by Mary Grand
Ollie quickly settled next to her bed, and soon they were both asleep.
18
The next morning, looking out of the window everything looked fine. When Beth opened the window, the air felt fresh and clean. Ollie looked up lazily. ‘Come on,’ Beth said, ‘We’ve work to do.’
The stream was full and muddy as they walked down the shute, and Beth stood on the bridge watching it rush beneath her feet. Her phone rang, and without looking at who the caller was, she answered.
‘Going to the police was a mistake, Beth. I’m watching you. I know your secret. Keep your mouth shut.’
Beth’s hands shook. The sickness, the panic she felt were deeper than before. It was the same voice, the same number. It had to be someone who was there yesterday, didn’t it? Sami’s words certainly hadn’t scared them off. And then it dawned on her that of course, however much she might want to think this was all closed down, the person was still there and presumably thinking they’d got away with it. And now they were trying to control her. If she kept quiet, stopped digging, they’d won, hadn’t they? Beth stared at her phone. What should she do? The police had told her they couldn’t trace the call, and Sami, even though he had been supportive, didn’t really think this person was dangerous. Who knew what he’d do? She’d been shocked when he’d told everyone about the last call at Imogen’s. It wasn’t how she would have handled it. No. For now she would keep it to herself.
Instead Beth decided to occupy herself with more practical matters, and so headed upstairs to see Layla.
Beth found Layla still in bed, saying she was taking a day off.
‘What’s up? You look pale.’
‘Must have been something I ate. I’ve not been sick, just tummy ache.’
Beth put her head to one side. ‘OK. Well, have today off then.’
Adam left for the pharmacy and Layla stayed in bed, while Beth tried to settle to work in the kitchen with Ollie sitting close by.
Beth was disturbed by Elsa arriving. She didn’t look her usual together self either. She was wearing little makeup, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
‘Hi, Elsa. Come on in. Is everything all right?’
‘I came to see Layla. She sent me a text, said she’s off today.’
‘She’s not feeling too good—’ Before Beth could finish, a voice behind her said, ‘It’s OK, Mum. Me and Elsa can go in the living room.’ Layla, still pale, was wrapped in her dressing gown. Beth left them to it and went back to the kitchen. As she sat trying to work, she realised she could hear the girls talking.
‘… and then yesterday we had this row,’ Elsa was saying.
‘What happened?’
‘Patrick was so annoying; I’m really pissed off with him.’
‘He’s bound to be a bit out of it now. It’s awful about Kathleen. I liked her.’
‘I don’t know why.’
‘She was so sweet, one of Mum’s best friends. Mum has been really cut up about it; she’s been weird. Not like her to get plastered on that Saturday. Parents shouldn’t do that, should they? Dad was well fed up with her. I don’t blame him. It was dead embarrassing.’
Beth cringed.
‘I know your mother was friends with her,’ said Elsa, ‘but she was manipulative. I told you she hated Patrick helping me with my photography. She interfered, nagged him he was doing too much. She was just jealous. And she was always after men. She was good looking for her age and knew it. Only a few weeks ago, I warned Mum that Kathleen was after William, told her to be careful, work a bit harder at her marriage.’
Beth listened more carefully.
‘You said that?’ said Layla.
‘I did. Mum is such a workaholic. She’s never at home.’
‘Your mum has a right to a career.’
‘But she was losing him. I’m sure of that.’
‘You’re assuming that Kathleen was looking for someone else. Patrick worshipped her: look at that house they’ve got.’
‘He’s always been blind to her faults.’
Beth stood up, and moved closer to the door. So, Elsa had been worried about William and Kathleen as well. What worried her more, though, was the way Elsa was talking about Patrick. She felt, as she had the day before, that the relationship was too close, and was surer now than ever that Elsa had some kind of feelings for Patrick.
‘What do you mean?’ Layla was asking.
‘I heard Mum and William saying the post-mortem showed Kathleen had been pregnant at some time, and that Patrick couldn’t have been the father. I always knew she played around. I said to Patrick yesterday he could move on now, forget her.’
‘What did he say?’
‘Not a lot. I thought it might show him what she was like, but he seemed to shrug it off. I should have realised then that he was never going to see the real her. I was stupid, got it all wrong.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to think about it. How was your day with Conor? Go well?’
‘Not really. Something happened,’ said Layla, and at that point Beth heard Layla get up, and she shut the door firmly.
Beth, momentarily distracted from what Elsa had been saying, allowed a wave of anger to wash over her at Layla’s lies. How dare she say she’d been with friends when she’d been with Conor?
Soon after Beth heard the front door shutting. Layla had gone back to her bedroom. Summoning up the energy for a confrontation about Conor, Beth marched up the stairs. There was no reply when she knocked and pushed open the bedroom door. ‘We need to talk about—’ she started, but then was shocked to see Layla crying on her bed.
‘Whatever’s the matter?’
‘Everything, Mum.’
Beth went over and put her hand on her shoulder.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Life is shit.’
‘Did something happen yesterday? Were you just with your friends?’
Layla looked around.
‘Tell me. Tell me what happened.’
‘I didn’t go with my friends. Don’t go crazy, but I went with Conor.’
‘Layla, you shouldn’t have lied to me.’
‘But you’d never have let me go. Anyway, now I wish I’d not bothered.’
‘Why? What happened?’
‘You’ll go mad.’
Panic gripped Beth. Various scenarios rushed through her head. Was Layla taking drugs, being attacked by Conor, shoplifting…
‘Tell me.’
‘You’re not to tell anyone, though. Don’t be mad with Conor or anyone—’
‘What’s happened?’
‘Promise, Mum.’
‘Oh OK. Tell me.’
Layla lifted the top of her pyjamas. Her belly button was a mess: a red weeping sore.
Beth stared in horror. How could Layla do this? Of all the times to do something so stupid? ‘What the hell?’
Layla sniffed. ‘It hurts so much.’
Beth’s heart melted. ‘What’s happened?’
‘It was a belly button piercing.’
‘Where did you have that done?’
‘It was somewhere in Portsmouth.’
‘But it’s illegal at your age.’
‘It’s not, Mum. It’s up to the place.’
‘That’s awful. It should be illegal.’
‘I knew what I was doing.’
‘Was it dirty in there?’
‘No, ever so clean.’
‘Why did you have it done?’
‘We were talking, and, um, Conor—’
‘Conor?’
‘You said you wouldn’t say anything.’
‘OK. So what did he say?’
‘He was saying about his piercings. Elsa has one as well. You know, her nose one. Well then, Conor said why don’t you get one done. I thought I’d have my belly button—’
‘So I wouldn’t see it?’
‘I suppose so. Anyway, I had it done.’
‘And did it hurt?’
‘Quite a bit. So, I came home, and then I panicked. I never wanted it, not really. I tore out the ring and it started to bleed everywhere. I washed it with soap and put a plaster on it. Now it’s weeping and there is a huge red lump here. It really hurts, Mum.’
She started to cry again and, speaking though the sobs, said, ‘I looked it up online. It said if you take the thing out you can get an abscess because there’s nowhere for it to drain. I think that might be what’s happening now.’
Beth looked at the red, sore area. ‘It looks infected. You need to see the doctor.’
‘You’re not to have a go at Conor. I decided to have it done.’
‘He should have known better, but let’s get you sorted out.’
‘You don’t sound mad. I thought you’d go apeshit.’
Beth put her arms around Layla. ‘Life’s hard. I do understand. I did some pretty stupid things at your age, you know.’
‘I can’t imagine that.’
‘We’re human. We make mistakes.’
‘Dad doesn’t.’
Beth smiled. ‘He’s different.’
‘Like Adam.’
‘I guess. They bury themselves in their work, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have their own worries. Right, I’ll go and see if I can get an emergency appointment. Not easy on a Monday, but you never know.’
‘Will you come with me?’
‘Of course. I’ll go and phone, and then I’ll make you pancakes for a late breakfast.’
Beth rang the surgery. Once she’d explained what the matter was, she was given an emergency appointment for later that morning. After she’d made the pancakes, she took them up to Layla.
‘I hope it’s not Elsa’s stepdad. It would be so embarrassing,’ said Layla.
‘It doesn’t matter who you see. I was glad to get an appointment. William will be fine. He’s seen everything.’
When they were leaving the house, Layla groaned as Beth suggested they walk.
‘Come on. Fresh air will be good for you. It’s literally down two roads.’
Layla was unhappy throughout the walk and, by the time they arrived at the surgery, Beth secretly regretted not taking the car.
They went in the main entrance, were hit by the familiar doctors’ smell, and the rows of worrying leaflets about all the symptoms you needed to see your doctor about. The pharmacy entrance was on the right. Beth peeped in, saw Adam working, and felt a rush of pride.
They walked down to reception, and sat in what was, for a doctors’ waiting room, a very pleasant space. It had recently been redecorated in pastel colours. Cheerful prints decorated the walls, and current magazines, rather than ones that were years out of date, were on the table.
Beth knew they would have a wait. They were early, and William never ran to time. She always told the children, it was good, that it meant he was giving patients the time they needed but, for all that, it was frustrating. She noticed that the doctors all seemed to have dropped calling for patients over the tannoy but came out to collect them. Beth had seen most of them at different times. There was the new one who looked no older than Adam, earnest and stressed, and an older woman who was slightly scary, and lacked any bedside manner, but always knew when something was serious and was quick to sort it out. Finally, there was a much older man. He was calling his patient now with the unhurried air of a man who had been doing his job well, seen most things, but missed the days of a slower pace when he had time to talk, to get to know families and be part of the community. Beth knew he was now working three days a week and was counting the days to retirement in the summer. She also knew they were having huge difficulty replacing him because of a shortage of doctors on the island.
Eventually William came into the waiting room. He carried himself with the quiet air of a confident man who cared deeply about his work. Beth and Layla followed him to his room, which was at the end of a long corridor.
He held the door open for them. There was only one seat positioned at the end of William’s desk, so Beth gestured to Layla to sit down. It all seemed much more intimate than the surgery visits she experienced as a child when the patient sat across an enormous leather desk with the doctor peering over. Of course, now there was also a laptop and printer sitting squarely on the desk next to a few regularly used instruments for looking down ears and throats. Above his desk, William had a line drawing of Christ Church and, framed on his desk, a photo of him in full sailing gear, standing with some friends in front of a yacht.
The room itself was lighter and brighter than the dark corridor had prepared her for. A pleasant breeze came in from the large open window. Outside there was a small boundary of grass and a low wall which separated them from what had been an overgrown driveway. Beth could see the roof of the old chapel that was as dilapidated as she’d imagined, but the tall grasses had gone.
‘Right, Layla,’ said William, ‘you are my last appointment here. On to home visits then, so I can give you as much time as you need. What’s the problem?’
Layla looked nervously at Beth, who felt like the mother of a nine year old again.
Beth explained what had happened and William, with that wonderful ability doctors have of never looking surprised, nodded and said, ‘Mm, looks very painful. Good job you came when you did. Do you have any sterile dressings at home?’
‘We do.’
‘Good. Well, I’ll give you antibiotics and I want you to put a dressing on it. Come back in two days to see the nurse. OK?’
He printed a prescription and handed it to Layla. ‘I think they’re busy in the pharmacy. Hope it doesn’t take too long.’
Layla stood up but twinged with pain.
‘Look, my first home visit is up your way. I could drop you off home. Let me take this script through to Alex.’
Beth looked out of the window. ‘They’ve been tidying the old driveway. Do you think they’re planning on doing anything with that old chapel?’
‘Not as far as I know. I asked them to cut the grass. I need to open the window. It gets so stuffy in here and it’s not good for me and my asthmatic patients: gets us all sneezing.’
As William opened the door, Beth pointed at the enormous hooded coat hanging on the back of his door. ‘At least you don’t need that today.’
He laughed. ‘That’s for home visits in the winter.’
In the pharmacy, the prescription was ready as William had got it made up for them and Beth tried to avoid the glares of the patients waiting as they went to leave. William looked out into the car park and said, ‘You know, we’d be better taking the pharmacy car if it’s free. Even if I can get out now, someone will have taken my space by the time I come back.’
He checked with Alex, and he signed a sheet to say he had the car.
They walked out of the surgery, through the car park, up a small slope and there, on its own, sat a small silver car.
‘This is so kind,’ said Beth.
‘It’s no problem. We are so lucky to have this car. It never gets blocked. Well done, Sami, getting it for the pharmacy and the surgery. Well, strictly speaking it’s just for the pharmacy,’ he said, grinning.
‘I’d forgotten about it. I know he said it meant that most of the staff who are local, like him and Kathleen, can walk in to work. If there’s an emergency and a prescription needs delivering, they can then use the car.’
‘Exactly, and now with Alex not owning a car himself it’s available for him as well. As a special concession Sami’s allowed me to use it at times if it’s convenient. He even allowed Imogen to go on the insurance and have keys. We went through this patch when I was doing a lot of on call and her car kept going wrong. Of course, she could only use it overnight, but it was great.’
William drove them home, and Layla got out of the car.
As Beth undid her seatbelt, William said, ‘I was sorry about that phone call. You must have found it very unsettling. I hope the police will take it seriously.’
Beth was grateful that Wil
liam was back to being his usual friendly self. ‘Thank you. I’d better let you get on with your work. Thank you so much for dropping us off. Teenagers, eh! You never know what they’re going to do next.’
William gave an empathetic smile and drove off.
However, as Beth stood watching the car disappear, something dawned on her. She had just been in a silver car, available to practically everyone she knew, including Imogen.
Inside the house, she kept thinking about the pharmacy car, remembered Sue and her warnings about keeping information back, so sent her a text mentioning it and the further phone call.
Afterwards she sat in the garden. She needed to think through the implications of the pharmacy car. Anyone could have used it: Imogen, William, Alex, even maybe Patrick or Sami. Any of them could have taken the car. Her heart raced at the enormity of this discovery. Now she knew that anyone at the house party had the means by which to drive over and silence Kathleen the morning of her death: the pharmacy car. Any of them could have used it. But which one? What secret were they so desperate to hide?
19
That evening Beth told Sami about Layla and the piercing, but didn’t mention the phone call.
Sami was up early the next morning. His students had exams and so he wasn’t going to London for the next two days
‘What are you going to do with yourself?’ asked Beth.
‘I’ll go for a run, then probably spend most of the day at the pharmacy.’
‘You’re there so much. You’ve not been spending as much time in the garden, and that’s not good for you. Be careful.’
He kissed her on the forehead. ‘Love you.’
While Beth was in the shed attending to the guinea pigs, she heard the house phone, and rushed back inside. To her surprise, it was Layla’s music teacher with a new date for Layla’s exams.
‘But she did them a couple of weeks ago—’
‘She didn’t come. She sent me a text. Said she was ill.’
‘Oh my goodness, I don’t believe she did that.’
‘I’m sorry. I did tell her that you wouldn’t get a refund with such short notice.’
