by Penny Kline
‘Thank you for coming.’ He stretched out an arm. But by then she was well out of reach.
‘He’s convinced he was pushed,’ Izzy told Kath. ‘At least that’s what he tried to persuade me.’
‘Someone did it for a laugh? How stupid can you get?’
‘Did you see what happened?’
‘Me? I was still inside the club. This guy came running in, said there’d been an accident, someone had been pulled from the river and his name was Josh.’
‘How did he know his name was Josh?’
‘Search me.’ Kath accelerated as the lights changed to green. ‘I suppose he could still talk. He can swim, can’t he? Must have been bobbing about in the water.’
Izzy tried to picture the scene. Josh and his friends, standing on the quay side, laughing, jostling one another, chatting but with nobody listening, all pissed out their heads. ‘Who was with Josh? I need to know, Kath. He’s asking to stay at the house until he’s well enough to go back to work but if I let him past the door –’
‘The usual crowd. No one in particular.’
She was lying. Izzy could tell. ‘He’d been chatting up some girl? There was an argument? The girl’s boyfriend thought he’d teach him a lesson?’
‘How would I know?’ Kath protested. ‘If I did I’d tell you. What do you plan to do?’
Izzy ignored the question. ‘A bloke exercising a dog,’ she said, ‘and an old man pushing an empty pram. Did you see an old man?’
‘Sorry, you’ve lost me.’
‘Josh said those where the only people down by the river, apart from his friends.’
‘An old man with a pram? Are you sure he didn’t mean Queenie? You know Queenie, she goes through the shopping centre like a bat out of hell. Old pram full of heaven knows what. Not stray cats, nothing like that, I reckon the pram’s like a security blanket, something to hang onto.’
‘So what was she doing down by the river at two in the morning?’
‘Maybe she’s nocturnal, sleeps in the afternoon and early evening.’
‘Who carried out the first aid?’
‘Someone from the club. I expect Josh exaggerated. I doubt if he was in that bad a state.’ Kath pulled up next to the kerb and waited for Izzy to climb out of the passenger seat. ‘Sure you’re OK? If you’re still feeling shocked I could come in, stay a bit.’
‘I’m fine. Sorry you had to leave the club early.’
‘Oh that.’ Kath sounded thoroughly depressed. ‘Stupid idea in the first place. What did I think was going to happen? I’d meet this fantastic guy who’d sweep me off my feet and hey presto, Harry would be ancient history?’
‘Have you talked to him?’
‘What about? Oh, you mean living together. Didn’t need to. You were right as usual, he’d never leave Janet.’ She sighed. ‘You like Janet, don’t you?’
‘Yes, why wouldn’t I?’
‘The way she dresses, it’s not surprising Harry –’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Kath, why can’t she dress how she likes. I suppose it was you that persuaded Harry to have his hair cut.’
Kath sniffed loudly but Izzy was past caring if she had upset her. She still hadn’t forgiven her for carrying on a secret affair in the office beneath her nose.
‘That time I thought you and Harry were whispering about me … I realise now –’
‘You haven’t contacted the police?’ Kath blew her nose loudly.
‘You know I haven’t.’
‘Well you ought to. No, sorry. Oh, I don’t know what you should do. Only I was thinking … No, it’s a stupid idea.’
‘Go on.’
‘It just occurred to me … If Josh’s right and he really was pushed into the river it could be an ex-girlfriend.’
‘You mean someone he was seeing when he was living with me. You’re not still thinking the baby’s Josh’s?’ But no idea could be dismissed out of hand. ‘You mean the mother dumped it outside my house because she thought Josh was still with me and wanted him to take some responsibility?’
‘No, I guess that doesn’t make too much sense. I mean, Josh would have admitted it. Surely he would.’
But would he? He wanted to get back with her so he was hardly likely to admit he had made another woman pregnant. If only she could trust him – to tell the truth. But he never had, preferring to tell her what he thought she wanted to hear. But his own child. Would he turn his back on his own child? From everything she knew about Josh that was the last thing he’d do. Let the mother do most of the childcare, fail to keep up with his financial contributions. But his own son, or daughter. He would show it off like his finest achievement.
‘What’s on your mind?’ Kath asked.
‘Nothing.’
‘Liar.’
‘See that shop over there? They sell sushi. I like sushi, don’t you?’
‘Shut up, Izzy, that wasn’t what you were thinking about.’
Kath’s suggestion that Josh was the father of the baby was absurd. How could she even consider it when there was no doubt in her mind that Cressy was Dawn’s. And the old man, or was it a woman, with a pram. What was that all about? Jade’s Kieran had mentioned the same thing. The person who she thought was following her, that time she was searching for Blanche?
Josh’s behaviour, trying to persuade her to look after him as a way of returning to her house, was outrageous, but also typical. What was not plausible was Josh’s girlfriend leaving her baby outside Izzy’s house.
‘Oh, by the way,’ she said, ‘Dawn’s father turned up.’
‘What?’ Kath let out a shriek. ‘I thought he was dead.’
‘So did I.’
‘What did he say? What did he want? Tell all.’
Izzy hesitated. ‘Oh, just to ask if I knew where Dawn was living. He’s as much in the dark as I am.’
‘But if Dawn thinks he’s dead …’
‘She doesn’t. They used to meet up – in secret – when she was a child, in Chester. Her mother never knew about it. Or if she did she decided to keep quiet. Dawn asked him for money and he sent a cheque to her old digs in Heavitree.’
‘When?’
‘I’m not sure. Not long ago.’
‘I don’t like it, Izzy, I don’t like any of this. You could be in danger.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, you.’
When she tried to open the front door it stuck on something the other side. A large brown envelope had been pushed through, the kind that has a cardboard backing to protect the contents from getting bent, although in this case whoever delivered it had decided to get it through the letter box come what may.
Izzy carried it upstairs and dropped it on the bed. She was bursting for a pee and her head ached. In less than five hours’ time she would have to be up and about again. Would she drop off or would she lie awake with Josh’s words go round and round in her head? Don’t make up your mind without sleeping on it.
Back in her bedroom, Blanche was curled up in a ball. Hearing sounds, she stretched out and began licking her bad paw. It had almost got better and it was best to let cats lick as their wounds. Something to do with their saliva having healing powers.
Izzy stroked her head then sat down next to her and struggled with the sticky tape on the envelope. Since all it contained was a single sheet of headed paper, why bother with all the sticky tape and the cardboard backing?
The letter heading had the name of a firm of London-based solicitors: Rimmer, Seavings and Bourne. They appeared to have an office in a part of London Izzy knew reasonably well, but the address meant nothing to her. She had never heard of Glossop Street.
“Dear Ms Lomas,” she read, “ this is to confirm that you have agreed that in the event of Ms Dawn Dear’s death you are prepared to become guardian to her daughter, Cressida .”
There were several more lines of legal jargon, and a space at the bottom for her signature, together with the date. No space for a witness to her signature. No stamped, addressed envelop
e so the ‘document’ could be returned. And surely, if you signed something you kept a copy. But the whole thing was so amateurish it was not worth splitting hairs.
Izzy held it up to the light. The paper was thick, the kind lawyers use, but it bore no relation to a legal document. In the morning she would go to the library and check if Rimmer, Seavings and Bourne existed. Not that it would mean much even if they did. Anyone could pick a firm at random.
Dawn had typed it and delivered it by hand, but she couldn’t possibly expect Izzy to accept it was a genuine document. All the same, the contents of Dawn’s mind was starting to make sense. For reasons Izzy could only guess at, she had wanted her to have Cressy. To keep her, not to hand her over to social services. Convinced that Izzy would want to bring her up, the only explanation for what Izzy had done was because she believed she had no legal right to her. Now Dawn had provided her with the proof she needed.
Did Dawn think Josh was still living in the house? In Dawn’s mind, had another reason for Cressy being given to foster parents been because Josh had turned nasty, dug in his heels, and forced Izzy to choose between him and the baby?
Picking up the envelope the so-called legal document had come in, she studied the label on the front, handwritten, not typed. It smelled odd – literally. What was the smell? Something musty but it wasn’t just that. With a pencil, and so close to the edge of the envelope it could have been rubbed away in the post, someone had drawn a picture of a stag’s antlers.
What was it Dominic had said? Something about a deer? But Izzy had thought it referred to Dawn’s name. At least Dawn was alive. Or was she? If the letter was not from her, who else could have sent it. Dawn’s father, Graham? Rosalie?
Chapter Seventeen
‘So what happened, Josh? You chatted up someone’s girlfriend and they clobbered you?’
‘Do you mind?’
‘All right, you slept with someone’s wife.’
His hand moved up to his injured head. ‘If there’d been anything like that I’d have told you.’
‘Like hell you would. Anyway it makes no difference.’
He lifted his legs off the floor and stretched out on the sofa with his head propped up on two cushions. ‘Have you thought it over?’
‘Oh, I did that all right. You could at least have phoned me at the office, not just hung about till you knew I’d be back and arranged for the taxi driver to drop you off at the end of the road.’
‘I thought they’d keep me another day,’ he said, ‘and I couldn’t go back to Dave’s.’
‘Why not?’
He sighed, pulling the sides of his denim jacket across his chest and chattering his teeth although the room was pleasantly warm. ‘I told you, because it’s so hellishly uncomfortable. Hey, I’ve just thought, have you found someone else? Is that what this is about? You were always a fast worker but –’
‘There’s no one else.’
He smiled to himself. ‘All right, I know when I’m beaten. It was nice of you to come to the hospital. I suppose it made me think you might still care.’
‘Stop it, Josh.’ What really got to her was the way – once he had decided he was wasting his time – he would leave, virtually unscathed, and throw himself on the mercy of some other female, or return to Dave. She, on the other hand, would be left feeling heartless, confused, regretful, angry, and upset. ‘The baby,’ she said.
‘Sorry? Oh, you’re not still worrying about it. Nothing to do with you. Could have been left anywhere.’
She stared at him, a cold, hard stare that made him flinch.
‘What? You don’t honestly think –’
‘Whoever pushed you in the river could have been bearing a grudge. Or her husband could.’
‘Do you mind?’ He had his outraged expression. ‘I never mess about with married women. You actually thought the baby could be mine? What’s happened to you, Izzy, you’re not thinking straight. No, I’m sorry, you’ve been through a tough time. We both have. If the baby was anything to do with me I’d have told you. You know I would.’
He was right. He would. How much easier it would have been if she could tell the police it was her ex-boyfriend’s baby. But it wasn’t. Cressy belonged to Dawn.
Someone was hammering on the door. Izzy ran to open it, and found Jade, in tears.
‘Come in. No, it’s all right, Josh was leaving anyway.’
‘Was I?’
Even the sight of a distraught Jade was not enough for him. ‘Go, Josh!’
‘But you’ve still got some of my stuff.’
‘All right, go upstairs and put it in these.’ She handed him two polythene bags, the kind she never normally used but last time she went shopping she had forgotten to take her cloth one. ‘And the minute I’ve finished talking to Jade you’re leaving.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Jade found a tissue and held it to her nose and eyes. ‘I didn’t realise Josh would be –’
‘Sit down. When I said he was leaving, I meant it. We split up weeks ago but he won’t take no for an answer. What is it, what’s happened? Is it something to do with Kieran?’
Jade shook her head.
‘Your parents?’
She shook her head again and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘Come on, whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. Is it something to do with the house?’
Jade took a second tissue from the pocket of her jeans ‘You know I said I loved babies –’
‘Oh, Jade. Oh, I’m sorry, but you mustn’t panic. There’s things you can do. Have you talked to Kieran? Oh, no, he’s not here. When you get in touch with him –’
‘No, no, you don’t understand.’
‘What then? You’re not pregnant?’
‘I thought I was, I was so worried, but it was a false alarm. I’ve been so stupid, Izzy, we both have, only it wasn’t Kieran’s fault because I told him I was on the pill.’
‘And you weren’t.’
‘No, but I am now, only what’s the point ’cos I’ll never see him again.’
‘Why? Of course you will.’ Izzy gave her a hug. ‘Sit down and I’ll make us both a hot drink.’
‘When he left –’
‘You told him you thought … But you can text him, phone him. Tell him the good news.’
‘If it is good.’
‘Yes, of course it is. You’re only … How old are you? Seventeen – it’s far too young. Listen, when I’ve made the drinks I’m going to let you in on a secret but only if you promise not to tell anyone.’
‘I absolutely promise.’
‘And I’m not even sure if what I think has happened is true.’
‘Please tell me.’ Jade accompanied her to the kitchen. ‘Is it about the baby outside your house? If you know who it belongs to you, we have to help her. The police would take the baby away and say she was unfit. I’ve read about it. They take the baby and the mother never gets it back. Think what it must be –’
‘I’m not sure it’s quite like that.’ Izzy had no intention of telling her the whole story, just the bare bones, the suspicion that she might know who Cressy’s mother was.
‘I’d never abandon my baby, would you? The mother must be mad. No, I don’t mean that. What I mean, she must have been so desperate she wasn’t thinking straight. Only crazy people always want to be found out. That’s why they leave clues. Did Cressy’s mother leave any clues?’
With a thudding sensation in her stomach, Izzy remembered the scribbled drawing on the envelope from the fake solicitors. Stag’s antlers. A deer. Dawn Dear. Or did it have something to do with the stag’s antlers, attached to the door of the shed next to the cottage?
‘Listen, Jade.’ Izzy switched off the kettle. ‘Can you come back later.’ She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘After Josh’s gone.’
‘Yes, all right, you wouldn’t mind?’
‘To tell you the truth I need someone to talk to. But it’ll be in complete confidence so –’
‘Yes, of course.
I absolutely swear.’
‘See you later then. In about twenty minutes.’
As she let Jade out of the house, someone was coming down the road and as he drew closer he raised a hand in greeting. It was Stuart Robbins.
Josh was upstairs. She needed to get rid of him but there wasn’t time. Better to put Stuart off, arrange to meet later if that was what he wanted. Why had he come? To explain about the phone call when his girlfriend had answered? There was no need. She had been grateful for his help, searching for Blanche, but any idea she might have had that the two of them …
‘Hi.’ He had seen her and Jade standing outside the front door. ‘You’re busy.’
‘No, no I’m not. This is Jade. She used to live next door.’
‘But she’s leaving,’ Jade said. ‘I’ll see you later, Izzy. Let me know when you’re free.’
‘I was in the area,’ Stuart explained. ‘It was you that phoned, wasn’t it? I expected you to call back but –’
‘Don’t worry, it wasn’t important. In any case, how did you know it was me?’
‘My sister-in-law answered. She was staying the night on her way back from Cornwall, where she’d been to see her father. You should have left a message. I’d have called you back.’
Izzy had been considering denying making the call but that would be silly. She had phoned, hoping she might be able to ask a few questions about Dawn’s childhood and about Rosalie whose letter, as yet, remained unanswered. ‘I just needed to talk to you about Dawn’s father?’
Blanche had come to the door and Stuart was inspecting the wound on her neck. It would be several weeks before the fur grew back. ‘Glad she turned up all right. Been in a fight, had she?’
‘I’ve no idea. She could have been hit by a car. She’s almost back to her old self.’
‘Good. That’s a relief. Are you going to let me in then? Any news of the baby’s mother?’
‘Nothing.’ She stood aside, holding her breath, willing Josh to stay upstairs.
‘As far as I can recall, Dawn’s father was some kind of businessman, but that can cover so many activities.’ He took off his coat and hung it on a hook. ‘My father had an idea he might have killed himself. Some people see suicide as something shameful, reflecting badly on those around the victim who should have seen it coming.’
