tell them, but I thought it might look bad if they found out you’d been here and I hadn’t said anything.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “As soon as I mentioned your name, the man was on the phone like a shot. In minutes another one came in, said he was a sergeant. Ten minutes later their boss arrived by car from HQ.”

  “DCI Bartlett, by any chance?”

  “Could be. Anyway, he got me to tell him all over again exactly when and why you were here, what was your business with the yard, everything.”

  “What did you say?”

  “That you’d brought a boat in and left it here for a day or two. That’s all.”

  Marnie groaned.

  “Sorry, Marnie, but what could I do? They were talking to all the staff, and I couldn’t warn them. And I didn’t know what to warn them about, anyway.”

  “It’s okay, Stevie, really. It’s fine. I’m sorry to have put you in that position.”

  “Marnie, what is actually going on? I can’t believe you’re involved in something dodgy.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I mean it. But you haven’t told me anything and ...”

  “And you feel I’ve used you in a way that might cause you trouble.”

  “Well, no. I don’t mean it like that.”

  “I promise I’ll explain one day and you’ll understand. Listen, I’m not involved in anything illegal. Quite the opposite in a way.” A tapping sound alerted Marnie, and she looked up. Anne was pointing towards the window. Outside, a car was drawing up in the yard. “Stevie, I’ve gotta go. They’re here. Talk to you soon.”

  As Marnie put the phone down, she cursed. Damn! She had not asked Stevie what the police were investigating. No doubt she would soon find out.

  “Anne, quick. Go up to your room and ring Ralph. Tell him the police are here. Prepare for a visit.”

  Marnie was alone in the office when Bartlett and Marriner came in. It was Marriner’s grim expression that worried her most. Bartlett looked as severe as usual. She stood up, trying to compose her features.

  “Good morning, gentlemen.”

  “Mrs Walker, good morning,” said Bartlett.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “Can you tell me where you were yesterday evening between eight and ten?”

  “Eight and ten?” The unexpected part of the question made her fatigued mind go blank.

  “You can surely remember that, Mrs Walker.”

  “I was here, well, on the boat to be precise, having supper.”

  “You’re sure about that? Were you alone?”

  “No. I was with Ralph and Anne.”

  “Does the name Gary Rawlings mean anything to you?”

  Marnie felt strangely disconnected from the line of questioning, as if the police were using the wrong script. “Gary Rawlings?” she repeated slowly. “Never heard of him.”

  “Have you been to Blisworth in the past few days?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where exactly did you go and for what purpose?”

  “I was at the Queen Eleanor boatyard on business. I wanted to park a boat there – it was to be redecorated – on the way to another yard that had the facilities for the work to be done.”

  “I’ll be wanting details of the boat, Mrs Walker. When exactly were you there?”

  “I took the boat there a few days ago.” This was it, she thought. They’ll work out that I moved Anthony’s boat and I’m in deep trouble.

  “And last evening? You’re sure you don’t want to change your mind about where you were?”

  “No. It was just as I told you. Between eight and ten, I was here.”

  “With Mr Lombard and Anne,” said Bartlett.

  “Yes.”

  “Where are they now?”

  “Anne’s up in her room. I’m not sure about Ralph.”

  “I’d like to speak to them.”

  Marnie was relieved to move her limbs; tension was making her feel stiff all over. She crossed to the foot of the wall ladder and called up. “Anne! Can you come down, please. Mr Bartlett’s here.”

  Anne descended the ladder and greeted the detectives. She looked attentive and calm. Marnie gestured towards the chairs and sat at her desk. Bartlett stepped forward, pulling a chair into the middle of the room and sat down, while Marriner moved to the side of the office and took a chair by the wall. Despite asking for Anne, Bartlett took no notice of her.

  “I want to talk about your movements,” he said facing Marnie. “And I don’t want anything concealed, omitted or misrepresented. Do you understand?”

  Marnie knew the game was up, and she was too tired to offer any resistance. It was too bad about Melissa and tough on Anthony, but she had simply run out of energy. She had done everything she could, but now saw it had been a waste of time trying to pull off some master stroke. Inwardly she gave up and decided to tell the police the whole story.

  “Inspector Bartlett,” she began. “I’m going to explain why I was at the hospital the other day. We weren’t doing anything wrong, but –”
>
  “Please don’t waste my time, Mrs Walker,” Bartlett snapped. He leaned forward, smashing a fist into the palm of his other hand.

  Marnie jerked upright in her seat. Across the room she could see Anne’s eyes widen in shock. “Waste your –”

  Bartlett did not let her go on. “I’m not interested in some nondescript boater.” He was speaking fast with an edge of menace to his voice. “I’m dealing with violent crime here, and you’re not going to fob me off.”

  Marnie was speechless. Her mind took in what Bartlett was saying, but she could make no sense of it, and words failed her.

  He continued. “You’re going to tell me when was the last time you were at Blisworth and what you did there ... now.”

  “Last night,” Marnie croaked. She cleared her throat and swallowed.

  Anne stood up and walked towards the rear of the office.

  “What are you doing?” Bartlett said.

  In a matter-of-fact tone, Anne replied without stopping. “Getting some water for Marnie.”

  Bartlett resumed. “Last night. You said you were here.”

  “At the times you asked about, I was here. I went out afterwards.”

  “To Blisworth?”

  “Yes.”

  ”What were you doing there?”

  “I had to see to the boat.”

  Anne came back with a glass and handed it to Marnie. Taking a sip of water, she reached out and lightly squeezed Anne’s fingers.

  “You went alone to see to the boat?” Bartlett said.

  “No,” said Anne. “We went with her.”

  “Presumably Mr Lombard will be able to vouch for that,” Bartlett said. “When we find him, of course.”

  “He’s Professor Lombard,” Anne said. She sounded like a schoolgirl answering a question in class. “Or doctor, but not mister.”

  “And there’s no need to try and find him.” The voice came from the doorway. Ralph walked into the office. “Good morning, gentlemen. What do you need me to vouch for?”

  “I was saying –” Marnie began, but she was silenced by Bartlett raising a hand as he stood up.

  “You were with Mrs Walker last evening, sir?”

  “Yes. All evening.”

  “Did you go out at any time?”

  Ralph did not look in Marnie’s direction. “Yes.”

  “When exactly?”

  “I’m not sure exactly ... some time after ten, I suppose. Ten fifteen, perhaps.”

  “And where did you go?”

  “To Blisworth, to the Queen Eleanor boatyard.”

  Bartlett turned towards Marnie. “Why did you cross over to the towpath on the opposite side to the boatyard, Mrs Walker?”

  If the question was intended to surprise, it succeeded.

  “The towpath?” Marnie’s voice faded away.

  Bartlett persisted. “You were on that side of the canal, weren’t you?”

  “I ...”

  “Are you missing any personal items, Mrs Walker?”

  “What kind of items?”

  “Do you wear ear-rings?”

  Marnie’s hand moved to touch her right ear. “Quite often, yes.”

  Bartlett quickly rose and stepped towards Marnie, bending to look at her face. “You seem to have a slight scratch on your cheek, Mrs Walker. I hope it isn’t too sore.”

  Marnie could feel her face reddening. “No, it’s fine.”

  “How did you do that? If I didn’t know you better, I’d almost think you’d been in a fight.”

  “I don’t really remember.”

  Bartlett lowered his voice. “I think you do. And I think you ought to tell me.”

  “Chief Inspector,” Ralph cut in. “You may find this hard to believe, but your line of questioning is mystifying us all.” Bartlett raised a hand in Ralph’s direction, but Ralph shook his head. “No. Just a moment. You obviously have a very definite idea in your mind, and you’re hinting that we know about it – whatever it is – but we don’t. And we’d stand a better chance of helping you, if we knew what you were talking about.”

  “Well let me help you,” said Bartlett. “I’m talking about a violent assault that was carried out in a place where you have admitted to being last evening. And I’m not hinting at anything. I have evidence that you were there – or rather that Mrs Walker was there – the same Mrs Walker who now has a scratch on her face that was not there when we last saw her two days ago.”

  Bartlett looked satisfied at the impact of his words on the three apparent suspects. Ralph, Marnie and Anne all wore expressions combining surprise and bewilderment. None spoke.

  Bartlett took his seat. “Well, Professor Lombard, it’s your turn now. How are you going to help me, now that you know what I’m talking about?”

  Ralph perched on the corner of Marnie’s desk. He spoke slowly. “You’re saying there was a fight of some sort last night and you think Marnie was involved in it? Or presumably all of us took part since we’ve told you we were together? Correct?”

  “You tell me about it, professor. I’ve told you what I meant.”

  “Who else was involved in this fight?” Marnie asked.

  “Mrs Walker, I’m not interested in playing games. You’ll tell me what you know – everything you know – about the incident, and if I’m not satisfied, you’ll come to the station to be interviewed, all of you. And you may be charged.”

  “But Mr Bartlett, I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

  Bartlett rolled his eyes. As he opened his mouth, Anne spoke. “I do. At least, I think I do.”

  “Yes,” said Ralph. “I’m getting the picture too.”

  “Something happened opposite the boatyard, didn’t it?” said Anne. “Where we saw the footprints. That’s what it must’ve been.”

  “Footprints?” said Bartlett.

  “Oh,” said Marnie. “My ear-ring.”

  “And you scratched your face in the hedge,” Anne added.

  “Yes.”

  “So,” Ralph said to Bartlett, “you’ve found Marnie’s ear-ring at the scene of some sort of fight, and your conclusion is that she took part in it, the ear-ring and the scratch being the evidence.” He shrugged. “It seems circumstantial to me, I must say, though I can see why you’re treating us with suspicion.”

  “Very generous of you,” said Bartlett. “So what’s your explanation of events?”

  “We’ve told you,” said Marnie. “We were there. We took a look at the other side of the canal. I looked through the hedge and scratched my face on the branches. It must’ve pulled my ear-ring out. It was just a gold stud, actually. Is that good enough?”

  “Why did you cross over the canal? Who – or what – did you see?”

  “The owner of the yard told me she’d seen something odd, maybe someone doing something suspicious over there earlier in the day. I was curious, that’s all. You know what I’m like when I get an idea in my head.”

  Bartlett stood up and walked to the door. Marnie thought the interview was at an end, and her shoulders relaxed. Marriner rose slowly, looking at Bartlett. The Chief Inspector nodded.

  “Marnie Walker,” Marriner began, “I must ask you to accompany us to the station for questioning. We’ve applied for a warrant to search your premises – including your boat – and we’ll want to remove items of clothing and shoes. During the interview you’re entitled to have your solicitor present.”

  Marnie, Ralph and Anne stood up, aghast.

  “I don’t understand,” Marnie said. “I don’t understand any of this. We’ve told you what happened –”

  “No, Mrs Walker,” said Bartlett. “You haven’t told us anything. You’ve made up a story to fit the facts.”

  “We’ve told you the truth.”

  “Chief Inspector,” said Ralph. “I don’t think you’ve been entirely candid with us. What Marnie said is right. Look at us. Can you seriously imagine us being involved in some kind of fracas? Apart from that tiny scratch – which we’ve explained – we’re none
of us marked in any way. You can’t possibly have any evidence to support that accusation.”

  Bartlett walked into the middle of the office to face them. “Yesterday evening a journalist called Gary Rawlings was seriously assaulted by the canal towpath at Blisworth. His camera was stolen and he was badly beaten. He was found by the farmer who owns the field and taken to hospital where he was diagnosed as having a fractured skull and collarbone. He may also lose the sight in one eye.”

  “What? “ said Marnie in disbelief. “You can’t possibly think that –”

  “When he regained consciousness in the early hours of this morning, he was asked if he knew who his assailant was. He told my officer that he was attacked by a man and a woman. He identified the woman as you, Mrs Walker.”

  *

  “What is going on here, Marnie?”

  “Roger, you’re my solicitor. I thought you were meant at least to sound as if you were on my side. Someone’s got to believe me.”

  There was a silence at the other end of the phone. Marnie could hear Roger Broadbent breathing.

  “You’re not actually under arrest?” he said.

  “I’m apparently going to give a voluntary statement.”

  “And what’s happening now?”

  “Marriner’s collecting some of my things to take away for examination. Bartlett’s with him. They said I could phone you.”

  “So they’ve got a search warrant?”

  “No. They said they’d be getting one. I just told them to take what they like. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

  “Marnie, you’ve got to be careful. You should’ve spoken to me first. This is a very serious charge, and you’ve got to treat it seriously.”

  “It’s bloody nonsense, Roger!” Marnie almost shouted down the phone. “They won’t find evidence from any of my clothing for the simple reason that I wasn’t there, at least not where the man was assaulted.”

  “What about this ear-ring?”

  “It must’ve got pulled out when I was looking through the hedge, which is where they’ll have found it. It doesn’t prove I was in the field behind the hedge.”

  “It’s near enough, Marnie. Things get thrown about during a fight. You’ve got to see it from their point of view.”