Murder for Good

by Veronica Heley

  Friday evening

  Rafael and Susan collected Ellie from the main entrance of the hospital and took her back home. As soon as she stepped inside the hall, Ellie felt tiredness descend upon her. The light was blinking on the phone in the hall, indicating telephone messages. She couldn’t deal with them. She wanted to sit down and weep, while aware that that would do no good whatsoever.

  Susan eased Ellie towards the stairs. ‘I’m telling you what to do for once. You’re going to have a nice hot bath and get into bed. I’m going to bring you up a hot drink, possibly with a tot of something in it to help you sleep. I’ll help Rafael clear up in the kitchen, and then we’ll see that the house is shut down for the night, all right and tight. If you want anything, just call out and we’ll hear you.’

  ‘I am not in my dotage. I can manage perfectly well by myself.’

  Rafael put his arm around her to help her up the stairs. ‘Yes, Granny. Of course you can. You’re perfectly fit and ready to run a marathon. But not tonight. Tonight Susan is coming to tuck you up in bed, hear your prayers and read you a fairy story.’

  Ellie said, ‘Oh, you!’ And wiped tears from her cheeks.

  The phone rang. They let it. Diana’s voice rang out through the hall.

  Ellie stopped, and so did Rafael. They all three listened to the message Diana was recording.

  ‘Mother, where are you? We’re just back from the solicitor. We’ve been advised to hold off going to the police about Thomas stealing all that money until we’ve given you a chance to sort things out. I suggest you get me appointed as a member of your board of trustees straight away. That should solve all our difficulties and mean that Thomas’s thefts need not be trumpeted from the rooftops. I expect you to arrange for me to be at the next trust meeting, with a firm proposal to tide us over financially. Oh yes, and you must arrange to give us the title deeds of our house. That’s it. I’ll ring you again tomorrow.’

  Ellie missed a step and hung on to Rafael’s arm. ‘It never rains but it pours. She goes on the board over my dead body, though, come to think of it, she’d quite like to do it that way. It’s ridiculous! Why am I crying? The other trustees would never accept her.’

  ‘I said, put me up instead.’

  ‘Are you sure, Rafael?’

  ‘I could neutralize the wicked witch of the west for you.’

  Meaning Diana?

  Susan giggled. ‘That I’d like to see.’ She held on to the banister, puffing a bit. ‘Baby’s anxious to get going.’

  The police are not going to let the accusation against Thomas go. Whether Diana carries out her threat to accuse him of theft or not, there is still that complaint from a female caller and the other cases which the police will have to consider. There’s Gwen and Harold. Why on earth did Harold leave money to Thomas? What about Mrs Pullin with her cats and her awful family, whom I’ve promised to help? Oh dear, I ought to have done something about that today, but I haven’t. What else have I forgotten?

  She said, ‘The inside of my head is like a merry-go-round. My thoughts go round and round and up and down.’

  Rafael pushed her gently on to her bed and knelt to take off her shoes. ‘I like merry-go-rounds. Are you riding on a fiery steed, or a cockerel with a tail of feathers?’

  Ellie thought about that. ‘A horse. A beautiful dappled grey with a black mane and tail. There’s music blaring out from the centre, and my horse has flaring red nostrils, and he’s loving the speed we’re doing. There’s mirrors in the centre around the organ pipes, catching the light, and a disdainful young man collecting the money. He balances on the edge of the platform, enjoying the danger. There’s a bell that clangs, and children wide-eyed with terror, clinging on with all of their might to the barley-stick poles which must be gilded. It’s no good if there’s not enough gilding.’

  ‘I like it,’ said Rafael. ‘Bags I the cockerel, though.’

  Susan crowed, ‘Cock-a-doodle-doo!’

  Ellie said, ‘You know what? You’re both mad.’ She reached out to take their hands. ‘Tell me; what do you want to do with the other half of the house?’

  Susan said, ‘Didn’t you guess? We’ll live in it, of course.’

  Light dawned. ‘Of course,’ said Ellie. She laughed out loud. ‘Why didn’t I think of that? Thomas guessed straight away. He’s all for it, though I can’t say I’ve thoroughly grasped what it is you plan to do.’

  ‘There’s plenty of time for that,’ said Rafael. ‘Now you must get a good night’s sleep.’

  Susan said, ‘Thomas will be all right, you know. He’s strong.’

  ‘That’s what I keep telling myself,’ said Ellie. ‘But if he’s been poisoned …?’

  Rafael said, ‘The doctors will know what to do.’

  Ellie looked at them, and they looked back. She could see in their eyes the watchfulness that was also in hers. She said, ‘We’re thinking along the same lines?’

  Rafael nodded. ‘We’ll talk about it tomorrow.’

  Ellie slept well enough. Waking at two, she remembered her friends were sleeping next door. She ordered herself not to start thinking about the problems that beset her, knowing that if she did, she’d not sleep again. And turned over … only to realize that she’d been woken by someone pounding on the front door downstairs. She sat up, alarmed. And the phone downstairs shrilled.

  She couldn’t think what was happening. Who would knock on the door at this time of night? Oh, where was Thomas? She put out a hand for him and remembered that he was in hospital.

  Was it the police at the door? But why? In the middle of the night?

  There were voices in the corridor outside. ‘What?’

  ‘I’ll go.’

  ‘No, you go back to bed.’

  Ah, Rafael and Susan had been sleeping next door to her, hadn’t they? Ellie pulled on a dressing gown – it happened to be Thomas’s – but what did that matter?

  Oh, Thomas, don’t die on me!

  She stepped out on to the landing. Someone switched the lights on down in the hall.

  The phone stopped ringing and went to voicemail. And was silent. No one was leaving a message, were they?

  Rafael and Susan stood at the top of the stairs, wearing one suit of pyjamas between them. One wore a top, the other wore the trousers. Ellie blinked. Which was which? Oh, what did that matter!

  Ellie said, ‘You two go back to bed. I’ll deal with it.’

  ‘But …!’ said Susan, and was quieted by a gesture from Rafael.

  He said, ‘I hate to sound sexist, but this is a man’s job.’ He left Susan on the landing to make his way down the stairs on slippered feet, followed by Ellie at a slower pace.

  The phone started to ring again. Ellie got there just before it went to voicemail. She said, ‘Who is it?’ Although she knew who it was really, didn’t she?

  ‘It’s me.’ A faint, die-away voice. ‘I’m perfectly all right now. They pumped me out and they needed my bed, so I discharged myself, I got a cab to come home because the hospital transport doesn’t work at this time of night. I knew you’d be all alone and frightened, and I had to make the effort to get back to look after you, didn’t I?’

  ‘I’m not alone,’ said Ellie, thankful for her friends’ presence.

  Hetty wasn’t listening. ‘Only now my key won’t work and I’m freezing out here, and I haven’t enough money to pay the cab, so please let me in so that I can take care of you and then everything will be all right again.’

  ‘I don’t want to open the door at this time of night. Can’t you go to a B and B somewhere?’

  ‘I haven’t any money. You know I haven’t any money! Ellie, for pity’s sake!’

  For pity’s sake? Ellie didn’t feel like pitying Hetty. Or rather, she did, in one way. But in the other way, she felt she’d rather let a live rattlesnake into the house. She said, ‘All right, I’ll let you in. We’ll talk in the morning.’

  She put the phone down and nodded to Rafael. ‘Let her in. She’s nowhere else to go.�
��

  Rafael drew back the bolts and pulled the door open.

  A bundle of misery and distress stood in the porch, shivering. Clutching her handbag. No one could fail to feel sorry for her, could they?

  When Hetty saw Rafael, she took half a step back. ‘Oh, but … What are you doing here? You don’t belong here.’ She pushed back her hair from her face with a hand that shook.

  ‘Come in if you’re coming,’ said Rafael.

  Hetty hesitated. ‘Could you pay the taxi for me? Please?’

  Ellie found her handbag, handed the purse to Rafael, and asked him to do the honours. Which he did. Then he shut the door and bolted it again.

  Hetty skirted around Rafael as if he might attack her. Once she’d gained Ellie’s side, she said in a conspiratorial tone, ‘You don’t need them now I’m home, do you? Tell them to go. Just you and me, we’ll be fine. We don’t need anyone else, do we?’

  Ellie said, ‘They stay. I asked them to. Now, Hetty, I’m letting you remain for the rest of the night, but you must go in the morning.’

  ‘Are you cross because I came back in the middle of the night? I didn’t want to wake you up at this time but what else could I do? I couldn’t leave you all by yourself in this big house.’

  Ellie said, ‘We can’t talk now. I want you to go straight up to bed.’

  ‘Oh, but can’t I make you a nice hot drink? It’s the least I can do now I’ve woken you up. And Mr Rafael, too. And his pretty wife. They’re not in my rooms, are they?’

  ‘They are my guests. As you are, Hetty. Oh, I’ve just thought. Rafael, will you go up with Hetty and once she’s unlocked the door leading up to her flat, will you take the key off her? I don’t like part of my house being barred to me.’

  ‘Oh, if that’s all! I have a spare key, and of course I’ll let you have it. You only had to ask!’

  ‘I’m asking for it now, Hetty. This minute.’

  ‘Oh, but I’m not quite sure where I’ve put it. The spare, I mean. I can’t let you have my own personal key, can I? Or I wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly in my own sweet bed.’ She gave a tinselly laugh, which grated.

  Ellie looked at Hetty and saw not the pathetic little woman who was always so anxious to please but a sinewy snake whose fangs could poison her victims.

  Ellie closed her eyes for a moment. Was she so tired that she was hallucinating? Had she really, even for a moment, believed that Hetty could be behind the deaths which had so conveniently showered money on Thomas? No, surely not.

  The suspicion would not go away.

  If Hetty had indeed been behind the deaths, then how …? And why?

  Answer: because in the beginning Thomas had taken her part, had introduced her to Ellie and arranged for her to occupy the flat at the top of the house. Hetty had been grateful. Had she been grateful enough to arrange for his name to be included in the wills of various people, some of whom Thomas had known, and some of whom were complete strangers to him?

  How could she have managed that? And how on earth could she have been responsible for all those deaths?

  Answer: she couldn’t. The very thought was ridiculous.

  But always supposing she had been involved in some way with the deaths, then why would she have turned on the man who had done so much for her and tried to poison him?

  Answer: because he’d changed his mind about letting her live with them.

  Ellie shivered. She told herself she was overtired and imagining things. Hetty was no killer. But still. ‘I’d like the key tonight, please. Rafael, will you see to it?’

  Hetty wept, ‘You can’t mean it. Don’t you trust me?’

  ‘Oh, go up to bed,’ said Ellie. ‘We’ll all feel better in the morning.’

  ‘Yes, and I’ll bring the spare key down with me to breakfast, shall I? Then we can have a nice cosy chat and make a plan for the day together.’ So saying, Hetty went on up the stairs at a fair old pace.

  Rafael arched his eyebrows at Ellie. Should he follow Hetty, or not?

  Ellie nodded. ‘Yes, get the key.’

  Hetty was too quick for him. Even as Rafael reached the landing, they heard the door to Hetty’s stairs open and shut with a click.

  Rafael hung over the landing. He was annoyed with himself. ‘Foiled again!’

  ‘Never mind,’ said Ellie. ‘We’ll get it sorted in the morning.’

  FIFTEEN

  Saturday morning

  Ellie woke to a feeling of depression. At first she couldn’t think why she was feeling so down, and then she did.

  Thomas was ill in hospital.

  Hetty had tried to commit suicide – or had she?

  Diana was out of control.

  The police were going to investigate everything that Thomas had said or done for the last goodness knows how many years.

  Plus, it was a grey morning outside.

  She drew back the curtains and looked down on her much-loved garden. Midge, her marauding ginger tomcat, was on the lawn stalking an unwary sparrow … Which suddenly realized it was in danger and flew up in the air with a squawk. Frustrated, Midge spat a couple of swear words at the bird and slunk off to find easier prey.

  Ellie found herself smiling until she reminded herself that she really must cut the grass that day. Her gardener was a testy old soul who came when he felt like it and did as little as he could. Recently he’d been complaining the petrol mower was getting too much for him. Oh, but she’d be spending most of today at the hospital.

  Oh, Thomas! Dear Lord, look after him.

  What am I to do about Hetty? Do I tell Lesley my suspicions about her? I have no proof. Lesley would never believe me. Why should she? I don’t believe it, myself.

  There was a stir on the other side of the bedroom wall and then, as Ellie made her slow way into her en suite, she heard the shower start up next door. It was a great comfort to know that Rafael and Susan were in the house.

  What about that crazy scheme of theirs to cut the house in half?

  ‘I can’t cope with that at the moment,’ said Ellie, as she got ready to face the day.

  In the kitchen, she turned on the radio for company only to find it pumping out the raucous music which Hetty preferred. Gritting her teeth, Ellie changed it back to Radio 3 and a Bach concerto. Soothing. A good tune. Orderly. She needed ‘orderly’.

  Rafael and Susan appeared, looking flustered.

  Susan said, ‘Rafael’s remembered he’s got an important meeting this morning. He’ll drop me off at the flat first. I’m on maternity leave now, so don’t have to go in for work. I don’t know how long we’ll be, but we’ll be back as soon as we can. Can you manage, do you think?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ said Ellie, feeling as if she’d been abandoned by her only friends, while at the same time telling herself that Rafael and Susan had their own lives to lead. ‘It was good of you to stay overnight and if you want to come back later, I’d be grateful. Just till Thomas returns, you know. What would you like for breakfast?’

  ‘We’ll grab something on our way in,’ said Rafael, who did look worried for once. ‘I’ll be in touch.’ He consulted his watch. ‘We really must go.’

  What sort of food would Thomas be having in the hospital?

  They were gone and the house was quiet around her. Midge the cat plopped in through the flap and Ellie fed him. What did she want for breakfast herself? Her usual cereal and toast?

  ‘Good morning, good morning!’ Hetty carolled her way in, full of beans. ‘I hear your guests left early. I suppose Thomas is still in hospital. They’ll probably keep him in for a while, won’t they? So it will be just the two of us for some time. Isn’t that nice!’ She switched the radio back to the channel she preferred.

  Ellie thought of objecting to Hetty’s high-handed behaviour, but instead she turned the radio off and gestured to Hetty to sit at the table. Where to start? ‘Yes, Thomas is still in hospital though I hope he will come out today. No need for you to worry about Rafael and Susan. Have you got yourself pack
ed up yet, and have you got that key for me?’

  ‘Silly me! I must have mislaid it, but never mind, I’ll get another one cut for you today so that you can feel you’re King of the Castle again. You should have asked me for one before. I would never do anything to upset you, you know that!’

  ‘Hetty, I …’ Ellie couldn’t think how to tackle the situation. If she accused Ellie of trying to poison Thomas, what would the woman say? She would deny it, and there was no proof that she had done so.

  Hetty jumped up and turned the radio on again. ‘Have you heard the news yet? Awful weather they’re having, aren’t they?’ She clattered plates on to the table for breakfast, while humming along to the song on the radio.

  Ellie drew in her breath. Hetty was awfully bright and cheerful, wasn’t she? If she, Ellie, had had to have her stomach pumped out, she was sure she’d be feeling like death this morning. So what was going on here?

  She said, ‘We visited Thomas last night in hospital. He looked pretty awful. They say he’s got an ulcer, but that may be the least of his problems.’

  ‘Dearie me.’ Hetty’s lips curved in an unmistakeable grin of pleasure. ‘That sort of thing can take ages to sort out. Men are such weaklings, aren’t they? Always complaining about a toe ache or a paper cut on a finger.’

  ‘Thomas isn’t like that. Hetty, how many sleeping pills did you take yesterday? It can’t have been more than one, perhaps two?’

  ‘Oh, that was all a misunderstanding. I didn’t take any sleeping pills. I don’t believe in them. Let me make you a cup of coffee, shall I? It’s true I was very tired yesterday and I did take a couple of those calming tablets you can get at the chemists. I must have fallen asleep in the chair down here, instead of going up to bed which would have been the sensible thing to do, wouldn’t it?’

  So her ‘suicide attempt’ had been nothing of the kind. She’d staged it all by laying herself out in the chair with an empty packet of sleeping pills at her side. She’d left a note which could have been read in different ways, and something burning on the stove to set the smoke alarms off.