If he says ‘What!’ again, I’m going to clock him one.
He said, ‘But …!’
‘The cost? Nothing like the amount you’d have to pay to replace your two laptops.’
‘But …!’
She pulled out her mobile and got hold of Maria at the cleaning agency. ‘I’m sorry I interrupted your evening yesterday, Maria. There was an emergency. And now I have another one. A friend of mine and his wife have had their flat wrecked by an illegal rave or party or whatever they call them. She’s in hospital after having a miscarriage and he doesn’t know how to cope. Could you rustle up a good team to sort him out? Today. Yes, his wife will be coming out of hospital this afternoon with a bit of luck and I’ll put them up overnight, but understandably she wants to get back home as soon as possible. Oh, and I’ll need a plumber and someone to replace a pane of glass. If you can’t get hold of someone … you can? Brilliant. I’ll just run through what needs to be done, shall I?’
She signed to Andy to right a chair for her and used another to place her notepad on. He seemed unable to grasp the fact that things could be righted so quickly.
When she’d gone through her list, Ellie said, ‘Send the bill to me and I’ll sort it out later. Do you think you can get someone started on it this afternoon?’
Maria had a laugh in her voice. ‘Well, Annie’s free. She’s refused to work with Betty any more. Neither would she tell me why, so I told them both to go home until they could work together again. Betty says she’s not going to work for me any more but Annie will. I could pair her with … Yes, I’ll have to ring round but I think I can find someone else. I know Annie will be glad of the extra hours if you can run to a spot of overtime. The plumber … Yes, can do. He may be able to do the window as well, but if not he’ll know someone who can.’
‘Brilliant! I’ll hand you over to my friend who can tell you where his flat is and how you can get hold of a key.’ She passed her phone over to Andy.
Fortunately Andy didn’t respond with a ‘What?’ this time but managed to sound reasonably efficient while he gave Maria directions to the flat.
When he’d finished, Ellie said she wanted to look at the garden and asked if he would show her where Kate’s body had been found.
‘How should I know? She’d been taken away by the time we got here.’ But he took Ellie outside and along past the sitting-room windows to a patio, which was also glittering with broken glass. Beyond that was a small lawn surrounded by shrubs, with a pond to one side. Dividing this property from the next was a tall fence partially disguised with a privet hedge. A small, rather dilapidated garden shed stood in one corner, the door ajar to show it sheltered a lawnmower and shelves of tools, empty plastic pots and so on.
A pair of jeans had been left by the tide, confirming Jess’s story. Andy swooped on them. ‘My best jeans! What are they doing here? Well, they’ll have to be cleaned before I wear them again.’
The pond was small and kidney shaped. It probably measured five feet at its widest and wouldn’t be very deep. It had been made by some long-ago gardener in the days before supermarkets sold plastic moulded in different shapes, or even before the time when you dug a hole, lined it with sand, placed a liner on top of that and hoped it wouldn’t leak when filled with water. This pond had been made of concrete. There wasn’t much water in it so it had probably sprung a leak in recent years.
Andy pointed to an area beyond the pond. ‘They told me she was found there.’ A trampled-down area of shrubs hinted at what had lain there but Ellie was more interested in the pond itself. There weren’t any fish in it, nor plants. The level of the water was low and its colour was greenish to brown. Unappetizing. She imagined that any fish put in there would immediately express their disgust by dying.
The rim of the pond – as the party girls had said – was rounded. The grass of the lawn overlapped the edging here and there. Altogether, it was a depressing sight.
She said, ‘You are no gardener, Andy?’
‘I have better things to do with my time at weekends.’
‘I remember. You play cricket.’
‘Until Lesley cracked my knee.’ He hadn’t been limping up till that point, but now he remembered his ailments and rubbed the offending joint.
‘What’s that?’ Ellie pointed to a dark stain on the side of the pond nearest the house. ‘I’m told Clay got dumped in the pond at one point. Apparently he sat there with his knees up to his chin and they all had a good laugh, except for one of the girls, who is tender-hearted and helped him out.’ She wouldn’t mention that Jess had borrowed Andy’s jeans for Clay. Andy had got them back, hadn’t he? Clay had never got as far as changing into them.
She said, ‘That dark stain on the edge of the pond – what do you think it is? Blood?’
‘What? Why should there be any blood there? The police didn’t say anything about the girl shedding blood. And anyway, she was way over on the other side of the pond, a good six feet or more.’
If only Rafael were here. He’d understand the importance of that stain, wouldn’t he? But this man is … ugh!
She made her voice calm. ‘Yes, I can see where she was found.’ She bent over, licked her finger and rubbed at the dark stain. And tasted it. It tasted of dirt. Perhaps a little metallic? She didn’t really know what it should taste like. In her opinion, the police had been remiss in not testing that stain. Although, to be fair, if Kate had been found lying in the shrubs and there was no sign on her of blunt force trauma, the police wouldn’t have seen the significance of that stain on the pond. If there’d been a second body, however … But there hadn’t, had there?
She said, ‘Can you taste this stain for me?’
‘Why on earth should I?’
She refrained – just – from rolling her eyes.
He really is a boor. I can’t think why Lesley wanted to marry him.
She turned back to the house. ‘Well, let’s get the toiletries Lesley has asked for, shall we? And then perhaps you can make a list of what’s been destroyed. The glasses, mainly. Do you know how many you had before?’
‘Lesley deals with all that.’
She tried not to bite her tongue, which would only hurt. ‘Well, perhaps if you buy half a dozen to start with, that would plug the gap. And some more toilet paper. The food that’s left in the fridge will have to be thrown away. Perhaps we should start on that now and, before you know it, Annie and her new partner will be here and will sweep through the place in no time.’
‘You think you can wave a fairy wand and everything will be back to normal in a trice?’
I think you’re the most selfish man I’ve met in a long time. If Lesley sticks with you for any length of time I’ll be extremely surprised. What’s more, I shall cheer her on when she leaves you. Or pushes you out. It’s a nice thought that the flat is in her name.
She said, ‘Let’s look at the toiletries, then, and make a shopping list for later. After all, you can’t expect Lesley to come back from hospital to face an empty fridge and nothing to drink out of.’
‘Do as you please. I wash my hands of it.’
I am seriously going to clock you one! No, I won’t. I really don’t want to be had up for murder. Or would it be justifiable homicide? I need Thomas to tell me which it would be. And he’d calm me down, too.
She managed to force a smile. ‘Then let me have the list of things Lesley’s asked for and I’ll check it over, shall I? You can drop me back home as soon as Annie and her new partner arrives.’
‘You’re not going to leave me alone to deal with all this? I thought I could rely on you to help me.’
‘Didn’t I come with you? Haven’t I arranged a clean-up for you? Now I have to go back home as I’m looking after my grandson this afternoon.’
‘Well, you can’t expect me to drive you if I have to wait here for your cleaners to arrive.’
‘Very well. I shall ring for a taxi. Now, you know what to do next? Find a dustpan and brush, and some thick gloves
to protect your hands, and start dealing with the broken glass. Fortunately your wheelie bin is empty and you can dump everything in there. And then …’
He wasn’t listening.
She gave up on him and phoned for a cab.
SIXTEEN
Tuesday, mid-morning
On the way home, Ellie told herself she ought to be more patient in her dealings with Andy. The poor man was under considerable stress. On the other hand, she didn’t have to stay at his side and hold his hand one minute more than was necessary, did she?
Perhaps he felt she was being difficult, too.
Anyway, she wanted to be home when her grandson arrived. She’d never hear the end of it if Diana arrived to find the house empty.
Passing through the Avenue, she found she was hungry and asked the cab driver to stop outside the Village Bakery. She bought some of their spinach and cheese pastries, a soft scone for Evan, some more bread and one of the bakery’s egg and bacon rolls, which were far too much for her to eat but which she thought Rafael could manage. And, remembering his offer to return if needed, she dialled his number to say she was on the way home with some lunch but had remembered the code for the alarm, if he was busy. And if not, did he fancy a bite to eat with her?
She really didn’t want to be alone in the house at the moment. Milos might have been diverted but, on the other hand, he might not.
Rafael arrived at the house before her. He’d showered and shaved. He was wearing a dark-green silk shirt and matching waistcoat with tailored black trousers. Very fetching. Instead of a motor bike, a discreet but expensive Audi had been parked in her driveway.
She said, ‘Just in time for lunch. I hope you’re hungry. And I’ve got lots to tell you.’
She’d thought Rafael would be interested in that stain on the side of the pond, and indeed he was.
‘Can you describe the stain? What colour was it?’
‘Black. About eight inches across? Blob-shaped. I did wet my finger to see if I could taste it, but that wasn’t much good as I don’t really know what blood tastes like.’
‘Metallic.’ He stared off into the distance.
When Ellie got up to make them a pot of tea, he said, ‘Kate didn’t bang her head in the garden, did she? So whose blood is it on the side of the pond. I wonder if—’
‘Clay. Yes, I think so. He wasn’t in any of the wheelie bins outside the house, though.’
‘What? You have a weird imagination.’
‘I know.’ She was cheerful about it.
The front doorbell rang.
Ellie shot to her feet. ‘Diana! How could I forget? I’m babysitting for my grandson this afternoon.’
Diana was beating a tattoo on the bell. Impatient as always. ‘Come on, Mother! You know how busy I am. Hurry up! Evan’s been complaining about feeling sick and I really can’t be doing with that in my car. Here, take these!’
She handed Ellie a clutch of papers advertising flats to rent and for sale. Ellie nearly let them slip as she helped Evan out of his car seat. He was clutching Hippo, his favourite soft toy, but his colour wasn’t good.
Before Ellie could get the little boy into the house, Diana had driven off with a spurt of gravel.
‘Evan dear, do you really feel sick?’
Evan shook his head. He was languid and heavy-eyed. He made heavy weather of mounting the step into the porch and was brought up short by seeing a strange man in the hall.
Rafael and Evan stared at one another. Sizing one another up. Which was the alpha male in these circumstances?
Evan took one wobbly step forward and … uh-oh! … up it all came.
Evan wailed his discomfort and dropped his favourite toy, the velvety soft pink hippopotamus.
Ellie dumped the fliers Diana had given her on the shelf in the hall and took Evan off to the cloakroom to wash him and the toy down.
Rafael – good for him – got a mop from the kitchen and cleaned up the mess on the floor.
Ellie sat Evan on her lap in the kitchen and gave him tiny sips of water to drink. He wasn’t really hot. He hadn’t got a fever. He wasn’t ill. He’d had an overloaded stomach and he’d unloaded it.
He began to revive.
Rafael washed his hands at the sink. ‘So, little one, what have you been eating?’
Evan turned his head away from Rafael. No answer.
Rafael sat down near Ellie and said, again, ‘You’ve been stuffing your face with something you hadn’t oughta?’
Evan whispered something. Ellie bent down to hear him.
He whispered again, still ignoring Rafael.
Ellie hid a smile. ‘Oh, dear. You shouldn’t have done that, Evan. Just look what’s happened.’
Evan pushed himself off her lap and landed on the floor with a thump. Then he made for the sitting room, where he emptied his big box of Lego out on to the floor.
Ellie said, ‘Thank you, Rafael. Someone at the nursery didn’t fancy his lunch, so Evan ate his share as well as his own. No wonder he was sick. I’d better keep an eye on him.’
Rafael followed her into the sitting room. ‘My nephew, aged four, ate not only his own Easter egg but also his sister’s. She was furious and he chucked up the lot. Do you suppose everyone has to overeat before they discover the consequences? I don’t think I did. But then, I haven’t got a sweet tooth.’
Evan was happily stirring Lego pieces around on the floor. Ellie dithered. ‘He seems settled now and I really ought to clean up in the kitchen.’
‘What you mean is, can I be trusted to watch the lad while you go about your business?’
He’d got that right. She took a step towards the door. Evan paused in his play but didn’t scream for her return. She left the room, walking slowly so that he could call her back if he weren’t happy at being left with Rafael. But Evan didn’t call her back, and Rafael seemed happy to sit and watch the lad, so she left them to it.
What to do first? She checked to see if there were any messages on the phone in the hall. Nothing. Good. She hadn’t finished dealing with the morning’s post. Did she have time to do that before anything else happened? And, she must ring the hospital to see how Lesley was doing. She lifted the receiver on the phone in the hall, only to put it down again as Evan came out of the sitting room and toddled off down the corridor with Hippo clutched under his arm. Followed at a distance by Rafael. Evan was going for a nap in the Quiet Room? Oh, dear.
Yes, he turned in there, leaving the door ajar.
She told Rafael, ‘Diana really doesn’t like him taking a nap in the afternoons because he doesn’t sleep through the night afterwards. But after having had an upset stomach, I expect he needs it. Hopefully he won’t be out for long. He’ll be safe in the Quiet Room. He’ll pull a couple of cushions off the chairs and doss down on the floor for maybe half an hour. I’ll have to wake him after that, if he’s not woken of his own accord.’
Someone rang the doorbell. Sharply. Insistently.
Ellie sighed. ‘No peace for the wicked. Who can that be?’
A woman’s voice. ‘Let me in!’
Angelica? Surely not!
‘Please, please, please. You won’t regret it, I promise!’
Rafael rubbed his chin. He was doubtful about trusting the girl, and who could blame him?
Ellie hesitated. ‘I suppose … she does hold the answer to a number of important questions. I’ll let her in. But don’t let’s leave her alone at any time, right?’ Ellie swung the door open.
Angelica was on the doorstep. ‘Surprise!’ she cried, thrusting her left hand in Ellie’s face.
A diamond ring sparkled. ‘Oh, I’m so happy! You must congratulate me!’ Angelica enveloped Ellie in a bear hug, rocking her to and fro. ‘Where’s Andy? I’ve got to tell Andy and that cow he’s married. Won’t she half be cross! Yes, Rafael – I’m getting married and I’ve got your money, and some for Mrs Quicke, too. So champagne is in order, right?’
Angelica danced around the hall, leaving a trace of expensi
ve scent behind her. She’d been shopping again. Her outfit was brand new and right up to the minute: an apology for a skirt, a fitted bodice-style top and high heels. ‘I can stay here till the wedding, can’t I, Mrs Quicke? It’s going to be soon, soon, soon! Oh, let me give you your money. I told you I’d repay you, didn’t I? Aren’t I a good girl? And do you think I should ask our desperate wallflower, Susan, to be my one and only bridesmaid? What do you think?’
She opened a brand-new handbag – Ellie could smell the leather from where she stood – and brought out an envelope. From this she extracted a cheque which she handed to Rafael. ‘There! For you, my good, kind friend, who helped me out when I was in such trouble! Payment in full. And for you, Mrs Quicke, although we never really worked out how much I should pay you in rent, I’ve got a cheque for you, too, which should cover it and leave some over for the gas and all the other nasty household bills, right?’
Ellie gaped at the cheque put into her hand. Made out to her. Six hundred pounds, which was more than enough.
Except that she didn’t feel like taking it.
‘Don’t look so cross, dear Mrs Quicke, it’s a perfectly valid cheque. And I’ve got some more money to pay off all my credit cards. Isn’t that brilliant?’
Rafael looked dazed. ‘How did you come by this money?’
Angelica was airy. ‘I asked Jake and he gave it to me, the dear love that he is! I assure you that the cheque won’t bounce.’
Rafael said, ‘It’s drawn on his father’s business account.’
Angelica said, ‘Jake says nothing is too good for his little sweetie pie. From now on it’s caviar and champagne all the way for his little wife-to-be.’
Ellie removed her thumb from the bottom right-hand corner of the cheque. It was indeed a business account but the name printed on the cheque meant nothing to her. There were two signatures, as is often the case for business accounts. One was illegible. The other was … she held it closer to her eyes to make sure … that of Jake Hartley Summers.
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