Dear Departed

by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

  ‘On my way,’ said Slider.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Get Thee to a Mummery

  The public access to the police station was a square room with the big, high desk across one side and a bench running round the other three. On the bench were two rather hopeless-looking young males with chronic sniffs and terminally baggy trousers, and, sitting as far away from them as possible, a middle-aged woman, neatly dressed though in cheap clothes, with a large shopping bag on her knee. She had grey hair with a few blonde highlights, done in the eternal short, rollered perm of the Decent Working Classes, and her face was tidily made up with blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick. She and her kind were the backbone of the country and Slider hoped it was her he was down here to see, and not one of the sullen youths.

  Paxman pointed her out discreetly. ‘Says she knows Cornfeld.’

  ‘How did she know the name? We haven’t released it yet.’

  ‘She didn’t. She says she thinks she knows deceased, wants to be sure.’

  ‘What’s her name?’

  ‘Hammick. Maureen. Mrs,’ said Paxman.

  Slider resisted the urge to say, ‘Lot. A. Thanks,’ and went out to accost the woman. ‘Mrs Hammick? I’m Detective Inspector Slider. I believe you wanted to talk to me.’ She lifted suffering eyes, and he said, ‘Would you like to come somewhere a bit more private?’ and led her through into one of the interview rooms. He chose No. 1, which was marginally less repulsive than No. 2. They both smelt of sweaty feet, but someone had thrown up in No. 2 yesterday and it took time for the vomit stink to fade completely.

  As soon as the door closed behind them she said, ‘It’s about Chattie – Chattie Cornfeld. Someone said – they said she was – that she’s been murdered. Is it true?’

  ‘Where did you hear that?’ he asked neutrally.

  ‘A neighbour of mine was in the Wellington lunch-time and she said there were policemen there showing a picture of Chattie and asking if anyone knew her. She recognised her because she’s been with me when I’ve met Chattie in the street. But I thought maybe she’d made a mistake. I mean, she doesn’t know her well. So I thought I’d – but it isn’t her, is it?’

  She looked at him with appeal, but not much hope. Silently Slider held out the photos. The woman took them, and her hand began to tremble. ‘You took this one from her bedroom,’ she said, as if that clinched it. ‘You’ve been to the house.’ She looked up at him. ‘She’s dead, then? She’s the one – the Park Killer’s latest victim?’

  Slider nodded, reflecting how even at times of great emotion people couldn’t help talking like the tabloids. ‘Would you like to sit down?’ he asked gently. He pulled out the chair from under the table and she sat, blindly, her eyes fixed on the empty air, her hands moving in slow distress, massaging the handle of her shopping basket. Slider took the seat opposite, and was glad to see that, though deeply affected, she was not crying or heading for hysterics. A sensible, level-headed woman – could be a good witness, if she had anything to tell.

  ‘How do you know her?’ he asked, after a respectful moment.

  ‘I clean for her,’ said Mrs Hammick.

  Well, that accounted for the immaculateness of the house, anyway, Slider thought, because if this woman wasn’t a thorough cleaner he’d eat his feather duster.

  ‘I work for Merry Maids agency in Brook Green. They’ll give you a reference, if you want. But we’re more like friends now, really, and I do other bits of things for her as well, not through the agency – pick up her dry-cleaning, wait in for the plumber, that sort of thing. Well, I’ve got the key anyway, and I only live in Greenside Road, just across the road from Wingate.’

  ‘So you know her quite well?’

  ‘We’re friends,’ she said, with a little, desperate emphasis, as though that would change things, make the bad news not to be. ‘It’s not like with my other clients. I hardly see them, and most of them I wouldn’t care if I never saw. But she works from home, so from the beginning she was often there when I came to do my work, and she’s such a nice, friendly, cheery person we got on right away. She’d come up when I was halfway through my time and say, “Come on, Maureen, come and have a cup of tea and a good old chinwag,’ and down I’d go to the kitchen and we’d have a chat over a cuppa. After a bit, I never bothered about how much time I spent there. I just did whatever she wanted doing, and if it took me over my time the agency was paying me, well, so be it. But she was a real lady, she always gave me a Christmas present and something on my birthday – “For all the little extras you do for me, Maureen,” she’d say. And I’d tell her, “You don’t have to give me anything for that, I’m your friend.” But she did, anyway. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.’

  Slider felt there was more and waited in silence. She looked down at her hands, and said, ‘Last year when I had my divorce, I wouldn’t have got through it if it hadn’t been for her. I mean, just someone to talk to, yes, and she always had time for me; but apart from that she gave me advice, helped me with the papers and made phone calls for me. I mean, she was a person that just knew what to do about things, you know what I mean? I don’t know what I’d have done without her.’

  ‘How long have you known her?’ Slider asked.

  ‘I’ve been cleaning for her for three years, ever since she moved into that house. But it feels like a lot longer.’ She looked up. ‘She was a lovely person, ever so kind. Just last week, Friday, when I came in, she had this visitor, a poor lad with terrible acne. I could hardly look at him, poor soul, but the way she was looking at him and listening to him, giving him all her attention, you’d think there was nothing wrong with him at all. And then there’s an old lady down the street she visits, spends hours down there talking to her – not a relative or anything, just to cheer her up. She was always cheerful, always smiling, full of jokes. And she worked so hard at that business of hers, all the hours God sent. She said, “Maureen, I’m going to make good, and it’s going to be all on my own efforts.” I admire that, people who do that. I can’t stand freeloaders, people who expect you to carry them – like that sister of hers.’

  ‘Sister?’

  Mrs Hammick’s mouth turned down in disapproval. ‘That Jassy. You couldn’t want a bigger contrast between two people.’ She looked at him questioningly. ‘You’ve been to the house? You’ve seen that room of hers?’

  Slider was enlightened. ‘The top-floor room.’

  ‘That’s it.’

  ‘The sister lives there?’

  ‘No, not now. She’d like to, but Chattie put her foot down – which is rare enough, because she’s too kind, if anything, and people take advantage. Jassy walks all over her, and she’d have the shirt off Chattie’s back if she could, in a minute. She lived with Chattie for about six months and it nearly drove her mad. Never cleaned up after herself, wore Chattie’s clothes and spoiled ’em, brought people home without asking – not nice people. She was supposed to be putting up just for a week or two until she got her own place, but it was weeks and then months and I thought she was going to be a permanent fixture, only Chattie finally had enough and told her she had to go. But Jassy still regards that room as hers, and she’s got a key to the house, so she comes and goes and sleeps there when she feels like it – when she has a row with her boyfriend, I expect. Or she wants to cadge money off her sister.’

  ‘I gather you don’t like her.’

  ‘Jassy? She’s one of them that thinks the world owes them a living. Never done an honest day’s work in her life, lives on the dole and doesn’t even try to get a job. Borrows money and never pays it back, takes Chattie’s things without asking, and then complains that Chattie doesn’t do enough for her. And she hangs around with a nasty rough lot. That boyfriend of hers – well, if he’s not a criminal, I don’t know! He’s a coloured, you know.’ She looked at Slider to see his reaction. ‘I’ve got nothing against them as such, but I’m sure as I stand here that Darren’s up to no good. He’s got a shifty look in his eye, and once w
hen Jassy brought him back to the house I found him snooping about where he’d no business. Casing the joint, that’s what you call it, isn’t it?’

  ‘Did anything go missing?’

  ‘Not that I heard, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it. I wouldn’t put it past Jassy either. Just this Monday I caught her sneaking around the house. I’d just popped in with some croissants for Chattie – I get them at a bakery near a lady I do on a Monday afternoon, and Chattie likes them specially, so I often get her some and drop them round for her Tuesday breakfast. I was just walking down the hall when Jassy pops up the stairs from the kitchen, and as soon as she sees me she looks guilty. Gives a little jump, you know, and says, “Oh, it’s you, what are you doing here?” or something like that. I said, “Chattie knows I’m here. I wonder if the same could be said for you,” and she said, “I was just passing and I thought I’d drop in and see my sister. I just went down to the kitchen to make myself a coffee.” And I thought, Yes, very likely, but I didn’t say anything. I just stood there, and she sort of sulked off. I had a good look round, I can tell you, but I never saw anything missing. Interrupted her in time, that’s what I think.’

  ‘Did you say anything to Chattie about it?’

  ‘No, Chattie’s too soft-hearted. It wouldn’t have done any good. She’s so honest herself, she can’t believe anyone else is different – though she did see through that Darren in the end and told Jassy not to bring him any more. But Jassy – well, you’ve seen that room of hers. I said to Chattie, in the end, I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m just not going to clean up in there any more. I’ll do anything for you,” I said, “but I’m not cleaning up after that little madam.” And Chattie said she didn’t blame me and she’d tell Jassy to clean it herself. But of course she never did. I always say, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they leave their house, and that Jassy’s room is filthy and nasty, just like her.’

  ‘Is she thin, black hair, lots of studs?’

  ‘You’ve seen her, then?’

  ‘No, someone described her. Said she had makeup like Dracula’s mother.’

  Mrs Hammick gave a grim sort of smile. ‘That’s good! Dracula’s mother. Yes, black lipstick and purple eyeshadow and stuff like that. She’s pretty enough underneath, though not a candle to Chattie in my opinion, but she makes herself look as ugly as she can. It’s like she’s spitting in your eye, you know?’

  ‘Do you know her full name, and where she lives?’

  ‘Her name’s Jasmine – she hates it, that’s why she calls herself Jassy – and her surname’s different from Chattie’s. Her mum and dad got divorced and her mum got remarried. She’s called Jassy Whitelaw, and she lives somewhere down south of the river, Clapham, I think. Her address’ll be in Chattie’s book – the red address book on her desk.’

  ‘Yes, we have that. Do you know Darren’s surname and address?’

  ‘Well, the address is same as Jassy’s – they live together. But his surname …’ She thought a moment, shaking her head slowly. ‘I think it might be Brown. Darren Brown. Or Biggs? Or Bates? No, Brown,’ she said firmly; then paused. ‘Or was it Barnes? Yes, I think that was it. Darren Barnes.’

  ‘And would you know who Chattie’s next of kin would be?’

  ‘Ooh, I’m not sure. I suppose it would be her mother, with her being divorced as well. Chattie’s never mentioned her father to me, so I don’t know whether she still sees him or anything, but she talked a lot about her mum. She’s a writer – quite a famous one. Stella Smart – have you heard of her?’

  The name was vaguely familiar to Slider, as something seen in passing, on a shelf in Smith’s. ‘I think so. She writes romances, doesn’t she?’

  Mrs Hammick looked quite stern. ‘Not romances, they’re ever so much better than that. They’re like those Aga sagas of Joanna Trollope’s – good, long books you can get your teeth into, about real people. I’ve read quite a few of them now, from the library, and they’re ever so good. Anyway, Chattie goes to see her and her mum phones her up, so I know they get on all right, so I should think she’d be her next of kin,’ she concluded, as though it were something elective. ‘But as to her address – well, I know it’s in Hertfordshire somewhere, near Hemel Hempstead I think she said, but I don’t know exactly.’

  ‘I’m sure we can find it out, now we know who she is. If it isn’t in the address book, the publishers will be able to tell us.’

  ‘Yes, that’s right,’ said Mrs Hammick, looking despondent now, as her elation left her and she remembered why she was there in the first place. ‘It’ll be a terrible shock to her, poor lady. What a shocking, dreadful thing to happen to someone like Chattie. If it was Jassy, now, you could understand it, the sort of people she mixes with. I’ve often said she’d come to a bad end one day.’

  ‘You’ve been very helpful,’ Slider said. ‘One more thing perhaps you can tell me – did Chattie have a boyfriend?’

  Mrs Hammick pursed her lips. ‘Well, she had a lot of menfriends, but not what you’d call a boyfriend, not one special person. She was always going out, meals and things, and it was generally with a man, but it was all casual, if you know what I mean. It seemed to suit her that way,’ she added sadly. ‘I sometimes said to her, wouldn’t she like to get married and settle down, but she always said she was happy as she was. “I haven’t got room in my life for another man,” she said. “I’m too busy making my way in the world,” she said. I said she didn’t want to leave it too late, if she wanted to have kiddies, but she said she wasn’t interested in that. I think maybe it was to do with her mum and dad getting divorced. It was a real pity, but I always thought she’d meet someone one day and then she’d change her mind pretty quick. I used to say to her, “You won’t feel that way when you meet the right man.” But now she never will, of course,’ she remembered, and had to fumble in her handbag for a handkerchief.

  ‘Did you ever meet any of them?’ Slider asked. ‘Did they come to the house?’

  ‘Oh, yes, sometimes. She had them to stay over sometimes. Well, she was a healthy girl with normal urges,’ Mrs Hammick defended her. ‘I met one once, when he was still in the kitchen when I arrived to do my cleaning. Very nice young man he seemed, but I didn’t linger, only to say hello, because he wasn’t dressed yet which made it awkward. But usually they were gone by the time I got there. Well, people go off to work so early these days, don’t they?’

  ‘Can you remember any of their names? Was there one she was seeing more of recently?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘She did talk to me about her menfriends, told me funny stories about them. But I can’t remember her mentioning anyone special, not lately.’

  ‘Did she seem unhappy recently?’

  ‘Oh, no, she was just like usual. But now you mention it, the last few days she might have been a bit more – I don’t know – thoughtful than before. I mean, she was always cheerful when she spoke to me, but I caught her now and then with a frown on her face, when she didn’t know I was looking.’

  ‘She was worried about something?’

  ‘I wouldn’t say worried, exactly. More as if she was thinking something out. Just – well, thoughtful.’ She came back to the word by default.

  Slider took her contact details and thanked her for coming forward, and warned her that the house was now off limits and that she shouldn’t try to go in. ‘In fact, if you have the keys with you, it would be better to let me have them, for safety’s sake.’

  ‘They’re in my purse,’ Mrs Hammick said, rummaged it out of her bag and handed over the Yale and deadlock keys on an unmarked ring. At the last moment her hand lingered on them before she dropped them into Slider’s waiting palm. It seemed to have struck her all at once. ‘I suppose I shan’t ever need them again. I can’t believe she’s dead. I just can’t believe it.’ She shook her head slowly.

  Like the man who fell off the Cairo ferry, Slider thought, she was in denial.

  When he got back to
his office, Atherton came in and said, ‘Mr Porson wants you urgently.’

  ‘Is there another way?’ Slider said wearily.

  ‘What did your witness want?’

  ‘She wasn’t a witness, just the victim’s cleaner.’ He gave him a brief outline of the interview. ‘Said Chattie was a really nice person, the sort who’d do anything for you.’

  ‘Helpful.’

  ‘Also that she had lots of boyfriends, but not one special one.’

  ‘We sort of deduced that from her diary and address book.’

  ‘Got any further with her Tuesday meetings?’

  ‘No, we’ve pretty well drawn a blank. DC 10, TFQ and JS remain mysteries. We can’t place her at all that day.’

  ‘I wonder if that’s significant?’

  ‘Anything could be, and hardly anything ever is,’ Atherton said. ‘I was thinking of going home now, if you don’t mind. See what a little R and R can do for the deductive powers. Or in my case, a lot of R and R.’

  ‘Going out tonight?’ Slider said, and then, hating himself for it, ‘Hart, is it?’

  ‘Hart?’

  ‘You seemed to be getting on rather well.’

  ‘She’s just a colleague,’ Atherton said. ‘No, I’m seeing Marion Davies again.’

  ‘Two nights running sounds serious. And boffing a witness? I’m surprised at you.’

  ‘Considering that’s how you met Joanna,’ Atherton said, and didn’t need to finish the sentence. Anyway, she’s not a witness. Just a friend, like your cleaner.’

  ‘You don’t know that.’

  Atherton smiled delicately. ‘Then I’m going the best way about finding out.’

  Slider got up from his desk and waved him away. ‘Go. I’ve got Mr Porson waiting for me.’

  ‘I won’t offer to swap,’ said Atherton.

  Porson wasted no words. ‘Right, I hear from Hemel police they’ve informed the mother.’

  ‘What about the father?’