Murder With Mercy

by Veronica Heley

  Monday morning

  Busy, busy. Lots to do. Thomas to settle. He said he didn’t think he was up to much yet, but he’d be praying for her. Rose was in a flurry, dropping things. Mikey and Midge made themselves scarce. Thump, thump. He’d found his skipping rope again.

  Ellie, trying not to be distracted, made phone calls. Mr Greenbody – Ken – would be with her on time. He said he had some good news for her. Kate said she’d try to make it but had a whirlwind of a day already booked.

  Her own solicitor, Gunnar. ‘No, my dear, I haven’t forgotten. Do you still need a copy of Mrs Pryce’s will? I’ll look it out as soon as I get to the office, but I’m afraid I’m in court after that. What? What! Oh. Yes, I suppose I could ask my clerk to fax through a copy for you …’

  Gunnar wasn’t going to be much help, was he?

  Vera looked pale but ate a reasonably good breakfast for a change. ‘You can’t really want me in on this, Ellie? I mean, every time that woman sees me she “forgets” my name and asks when I can go to clean for her.’

  ‘She’s afraid of you, that’s why.’

  ‘Of me? A cleaner?’

  ‘Be proud of what you did to keep you and Mikey afloat. And you’re not a cleaner now. You’re a mature student, getting good grades. Yes, I know it will be awkward for you, but I really would like you to join us if you can manage it.’

  Set the scene. To offer coffee or not? Possibly not.

  Dust and hoover in the dining room, which needed attention in the absence of her cleaners. Turn on the lights. Chase Midge and Mikey out from hiding under the big table. What on earth were they playing at? Hadn’t she enough on her plate without …? And the phone rang again.

  This time it was the fax Gunnar had promised. Well, they’d need that. She scanned it carefully. Yes, and yes. That’s what she’d thought. Hoped.

  The front doorbell announced the first arrival.

  EIGHTEEN

  Ken Greenbody bustled in carrying a bulging, rather worn leather briefcase and a superb new laptop. ‘Rejoice with me, Ellie! I bring good news. I thought it might be a good idea to contact young Terry before Ms Pryce realized we were on to her little schemes and could warn him what was happening, so I called in to see him on my way home yesterday. I explained that some of Edwina’s scams had come to light and that she seemed to have involved him, too. I said how worried I was that she might try to drag him down with her in the matter of the fraudulent sale of his car. The very idea caused him to go weak at the knees. He had to sit down and sip a restorative before he could speak coherently.

  ‘Then it all came out. He confessed that he had acted as project manager for her when she had a leak at her flat. The leak was genuine and did do a lot of damage although probably not nearly as much as she made out. Terry had been short of the readies at the time and agreed to project manage for ten per cent of whatever it was she managed to get out of Mrs Pryce. And yes, he probably was aware that some of the bills were inflated first time round, but he denies emphatically that he had anything to do with a second leak and a second lot of work on the flat. He was more than happy to give me a statement to that effect. He is not, definitely not, going to prison to save her skin.

  ‘As to the sale of his car …’ Ken gave a great, chuckling laugh. ‘Yes, I suspect he was in on the scam but now he knows that she’s been rumbled, he’s never going to admit it. He looked me in the eye and declared she must have thought up the fraud herself. He has given me a signed statement to the effect that he did not sell his car to Edwina. I suppose we could get the police to look at his bank statements, to see if he was in receipt of any kickbacks from her, but I’m not sure it would be worth it.’

  ‘Bravo, Ken.’

  He grinned. ‘Oh, by the way, I was late for supper and my wife says I owe her a night out at the opera, strange tastes she has, but there it is. I said you’d be happy to underwrite the cost of the tickets.’

  ‘I shall be delighted. Tell her to pick her programme.’ Ellie flicked tears from her eyes. ‘I can’t tell you how … That’s just exactly what … You know what I mean to say.’

  He was pleased with himself. ‘There’s nothing like sowing dissension in the ranks of the ungodly. Now, where would you like me to set up shop?’

  Ellie suggested he sat at the foot of the long dining table, and she offered him coffee.

  He declined. ‘I wonder, would you like me to be Inquisitor General today?’

  ‘You have all the facts and figures. I’d be grateful.’

  The next arrival was Ms Edwina Pryce, who stepped into the hall as if she were the leading lady making an entrance on stage. A Louis Vuitton handbag was hooked over one arm, and she was wearing a cunningly cut ivory cashmere coat over a matching slimline dress. Her four-inch high heeled shoes were exquisite, her hair had been attended to by a master and her make-up was understated but took a good few years off her age. Or maybe she’d been Botoxed?

  No, no Botox yet, thought Ellie. Or we’d have had the bills for it.

  Edwina looked Ellie up and down. ‘You almost disappear into the woodwork on a dark day like this. Going to a funeral?’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Ellie, who’d been pleased to find only one buttery spot on the midnight blue suit she kept for such occasions, and it had come off nicely with a flannel and some hot water. ‘We’re meeting in the dining room. May I take your coat?’

  ‘If you can hang it up. I do not want it thrown carelessly over a chair. My solicitor will be with us in a moment. He’s just parking his car.’ She consulted a tiny watch on her wrist. ‘Mustn’t take too long. I have an appointment at noon with my manicurist and then I’m going on to meet the carpet people at my new flat.’

  Ah-ha, thought Ellie. So Edwina had put her ill-gotten gains into buying another flat, had she? Hadn’t Evan said something about her looking for another flat so that she could rent out her old one? Now that is something to think about. She said, ‘My own solicitor has only just arrived. You know him, of course. Mr Greenbody.’

  Edwina’s smile tightened. ‘What’s he here for? Poor little man. He was totally under my stepmother’s thumb. But I suppose he’ll do as the second of the two witnesses we’ll need for your signature.’ She stalked into the dining room and seated herself at the head of the table, opposite Mr Greenbody.

  Another ring on the doorbell. Ellie let in a youngish, darkish man clutching a spankingly new briefcase. Edwina’s solicitor? He beamed at Ellie and held out his hand – chilly and slippery – to shake hers. ‘Zach, short for Zachariah.’

  Was that his first or surname? He didn’t say. He did look pleased with himself, didn’t he? The term ‘ambulance chaser’ came into Ellie’s mind. He was keen, all right, but perhaps not very experienced.

  Ellie ushered Mr Zachariah into the dining room, where he took a seat on Edwina’s right.

  Another ring on the doorbell.

  This time it was Hugh, looking harassed. ‘I’m terribly busy. Are you sure this is necessary?’

  ‘Yes, Hugh. Trust me, it is. Do go through and find yourself a seat … perhaps between the two men?’

  A stir in the doorway leading to the kitchen and there was Vera, pale of face, dressed in a sweater and jeans, her hair freshly washed and gleaming in the overhead light. She had a reluctant Mikey in tow.

  ‘Come along,’ said Ellie. She ushered them into the dining room and seated them opposite Hugh and the new solicitor. She herself took a chair between Vera and Edwina, just in case there was any unpleasantness. She surveyed the scene. Men on one side. Women and children on the other.

  Ellie said, ‘Does everybody know everybody? Hugh, this is Mr Greenbody, who used to be the deceased Mrs Pryce’s solicitor. Ken, Hugh is the project manager for the hotel and is here to represent the board of directors’ interests this morning.’

  Edwina, predictably, objected to Vera’s presence. ‘What’s your cleaner doing here?’

  Mikey’s eyes flashed, and he drew closer to his mother. Vera gave a
painful half smile and turned her head away from Edwina, which displeased that lady even more.

  Ellie kept calm. ‘Remiss of me not to introduce everyone. Zach and Hugh, do you know Mrs Edgar Pryce and her son, Michael?’ And if she laid the slightest of stresses on the ‘Mrs’ then who could blame her when Edwina – who had never been married – could only claim the title of ‘Ms’?

  Ellie continued, ‘Mrs Edgar Pryce has had flu but is recovering. As a member of the Pryce family and as Mikey’s mother, I thought it only right that she attend this meeting about the future of the Pryce mansion, and also to refute the allegations laid against her son. I did wonder about asking Terry Pryce, too, but decided against it as he’s never had anything to do with the hotel.’

  ‘And your cleaner has?’ Edwina was not amused.

  Ellie smiled as sweetly as she could. ‘For some years Mrs Edgar Pryce kept herself off benefits by working as a cleaner, yes. She is now at university, studying for a business degree.’

  ‘Whatever,’ said Edwina. She shrugged and waved her hand at Zach. ‘Get on with it.’

  Zach bared very white teeth in what was meant to be a smile but held no mirth. He produced a pair of dark-rimmed spectacles and flicked open his very new, stiff briefcase to extract a sheaf of important-looking papers. He had a watch with a metal bracelet on his left wrist, but the catch was loose on it and he fiddled with it before proceeding.

  He cleared his throat. ‘It is understood that—’

  Ken Greenbody held up a forefinger. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but before you get going I have a quick question for Ms Edwina Pryce.’

  ‘What?’ Edwina was not amused.

  ‘An audit is coming up. Solicitors get hammered if they haven’t disbursed everything their clients entrusted to them.’

  ‘Well, can’t it wait?’ She glanced at her watch.

  ‘It can’t. Not really.’ Apologetic. ‘It’s only a tiny detail.’

  Zach cleared his throat. ‘Perhaps … after the signing? Since Ms Pryce needs to be elsewhere in an hour’s time?’

  ‘Get on with it, Zach,’ said Edwina.

  Zach revealed his teeth in another grimace. ‘I think it has already been accepted that, since Mrs Quicke is no longer the appropriate—’

  ‘It will only take a minute,’ said Mr Greenbody. ‘A question of dates. Was it March or April? That’s all I need to know.’

  ‘What was?’

  ‘The leak at your flat. It isn’t clear. March or April?’

  Edwina snapped out, ‘April. The leak was in the water pipe leading to the washing machine.’

  ‘Oh. Thank you. Do carry on.’

  Zach lifted his papers again.

  ‘So sorry to interrupt again,’ said Mr Greenbody, who didn’t look at all sorry. ‘I’m trying to work out how a little leak in the kitchen could have caused so much damage.’

  As one humouring a nitwit, Edwina said, ‘You know perfectly well why. I was away for the weekend and didn’t discover the leak until it had flooded the flat and got into the electrics. The plumber found I’d still got lead piping, so that had to be replaced and so did the electrics. I had to move out while the place was gutted. The carpets and the furniture all had to be thrown out. It was a nightmare!’

  ‘I don’t seem to have the surveyor’s report from your insurance company.’

  Edwina’s face flooded with colour. ‘You know very well there was no insurance cover. I … it had lapsed.’

  Zach lifted his papers again, but Mr Greenbody was turning back to his files. ‘Yes, yes. I seem to remember, but referring back through my files, yes, here it is … Your stepmother sent you a cheque to cover renewing the insurance for a year in … Yes, that February. A couple of months before the leak.’

  Edwina pinched in her lips. ‘I had other calls on my finances at the time, and … Let’s get on with the real reason why we’re here—’

  Mr Greenbody said, mildly, ‘Ah, did you use the cheque for something else, then?’

  Edwina half rose and then sank back into her chair. ‘You know perfectly well what happened. I had a stack of other bills which needed paying. My stepmother was impossible. She never understood that I had a position to keep up and that I couldn’t go around in rags.’

  ‘So that explains how it happened you had no insurance cover for the leak when it occurred, which is why you asked your stepmother to pay for everything?’ He made a note.

  ‘She was most unpleasant about it, but she did agree in the end to cover my bills. I had to get the lowest possible quotes, use local workmen, replace like for like. The disruption was appalling. I don’t know what I’d have done if a friend hadn’t acted as project manager for me.’

  ‘Ah yes. We’ll come to him in a minute. Now, your insurance. I seem to recall that Mrs Pryce renewed it for you? According to my records, she asked me to send a cheque to the insurance people direct?’

  ‘Of course.’ Edwina signed to Zach. ‘Carry on, or we’ll never get through in time.’

  Zach raised his papers only to have Mr Greenbody, faint but pursuing, ask one more question.

  ‘These plumbers. I have their invoice here, but I can’t find them in the local directory. Preston and somebody?’

  Vera looked bemused. Ellie held her breath. Hugh stiffened in his seat. Mikey, whose eyes had glazed over during the preliminaries, sharpened to attention.

  Edwina shrugged. ‘Someone local. A neighbour recommended them. Can we please get on?’

  Ken Greenbody was leafing through his file. ‘His invoice doesn’t look very professional. Was he moonlighting from a day job?’

  ‘How should I know? He seemed efficient enough to me.’

  ‘His work was satisfactory?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I don’t understand why you’re asking—’

  ‘Then why did the work have to be completely redone, all over again, not three months ago? And, if his work was so poor that another flood occurred with the same devastating effect on the electrics and furniture within the year, why did you use the same people again?’

  ‘I …’ Edwina blinked. ‘No, I … his work was satisfactory, which is why I used them again. These leaks happen. Most unfortunate.’ She blinked rapidly. ‘Those people were the cheapest, so—’

  ‘The second leak happened when you were away on holiday this year?’

  An attempt at a smile. ‘You sound as if you don’t think I had a right to take a holiday. Yes, that’s right.’

  ‘This time you did have insurance cover because I’d paid that cheque myself, direct to the company. And yes, I have the confirmation from the insurance company here. So why didn’t you use your insurance to cover your bills, second time round?’

  Edwina went very still.

  Silence.

  Hugh leaned forward. ‘Mr Greenbody, might I see that plumber’s invoice?’

  ‘Pleasure.’ Ken sent them skimming over the table. ‘First time round … and the second.’

  Hugh looked at them, stone-faced. Then laid them on the table before him, face down. ‘Preston has been working for me full time for some years now. Preston is a qualified plumber of many years’ experience. He would not – could not – have installed plumbing so badly that it had to be redone within such a short space of time. I would query this second invoice, if I were you.’

  Edwina’s voice cracked. ‘How dare you! Why, that’s as good as accusing your own workman of cheating me out of hundreds of pounds.’

  Hugh thrust back his chair. He looked at Ken. ‘Ms Pryce was paid for this second lot of plumbing?’

  ‘The trust paid, yes. A clerical oversight.’

  Hugh pinned Edwina in his sights. ‘You passed that money on to Preston?’

  ‘My project manager did. Yes, of course. What else …?’

  Hugh turned to Ellie. ‘You win, Mrs Quicke. I don’t like to hear of my men doing jobs on the side when they’re supposed to be working full time for me, and I can’t believe his work was so shoddy it had to be ripped out and do
ne again within a year. That second invoice must be a fake. And if Preston was paid for doing non-existent work, then I have to ask why he was given the money, and what he was supposed to do for it. Much as I hate to think it, I’m beginning to agree with you that he was given that money as a bribe, and what could that have been for, except to cause delays to the work at the hotel?’

  ‘Nonsense!’ But red flags flared in Edwina’s cheeks. ‘I don’t know why … I mean, my project manager might have …’

  ‘Why should he pay Preston for work which he hadn’t done?’

  Edwina bit on her lower lip. Her upper teeth were strong and large. For a moment Ellie thought the woman looked like a trapped rat.

  Vera was slow to understand what had been happening. ‘So, when Mikey tried to find out what was going wrong and started watching Preston and Dave, when he came across them damaging the pipes, they blamed him for a problem they’d caused themselves?’

  Hugh admitted, ‘It looks like it.’

  Vera was insistent. ‘This is the same Preston who threw Mikey down the stairs, took him to the police station and accused him of sabotage? It was Preston who set the Social Services on him?’

  ‘I’m afraid so. If it’s any consolation, Mrs Pryce, I will personally see that he and his nephew are dealt with and Mikey cleared.’

  Edwina’s voice climbed. ‘What nonsense! Of course the little bastard was responsible. What else can you expect from a boy with his background?’

  Ellie said, ‘You forget that he’s your nephew, your brother’s adopted son.’

  ‘He has usurped what should be mine by rights.’ She snorted. ‘Well, if you prefer to take the word of a child who’s been truanting and trespassing and sabotaging the work at the hotel instead of mine, then all I can say is that you are making a grave mistake. I am personally acquainted with the managing director of the hotel chain, and I can assure you he will not be impressed by this charade. As if I would dream of bribing a workman! In any case, I had no contact with the workmen who renovated my flat. My project manager saw to everything for me. I don’t suppose I would recognize the plumber if I saw him again.’