The Golden Anklet

by Beverly Hansford

  Taking a sip of her tea, she addressed Gerald. ‘Bob tells me that Eric has been in touch with you again and has some interesting information.’

  Gerald put down his cup and saucer. ‘Yes. That is correct. Unfortunately, we had no idea at the time that you had been kidnapped.’ He gave Jane a slight smile.

  ‘What did he say?’

  Gerald thought for a second, clearly recalling the conversation with Eric. ‘He was a bit vague at the time, but my understanding is that he had found some information about a will that he thought was important to you.’

  Jane was mystified. ‘But whose will can it be?’ she asked.

  Gerald shook his head. ‘As usual Eric didn’t go into details over the telephone. He was planning to come and see you, but then unfortunately you disappeared.’

  ‘Perhaps we can contact him now,’ suggested Jane.

  ‘I tried yesterday evening,’ replied Gerald, ‘but unfortunately he is out of the country at present.’

  Jane felt subdued. Life at the moment seemed to be made up of waiting. First, waiting for more information from the police, and now she would have to wait again to hear what Eric had found out.

  ‘Have you any idea what it might be about?’ asked Bob, who had been listening quietly.

  Gerald turned to him, at the same time refusing more cake from Anna. ‘It would seem, given the importance Eric attaches to it, that it must be something to do with the Ashington family.’

  ‘But if that was so, surely Miles would know about it,’ Jane pointed out.

  Gerald looked from Bob to Jane. ‘It’s a bit of a mystery at present, but no doubt we’ll find out as soon as Eric reappears.’

  ‘I know what it’s all about,’ Anna suddenly chipped in.

  The other three looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

  ‘Somebody somewhere has left you a lot of money in their will,’ she announced, directing her statement to Jane.

  Jane laughed. The thought had occurred to her, but the idea was so preposterous that she had not voiced it. ‘That would be nice,’ she replied gaily.

  It was Anna who switched the subject of their conversation. She looked down at Jane’s ankles. ‘How did you get those marks?’

  Jane explained what had happened, and from then on there was a constant flow of questions from Anna, interspersed with occasional comments from Gerald. Jane answered as patiently and as briefly as she could.

  Gerald and Anna stayed for over an hour. Eventually Anna announced that they would have to go, but first she wanted to do the washing-up. Bob stressed that he had better do it – to earn his keep, he joked. To Jane’s relief Anna seemed to accept this.

  Once they were on their own, Bob turned his attention to Jane, who had now stretched full length on the settee.

  ‘How are you feeling now, darling?’ he asked, a bit concerned.

  Jane smiled at him. ‘I’m fine really, but I’m just a little bit tired now. This is my first real effort to be up and about all day.’

  Bob suggested that she rest while he did the washing-up, and she gladly accepted. When he had finished, he offered to go out to buy them some food, and Jane gave him directions to the nearest supermarket.

  While he was out, she lay back on the settee and closed her eyes. It was pleasant to just lie there in her own home and reflect on all that had happened since she had left its security. It had been only a matter of days since she had embarked with such happiness on her trip to Cornwall with Bob, but so much had happened to her since then that it felt like weeks and weeks. It all seemed unreal now, but she had the marks on her body to prove that all those dreadful things had taken place. She felt that she was being kept in the dark, not knowing who was behind her abduction. That was the worst bit now – not being told anything. And now there was this added mystery about a will. It was all completely baffling.

  Bob returned with two bags of groceries. Together they made an omelette and some salad. After they had eaten, they sat together in the lounge, talking quietly over the events of the previous few days. During a lull in their conversation, Jane felt tiredness beginning to overtake her again. Several times she found her eyes slowly closing. They retreated to the bedroom and she fell asleep in Bob’s arms.

  *

  Over the next week Jane made good progress. She began to feel stronger and much more like her old self, and her injured foot became less painful to walk on. Bob had to leave her the day after he collected her from the hospital, but he phoned her frequently after he returned to Tatting Green to find out how her recovery was going. Anna kept popping in and seemed to need a lot of convincing that Jane was not an invalid. Jane took it all in her stride, accepting the odd cup of coffee but drawing boundaries when necessary.

  As requested, she phoned the number Inspector Boyd had given her to tell the police she was now back home. She was unable to speak to either him or DC Penlow, but the man who answered the telephone explained that he was part of the team and would ensure that the inspector was informed. Jane took the opportunity of asking if there was any news for her, but was politely told that the investigation was still ongoing and that she would be contacted as soon as there were any developments. She asked whether it was wise from a security point of view for her to go out alone. She was advised that the investigation team considered that there was no longer any immediate threat to her safety.

  This reassurance spurred Jane on to venture outside. First she just walked round the block, and then she ventured further and did some shopping. She visited the hairdresser and was relieved to be able to have her hair attended to after its neglect over the previous few weeks. She had noticed a few passers-by glancing at the marks on her ankles, which were still quite noticeable. In the hairdressing salon she noticed a stand with packets of tights for sale. This prompted her to buy two dark pairs to wear until the marks faded, despite the fact that she abhorred wearing tights in summer.

  She made a lot of telephone calls, including one to Annette, who was quite sympathetic but ended up by asking her when she thought she would be returning to work. When she talked to Amy she found out the reason.

  ‘She had to be in the office more and do some work,’ Amy grumbled.

  Jane grinned to herself. There was no doubt Amy had been having a bad time while she was away.

  This was confirmed by Amy’s next remark. ‘She’s nearly driving me mad. First she wants this, and then she wants that. On top of that she keeps changing things. I don’t know where I am.’

  Jane sympathised as best she could and promised that she would not be away for much longer. She was sincere in this. Her recovery had been quicker than she had expected, and already signs of boredom were creeping in. She was considering the possibility of returning to the office the following week.

  One highlight was a telephone call from the police in Cornwall to tell her that they no longer required her car and that she could collect it when it was convenient for her. She immediately rang Bob and they arranged to travel down to Cornwall a few days later to pick up the car and her other things.

  It turned out to be a long day. First they had to travel to Truro by train and then take a taxi to the police station. When Jane saw the car, she was dismayed to discover that it had been parked in the yard at the rear of the police station and was now covered with a fine layer of white dust from a nearby building site. Bob suggested that they call in at a filling station, top up the car with petrol and put it through the car wash.

  Next they drove over to Barn Cottage to retrieve the rest of Jane’s holiday luggage. Visiting the cottage again brought mixed feelings for them both. They had spent several enjoyable days there, but Jane could not help but relive the evening when she had been held there at gunpoint. The lovely old building no longer felt the same. There were too many bad memories associated with it.

  Maggie greeted them and tried to fuss over them, clearly keen to ask Jane about her ordeal. Conscious of the long drive ahead of them, they were polite but did not dally long.


  They shared the driving on the return trip, stopping once for a meal and a rest. Jane was delighted to be behind the wheel of her car again, but she had to admit that she was beginning to feel tired by the time they were back in Kew and had carried all her belongings from the car up to her apartment. Despite this, she wanted to drive Bob home. He absolutely refused, saying that it would be too much for her, and she had to admit that he was right.

  After Bob left, Jane briefly flung herself into the process of sorting out all the items they had collected from Cornwall. It was a mixed experience. While she was delighted to be reunited with such personal items as her cosmetic bag and mobile phone, when it came to removing from the plastic bag the clothes and watch she had been forced to take off at gunpoint, the trauma of that evening came vividly back to her. One high point was retrieving her engagement ring from the inner pocket of her suitcase, where she had placed it for safety on the night of the Ashingtons’ dinner party. It was almost ten when she made herself a drink and took it to bed with her. Only one thing still bothered her, and that was not hearing from the Metropolitan Police. Surely, she reasoned, they must contact her soon and tell her what was happening. More than anything else now, she needed answers to the questions she constantly asked herself: who had ordered her brutal capture and confinement? What had they intended to do with her? And what was the reason behind her kidnap?

  Chapter 50

  Jane’s return to work did not go exactly as she had planned. On the Monday morning she took her time getting ready and walking to the railway station. She had expected to arrive at the office later than usual but to her surprise she caught an earlier train and arrived at the same time as Margaret. Margaret fussed over her a bit and brought her a cup of tea while she sat at her desk and tried to make sense of the stack of paperwork that had piled up.

  Once the rest of the staff arrived, that was the end of Jane’s efforts to get any work done. Everybody crowded round her asking question after question. It was Annette’s arrival that broke up the inquisition. Jane turned her attention back to the papers on her desk, but within five minutes the internal telephone buzzed, and as she expected she heard Annette’s voice at the other end.

  ‘Jane, it’s nice to see you back. How are you now?’

  ‘Oh, I seem to have made a quick recovery,’ replied Jane breezily.

  There was a slight pause. ‘That’s excellent. Are you free for a chat now?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I’ll come straight up.’

  Annette was clearly extremely pleased to see her. ‘It’s really good to have you back, Jane,’ she announced. She studied her with a concerned look. ‘Now be careful you don’t try and do too much, after all you’ve been through. I suggest you finish early for a few days.’

  This was something Jane had already considered. ‘I might do that,’ she replied. ‘I’ll see how things go.’

  It was inevitable that Annette, like the rest of the staff, would want to know everything that had happened to Jane while she was away from work. Jane gave as brief an account as she could.

  When she had finished, Annette asked, ‘Do the police know yet who did all this to you?’

  Jane shook her head. ‘I’m still waiting to hear. They keep telling me the investigation is ongoing and they will contact me as soon as anything changes.’

  Her reply did not impress Annette. ‘That’s appalling. You should have heard something by now.’

  Annette suddenly thought of something else. ‘What about your safety?’ she asked, concern in her voice. ‘These people might try to kidnap you again.’

  Jane smiled. ‘The police tell me there’s no immediate danger to me now.’

  ‘Well, I suppose that’s a relief,’ Annette remarked thoughtfully.

  The next instant she had changed the subject and started to give Jane a résumé of what had taken place at Discerning Woman during her absence.

  Jane sat and listened patiently, making a note here and there where required. She had been with Annette for a good twenty minutes when the phone rang.

  Annette lifted the receiver. ‘Yes, Margaret.’

  Annette listened for a few seconds. Jane wondered whether this might be an opportunity for her to leave. Annette’s long telephone calls were renowned.

  Before she could make a move, Annette turned to her. ‘It’s for you, Jane. It’s the police.’

  Jane leapt up, her heart thumping. Was this the long-awaited call?

  ‘Take it here,’ urged Annette, handing her the receiver.

  ‘Miss Carroll?’ It was a male voice.

  ‘Yes. Jane Carroll speaking.’

  ‘Detective Inspector Boyd here, Jane. I am sorry we haven’t been in contact with you, but this investigation has been quite complex. How are you now? The last time we spoke you were in hospital.’

  ‘I made a speedy recovery once I was home,’ replied Jane. ‘This is my first day back at work.’

  She did not wait for a response. Anxiously, she asked, ‘Have you got any news for me?’

  ‘Yes. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours. I need to see you to talk about it. Can you come here today?’

  ‘Can I just check?’ Jane placed her hand over the mouthpiece and turned to Annette, who was taking a keen interest in the call. ‘The police want to see me urgently.’

  Annette responded immediately. ‘Oh, but you must go. This is important.’

  Quickly Jane turned her attention to the telephone again. ‘Yes, that will be fine. Where, and at what time?’

  Inspector Boyd gave her the address, which she was relieved to note was not far from the Discerning Woman offices. She scribbled it on her notepad.

  ‘Can you get here for half past eleven this morning?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, I can.’ She could not help adding, ‘I’m desperate to know what’s happened.’

  ‘We’ll be happy to bring you up to date.’

  As soon as Jane had finished the call she turned to Annette, who was now looking inquisitively at her. ‘They want me there this morning,’ she announced.

  ‘Would you like me to come with you?’ There was optimism in Annette’s voice.

  Jane shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to have Annette at her elbow at such a meeting. She intended to give Bob a ring as soon as she was back at her desk. ‘No, thank you. I’ll be fine,’ she replied, pleasantly but firmly.

  Annette appeared to accept her refusal, making some sort of comment that she had an appointment anyway.

  Jane had difficulty getting hold of Bob. She tried first his house and then his office. Eventually she tried his mobile and managed to reach him. He was on the train travelling up to London.

  ‘Hi. It’s me.’

  ‘Hi, me.’

  Jane plunged straight in. ‘I’ve heard from the police. Something has happened. They want to see me at half past eleven this morning. Can you come as well?’

  There was a pause from Bob. ‘I can’t, but I will. Where are you meeting them?’

  Jane told him the location.

  ‘I know it. I’ll see you there.’

  With a quick ‘Bye’, he was gone.

  *

  Jane arrived a few minutes early at the offices where Inspector Boyd was based. Bob was already waiting outside for her, and together they entered the large modern building. They enquired at the reception desk, and DC Penlow appeared shortly afterwards. Formal greetings exchanged, he led them into a lift. Several floors above, he guided them along a busy corridor and opened the door into a spacious carpeted office, where Inspector Boyd and another man were seated at a large desk. Both men rose as DC Penlow showed Jane and Bob into the room.

  Inspector Boyd greeted them. ‘Thank you for coming. I’d like to introduce you to Neil Cotterill. He’s a lawyer who has been assisting us on this case.’

  Jane and Bob shook hands with the lawyer and then sat down opposite him and Inspector Boyd.

  The inspector smiled at his two visitors. ‘Would you like a cu
p of tea, Jane?’ he asked. He turned to Bob. ‘And you, sir?’

  Jane and Bob politely accepted and DC Penlow disappeared to fetch the refreshments.

  Formalities over, Inspector Boyd addressed Jane again. ‘Thank you for being so patient. It must have been an anxious time for you, not knowing what was happening, particularly after all you’ve been through. However, I must say that this has been a most complex case to unravel.’

  He paused, and Jane had the opportunity to ask the question that was uppermost in her mind. ‘But I understand from what you said on the telephone this morning that there have been some developments now.’

  The inspector nodded. He studied Jane closely. ‘Ray Ashington has been arrested and charged with ordering your abduction and imprisonment.’

  Jane was aghast. She could scarcely find the words to reply. ‘But… But I hardly know him. I’ve only met him once,’ she managed to get out.

  ‘But you know his father.’

  ‘Yes, and Miles has always been kind and helpful to me,’ she responded quickly.

  Inspector Boyd smiled at her briefly. ‘Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.’ He became serious again as he continued. ‘Miles Ashington has also been arrested, questioned and released on bail pending further investigation. He has also had to surrender his passport.’

  Jane was desperately trying to assimilate the information she had just received. What she had just heard was the last thing she had expected. It seemed almost impossible to comprehend, but it had happened and somehow she had to come to terms with it. Inspector Boyd was studying her, watching her reaction.

  ‘But why?’ she asked. ‘Why? I have never done anything to the Ashington family.’ She looked in despair at him.

  The police officer was quick to reply. He glanced at the papers on his desk and then looked back at Jane. ‘I think the root cause of the problem is the fact that you are a member of the Ashington family.’ He hesitated for a second. ‘You are the daughter of Ann Ashington, and Ann Ashington was Miles Ashington’s second wife.’

  ‘But how does that make me a target for abduction?’ asked Jane anxiously.