Murder in Time

by Veronica Heley

  Muffled words. ‘If she’s going to go with him, I might as well go with Abdi.’

  ‘Don’t be so hasty. Weigh up all the pros and cons. You’re a valuable commodity.’

  Vera stormed back into the kitchen, hair loose around her shoulders, eyes sparking electricity. Without the bread from the freezer. ‘The nerve of him! Asking me to marry him, just like that, after all this time!’

  Mikey lifted his head to look at his mother.

  Vera tossed her hair back. ‘I told him, “No!” Honestly! Who does he think he is! Stupid man!’

  ‘Bossy boots!’ And that was Dan, following her. Also flushed. Also slightly disarranged as to hair and collar. Reverting to childhood insults.

  ‘No!’ yelled Vera. ‘No, I will not marry you!’

  ‘What she means, Dan,’ said Thomas, setting mugs on the table, ‘is that she won’t marry you … yet!’ He made a big pot of tea and got some milk from the fridge. ‘Tea, everyone? Have we any cake, or biscuits? Carbohydrates needed, definitely.’

  ‘A cuppa for me, yes,’ said Ellie. Rose nodded, too. Vera shook her head.

  Dan also shook his head. He returned to his seat, not taking his eyes off Vera. Mikey wiped his eyes, pushed himself off Ellie and went back to his own chair.

  Vera reached for the biscuit tin. ‘Mikey, homework.’

  Mikey shifted papers about and fidgeted with a pen.

  ‘The thing is,’ said Ellie, ‘that we’ve got to clear Vera of the murder charge before any decisions about the future can be taken. We must ask Gail and this Spotty Dick what they think. If we can only prove Vera had long gone before the doctor returned, we’re home and dry.’ She took a couple of chocolate digestive biscuits, clapped them together and took a bite. Mm. ‘Alternatively, as I keep saying, we could find out who really did kill the doctor.’

  A mobile phone rang, and everyone sought for theirs to check.

  ‘Not mine,’ said Thomas. ‘Batteries low.’

  ‘Different chime,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Mine,’ said Dan. ‘Ah. Would you excuse me a minute?’ He took his phone away from the table. ‘Gail …?’

  Vera said, ‘Ha!’

  Dan ignored Vera to speak to Gail. ‘You got my message? No, I know you don’t like being interrupted at work, but I think you’ll … Yes, I did get tickets for the theatre tonight, but I’m going to have to cry off, I’m afraid. Sorry about that, but something has come up and, yes, it is serious enough to warrant a change of plans. Tell you what, why don’t you drop in here –’ he lifted his eyebrow at Thomas, who nodded – ‘and collect the tickets? Perhaps you can find someone else to go with you? … You’ll do that? Good. I’m not at home, by the way. I’m at … Sorry, I’ve forgotten the number …?’

  Thomas gave him the address, and Dan repeated it into the phone. ‘Did you get that, Gail? It’s a friend’s house. Vera Pryce lives here. You remember her?’

  They all heard Gail explode. ‘What!’ Dan held the phone away from his ear. A scratchy voice yelled, ‘Have you lost your tiny mind?’

  ‘Possibly,’ he said, returning to the phone. ‘Anyway, this is where she lives now. So we’ll expect you in about ten minutes.’ He clicked the phone off.

  Vera flushed, running her hands down her T-shirt. ‘I need to change … No, why should I? Oh, this is ridiculous.’

  Dan smiled. ‘You look fine as you are.’ He seated himself on the other side of Mikey. ‘So, Mikey, what’s the homework for tonight?’

  Mikey pushed some worksheets in Dan’s direction. Dan concentrated. He picked up the worksheets, scanned each one. Of course, he would know exactly what stage Mikey was at. He said, ‘Ah. Taking your exams a year early, are you?’

  Mikey said, ‘Maybe. I have some catching up to do in English literature.’

  Vera slammed dirty dishes into the dishwasher and started it up. ‘You leave him alone. Mikey, we’ll make a move upstairs, shall we?’

  Dan said, ‘No, you don’t, my girl. We’ve wasted far too much time as it is. Let’s see it out together.’

  ‘You’ll regret this tomorrow and remember what people expect of you.’

  ‘Tomorrow never comes.’

  The house phone rang, and it was for Thomas. He said, ‘Oh? I’ll have to look that up.’ He said, ‘Sorry,’ to Ellie and disappeared, making for his study.

  Bother! thought Ellie. She’d have preferred him at her side if they were to deal with Gail. She said, ‘Shall we move into the sitting room?’

  ‘I like it here,’ said Dan. ‘Any chance of a cuppa from the pot now?’

  Rose inched herself to her feet. ‘It’ll be English Breakfast, not Earl Grey. That do you?’

  ‘I like the strong stuff.’

  The front doorbell rang. Neither Dan nor Vera moved, so Ellie went to open the door.

  A well-turned-out woman in a good-looking suit and high-heeled boots stood there. In none too sweet a temper. Her hair was probably naturally red, but had been artfully and expensively streaked with blonde highlights. She had slung a caped greatcoat over her suit, and she toted a huge leather bag. ‘Is this it?’ she asked. Not pleasantly.

  ‘It depends who you want,’ said Ellie, not taking to the newcomer.

  ‘Vera Pryce.’ Spitting the name out.

  ‘Vera lives here, yes. I’m Mrs Quicke, and this is my house. Do come in.’ Ellie held the door wide and indicated the passage to the kitchen. ‘Vera’s in there, with Dan.’

  ‘Is she, now!’ In a grim tone. Gail marched through to the kitchen, took in the informal gathering, and plonked her massive bag on to the table. ‘Well, Dan. This is a surprise. Hello, Vera. Long time no see. Still cleaning, nowadays? And this is your son, I suppose?’ She didn’t wait for a reply, but turned her shoulder on Vera, to speak to Dan. ‘Dan, shall we be on our way?’

  ‘I told you. I’m opting out of the theatre tonight.’

  ‘You said something important had come up, but this can’t—’

  ‘Vera has been accused of murdering my father. Is that important enough for you?’

  ‘I don’t see that it has anything to do with me. Or with you. Surely you can’t wish to open that can of worms again? Not after all that has passed!’

  Vera said, ‘I never wanted to look back, but now we’re being forced to bring up the past. Gail, I never got to thank you for pulling me out of the hall that night. That was good of you. But when we got down to the changing hut in the garden, what happened?’

  A lift of an upper lip. ‘You got drunk. Legless. Off your face. On the grass, on your back. You don’t really want the gory details, do you? Not before the child.’

  Mikey stilled, but Ellie said, ‘Sadly, he’s heard all about it from the wrong people. It would be better if he heard the truth now.’

  ‘That is the truth.’ Gail fidgeted, looking at her watch. A pretty, expensive trifle of a watch. ‘Dan, I really think we should be getting along or the curtain will have gone up and we’ll have to wait for the first interval to be let in. I don’t want to miss it. It’s had good reviews.’

  Dan said, ‘And Vera’s had some bad ones. How did she pass out so quickly?’

  A shrug. ‘How should I know?’

  ‘I know she wasn’t drinking at the party, so how come she was legless within a few minutes of leaving the house?’

  ‘Lots of people were passing stuff around. How should I know?’

  Vera said, ‘You handed me what I thought was a Diet Coke. Did Spotty Dick give it to you?’

  A tinge of colour in pale cheeks. ‘I really can’t remember. Now, if you don’t mind—’

  ‘How long did you stay out in the garden?’

  ‘Long enough to observe your acrobatics on the lawn. I was amazed. Had never seen anything like it. I didn’t want to join in. Not my scene. Clearly, the party itself was over, so I went home. End of. Now, if you’re finished raking up the past, Dan, perhaps we can make a move?’

  Dan said, heavily, ‘Dick gave you a spiked drink. You suspected it mi
ght not be what it ought to be and passed it on to Vera, not caring what might happen to her.’

  ‘That is ridiculous. She made a spectacle of herself and has no one but herself to blame for what followed. I refuse to spend any more time on this. Now, are you coming, or are you going to let yourself be dragged down to her level again, because I’ve had enough of this! What would your headmaster say if he knew you were planning to tangle with a whore who had an illegitimate son, eh? What would the parents at your school think, if they heard? Let’s get moving, and we’ll say no more about it.’

  NINE

  Wednesday evening

  Would Dan go off with Gail?

  Ellie thought it was touch and go. Thomas hadn’t returned. Evidently, his phone call had been about something serious. Rose had shrunk down in her big chair and was dozing. She was out of it, too.

  Vera was looking down at her hands. Was she trying not to cry?

  Dan’s eyes were on Vera.

  Ellie gently cleared her throat. ‘Um, Mrs – er – Gail. I don’t think you quite understand the position. For years it’s been in everyone – except Vera’s – interest to forget what happened. But now Abdi wants to—’

  ‘What’s Abdi got to do with anything? He hasn’t been around for ever.’

  Vera lifted her chin. ‘He wants Mikey because he can’t have any more children. He’s employed a private detective to confirm that Mikey is his child. He says that if I don’t agree to let Mikey go, then he’ll produce someone to say I killed Dr McKenzie.’

  ‘What? But that’s ridiculous. You were in no state to—’ Gail changed colour, flushing as red as she’d been pale before. She dropped into a chair, sitting awkwardly, no longer careful to keep up appearances. ‘Well, I can’t help you. I’d left before you came round.’

  ‘Really?’ Dan’s eyebrows rose.

  Gail’s eyes switched to and fro. ‘Gracious, you don’t really want to drag that up again, do you? I mean, it was all quite horrible, and certainly not the sort of experience that you’d want to talk about afterwards. Or now, come to think of it. No doubt Vera will wriggle her way out of trouble. She usually does.’

  ‘That,’ said Dan, ‘is not how it looks from here.’

  Vera shuddered. ‘I agree with Gail. Yes, I was raped. I did not go to the police, and nothing on this earth will force me to do so now. Not only for my own sake, but for Mikey’s. So let’s leave well alone, shall we?’

  Ellie shook her head. ‘I understand how you feel, Vera. But how are we to fend off Abdi, unless we can work out exactly what did happen and clear you of his monstrous claim that you killed the doctor? Gail, the time has come to name names. We have to contact the people who took part in what happened all those years ago and get their statements, in order to stop Abdi taking the matter to the police.’

  ‘Certainly not,’ said Gail. ‘As Vera says, leave well alone. People have moved on and—’

  ‘Simon,’ said Vera, snapping her fingers. ‘Are you thinking of your brother, who’s standing for Parliament?’ Her eyes widened in shock. ‘You mean, he was involved, too? Simon? No! I can’t believe it. I remember he was there, and drinking hard, but … really? Simon Trubody?’

  ‘What nonsense!’ Gail flushed a deep red.

  Ellie took a worksheet from Mikey, turned it over, and wrote down the name ‘Simon Trubody’.

  Gail was furious. ‘Of course I’m thinking of him. He was not, repeat not involved. An onlooker, merely. I’m thinking of the others. It won’t do any good to Dick’s reputation at the council, or to Jack’s funny little music business, and as for you, Dan …!’

  ‘I’ll take my chances, if it means we finally discover who killed my father.’

  ‘Well, Vera did! You said. Abdi’s got proof.’

  Dan shook his head. ‘The timings don’t fit. Besides, what value has the word of someone who’s been paid to produce evidence? Gail, this can’t be hushed up any longer. I agree we don’t want the business of the rape to be taken to the police, but we do need to sort out who did what. I agree, Simon has a lot to lose. Perhaps more than the rest of us all put together, but if he did—’

  ‘He didn’t!’

  ‘Are you sure? Would you swear on the Bible that he was not involved? I agree with Vera. He was drinking heavily at the party, and if he did take part in the rape—’

  ‘I tell you, he didn’t!’

  ‘We can always ask Dick Prentice. Or Abdi.’

  Gail shifted on her seat. ‘Well, they might lie. Simon doesn’t deserve to lose his career for the sake of this … this tart!’

  Vera reddened and looked away.

  ‘Gail, be careful who you call names,’ warned Dan. ‘You and your brother and his friends between you destroyed Vera’s reputation and her hopes of a university education. You left her, pregnant and homeless, to fend for herself. You started the chain of events by giving her a spiked drink, and your brother took his turn in raping her. In law—’

  ‘In law! It’s never going to come to that.’

  ‘I hope not, for Vera’s sake,’ said Ellie. ‘But if Abdi persists in saying that Vera killed the doctor—’

  ‘He wouldn’t take it to the police, because if he did, he’d have to admit that he himself took part in the rape.’

  ‘That,’ said Ellie, trying to be patient, ‘is exactly what I’ve been saying. We’ve got to have just enough to stop Abdi, and we don’t have to take it any further.’

  ‘From what I remember of him,’ said Dan, frowning, ‘Abdi hasn’t much regard for the law. He might well throw Vera to the wolves if he can’t get his own way by other means.’

  Silence.

  ‘I’ve had enough of this,’ said Ellie. ‘If nobody else will act, I will. I have contacts at the police station, and I’ll go to see them tomorrow morning. I’ll give them what names I have, and they can start questioning the rest of you till they get at the truth. First on the list: Simon. What’s his surname? Trubody? Really?’

  ‘No,’ said Vera. ‘I can’t bear it!’

  ‘Mrs Quicke, you mustn’t,’ said Gail. ‘You’d be ruining so many lives. Simon wouldn’t be able to stand for Parliament, and I … I’d have to move to a practice somewhere else.’

  ‘I suppose,’ said Dan, ‘that that would be tit for tat. Between you, you destroyed Vera’s future, so now she can destroy yours.’

  Vera complained, ‘You’re not listening to me. How many times do I have to say that I don’t want this to go any further?’

  ‘You’ve heard her,’ said Gail. ‘This goes no further. Vera wasn’t conscious, so she can’t name names. As for naming other people, that’s hearsay and has no value in court. Also, it’s slander. If you try to involve us, Mrs Quicke, we’ll have your guts for garters, as well as Vera’s.’

  Ellie stood up. ‘I’ll take that as a threat, shall I? It seems to me that it’s you who doesn’t understand the possible consequences of Abdi’s actions. He wants Mikey and is prepared to blackmail Vera to get him. If she rejects his demand, he goes to the police with his accusation. Unless you help us to fend him off, her defence will have to be that she was gang-raped and in no position to kill anyone. I don’t see any other way in which she can protect herself from a murder charge. Can you?’

  ‘She can say that Abdi alone … After all, he is the father of her child. She should have him arrested for rape.’

  ‘Yes, she could do that. And what will his defence be? That he was drunk and invited to join in a gang rape. If he tries that, he’ll have to name the other members of the group. And he will do so, won’t he? He won’t worry about your brother’s reputation. Why should he?’

  Gail worried at her lower lip, her eyes switching to and fro.

  Without seeming to look at the boy, Dan held out his hand and said, ‘No, Mikey. Bad idea.’

  Mikey removed his hand from his school bag and placed his mobile phone on the table. Dan picked it up and switched it off.

  Ellie gaped. Had Mikey been recording the conversation? I
f so, and Dan had noticed, then it must be true that good teachers have eyes in the back of their heads.

  Gail reared up. ‘Was that boy recording …? How dare he! You’re going to confiscate his phone, right?’

  ‘Certainly not,’ said Dan. ‘It’s his phone. He will decide what to do with it. But I’m advising him to think carefully about recording anything while your position is still … fluid.’

  ‘Fluid?’ Gail thought about that. ‘You mean that there’s another way to get my brother off the hook?’

  Ellie said, ‘I suppose there might be. Someone helped Vera home. Who was it, and will they speak up for her? If so, we might not need to approach Simon at all.’

  Gail considered that. ‘I suppose that’s worth trying. It was Sylvia, wasn’t it?’

  Ellie wrote down the name. ‘Surname? And, how do you know it was Sylvia, if you’d left before Vera?’

  ‘We met in the town centre one day, shortly after, and I asked if she’d had to give a statement to the police. She said she hadn’t, that she’d managed to escape while the gang were rampaging through the house. She’d been in one of the bedrooms with … someone.’

  ‘Who?’

  Gail grimaced. ‘Someone who was further into drugs than any of us. He’s still around, but the drugs have destroyed him. He’s nothing but a zombie, nowadays.’

  ‘So he’s not going to be any help. What about this Sylvia person?’

  ‘I don’t know, do I? All she said was that she’d found Vera flat out in the garden and helped her to get away. Not that we discussed that part of the evening in detail. We talked about the murder, mostly.’

  ‘Surname?’ insisted Ellie. ‘Where can we find her?’

  ‘I have no idea. She left to go to uni. So did I. Haven’t seen her since.’

  Dan said, ‘I looked her up on Facebook once. She emigrated to Australia.’

  Ellie said, ‘Gail, we have to start somewhere. Can you tell us your movements that evening?’