The House Party

by Mary Grand

  Elsa put her phone away. ‘I was right. I didn’t imagine things.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you ever talked to your mum about any of this?’

  ‘God, no. She’d have been hysterical. William did talk to me a bit after the skiing holiday. I think he guessed a bit of what was going on. He asked me if I’d enjoyed the holiday, and then he said that I had to be careful. He told me Kathleen had problems, that life wasn’t easy for Patrick at that moment, but he was sure they would work it out given time. He told me that Patrick had told him how lovely I looked in the photographs and he enjoyed talking to me. I was pleased about that, but William looked all worried and said I was not to take any of this seriously, that Patrick was a married man and I was still young.’ She looked up, her eyes pleading with Beth. ‘Do you think when someone dies, people pretend they liked them more than they did?’

  Beth sipped her coffee. ‘Sometimes. It’s natural to want to look back on the good things someone did. But,’ she paused, trying to find the right words, ‘with Patrick, I’m sure he really loved Kathleen.’

  Elsa was fiddling with the handle on her mug. She didn’t look up. ‘That’s what I was frightened of.’

  Beth saw the passion, the heartache. Then, it was like a light switched on and she could see something she hadn’t seen before. ‘Elsa, is there something you need to talk about?’

  Elsa looked up. ‘I always came to you when I was little, didn’t I? But this is not just falling out with a friend in school: it’s so much bigger.’

  ‘Is it something to do with the morning Kathleen died?’

  Elsa was breathing deeply. Beth half expected her to run away, but she said. ‘I can’t talk to you, not here.’

  ‘I understand, and I can understand you not wanting to leave now, but look. Have you got my number? You can text me any time.’

  Elsa nodded, took her phone out of her pocket. ‘Tell me the number. I’ve a new phone. I’ll send you mine as well.’ They exchanged numbers. ‘Thanks,’ said Elsa quietly. ‘Now, I want to go back and see Mum.’

  They returned and Elsa went straight into the ward.

  Beth sat down next to Sami, who told her, ‘William said Imogen is conscious now.’

  ‘Thank God.’ She sank back into her chair. ‘What is happening to our safe little world, Sami?’

  ‘I think the real world has just come crashing in. Elsa looked dreadful. It’s been a shock for her.’

  ‘I think she has more than just her mother on her mind.’

  Sami didn’t seem to be listening.

  ‘What are you thinking about?’ asked Beth.

  ‘I was thinking about what William said earlier, about Kathleen being worried about Imogen. I should have taken her more seriously. It must have been January, the time of the snow, because Kathleen was telling me how she and Patrick had had to walk to Imogen’s. While she was there, she saw Imogen taking pills, glanced in her drawer and saw how many pills she had. She came in worrying about it the next day.’

  ‘But you told William—’

  ‘I know, but I assumed he knew and had it under control. He’s a doctor. I didn’t want to offend him. He did come back to me the next day, said he couldn’t find that many, but that he had been through it with Imogen again. I think she must have hidden stuff after Kathleen mentioned it to her.’

  Beth saw Sami scratching his forehead, took his hand and said. ‘You did what you could. They’ll sort Imogen out now. Look, why don’t you go?’ She smiled. ‘See: you were right about bringing both cars.’

  ‘But you must be done in as well.’

  ‘I don’t mind staying. I’ll hang around for Elsa. I can’t see her wanting to come away. Go on: they’ll understand me taking the morning off work.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  Beth pulled her Kindle from her bag, and gave a tired smile. ‘I came prepared. Go on. I’ll see you later.’

  Sami kissed her. ‘Thanks.’

  Beth sat alone, opened her Kindle and scrolled down, looking for a light read. She found a book of funny stories about dogs and their owners and started to read, but her mind kept going back to Elsa: all that anger; hatred. Was it possible she had had anything to do with Kathleen’s death? Beth’s mind went to the last visit to Imogen’s. She saw Elsa’s car sitting there: the silver car. Desperately, she tried to push the thought away: no, not Elsa. Please not her.

  After some time, William came out, and slumped in a seat next to her.

  ‘She’s sleeping. Thanks for staying, but Elsa’s not going to come. She wants to stay with her mum.’

  ‘Of course. So, how is Imogen?’

  ‘She’ll be fine, but we will need to get a grip on things when she comes home.’

  ‘Um, I was talking to Elsa earlier in the café. She was very, um, resentful of Kathleen, wasn’t she?’

  William groaned. ‘It’s awful. She picked up all this nonsense from Imogen. The problem with these teenagers is their emotions are so strong, just way out of proportion at times. We might dislike; they hate.’

  ‘Yes, I see that.’

  ‘So she developed almost a paranoia about Kathleen. It wasn’t fair. I tried to reason with her, but I didn’t get far. It worried me, you know. She would say things like, “I wish Kathleen was dead,” which we know is nonsense, but it’s not a good way to talk.’ He put his hands on his knees and gave a weary smile. ‘Now, you must be exhausted. We’ll be fine. Thank you so much for all you’ve done. Don’t worry about coming in again today.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Of course. She’ll be in until the end of the week.’

  ‘Fine. I’ll come in after work tomorrow.’

  Beth went home, and fell into bed. She couldn’t sleep immediately. In fact, once she was in bed she felt wide awake. She still couldn’t take it in that Imogen had become addicted to drugs. Imogen had always seemed so together: forthright, independent. It was the kind of behaviour she’d have had no time for in someone else. But then understanding addiction was hard for most people. Maybe some people were more susceptible but, at the end of the day, it could happen to anyone, and today she’d seen it had happened to Imogen.

  21

  Eventually Beth fell asleep, and at eight o clock, when she woke, Sami had showered.

  ‘You’re up?’

  ‘Yes, and been for my run.’

  ‘Are you mad?’

  ‘I had to do something to wake me up. I want to go into work early, catch up.’

  ‘Sami, slow down. You’ve had about four hours sleep.’

  ‘I know. I’ll catch up tonight.’ He smiled, but looked pale and tired. ‘Anything else happen last night?’

  ‘No. William said not to go in today, so I’ll visit tomorrow.’

  ‘Fine. Right, I’ll be off. Make sure you rest today.’ He kissed her forehead, and left.

  Beth rang the school and said she wouldn’t be in, and was about to go back to sleep when Layla came into her room.

  ‘Mum, Elsa told me that Imogen took an overdose of painkillers, that she’s addicted. Is that true?’

  Beth sat up. ‘She mixed her pills. Be careful what you say in school. You know how these things spread.’

  ‘We had this talk about addiction, about not buying drugs online because you never know what you will be getting. Is that what Imogen did?’

  ‘She didn’t get anything online.’

  ‘That’s good. I heard that people order them on the dark net with bitcoins and things, and then they are delivered to your house in brown envelopes, just like something off Amazon.’

  ‘Good grief. You were told this in school?

  ‘Oh no. One of the boys was saying it.’

  ‘Don’t ever do anything like that, will you, Layla?’ said Beth, panicking.

  ‘Of course not. I don’t do drugs. I’m not that stupid. Are you going back up to the hospital?’

  Beth sighed. ‘I’ll go tomorrow.’

  Layla left her. Beth was horrified that once again her chi
ldren seemed to know so much more about the world than she did. She got out of bed and went downstairs. Ollie looked up, and wagged his tail expectantly.

  ‘You need your walk, don’t you? Just look at you: like a living embodiment of optimism. Your default is that something good and exciting is going to happen. It’s a good way to live, but then your world is much simpler than mine. Come on, let’s do the guinea pigs and then I’d better take you out. God knows, I feel like death.’ She thought to herself that his was how she often felt when the kids were little and she had been up all night dealing a tummy bug. She had forgotten how awful it was.

  It was a grey sort of day. Beth was too tired to think straight, and was glad to get home after the walk and rest.

  She went to school the next day. It was quiet without Imogen, and Beth could sense a feeling of relief from the staff. However, it was like a force had been taken away: more relaxing, but it wouldn’t be good for the school for any length of time. Even the children seemed less motivated. She had never realised how much energy came from Imogen.

  As Beth looked at the board in the entrance showing photographs of all the staff, at Imogen’s measured ‘in control’ smile, that was the Imogen she recognised, the woman she knew. Whatever else had happened, this part had really been Imogen.

  After lunch, Beth returned to the hospital. Imogen was on the main ward of six beds nearest the windows. She was sitting up, a drip in one arm, her head resting against the pillow, staring out of the window.

  Beth sat next to the bed. Imogen reached out a hand and squeezed Beth’s. ‘I’m sorry.’ Tears rolled onto the pillow.

  ‘We all just want you to get better,’ said Beth.

  ‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ Imogen said, her voice weak. ‘I don’t remember how I got so many pills. William said there were loads in my drawer. I did buy the strongest over-the-counter drugs a few times, even travelled around the island for them. I’m not saying I didn’t have a problem, but the things he found: I didn’t realise I’d accumulated so many.’

  ‘I suppose going to so many doctors—’

  ‘I only saw one or two different ones. I wanted another opinion, that’s all. I felt so unwell.’

  Imogen pushed herself up with her hands. ‘I told William my parents are not to be told anything about this. I know he thinks it’s strange, but they will never understand. They think I have my life on track now, I don’t want to see that look of disappointment again.’ She gazed around the room. ‘Takes me back to sick bay at boarding school.’

  Beth was intrigued. Imogen always seemed reluctant to talk about her childhood or school. ‘Boarding schools are something I know nothing about. How old were you when you went?’

  ‘Seven.’

  ‘Gosh. I hadn’t realised you went so young. Did you enjoy it?’

  ‘I hated it. I never really got over that feeling of being totally abandoned as I watched my parents drive away on my first day. They never wrote to me, they didn’t visit for weeks. Mum thought it would unsettle me.’

  ‘That’s awful. You were so young.’ Beth tried to hide the horror she felt, thinking again how little she really knew Imogen.

  ‘I pretended to enjoy it and I did OK, but I never excelled at anything; never got any cups, which disappointed them. Not like William: he loved boarding school, thrived on the whole thing; loved sports and all that. He talks to my parents, and I can see that is exactly how they wanted me to be about it.’ Her face creased into lines of seriousness. ‘I’m so lucky he came into my life. But the problem is that by being afraid to upset things between us I’ve allowed something to get way out of perspective.’

  Beth sat up.

  ‘I don’t know how much you realised, but I was getting pretty frantic about Kathleen and William. I think it started on the skiing holiday when they seemed to be off talking in corners all the time.’

  ‘She was disturbed, wasn’t she, about Amy’s death?’

  ‘So she said, but I heard her talking about work at one point. I think she was pretending she needed help with her coursework. It was annoying. William wanted to look after me. He’d been talking to some other guest behind me when I fell. I think he felt guilty he wasn’t holding my hand and I think that’s why he stayed behind, but then Kathleen kept demanding attention. Anyway, when we got back from the holiday she became even more of a pain. She was phoning all the time. You know, when they came around for a meal, I found her in my room looking through my drawers: the cheek of it. For me, the real panic set in when I overheard her telling William about being pregnant and I knew that meant she’d had an affair. After that my brain went crazy. I think I was taking the pills to try and calm it all down but, of course, I was just making myself worse.’

  Beth watched Imogen, saw her hands gripping the top of the blankets, her knuckles white.

  ‘You never spoke to William?’

  ‘No. I was so scared of what he might say.’

  ‘Did you speak to Kathleen?’

  Imogen gazed again out of the window. Her words shot out. ‘No. never.’

  She turned back. ‘Anyway, I decided yesterday I needed to talk to William. If I am to get better, I need to be straight with him. I tried to approach it carefully, said I was sure I was wrong, but I’d been worried about him and Kathleen. I confessed I’d heard him talking to Kathleen about her pregnancy and I knew Patrick could not have been the father.’

  ‘What did William say?’

  ‘He was so good about it: very calm. He said I should have told him before, that Kathleen had just been his patient. He’d actually found her difficult and of course in any case he would never be so unprofessional as to have an affair, let alone with a patient.’

  ‘Did he say who he thought Kathleen had had an affair with?’

  ‘He seemed pretty sure it was someone on her course in London. When he explained everything, I couldn’t believe I’d ever suspected him. I wish I had talked to him about it weeks ago.’ Imogen lay back on to her pillow, her shoulders relaxed, a slight smile on her lips. ‘So it’s all worked out well in the end.’

  Beth felt uneasy. Things hadn’t worked out for Kathleen, but that didn’t seem to bother Imogen. All she could think of, all she cared about, was her relationship with William. There was a cold satisfaction which was unsettling.

  Imogen patted her hand. ‘It’s good, isn’t it. I’ve decided about the house: we should move. The house in the woods will always be my house and we need somewhere that belongs to both of us.’

  ‘Gosh. Are you sure?’

  ‘I am. William and I will go and look at this house in Cowes when I get out, talk to my parents and put in an offer. Now, tell me, have you any news about school? They won’t let me have my phone and there were people coming today to discuss the new library. It’s frustrating. I should be able to go home tomorrow and then I need to get back.’

  ‘You should take some time off.’

  ‘William said that, but I’d go mad. I need to get back.’

  At that moment, Elsa arrived. She avoided looking at Beth. ‘William will be along soon.’

  ‘OK. Well, I’ll leave you to talk,’ said Beth.

  Imogen smiled. ‘Thanks for everything you’ve done, Beth. I’m very grateful.’

  In the car park, Beth met William as he arrived.

  ‘How is she?’ he asked anxiously, his face white.

  ‘She seemed pretty good. You, on the other hand, look done in. Have you had any sleep the past few days?’

  ‘I learned to do without that years ago.’

  ‘Imogen is worried about her parents, doesn’t want them to know about this.’

  ‘It’s absurd, but then her relationship with them is totally messed up. It seems wrong not phoning them, but if that’s what she wants—’

  ‘I think it is. I hear you are going to be moving.’

  ‘Imogen seems determined to do it now. I hope it’s the right thing, though.’

  ‘I got the impression you were all for the move.’<
br />
  ‘I’m happy to go there. It would be great to get back into sailing, but I’m not going to let Imogen’s parents push her into this. Anyway, I’m sure you’d like to get home. Thank you. You’re a real friend, Beth.’

  Later that evening, Beth sat in the garden with Sami and told him about her conversation with Imogen.

  ‘So, William said Kathleen had slept with someone on her course? It’s what I assumed too,’ said Sami.

  ‘I don’t know, Sami. I didn’t like the way she smiled and said everything had worked out so well. You know, I think she is pleased Kathleen is dead.’

  ‘Oh no, surely not.’

  ‘I think she could be. She’s been worried about Kathleen and William. Even though he’s told her they never had an affair, well, she’s only his word for it, hasn’t she?’

  ‘I’ve told you, I don’t think William would ever have slept with Kathleen.’

  ‘I know, but I’m not sure Imogen was so convinced. I think you underestimate how much William means, not just to her, but to Elsa too. He has brought this approval from her parents that she is desperate for.’

  Sami scratched his cheek. ‘I suppose I’d never have thought of Imogen as someone who was so stressed and vulnerable that she would turn to abusing medication. I got that wrong, so maybe she did threaten Kathleen. She can be pretty scary when she wants to be: a few words from her with that look is enough to make anyone do what they’re told.’

  ‘But what if she went beyond words?’ asked Beth.

  Sami held up his hand. ‘Hey, no. We know Kathleen’s death was an accident. The police say so, and we know Imogen was at school that morning.’

  ‘But there are still things unanswered about Kathleen’s death. We know that her life was very complicated. There’s the affair, losing the baby. There are motives there, and now with Imogen we have found a secret that, surely, she would have been desperate to hide. Now, I know Imogen’s car was seen at school but I’ve discovered a way Imogen could have gone over to Freshwater that morning.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘She could have used the pharmacy car. It’s silver, like the car seen by that woman. Lots of people have keys for it. Imogen could have got William’s easily, even had a copy made.’