The Golden Anklet

by Beverly Hansford

  ‘They are in custody,’ announced Inspector Boyd.

  ‘What about Babs?’ asked Jane.

  ‘We have a Barbara Mooney in custody,’ answered DC Penlow. He added, ‘There is also a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.’

  Jane was silent for a few seconds. In a way she had felt that Mel was not all bad. At times she had shown some compassion. Mel had had a bad start in life and now she was in trouble again. Perhaps another prison sentence. In spite of what Jane had experienced, she felt a little sad for her.

  ‘What will happen to them?’ she asked.

  DC Penlow shrugged his shoulders. ‘No doubt in time they’ll be tried in court and convicted. Most likely end up in jail,’ he remarked casually.

  Inspector Boyd must have cottoned on to Jane’s thinking about Mel. ‘Don’t feel sorry for these people,’ he advised her. ‘All of them have previous convictions. Carl Brody and Peter Grant are pretty violent characters. As you’ve found out,’ he added, indicating Jane’s eye.

  Jane did not answer. Carl’s treatment of her had been one of the worst parts of her ordeal. And she would have a constant reminder for a while every time she looked in the mirror.

  Inspector Boyd changed the subject. ‘Miss Carroll…’ he began. He paused and studied her closely. ‘Miss Carroll, I’d like to go over again one or two parts of the original statement you gave to the police here in Portsmouth.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ replied Jane.

  PC Penlow glanced through his paperwork and handed a sheet to Inspector Boyd. His colleague studied it for a second and then addressed Jane again.

  ‘You say your name is Jane Carroll, but you also claim to be Ruth Ashington. Can you just explain again how that came about?

  Jane thought for a second about how best to explain everything.

  ‘Well,’ she began. ‘It was when I started to research my family history…’

  She described how she had gone to the churchyard and had been dismayed to learn that she had the name of a dead child. ‘It wasn’t until I went to the orphanage where I spent my early life,’ she explained, ‘that I discovered that I had entered that establishment under the name of Ruth Ashington. There seems to have been a mix-up over the names somewhere on the records.’

  ‘Did you know anything about the Ashington family before you started your research?’ asked Inspector Boyd.

  Jane shook her head. ‘Absolutely nothing,’ she replied.

  DC Penlow looked at her in surprise. ‘Miles Ashington is a well-known public figure. He is frequently in the news.’

  Jane hastened to set the record straight.

  ‘I had heard of Miles Ashington, of course, but at the start I had no idea I was related to his family,’ she explained.

  ‘How did you find out that you were this particular Ruth Ashington?’ asked Inspector Boyd.

  ‘I made contact with the woman who had looked after me when I was a baby and had taken me to the orphanage,’ replied Jane.

  DC Penlow looked at his notes. ‘Elizabeth Barton?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’

  Jane suddenly thought of something else.

  ‘When I met Miles Ashington, he confirmed that I must be the daughter of his late wife, Ann,’ she explained.

  Inspector Boyd smiled at her. ‘How did you feel about that?’ he asked.

  ‘It came as a bit of a shock. You see, I’d always thought I was Jane Carroll.’

  ‘And now you are part of a very old and illustrious family. And a very wealthy one.’ It was DC Penlow who spoke, his eyes fixed on Jane.

  Jane was a bit pensive. ‘I’ve never thought about it that way. At the moment I’m just a bit confused and overwhelmed by the whole thing,’ she said truthfully.

  ‘Is it the case that you were staying at a cottage belonging to Mr Ashington at the time of your abduction?’ asked DC Penlow.

  ‘Yes.’ Jane felt she had to add, ‘Miles and Gail Ashington have been extremely kind and helpful to me, and when I disappeared they were very supportive towards my fiancé.’

  The senior officer nodded. ‘Yes. We have interviewed the Ashingtons and they confirm everything you have told us.’

  Jane was determined to try to find out more about her abduction. She thought out her next question carefully.

  ‘When I was being held by Mel and Carl, Mel admitted to me that they were working for somebody else. Somebody important – somebody they were afraid of. Have you any idea who that might be?’

  Both officers seemed to be taken aback by her question. After a short silence, Inspector Boyd gave her a carefully worded answer. ‘Yes, we have. But we can’t tell you who it is at present.’

  Jane could see that once again she was up against a brick wall. All she could say was, ‘I see.’

  Inspector Boyd seemed to understand her reaction. ‘Look, I know it’s tough not knowing what’s happening, but I promise you you won’t be kept in the dark much longer. As soon as something important happens we’ll fill you in immediately. You are being of great assistance to us today by helping us to clarify things.’

  Jane smiled at him. ‘Thank you. I’m happy to do what I can, but somehow I don’t think I am being much help to you. I know so little.’

  ‘Sometimes the tiniest bit of evidence can lead to an arrest,’ replied Inspector Boyd with a grin.

  The officers continued to go over Jane’s statement. Some of their questions she thought seemed quite trivial, but she answered all of them as best she could. The two men spent over an hour with her. At last they thanked her and told her she had been of great help to them in their enquiries. As he shook her hand, Inspector Boyd asked her if she had any idea how long she was going to remain in hospital.

  ‘Not long now, I hope,’ she replied.

  ‘Let us know as soon as you are discharged,’ he stressed. ‘Ring me or DC Penlow. I’ll give you a number where you can reach us. And if you could just let us have your mobile number…’

  Jane put the details carefully into her mobile phone and then they made a note of her number.

  After the two police officers had left, Jane went over the interview in her mind. She had got over her initial surprise on discovering that they were from the Metropolitan Police. Clearly in the last few days the investigation had been extended considerably. She was convinced the police knew a great deal more than they were telling her, and this puzzled her. Even though they had assured her that she would be put in the picture soon, it was an odd situation, considering that she was the victim of the abduction. She guessed that all she could do was wait, but that was frustrating and worrying.

  That evening she phoned Bob and told him about the visit. His reaction was one of mild surprise. ‘Gosh!’ he exclaimed. ‘That means they must be after somebody in London.’

  ‘Yes, but who? They won’t tell me anything, and until they do I just have to sit and wait.’

  ‘I’m sure it won’t be long now,’ replied Bob, trying to reassure her.

  Jane suddenly thought of something important to tell him. ‘Oh! There is just one thing. They told me today they thought the immediate danger to me was past.’

  Bob was pensive. ‘Hmm. That must mean they know who’s behind it.’ He laughed. ‘I was wondering how they were going to give you protection at your apartment.’

  ‘I’d never thought about that,’ chuckled Jane. She tried to imagine her neighbours’ reaction to the presence of a police officer at the entrance to the building, and what Gerald and Anna would say if they saw a guard outside her door.

  She was still thinking about the scenario when Bob spoke again. ‘Anyway, poppet, how are you feeling now?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m getting better by the hour. Seeing you yesterday was the turning point. I fully intend to be out of here soon,’ Jane replied cheerfully.

  ‘Good for you,’ laughed Bob.

  Something else crept into Jane’s thinking. ‘Darling, I can’t stay on the phone very long. I’m eating up my credit, and I wa
nt to phone Lucy to warn her that the police might want to interview her. The poor girl will wonder what’s happening if they turn up unannounced on her doorstep – or worse still appear at the children’s home with that dragon of a boss around.’

  Bob’s reaction was more practical. ‘Damn. I meant to leave some money with you to top up the mobile, and I forgot. Can you borrow some cash from someone? I’ll reimburse them.’

  Jane reacted swiftly. ‘Darling, I’m fine. I have enough credit, but I just have to be careful.’ She gave a little laugh. ‘It’ll teach me not to spend so much time on the phone.’

  *

  The following evening the young police officer outside the door came to see Jane and told her it was his last day and he had been instructed to return to normal duties. When Jane asked him if her police protection had been terminated, he told her that was the case.

  The morning after that, Jane was transferred to a normal ward. She found herself in a four-bedded bay. Her two companions, both middle-aged women, were hardly the kind of people she would have chosen as close associates. One grumbled all the time about everything from the food to the hospital staff. The other talked incessantly. Within an hour of her arrival Jane had had a complete rundown of the woman’s family and their activities as well as precise details of her operation. Somehow the woman had learnt what had happened to Jane. She kept up a barrage of questions. What did her captors give her to eat? How long had they kept her tied up? What had she done about the toilet? By lunchtime Jane felt exhausted. During the afternoon she spent as much time as she could in the dayroom at the end of the ward, flicking through the tatty magazines she found there and trying to absorb herself in a jigsaw. The circumstances she found herself in made her all the more determined to be discharged from the hospital.

  Things did not move as quickly as she had anticipated. She had been hoping to speak to the consultant quickly and secure an early discharge, but it was late in the afternoon before he came to see her. Jane made a good case for leaving his care. She explained that she felt much better and was quite up to looking after herself now. At first he was reluctant, stressing that she should have a few more days’ rest and supervision, but in the end he agreed that she could leave the next morning as soon as the ward doctor had examined her.

  The outcome of their conversation pleased Jane on the one hand and frustrated her on the other. She would have to spend the night on that ward with her two companions.

  That evening Jane called Bob and announced that, all being well, she would be out of hospital the following day. Her announcement fitted in perfectly with Bob’s plans. The following day being a Saturday, he was planning to visit her again and had already hired a car for the weekend.

  There was only one minor problem as far as he could see. He expressed his concern. ‘What about some clothes for you?’

  Jane had discarded the clothing she had arrived at the hospital in and had already worked out what to do.

  ‘Can you come via Kew?’ she asked.

  ‘Of course I can.’

  ‘Gerald and Anna have a key to my apartment. I’ll phone Anna now and ask her to go up and dig out some things for me to wear.’

  ‘It’s fixed, then,’ replied Bob. ‘I’ll pick them up from her tomorrow morning.’

  They did not talk much longer as Jane was worried her credit would run out, and she still needed to phone Anna.

  She spent a restless night. One of her companions snored continually and kept her awake. By the time morning came she was determined to leave the hospital, whatever the doctor had to say.

  Fortunately, the harassed medic readily agreed that she was well enough to leave. A quick check of her injured foot and a word of advice to take things easy for a while and not try to do too much, and that was it. By the time Bob arrived Jane was waiting patiently in the dayroom.

  She immediately embraced him, much to the amusement of the two other occupants of the room.

  ‘Darling, it’s marvellous to see you,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘I just want to get out of here as quickly as possible.’

  Bob grinned at her and glanced down at the small suitcase he was carrying. ‘Mission completed,’ he remarked gaily. ‘Here’s what Anna sorted out for you.’

  Jane grabbed the suitcase. ‘Give me five minutes,’ she called over her shoulder as she hobbled away as fast as she could.

  She was anxious to know whether Anna had sent her the things she had asked for. Opening the suitcase, she was relieved to see that everything was in order. Anna had followed her instructions exactly. There was a set of underwear, a blouse, a skirt and a short jacket. Anna had even popped in a packet of tights she hadn’t asked for. The only downside was footwear. Anna had packed a pair of high-heeled shoes, unaware of Jane’s current difficulty. Jane upbraided herself for failing to tell her about her foot. Oh well. If the worst came to the worst she would have to wear the slippers.

  It was a good ten minutes before she reappeared, the suitcase now packed with all the things she had collected while in hospital. For the first time since being admitted she wore the gold locket Bob had given her on the night of her abduction. She had managed to get into the shoes Anna had sent, though logic told her that flat heels would have been better. Despite her foot still hurting a bit, she was able to walk slowly in them.

  She smiled cheerfully at Bob. ‘Here I am, darling. I’m sorry I took so long.’

  Bob grinned at her. ‘How’s the foot for walking on?’ he asked.

  Jane made a face as she glanced down at her foot. ‘It hurts a bit, but it’s fine really – and it’s healing all the time.’ She looked at Bob again, her face serious. ‘But you don’t know how good it feels to be dressed again and heading home with you.’

  Bob led her down to the foyer. As they walked out through the automatic doors, Jane threw her head in the air and sniffed the cool, fresh morning.

  ‘Fresh air!’ she exclaimed. ‘I feel so good. I haven’t smelt it since that awful night I was rescued.’

  Bob smiled at her and took her hand. ‘It’s not far to the car,’ he announced.

  As they walked, he suddenly remembered something. He stopped for a moment and turned to look at her.

  ‘Oh, before I forget, there’s something I need to tell you. When I collected your clothes from Anna, I spoke to Gerald while I was waiting. He told me he’d heard from Eric again, and Eric had told him he had some new information for you.’

  ‘What could it be?’ asked Jane, with a puzzled look.

  Bob shook his head. ‘He didn’t tell Gerald, it seems, but apparently he said it was information that was vitally important to you.’

  Chapter 49

  Jane was glad to be back home in familiar surroundings. She had phoned Anna on Bob’s mobile from the car to announce their impending arrival, but nevertheless she was surprised to be greeted by Anna in her apartment. Anna immediately started to fuss over her.

  ‘Now, young woman,’ she declared, ‘you’ve just come out of hospital. Into bed this minute! You need to rest.’

  That was the last thing Jane expected or wanted. She had been worried that she might feel a bit woozy coming almost straight from a hospital bed, but she had been surprised how well she had coped. True, she felt slightly light-headed and her foot still hurt a bit when she put weight on it, but she knew she would soon be back to her old self. Lying in bed was certainly not on her agenda.

  She gave Anna a reassuring smile. ‘I’m quite all right – really I am. I just need to take it easy for a few days.’

  Anna was not convinced. ‘But you’ve been very ill. And after the horrible time you’ve had you need a good rest.’

  Jane shook her head. She suddenly thought of a solution. ‘I tell you what I would like,’ she announced. Pausing to receive Anna’s enquiring look, she announced, ‘I would love a nice cup of tea.’

  Her strategy worked. Anna immediately changed tack and stirred into action. ‘Let me make you one,’ she urged.

  Jane had
another idea. ‘Why don’t Bob and I make the tea, and you go and ask Gerald to join us?’ she suggested.

  Anna hurried downstairs to prise Gerald away from the television.

  There was another angle to Jane’s thinking. In the car, she and Bob had discussed Gerald’s announcement that Eric had found some important information that he wanted to pass on to her. She hoped Gerald might now know more.

  As soon as Anna had left them, Bob turned to Jane and grinned. ‘That was a near miss,’ he remarked.

  Jane made one of her faces. ‘Anna can be quite insistent at times. I’ll have to watch I don’t end up an invalid in bed.’ She laughed.

  Suddenly Bob moved towards her and put his arms around her. He looked at her admiringly. ‘Poppet, you handled her marvellously,’ he said softly.

  Jane snuggled up to him. ‘Oh, it’s so nice to be home again.’ She spoke quietly, almost to herself. ‘There was a low point when I thought I might never see it or you ever again.’

  ‘I’d have found you somehow,’ whispered Bob.

  Jane suddenly held him close and kissed him. ‘Now I can really kiss you properly without anybody watching us,’ she murmured.

  They embraced and kissed for several minutes.

  It was Jane who broke away. ‘Hey! We’re supposed to be getting some tea ready,’ she giggled.

  ‘I’ll make a start,’ announced Bob, heading for the kitchen.

  Jane took the opportunity to pop into the bathroom and then her bedroom, where she exchanged the high heels for a comfortable pair of flip-flops.

  She had just sat down in the lounge when Anna returned carrying a homemade cake and with Gerald in tow. Anna disappeared into the kitchen to help Bob, and Gerald sat down opposite Jane. He seemed most concerned about her, asking her how she felt now and whether she could manage now she was home. Jane answered his questions politely, but all the time she was burning to ask him what Eric had found out.

  It wasn’t until Bob and Anna reappeared and Anna had fussed over everybody, distributing cups of tea and plates of cake, that Jane had the opportunity to broach her question.