Strategy

by Anita Waller

  ‘It will very much depend on how well Dad recovers, but we’ve initially booked her for four weeks. We take it a week at a time after that.’

  The two women moved to sit on the patio, enjoying the sight of the sheets billowing in the gentle breeze.

  ‘They’ll dry in no time,’ Sally remarked. ‘Pity we can’t say the same for our tears. I ache for Mark. And Tommy is a wreck. He’s not handling this well, at all.’

  Erin nodded. ‘I know. Perhaps you should take that planned holiday with Adam. It would be good for all of you. Just, don’t head for Portugal. Then, you won’t be constantly saying Grace would have loved this, and Grace would have wanted to do that.’

  ‘I can’t.’ Sally gave a sigh.

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘I am waiting for an urgent hospital appointment. I haven’t told Tommy yet, he’s too fragile. I have a lump …’

  ‘No!’ There was anguish in Erin’s cry. ‘Oh, God, no! Just how much more are we expected to take? And Tommy doesn’t suspect?’

  ‘I think he suspects something, but he’s no idea what’s wrong. I’ll tell him when this is all over.’

  The two women sat quietly, each lost in their thoughts, neither of them knowing what to say.

  Erin was the first to rise. ‘Life’s never easy, is it? But, does it have to be this hard, all the time? Do you want anything, Sally?’

  ‘A glass of cold water would be good,’ the older woman said, with a smile. ‘And please don’t tell anyone, Erin. Not yet.’

  ‘I won’t, of course, I won’t. I’ll get you that water.’ She walked through to the kitchen.

  Erin took the glass out to Sally, touched her on the shoulder, and went back inside. The sound of something bigger than a car took her to the door, and she asked the delivery men to take the bed to the garage door, as it was the easiest way of getting it to the correct room.

  Within minutes, it was reared against a wall in the annexe, and she stood staring at it. One more day, and Michael would be home. Ten days earlier, she hadn’t expected him to live through the night.

  Tim and Steve joined her. ‘Would it help if we moved out today?’ Tim asked.

  ‘No, as long as you can help in the morning with dismantling this bed, we can be all done and dusted by mid-morning. And, for goodness sake, don’t go to a hotel, I’ve plenty of room at mine, and I’ll be sleeping there tomorrow night anyway, because my room here will be used by the nurse.’

  Tim kissed her cheek. ‘What did I do to deserve a sister like you.’ He grinned. ‘If you’re sure?’

  ‘Of course I’m sure. You’ll be company for me. It’s going to be a long night, tomorrow night. And I’ll need to keep out of the nurse’s way, or else I’ll start interfering, and that won’t be good.’ She grinned.

  Erin went to see her father for what she hoped was the last time in hospital. He looked cheerful, and had lost the grey pallor which had been so evident on his face.

  ‘Your nurse is lovely,’ she announced, sitting down and putting her coffee on the bedside locker. ‘Her name is Joy Shimwell, and she won’t let you get away with anything. I already showed her around.’

  ‘Great. Just what I need.’ He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

  ‘Stop being such a wimp. She’s there to get you fully recovered, and that’s what she’ll do. She’s coming here tomorrow morning to talk things through with your doctors, and then she’ll accompany you back home. Have they agreed you can go?’

  Michael smiled. ‘They’ve said it’s fine, unless there’s a deterioration overnight. Trust me, there’ll be no deterioration. I’m doing well with the wheelchair, and my pain medication is nowhere near what it was at the beginning. Maybe we won’t need Joy for four weeks …’

  ‘She’s here for four weeks.’

  Michael gave in. ‘Okay. Has my wheelchair arrived?’

  ‘Yes, that came a couple of days ago, and your bed arrived this morning.’

  ‘So, we’re all set?’

  ‘We are. I’m taking you in the Lexus on Monday, so we can be there when the cortege arrives, and we’re not struggling to get you organised. Is that okay?’

  ‘I don’t care what you do, as long as I don’t miss it. It will be such a bad day.’

  Erin nodded in agreement. ‘And we sort Jenny as soon as it’s over. Seb is going with me. Not sure why I’ve agreed to it, curiosity as to what he’s playing at, I think.’

  ‘I don’t want you on your own with him.’

  ‘I won’t be. You’ll be there.’

  ‘As if I could do anything.’

  ‘The police will be there, I’m sure.’ She nodded, as if convincing herself.

  ‘Surely they’re not going to think Jenny would be so stupid as to turn up herself?’

  ‘No,’ Erin said. ‘I think it’s more a question of routine with them. Don’t forget, Gainsborough has been involved with Mark for a long time, and now he’s got the forensic stuff from the car, he knows it’s Jenny who killed Ray and the others. He’s just doing his job. And he seems like a decent bloke, who wants to get it all sorted, so Mark and Adam can get on with their lives. I can’t fault him for that. It’s what we all want.’

  ‘Is Mark coming today?’

  ‘Here?’ She shook her head. ‘No, he’s gone to the funeral home with Tommy and Sally. Sally’s not taking it very well, but Tommy … well, he’s wiped out by it. I think Jenny was his, really, and he’s struggling to accept what she’s done.’

  ‘Then, I want you to go now, Erin. Mark needs you more than I do, at the moment. I’ll be home tomorrow at some point. I’ll give you a ring when I know what time the ambulance will be here. And I’ll meet the fair Joy in the morning. I’ll have her sorted by the time we get to Lindum.’

  Erin grinned, remembering the professionalism the nurse had shown. ‘Yes, right, Dad. I’m sure you will.’ She stood. ‘Okay, I’ll go. Is there anything you want me to get in for you?’

  ‘I don’t think so. I imagine I’ll be completely exhausted by the time I get there, so I don’t want you worrying. I just sleep it off. The physio wears me out, but half an hour with my eyes closed tends to sort it.’

  She kissed him, and went down in the lift to the car park. She got in the Lexus and drove out of Lincoln, towards Seb’s home. She slowed, as she passed his driveway entrance, but there was nobody visible; his car was parked in front of the garage door.

  Erin couldn’t have told anybody why she had driven out that way; she didn’t know herself. She hurried home and let herself into Lindum Lodge, feeling grateful for the welcoming feeling which had always comforted her. Tomorrow, he would be home, and she would feel even better.

  She heard laughter from the back garden and wandered through the kitchen. It seemed the planned trip to the Major Oak had morphed into the European Cup. Tim had rigged up goalposts from a broom and a mop, and he was clearly meant to be the goalkeeper. Caro and Luc were Paris St. Germain, and Steve and Adam were Lincoln City.

  It appeared Lincoln City were winning 7 – 1, with Tim rolling on the floor, trying to prevent it increasing to 8 – 1.

  ‘Hi, footballers,’ she called. ‘Anybody want a drink?’

  ‘Beer,’ Adam shouted back, and held up a thumb.

  ‘You’ll get Coke or nothing,’ was Tim’s reply. ‘Can I sit down a bit, now? I’m getting too old for this.’

  They sat on the patio, sharing drinks and subdued chatter, while Erin filled them in on what would be happening with Michael. ‘He’s good,’ she said. ‘But, I hope none of it was pretence.’

  ‘And by Wednesday, we’ll all be gone …’ Tim said, knowing this would put additional problems on Mark’s shoulders.

  ‘It seems strange, doesn’t it, that we’re all in limbo. Everything seems to be “after Monday”. I think …’ Erin stopped speaking, suddenly realising Adam was taking everything in.

  ‘Never mind,’ she concluded. ‘It’s not important.’

  They heard the front door open and close, and Tommy a
nd Sally walked through to join them.

  ‘Where’s Daddy?’ Adam’s face showed terror.

  ‘He’s gone straight upstairs, Adam.’ Sally gave him a hug. ‘I think he just needs half an hour on his own. He’s absolutely fine, but he needs time out.’

  Adam breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That’s good. I’ll tell him later Lincoln City won 8 – 1.’

  ‘7 – 1,’ Tim corrected him.

  Adam picked up the football, walked out on to the lawn, and kicked it into the back of the makeshift net.

  ‘8 – 1,’ he said, and grinned, punching the air with his fist. ‘Up the Imps!’

  Mark had never felt so lonely in his life. He didn’t have the strength to face anyone, didn’t want anyone offering him endless cups of tea, brandy, sandwiches; he simply wanted to get on with the rest of his life with Adam.

  He sensed Sally understood. They had left Grace, hardly able to help each other stand. This, they had collectively decided, was their final visit, the last time they would see that beautiful face, and they had felt defeated. Lost.

  They had simply climbed into his car, and driven home. No words had been exchanged until they pulled into the driveway, and Sally had said, ‘You need some quiet time. Go on, we’ll explain to Adam’.

  Adam’s lower bunk bed creaked as Mark laid his head on the pillow. He could hear subdued chatter from below the open window, but it was background noise. He could hear the occasional higher pitched comments of Adam, and he knew he must be desperately missing his younger sister. They had been close, drawn together initially by the circumstances surrounding Ray’s death. They had supported each other, while the adults got on with dealing with murder in the family.

  Mark closed his eyes, but with no thoughts of sleeping. He could feel Grace’s presence around him, without the distraction of sight, and he needed that presence. He wanted so urgently to tell her how much they all loved her, and he had tried conveying that earlier, but now, his thoughts were just Daddy to Grace.

  He pictured her laughing, the long blonde hair flying free; the flute held to her lips, as she began to fulfil the promise of a future musical career, the care as she placed fairies in her fairy garden. A smile played on his lips as he made a silent promise to take care of the fairies, and to make her the fairy door she had asked for.

  He didn’t know how long he remained in the bedroom; he stayed until he felt better. He was aware of the ring of the phone downstairs, an unusual sound, as it tended to be an assortment of ring tones on their mobile phones which invaded the peace, but it couldn’t be anything as important as his time out, so he ignored it. He clearly heard Adam ask if anyone knew when Dad would be coming down, and he sensed his time was almost up.

  He groaned, as he rolled off the bunk. He couldn’t wait to get back into his own bed. He quickly splashed water on to his face, and went downstairs, heading for the kitchen.

  Adam ran to him and hugged him. All was good now.

  He acknowledged the presence of everyone with a lift of his hand, and quietly asked Erin if everything was in place for Michael’s return.

  ‘Everything’s here,’ she said. The nurse is called Joy Shimwell. She’s really nice, and I don’t think she’ll let him get away with anything. We’re putting the bed up tomorrow morning, and the wheelchair is ready and waiting in the hall. All his medication will arrive with him, so I think we’re good to go.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’ve been no help at all, have I?’

  She gave a small laugh. ‘We’ve managed. You’ve had enough on your plate. Oh, and DI Gainsborough would appreciate a call when you wake up. There’s no rush. I said you’d only just gone upstairs, and we didn’t know how long you would be.’

  ‘Did he say what he wanted?’

  ‘No, so I’m assuming that means Jenny isn’t in custody.’

  Mark saw Adam’s head lift, and he flinched. This precious child didn’t need to have it thrown at him that his mother was a killer. He walked into the hall, closing the kitchen door behind him.

  Pulling Gainsborough’s card towards him, he dialled the number. He recognised his voice. ‘Mark Carbrook,’ he said.

  ‘Mark. Thank you for calling back. Are you okay?’

  ‘Fine, thanks. We went to see Grace this morning, and it knocked me for six. What can I do for you?’

  ‘Nothing, it’s just a courtesy call, really. There’s going to be a police presence at the funeral on Monday, and I didn’t want you to feel in any way pressured by it. You shouldn’t really notice it, but I know you’ve seen one or two of us over the past year, and you might recognise us, so it’s just a warning in advance.’

  ‘You’re expecting Jenny to be there?’

  ‘No. Not openly, but every female face will be scrutinised. Your wife is a dangerous woman. She needs to be off the streets and locked up, but so far, there’s no trace of her. I just don’t think she’ll leave the area until after Monday. She hasn’t contacted you again?’

  ‘No, she hasn’t. You’ll be the first to know if she does.’

  Gainsborough expressed his sadness at the loss of Grace, and said goodbye.

  Mark returned to the others and asked Adam if he’d mind leaving them for five minutes while he talked funeral arrangements. Adam nodded; he remembered how upset he had become the last time they had all discussed it, and his Dad’s promise he didn’t have to hear any of it again. ‘I’ll go on the computer,’ he said, and disappeared upstairs.

  Mark then repeated what Gainsborough had said.

  ‘He seems to think Jenny will remain in the area until after Grace’s funeral, and then, she will disappear. I must say, I agree with him. We may have to tell him as early as Monday afternoon where she is. We need a story. We can’t let him think we’ve known for a few days. I suggest Erin tells her story exactly as it happened, but make it that it only happened Monday morning, and she decided to wait until the funeral, knowing Seb would be there. Does that sound feasible? She can just say she spotted his car on the road, and followed it, because she’d never known where he lived. Don’t say you followed him out of the supermarket car park, because he won’t necessarily have been there Monday morning. I don’t want you looking like a liar in court.’

  She nodded. ‘Whatever. I just want him permanently out of my life. He’ll go down for harbouring her, won’t he?’

  ‘I would think so. But, don’t forget, he may not know everything. We’re the only ones who know her car is linked to the three murders. That’s not been released anywhere yet, because they know she’ll disappear, if it is. He may think it’s just the abduction of Grace, and leaving the scene of an accident he is sheltering her from. He’s got some shocks coming his way, and the worst of them will be Erin knows all about his scheming ways.’

  ‘So, by Monday evening, it could all be over? Or all be starting? I suppose it depends on how you look at it.’ Erin sounded thoughtful.

  ‘As long as Jenny’s in custody by the end of it, I don’t really care whether we see it as a beginning or an ending.’ Mark shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. ‘I just want to project myself forward a year, and imagine I will be happy. With Adam happy as well.’

  35

  Michael hid the sharp stab of pain with a grin. He was getting pretty nifty at sliding into the wheelchair, but occasionally, the pain caught him unawares. There was no way he was admitting to feeling anything today. He just wanted to get home, and be ministered by the caring Joy. He suspected she wouldn’t be quite so caring, if he took a step out of line; he would have to make sure she wasn’t aware of any.

  She had already confirmed she would be accompanying him to the funeral, and had added she would decide when it was time for him to head for home. His pain killers precluded alcohol—on that subject, she was equally firm – but, if he was being honest, he wanted no alcohol anyway. He would have to feel a lot better before that entered his life.

  Mark and Tim were waiting for the ambulance doors to open, but they weren’t needed. T
he medics and Joy saw to Michael’s return to Lindum, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he was helped into bed.

  Joy did a quick check of blood pressure and temperature, handed him two painkillers, and told him to have at least an hour’s sleep. She closed his door, and went to her own room, where she unpacked the few items she had brought with her.

  Michael had filled her in on everything he thought she should know about the family she would be sharing her life with for the next four weeks, and as she went into the kitchen, she was surprised by the number of people there. It transpired the house would be a lot emptier by Wednesday, with only Mark, Michael and Adam there on a permanent basis.

  She heard Luc’s French accent for the first time, and chatted to him in his native language. She explained she had worked in Paris for two years, until the death of her client had forced her return to England.

  Joy shared a pot of tea and a sandwich with them all, and then, went to check on Michael. He was still asleep, so she returned to her own room, and sat reading a book for a while. The next time she entered the annexe, he had awoken.

  ‘We need a buzzer of some sort. I need to check your blood pressure again, as it was a little high, and I didn’t want to disturb your sleep. I’ll talk to Mark about some sort of set up. By Tuesday, you’ll be a bit more mobile, able to get around the house a bit, but not today or tomorrow. Today, you need to recover from the transfer, and tomorrow is going to be hard, anyway. But, by Tuesday, we need some sort of alarm attached to you so that you can call me, if you need assistance.’

  He nodded. ‘You’re right. And you were right about me needing a sleep. I feel much more settled now.’

  She put the cuff around his arm, and he waited.

  ‘That’s much better,’ she said. ‘Now, you want a sandwich and a cup of tea?’

  ‘Yes, please, and see if you can talk Mark into making his curry for our evening meal. It’s wonderful, but he may not feel like doing it. I’ve missed his curries.’

  She laughed. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’