A Family Scandal

by Kitty Neale

  Finally Tommy caught up with the man, and shouted, ‘Wait! We need to talk.’

  Alec swung around and nearly knocked him off balance with his outstretched arm, his eyes shining with a horrible intensity as he spat, ‘There is nothing more to say. You won’t change my mind. You are beneath contempt and I’ll never agree to anything you suggest.’

  Tommy caught hold of the man’s arm and drew himself up to his full height, towering over him. ‘It’s no use you trying to twist away. We wouldn’t want any accidents, would we? Your days of messing up Mavis’s life are well and truly over.’

  Stan tutted to himself as he stood at the bar. This was their last night out in Devon and Tommy hadn’t turned up before they left the house. He thought it an odd time to have a meeting about a new contract, but who was he to doubt what his friend told him? All the same, it was a pity, as for once they were all out together without the children.

  ‘And a bitter lemon as well,’ he said to the barman, who turned to the shelf of soft drinks. Stan lined up the pints for himself and Pete and the halves of cider for Jenny and Mavis. They’d joked that as they were in the West Country the least they could do was try the local brew.

  Then he sensed someone close behind him. ‘Get us one of the usual,’ breathed Tommy, bending over to lean on the bar. ‘I’m parched.’

  Stan swivelled round to look at him. ‘Blimey, what you been doing? I was going to say, make yourself useful and take these over to the girls, but by the state of you, you’ll drop them. I’ll get a tray. Seriously, mate, are you all right?’

  Tommy screwed up his face for a moment then gave what looked like a forced smile. ‘Never better. Just in need of a good pint.’ He drank greedily from the glass the barman set in front of him. ‘There was a fair bit of traffic out there, maybe there’s been an accident or something, and not wanting to leave you all waiting I ditched the taxi and ran back, that’s all. Must be more unfit than I thought.’

  ‘Oh, right,’ said Stan, thinking that Tommy had just spent a week running around the beach playing football with James and Greg, not to mention the exercise with Mavis after hours, and hadn’t shown any sign of suffering before. ‘Better get you in training once we’re back home,’ he added weakly.

  Tommy appeared not to be listening, staring at his pint, but then he put his shoulders back and gave the forced grin again as he swept a hand through his messy hair. ‘I suppose we should get these drinks over to the girls.’

  ‘Yes,’ Stan said as she looked directly at his friend, ‘but are you sure you’re all right? You’d tell me if there was anything wrong, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Course I would,’ smiled Tommy. But the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  By Tuesday morning Rhona was desperate. She’d finished her meagre supply of food and the last dribble of lemonade the night before, so thirst and hunger raged. She was racked with non-stop stomach cramps too and with no other choice, her toilet had to be a rusty waste paper bin. She’d managed to sleep a little in the uncomfortable chair but was haunted by dreams in which everyone she knew kept turning their backs to her. When she woke up she felt even more stricken with shame, yet terrified that nobody would come to find her.

  She had shouted and banged on the door that morning until her voice was hoarse and now all she could manage was a croak. Her watch told her it was ten o’clock. Why had no one opened up upstairs? Wouldn’t somebody arrive to clean the place after the mess everyone had made on Sunday night? She strained her ears to try to catch any sounds from above, maybe footsteps or the hum of a vacuum cleaner, but there was nothing. Her nerves were becoming more and more frayed. She couldn’t take much more of this and paced back and forth in the small room.

  She jumped, thinking she’d heard something, but her hope died as she realised it was only her frayed jacket hem catching a pencil on the edge of the desk and knocking it over. Angrily she balled her fist and hit the desk. It hurt, but then so did her head. A sob caught in her throat but she forced it down. She would not cry. She wouldn’t give Andy Forsyth the satisfaction.

  Ten thirty came and then eleven o’clock. Rhona’s pacing got faster and she dug her nails into the palms of her hands so hard they began to bleed, but it somehow helped with the hunger pains. She tried to remember all the words to every song by the Rolling Stones. She told herself that if she could do that, then she hadn’t gone mad. She worked her way through all the hits of the previous year and the singles that she loved from the spring. It was only when she got stuck on ‘The Last Time’ that she thought she heard a noise. She froze. There is was again, a sort of dull thud.

  Her heart started to race. Then she ran to the connecting door and banged on it with her fists. ‘Help!’ but her voice was only a croak. ‘Help … oh please …’

  For one agonising moment Rhona thought whoever it was hadn’t heard her. Then came the best sound in the world, as a key rattled in the lock and the door handle squeaked as it turned.

  Slowly the door opened. A middle-aged woman in an overall and headscarf stood there, her jaw dropping open. For a second she couldn’t say anything, then she gasped in shock. ‘Oh my good God.’ She stared at Rhona. ‘What happened to you? Oh my God. What are you doing in there? What happened to your head? Who are you?’

  Rhona couldn’t answer as finally she gave way to her tears, and she sobbed in relief at the sight of her startled rescuer, whom she’d feared would never come.

  ‘Of course we were worried sick,’ said Marilyn Foster as she hugged her daughter. ‘Trouble is, it’s not the first time you’ve disappeared with no warning, so we made ourselves just get on with everything as usual and wait for you to come home. I’m so sorry, love, if we’d known we’d have been up to that pub like a shot.’

  ‘No, it’s me that’s sorry,’ said Rhona sadly. ‘I never realised how worried I’d made you. I know now.’ She hugged her mother back and then collapsed on to their old sofa. ‘At least the police believed me when I told them I had nothing to do with the robbery. To begin with I reckon one of them thought I’d been part of the gang.’

  ‘I should hope so too!’ Marilyn exclaimed. ‘I’d have given them what for if they’d tried to take you in. There are some right funny ones working in that station. Look at the state of you, any fool should have seen that you couldn’t have done that to yourself. You sit still and take it easy, and the doctor will be here soon.’

  Rhona snuggled against the cushion balanced on the armrest and yawned. ‘I could sleep for a week. I had nightmares down in that bloody cellar.’

  ‘Shall I make you something to eat?’ asked Marilyn. ‘I know they gave you a sandwich in the pub but that’s not enough to fill you up.’

  Rhona smiled, or as much of a smile as she could manage now that the bruising was coming out on her face where it had been shoved against the stinking cellar floor. ‘Yes please. I’ll stay awake for that.’

  ‘I’ve got some pie left from last night. How about that?’

  Rhona sighed with pleasure. ‘I kept thinking about your cooking all the time I was down there. Some pie, and lots of bread and butter with it, and a big mug of tea. And have you got any tins of rice pudding?’

  ‘Of course I have. You know I always keep some in as it’s your dad’s favourite. Would you like a dollop of strawberry jam in it?’

  Rhona nodded. She didn’t care if she never had Babycham again as long as her mum still gave her home-made stew and rice pudding with extra jam. She was out of that vile prison of a cellar, she was home, and nobody was going to hurt her anymore. Even if her head hurt, she was safe at last.

  Tommy sat at his desk and groaned at the pile of unopened post that would have to be seen to before he did anything else. His legs were still stiff from the long ride back in the car on Tuesday, but he told himself to ignore them and get on with all the work that had accumulated in the last week. The holiday was over and he had bills to pay.

  The phone rang and he was tempted to ignore
it but knew he shouldn’t.

  ‘Tommy, is that you?’

  ‘Stan, long time, no hear,’ said Tommy. ‘You putting off starting work as well? Not much fun being back at the coal face, is it?’

  ‘No,’ said Stan’s voice, sounding tense. ‘Have you seen the papers yet?’

  ‘Are you joking? I’ve got a mountain of paperwork to get through. I can’t be sitting around reading the papers.’

  ‘Well, you might want to take a look,’ said Stan hurriedly. ‘Make it fast. You have to read the Mail before Mavis sees it. She’ll be in a right state.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Tommy felt himself growing anxious in reaction to his friend’s tone.

  ‘There’s a story in there about a body being found at the foot of a cliff near Torquay. They say it’s a local man called Charles Collier and they’ve put in a photo of him. As soon as Mavis sees it she’ll know it’s Alec Pugh.’

  ‘What? What did you just say?’

  ‘Alec’s dead, Tommy. He’s fallen off a cliff on to the rocks and died. They don’t mention his real name, but they say he ran a stamp shop so there’s no doubt about it. You’ll have to tell her.’

  Tommy stood up and realised he was shaking.

  ‘You still there, Tommy?’

  ‘Yeah, mate.’ He paused, running a hand across his face. ‘Just a bit shocked, that’s all. The Mail, you said? Not just whatever the local paper is down there?’

  ‘Yes, it’s all there in black and white, page five of the Mail, with a picture of that slimy bastard, which means everyone will recognise him. How about that for a coincidence? He goes missing for ages, then no sooner do we find him than he winds up dead. When I think about what he did to Mavis and the kids, I can’t say I’m sorry. He made their lives a living hell.’

  ‘He did that all right,’ said Tommy.

  ‘Look, I’ve got to go, I’ve got loads to catch up on as well, but I thought you should know as soon as possible.’

  ‘Thanks, and I’ll go over to see Mavis right away,’ Tommy said and after saying goodbye he replaced the receiver.

  Grabbing his jacket he left the office and ran to the corner shop, where he picked up a copy of the Daily Mail, and then the Express and Mirror as well. The woman behind the counter was keen to make conversation but for once he ignored her, running out again and getting into his van. He took a moment to catch his breath and then turned to page five of the Mail.

  TORQUAY BUSINESSMAN FOUND DEAD AT TOP BEAUTY SPOT

  Tommy pulled a face and thought how Alec Pugh would have loved his description, rather than plain old shopkeeper. The man’s face smiled out, posed in front of his premises, with the ‘Collectibles’ sign in the background. There was no mistaking him. Everyone who’d known him in Battersea would recognise him at once, even though he’d aged a little. Tommy skimmed the story but there was not much to tell. The body of Charles Collier had been discovered by some early rising beachcombers on Tuesday morning at the foot of the local cliffs, but the paper didn’t give the exact whereabouts. Nobody appeared to have seen the man fall and police were appealing for any witnesses to come forward. The reporter had managed to find someone to say a few good things about the deceased: how well-mannered he was, how the local community respected him. Tommy snorted. They couldn’t have known him very well, then.

  He picked up the other two papers. They had both run the story but in less detail, and the story wasn’t sensational enough to make the headlines in any of the papers. Now though Mavis had to be told, and they would have to think about what to tell the children. Tommy turned the key in the ignition and set off for Peckham. He drove faster than normal, inwardly praying he wouldn’t get pulled for speeding, but at last reached Peckham and found a place to park near the dog-leg bend of her road. He hurried towards her front door, just as her miserable neighbour was coming out.

  ‘You’re in a hurry this morning,’ she commented sourly. ‘Where’s the fire?’

  Tommy gave her a brief nod and after knocking on the door, Lily answered almost at once. Bobby was just behind her, looking as if he was about to be taken to nursery as he was dragging a colourful canvas bag along the floor behind him. ‘Where’s Mavis?’ Tommy gasped. ‘Has she seen the newspapers?’

  ‘Not that I know of. Why, what’s the matter?’ Lily asked worriedly.

  ‘There’s something she needs to see.’

  They turned as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. ‘Tommy! This is a surprise!’ Mavis’s face broke into a delighted smile. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you until tonight. What brings you here so early?’

  Tommy’s mind went blank. He didn’t know how to begin. ‘I’ve got something to show you … tell you,’ he blurted out.

  ‘Come upstairs then,’ Mavis invited.

  ‘I’ve got to take Bobby to his playgroup, but it’s just around the corner so I won’t be long,’ Lily said, leaving with obvious reluctance.

  Tommy followed Mavis upstairs, and after holding her in his arms for a moment she lifted her face for a kiss, then saying, ‘What is it that you want to show me.’

  Tommy bit on his lower lip and frowned. ‘Mavis, you’d better sit down.’

  Her smile faltered. ‘There’s something wrong, isn’t there? What is it, Tommy?’

  Tommy gently pushed her onto a chair at the table, and then sat down next to her. He pulled out the newspaper, turned it to the relevant page and placed it between them. ‘There’s no easy way to say this, love. Alec is dead.’

  Mavis’s face didn’t alter. It was too much to take in. ‘What did you just say?’

  ‘Alec is dead. Look, here it is in black and white.’

  Slowly Mavis pulled the newspaper towards her. She looked at the page, looked away then looked back again. Her hand went to her mouth as she saw the picture and as she still struggled with her letters, Tommy read it to her.

  ‘Oh God, what a terrible thing to happen.’ She shivered, but then began to babble, ‘Torquay, that was just down the road from where we were staying last week. We could have bumped into him. Thank God we didn’t and that the children didn’t see him. It doesn’t bear thinking about …’ She glanced up, saw Tommy’s expression and her eyes narrowed. ‘Tommy, you knew. You saw him, didn’t you?’

  Tommy couldn’t deny it. She knew him too well. ‘Yes, it’s true. I did see him and so did Stan. It was only towards the end of our holiday. We didn’t say anything because we knew it would upset you.’ He watched her carefully, waiting to see what her reaction was.

  Mavis was in shock, not knowing what to think. On the one hand she suddenly felt desperately sorry for Alec. He’d been a vindictive cruel husband and father but nobody deserved to die like that. He must have lain there for hours in the darkness, his body mangled on the rocks. She’d seen those cliffs, and could imagine only too clearly what the scene must have looked like. She half-closed her eyes to block out the picture in her mind. Yet on the other hand … this was the day she’d been waiting for, for two long years. It was the end of her time in limbo. She had wanted a divorce, but not to find out that Alec was dead, yet dreadful as it was, she was finally free. It was all too much. Before she could stop herself a sob broke from her throat and in the next moment she was in Tommy’s arms, crying unstoppably. The tears ran down her cheeks and soaked his shirt.

  ‘There, there, you don’t have to cry.’ Tommy stroked her back and held her as she wept. ‘He can’t hurt you ever again. He can’t touch the children, none of you have to live in fear of him anymore.’ He rested his face on the top of her head. ‘You’re all right now. I know it’s a bad way to die but you don’t have to be afraid from this day onwards. Don’t be sad for him, he didn’t deserve it.’

  Mavis gave a gulp and the tears slowly stopped. ‘It’s not that, Tommy. It’s the shock, I suppose. Relief as well, mixed with guilt that I feel relieved. Not knowing where he was all this time preyed on my mind. I kept expecting him to turn up one day, to threaten me, or to try to take James and Gr
ace away.’

  ‘Well you won’t have to worry about that anymore,’ murmured Tommy, shutting his eyes in thankfulness that she would never know how close to the truth that last fear came. ‘He’s gone, Mavis, gone for good. You’re too kind-hearted, he doesn’t deserve your tears.’

  She shook her head and looked up at him, her eyes still glistening. ‘I’m not crying for him, really I’m not. It’s sad though, because he was the father of my children and now he’ll never know how they grow up.’

  ‘His choice,’ said Tommy abruptly. ‘He disappeared, so that was his loss, and now he’s lost his life.’

  ‘I know, but I wouldn’t have my two wonderful children if it wasn’t for him. You’re right, I do see that, it was his decision not to have anything to do with them. I can tell them the truth; that he’s dead, and then they won’t be thinking about him turning up again either. I don’t really think it ever entered Grace’s head, but I could see how James flinched when anyone ever mentioned his father.’ She paused and gave a big sigh, tipping back her head. ‘No, the more it sinks in, and though it sounds awful, the better I feel.’

  ‘Good,’ said Tommy.

  ‘And now, at last, I’m no longer a married woman,’ Mavis said. ‘It’s really true. I don’t have to lie, or keep quiet and let people assumptions. I’m a widow, I’m free. Tommy, I’m free.’

  ‘You are.’ Tommy brought his mouth close to hers and kissed her very softly. ‘You are absolutely and totally free to do what you like. How does that feel?’

  ‘In light of Alec’s death, it still feels wrong to say it, but I feel bloody marvellous.’

  ‘Mavis! You never swear!’

  ‘Maybe now I’m a widow I do.’ She smiled up at him. ‘I can do what I like without fearing in the back of my mind that he’ll come back to make my life a misery again. And you don’t have to worry about going on holiday with a married woman.’