by Issy Brooke
“No,” he said, with a solemn and final tone. “No, Penny. Not this time.”
* * * *
Ariadne looked up almost guiltily when Penny stamped her way into the living room. Penny briefly wondered why. One of the reasons Penny stayed in bed late these days was because Wolf was sleeping downstairs, while his mother and sister took the second bedroom upstairs. He always took care to be up and dressed by half past seven, but Penny felt awkward about invading his privacy and tried to give him as much time as she could. Obviously his mother didn’t feel the same. She was up and active from roughly the same time as Wolf.
Destiny would not surface for another hour or three.
“Good morning. What are you up to?” Penny said, grumpily sitting on the arm of the sofa.
Ariadne was kneeling on the rug, next to Kali, who was lying down. The dog thumped her tail in greeting but quickly returned her attention to Ariadne.
“I’m clipping her nails.”
“Did they need clipping?”
“A little. I think you’re doing more walks in the fields at the moment, so they aren’t getting worn down.”
Penny watched as Ariadne bent back to her task, slowly and precisely shaving a little off each nail and quickly feeding the dog a little treat with each one.
“I didn’t realise you are so good with animals,” Penny said. Ariadne was so much younger than her. There was obviously a lot she had never realised about her own sister.
“I’ve always loved them. When I moved in with Owen…” Her voice wavered but she coughed, and ploughed on. “When I moved in with him, he said I could have a dog. But it never worked out. I used to read all the books in the library and watch all the television programmes, but…”
“When you get your own place, you can fill it with dogs,” Penny said. “This is the start of a new life for you.”
Ariadne smiled. She sat back on her heels and patted Kali’s head. “That would be nice. I want more real experience with them. I got talking to a woman in town, yesterday, and she’s told me to come up to the animal sanctuary. She said you were a volunteer there, too. I didn’t know that.”
Penny blushed slightly. “I am. I haven’t been for a while. I help out in the shop at weekends, just for a few hours, but when you moved back here, I asked to have a break for a while.”
“Oh, Penny, there’s no need. We’re getting on fine, me and the kids.”
“There is. I’ve ignored you and your family for too long. I’ve got a lot of making up to do.” She was alluding to the many years they spent arguing and then the subsequent years of silence.
Ariadne shook her head. “I was a different person back then. He changed me. I’m finding out who I used to be, once more. It’s like peeling off layers. Bad layers. I’m sorry for everything that happened, and the way we lost touch was as much my fault as yours; I pushed you away. I had to push everyone away. If I believed you, then I had to accept that Owen was no good, which also meant I had to accept I’d made a mistake, and … it got complicated. I don’t know. But the family liaison officer says I should go for counselling, and maybe I will.”
“That sounds good.”
“Yes. But the main thing,” Ariadne said, “is that you don’t need to fight my battles for me, big sis. I’m grateful for your support, but it’s going to be okay. Okay?”
“Okay,” Penny said. Her heart was sinking even further as one more person told her that she was no longer needed.
* * * *
Ariadne went off to the dogs’ home to enquire further about opportunities up there, and Penny was left to float around the house. Destiny had emerged from her bed, and was now curled up on the sofa, her headphones plugged in as she scrolled through various social sites on her mobile phone. She was in a lilac onesie that looked both ridiculous and temptingly comfortable. Wolf took up his customary position on the beanbag on the floor, Kali at his side. He was reading an impressively thick book that seemed to feature elves.
Penny stood by the front window, staring out. Then she mooched along looking at the books on the bookshelf by the television. She pottered through to the kitchen and wiped down the work surfaces. Her portfolio of artwork was wedged between the table and the wall in a corner. She didn’t have any motivation to pull it out and get some work done.
She wandered back into the front room but no one had moved an inch.
Suddenly Destiny pulled the earbuds out and slammed them down into her lap. “Penny! Stop moping!”
She shrugged. “I’m not moping. I just feel helpless.”
“You’re not helpless. You are helping a lot. You help by being normal. That’s what mum needs right now.”
“What do you need? You and Wolf? You’ve suffered so much. I need to do the right thing.”
Destiny’s eyes fluttered closed briefly as a look of pain crossed her face. When she opened her eyes again, they were bright with tears she was too proud to shed. “Time is the only thing we need,” she said stiffly. “We’ve been through much worse, anyway.”
Penny winced. So they had, indeed.
“They are going to have some problems trying to find out who killed him,” Destiny continued. Penny noticed how she avoided saying “dad.” She understood why.
“How so? The police are pretty good,” she said, adding silently, even without my help, I suppose.
“Yeah, but I reckon absolutely everyone he met wanted him dead. What do you think? You did loads of investigating, didn’t you?”
“Not this time. I got warned off the case this morning.”
Destiny’s eyes widened and she sat up. “Ooooh really? What happened? Who, how?”
“Nothing exciting or dramatic. I got a phone call and they told me to stay out of it and leave it to the police. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“No way!”
“Yes, way. In fact, I’m going to call Cath right now, and tell her.”
Destiny laughed cynically as Penny dialled Cath’s mobile number. She didn’t even go through the pleasantries when Cath answered.
“Hi, Cath, it’s Penny. I spoke with your Inspector this morning. I wanted to … uh, I wanted to say sorry about yesterday, and to let you know that I won’t be interfering any more. So. There you have it.”
“Ahh. I hope he wasn’t too harsh with you,” Cath said.
“No, no, he was fine. I do understand why he said it.”
Unfortunately, Destiny was now openly making an over-the-top surprised face, and Wolf was pressing his hand to his mouth to stifle his giggles. Penny turned away so she didn’t have to see them.
“That’s good,” Cath said. “Thank you. It will make our job easier.”
“Great. And about yesterday. Did you go back to see Alf? Is it all sorted? I am worried about what might happen if he tries to come after Ariadne again.”
“I did go and see him, and I have persuaded him that he needs to go through the official channels. But please let me know if he makes contact again.”
“Is he …” Penny tailed off. I’m not involved, remember, she said to herself.
“Is he a suspect? I know what you’re thinking. He’s of interest but … but look, we’re currently looking at Gareth Dickenson. Gaz, the man from the protest camp, the one you saw getting into Ed’s car.”
“Had they argued, then?” Penny asked, remembering his black eye.
“Apparently so. It was all about politics, according to Mr Dickenson. Anyway, so that’s where we are up to, but the scene of crime officers are all over it, and forensics are getting excited about whatever it is they get excited about. That’s all I can say.”
“Thanks, Cath.”
When Penny put her phone away, both Wolf and Destiny were still smiling. “You lie really well,” Destiny said. “I was nearly convinced.”
“I am not lying! What makes you think I am lying?”
Destiny laughed. “You pull the same face as mum does, and Wolf does, and probably I do, too.”
“Oh for goodness
’ sake,” Penny said in exasperation. “I had news for you, too, but I have half a mind to not tell you, now.”
“You’ll have to,” Wolf said seriously. “Or I’ll set Kali on you.”
“She’s my own dog!”
“Mm-hm. She belongs to whoever has the most biscuits, really.”
It was a painful truth. Penny gave up, and told them that Gaz Dickenson was the main suspect, not angry Alf.
“What were they arguing about again?” Destiny said in an incredulous tone. She sat up properly and swung her legs to the floor. Wolf, too, had laid his book aside.
“Politics.”
Both children burst out laughing.
“No,” Wolf said decisively. “That’s another lie, but it’s not one of yours.”
“He would argue about a lot of things,” Destiny added. “Stupid, trivial things. If you’d said it was all over beer, or a card game then yeah, I’d believe you. But politics?”
“No way,” Wolf said. “No way.”
Destiny closed her eyes again. “No. He would never argue about the important stuff that needs to be argued about.”
Chapter Six
The following few days exploded into a busy flurry of organisation and packing: Ariadne had taken a lease on the cottage further down River Street. It was the one that Steven, the bar man at the hotel, had mentioned; a “to let” board had gone up, and Ariadne had been on the phone instantly. It was vacant, and Ariadne wanted to move in as soon as possible. Penny was glad of the distractions. Ariadne needed references and a deposit, and Penny stepped up as guarantor for her; all the joint assets were frozen while Owen’s death was investigated. She dug into her savings without hesitation.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t move in straight away,” the landlord was saying as they met outside the cottage at the weekend. He handed over a set of keys and a copy of the inventory.
“It’s fine,” Ariadne assured him. “I appreciate you letting me so quickly, actually.” She passed the keys to Wolf who could barely contain himself. He dashed in, closely followed by Destiny. It was a three-bedroomed house, as it had an extension at the back that Penny’s own cottage lacked, and the two kids wanted to fight over who got the best rooms.
The landlord, Ian, smiled ruefully. “I had to gut it,” he said. “I even had to put a new door in. Can you believe that?”
Penny said, “What, they’d trashed everything?”
“Trashed, or modified. The front door had about seven different bolts and locks on it.”
“Why?” Penny asked.
Ariadne snorted. “Oh, I know why. Was it a bunch of drug dealers living here?”
Ian grimaced. “Please don’t let it put you off … I promise you, I’ve had a professional cleaning company around.”
“Drug dealers!” Penny was incredulous. “Here, in Upper Glenfield, ten doors away from my own house? I would have noticed!”
“I doubt it,” the landlord said. “They try not to draw attention to themselves. Inside, though, it was a mess. They weren’t the rich sort of dealer you see in films, with fancy cars and lavish lifestyles.”
“I don’t think that sort of dealer even take the drugs that they sell,” Ariadne said. “There was a problem in some parts of Leicester where I was living before. The same as any city and even any town, though, really. It’s not just Leicester. I bet it’s as bad in Lincoln. And the poor souls in the middle, the ones who are addicted and who try to deal to get more money for more drugs, well, I do feel a bit sorry for them.”
Penny felt like she was on the outside of a conversation. This was London stuff, not rural Lincolnshire, surely! Then she thought about Steven, the bar manager at the hotel, again.
“Wages are low around here, is that right?” she said.
“Low?” the landlord scoffed. “What wages? Where do you think people work around here?”
“Um … Lincoln?”
“Exactly. But you need a car to get there. The buses don’t run at convenient times and they are certainly no good for shift work or late finishes. It used to be agriculture around here, but that’s long gone.”
“I’ve met folks that work in the fields,” Penny said, feeling more and more foolish. “And there’s that vegetable processing factory out on the Fens.”
“It’s all seasonal work. There’s about eight weeks for the pea season in summer, stay on for carrots and beans if you’re lucky … but what are you going to do in November? December? January?” The landlord softened his tone. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to have a go at you. Both my kids had to move away, and most of my nephews and nieces too. And then the properties get sold as second homes, or to retired people, and the town gradually dies.”
“I am a retired person,” she said. “I had no idea.”
“Don’t take it to heart,” he said. “I know you by sight. You do get involved in stuff, which is more than I could say for a lot of them. And at least you’re asking questions.”
I’m not supposed to, she thought bitterly.
Ian turned to Ariadne. “I need to show you where the stopcock is for the water, and everything,” he said. “And we have to go through the inventory. Ready?”
They went off and Penny stayed outside, looking at the pretty cottage with its warm stone and the cheerful, new white door. The sun was warm and she was glad for a few minutes of peace.
When Ian and Ariadne came back down, she asked him, “So if the ones that lived here weren’t the top level of drug dealer, who is? Who do I need to be watching out for in Glenfield?”
“Oh, I don’t reckon none of them live around here. They don’t need to. They’ll be in Nottingham or even London; it’s not so far away by motorway or train.”
“Do people know who they are? I suppose the police must have suspicions.”
“You are not going to become some kind of private investigator or vigilante,” Ariadne said quickly.
Ian laughed. “Oh yeah, I had heard about you! I am sure that everyone knows who the top crime bosses are. Ferg is the one they all talk about. He’s clever; no one can pin anything on him at all. He uses a huge network of minions, and they are the ones that take the rap when things go wrong. That Ferg always seems to keep his nose clean. You know, if these criminals put as much effort into legitimate business as they do into crime, they’d be running successful companies.”
Ariadne had finished signing the separate sheets of the inventory and she passed back one copy to Ian. “But it’s about the buzz, as far as I understand it,” she said. “Some people just like to be set against the system.”
Penny fell silent as she thought about Owen and his constant fight against the myriad perceived slights of “government.”
“Well,” said Ian, tucking away the paperwork, “I have no worries about you and yours. You’ve got my number. Did I give you that sheet with the emergency call-out details on it?”
“Yes, don’t worry. Thanks for everything.”
“No problem. I hope you enjoy living there.”
“Thanks. We’ll look after it.”
“You can’t be any worse than the last lot,” he said as he left.
Penny turned to Ariadne. “All sorted?”
“It’s just the start.” Ariadne sighed and rested against the frame of the open door. She tipped her head back, and Penny thought she was blinking back tears.
Because it was a funny sort of moving day, really. They had fled their family home and arrived on Penny’s doorstep with nothing but some bags. Tonight they’d be sleeping on a combination of inflatable camping beds, and one single bed that Drew had obtained from the Hotel. Their furniture was likewise a mishmash of generously donated items, and improvisations. Ariadne had tried to convince the kids it was going to be as “exciting as camping” but Destiny had drily remarked, “And camping is not exciting at all, so…”
“I’ll help in any way that I can,” Penny said.
“You have said that a thousand times.”
“I’ve got a lot more to
say until I’ve made things up to you.”
“We’re sisters,” Ariadne said. “We don’t need to say some stuff, you know? I don’t want to … go over things all the time.”
Penny bit her tongue. She didn’t like Ariadne’s habit of burying her head in the sand about things, but she had to let Ariadne decide what was best.
Ugh, thought Penny. I am sure I know what’s best. Oh well. Brightly, she said, “What happened yesterday, about school for the kids?”
“They are both going to start at Glenfield Academy. I’ve got a list of stuff to buy…” She sighed and trailed off.
“I know you don’t want me to lend you any more money, but in this case, it’s not for you. It would be for Destiny and Wolf.”
“Thank you.”
Penny stopped herself saying any more on the difficult subject. She changed tack. “What sort of plans does Destiny have for her future?”
“Ask me yourself,” the teenage girl said, appearing in the hallway behind her mother.
Penny grinned. “Okay, then, what do you want to be if you grow up?”
Destiny pretended to be affronted at the sarcasm hidden in the sentence, but she had a smile in her narrowed eyes. “Really? I don’t know. I am supposed to know, but it’s hard. It’s, like, I know I’m not cut out for going to uni or anything, so I guess I will go to college, but I don’t know what I want to do. It all looks boring. I don’t want to sit in a classroom for the next few years and then go sit in an office for the rest of my life.”
“You could go into hairdressing, or something. You don’t have to be in an office,” Ariadne said.
Penny snorted. “You could teach in a school in Mali or climb a mountain in Nepal or run a croft in the Hebrides or become a nun in inner-city London or start a web design business in Cornwall. You’re at the start of your life and you can do anything!”
Both Destiny and Ariadne stared at Penny. Ariadne was open-mouthed but Destiny just shook her head, a crushing and depressing dismissal. “Nah. Not people like me. We don’t do stuff like that. Penny, can you give me a lift into Lincoln later? Please, pretty please?”
