Stolen

by Roberta Kray

  15

  Monday 19 September. Kellston and West Henby

  There were only a few customers in the café; it was the post-lunch lull and the smell of burgers and onions still hung in the air. Lolly sipped an ice-cold Coke while she listened to Nick recount the details of his meeting with Heather Grant. She didn’t interrupt but her expression grew darker while he talked. By the time he’d finished, her mouth was set in a thin straight line.

  ‘You don’t really believe this girl is Kay Fury, do you?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter what I believe. It’s what Mal thinks that matters. Prison can screw with your head. There’s no knowing what’s going on in his mind. And the fact Hazel Finch and her daughter have suddenly disappeared is only going to reinforce whatever hope he might have left. Heather’s story about Teddy Heath and Hazel seems to stand up, but that doesn’t mean Vicky is Kay.’

  ‘But even if she is, which is doubtful, what’s he going to achieve by going on the run?’

  ‘Perhaps he’s scared the trail will go cold, that Hazel won’t ever be found again. I don’t know. You’re trying to figure it out from a rational point of view and I don’t imagine Mal’s thinking straight at the moment.’

  ‘Do you have the photos?’

  Nick shook his head. ‘But from what I could tell – and the pictures aren’t that clear – she doesn’t look like anyone in particular. Mal might have thought differently, though. Heather left one of the photos at the prison.’

  Lolly could feel a small throbbing ache in her temples. She wasn’t sure if this was down to the cold Coke or what Nick was telling her. ‘Do you trust her? Heather, I mean. What if she’s just stirring things up for her book? We don’t even know if she’s actually found Hazel. Those pictures she took could be of any random girl.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure there’s plenty of stirring going on. I’m inclined to believe her about Hazel, but I could be wrong. So far as I can see she’s dropped a bombshell, stood back and now she’s waiting to see what rises from the dust. And I reckon she said a lot more to Mal than she’s letting on, especially about Esther leaving. Did you know she was moving to the States?’

  Lolly nodded. ‘Jude told me.’

  ‘You’ve seen Jude?’

  ‘Briefly. He asked me to go to West Henby with him, said Esther wanted to talk to me.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘What do you think? There’s nothing that woman can say that I want to hear.’

  Nick’s mouth turned down at the corners. ‘Yeah, I get that, I understand, but perhaps you should go. What if she knows something important? What if Mal shows up there? You’re the one person who might be able to talk some sense into him.’

  Lolly hadn’t considered that. ‘You think he might?’

  ‘I think it’s likely. Heather’s planted a seed in his head, the possibility that Esther might already be in contact with Hazel and Vicky. He’ll want to see her, find out what’s really going on.’

  ‘But Esther’s going to call the law the minute she sets eyes on him.’

  ‘He could be prepared to take that chance.’

  Lolly’s natural instinct was to stay well away from Esther, but perhaps Nick was right. And even if Mal didn’t show there was still a chance of finding out what Esther was up to. She decided, on balance, that it wasn’t worth throwing the opportunity away. ‘All right. I’ll go. I’ll go first thing tomorrow.’

  ‘Why wait?’ Nick said. ‘If Mal’s going to turn up, it’s going to be soon. Let’s do it now. I can give you a lift.’

  ‘Right now?’

  ‘Have you got something better to do?’

  Lolly thought about the library and her plans to look for Freddy, but that was probably going to be a wild goose chase. Anyway, this was more pressing. If there was a chance of seeing Mal she had to grab it with both hands.

  ‘Give me five minutes. I’ll go and pack a bag.’

  By half past three, Lolly and Nick were in Kent. The afternoon was sunny and warm and they drove with the windows halfway down. Carly Simon was on the radio singing ‘Nobody Does It Better’. As they travelled along the winding roads there was a hint of autumn in the air, a feeling of change as the leaves on the trees began their transformation, a slow fade from green to yellow and rust.

  Lolly, who had no idea of the kind of welcome she was going to receive – and welcome probably wasn’t the right word – tried to distract herself by thinking about other things. But the dreaded encounter refused to be dismissed. No sooner had she pushed it away than it crept straight back into her head again. Esther always made her nervous. She had an intimidating beauty and a cold kind of cruelty that could cut to the bone.

  ‘What if she won’t see me?’

  ‘Why wouldn’t she? She invited you, didn’t she? She told Jude she wanted to talk.’

  ‘And I said no.’

  ‘So you changed your mind. It’s not a crime. She won’t care. She wants something and that gives you the upper hand. Perhaps she thinks you know what Mal’s up to or where he is – or both. Just don’t give too much away.’

  ‘I haven’t got anything to give away.’

  Nick grinned. ‘Yeah, well, she doesn’t know that. And with a bit of luck she’ll want to keep you under the same roof while she tries to figure it out. Keep your enemies close and all that. If Mal’s going to confront her, it’s going to be soon. You need to make sure you’re there when it happens.’

  Lolly didn’t relish the thought of an extended stay or of facing Esther on her own. ‘Will you be able to hang around for a while?’

  ‘For a few hours,’ he said. ‘I have to work tomorrow.’

  ‘You could stay over, drive back in the morning. There’s plenty of room, and if Esther wants to talk so badly, she isn’t going to quibble over one more guest in the house.’

  ‘Let’s see how it goes.’

  Lolly reckoned it would go badly which was why she wanted some support, but she wasn’t going to beg. Hopefully, Nick would agree once he saw how the land lay – which was always rocky when it came to Esther. They were getting close now and nerves were fluttering in Lolly’s chest. ‘You know what I don’t understand?’ she said. ‘Why Heather Grant told you all this stuff in the first place. What’s the benefit to her?’

  There was a short pause before Nick said, ‘I made a deal.’

  ‘What kind of deal?’

  ‘She wanted Stanley’s file, remember? I figured it was worth handing over a copy to find out what she knew.’ He gave her a sidelong glance. ‘Do you think that was the wrong thing to do?’

  Lolly considered it. ‘Depends on whether you got the better part of the deal.’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ he said. ‘Not yet. But at least we’ve got a clue to why Mal’s done what he’s done.’

  ‘He could be miles away by now.’

  Nick nodded. ‘He could be, but I don’t think he is.’

  The sun slid behind a cloud as they pulled up in front of the tall wrought-iron gates. There was a security system in place with a buzzer. Nick reached out of the window and pressed it.

  They waited. Nothing happened. ‘No one’s home.’

  ‘There’s always someone home, or there used to be.’

  Nick pressed the buzzer again. This time there was a clicking noise and a distant tinny female voice came out of a speaker.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Nick Trent and Lolly Bruce.’ He quickly corrected himself, remembering the name she was known by here. ‘Lita Bruce. We’re here to see Esther Fury.’

  There was another delay, as though the woman – Lolly was pretty sure it was the formidable housekeeper, Mrs Gough – was in two minds as to whether to let them in. But eventually the gates rolled back and they were allowed to enter.

  As they travelled along the winding path, Lolly was reminded of the first time she’d ever come here with Nick’s uncle, Stanley. It had been evening then, dark, and her first sight of the house, brightly illuminated, had taken her breath away. She
had so many memories of the place, good and bad, and they all jostled for position in her head. Deep breaths, she told herself. Esther no longer had any power over her, no control. She was her own person now, as grown up as she’d ever be and reliant on nobody else.

  But there was Jude to think about too. Would he be here? She was over him, completely, but still didn’t want to see him with Esther. There would be a kind of humiliation in it, a torment that she couldn’t bear. First love always stayed with you even if it was unrequited.

  Nick parked on the drive, switched off the engine and turned to her. ‘You ready?’

  ‘As I’ll ever be.’

  ‘Let’s do it then.’

  16

  Monday 19 September. West Henby

  Although Mrs Gough had been informed of their arrival, the door was still firmly shut when they reached the top of the steps. Lolly rang the bell. A full minute passed before the housekeeper deigned to answer it. Her expression was tight and disapproving. She gave no indication of ever having met Lolly before and instead looked them both up and down like they were a pair of unwanted pedlars come to sell their wares. If she’d had the choice she would probably have slammed the door in their faces.

  Eventually, though, she managed to squeeze the words from a reluctant mouth. ‘I suppose you’d better come in. Follow me. Mrs Fury is in the sun room.’

  As they walked in her wake, their footsteps echoing through the large hallway, Lolly glanced at Nick and rolled her eyes. Then, in an act of deliberate mischief, knowing that the woman had no desire to engage with her, she asked, ‘So, how are you, Mrs Gough? Are you keeping well? It’s been a while.’

  The housekeeper flinched but didn’t even glance over her shoulder. ‘Quite well, thank you.’

  ‘That’s good. It must be over a year since I saw you last.’

  Mrs Gough upped her pace as if to outrun Lolly’s hollow pleasantries. She sped through to the back of the house where she flung open the doors and formally announced, ‘Mr Trent and Miss Bruce,’ before marching back the way she had come.

  Lolly and Nick went in. It was warm in the sun room, the glass walls and roof retaining the last of the afternoon heat. A pungent smell of lilies filled the air. Esther was reclining in a wide wicker chair, her feet on a stool and her ankles crossed. Dressed in a cream linen skirt and a white shirt, she looked impeccable as always. She didn’t bother getting up but managed to stretch her lips into a smile.

  ‘Lita, darling, what a surprise! How wonderful to see you! I was very disappointed when Jude told me you weren’t coming. Do come in and sit down.’ She made a regal gesture with her hand towards the chairs in front of her. ‘And you’ve brought a friend. How lovely.’

  ‘Nick Trent,’ he said, reaching over to shake her hand. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

  Lolly had no idea if Esther recognised Nick or not. The two of them had only met once before and that had been at a party when Nick had dropped by to talk to Mal about the death of his uncle. She doubted if his presence had even registered.

  ‘Delighted,’ Esther said. She studied him for a moment, dismissed him as being of no particular interest, and returned her attention to Lolly. ‘Do sit down,’ she repeated. ‘You’re making the place look untidy.’

  Lolly took a seat. Despite all her best intentions, she was starting to feel like a thirteen-year-old girl again. Esther had that effect on her. Before she could revert to a juvenile state, she blinked hard, straightened her spine and resolved to hold her ground. ‘Jude said you wanted to speak to me.’

  ‘I do.’ Esther paused and glanced at Nick. ‘But it’s rather private, I’m afraid. Perhaps your friend would like to take a stroll in the garden. It’s quite lovely at this time of day.’ She bestowed one of her charming smiles on him. ‘Would you mind awfully?’

  ‘He’s not going anywhere,’ Lolly said firmly. ‘Whatever you tell me I’ll tell him anyway so he might as well stay and hear it for himself.’

  Esther’s smile quickly faded. ‘I really don’t think that’s acceptable.’

  Lolly rose to her feet and called her bluff. ‘Okay, if that’s how you feel. Believe me, I’ve got better things to do than to waste my time arguing.’

  ‘Nobody’s arguing, darling,’ Esther said. ‘Don’t be so dramatic. If it’s that important to you then of course he can stay.’ She looked at Nick. ‘I’m presuming you know the meaning of the word discretion, Mr Trent?’

  ‘Call me Nick,’ he said, ‘and yes, I know the meaning.’

  ‘Good. These are difficult times as I’m sure you understand.’ Lolly sat back down again. She had gained a small victory but it had only been a minor skirmish. The true battle was just beginning. ‘I’m presuming you want to talk about Mal?’

  ‘Do you know where he is?’

  ‘If I did, I wouldn’t be here.’

  Esther arched her eyebrows as if not entirely convinced of the truth of this statement. ‘He’s not in his right mind. He can’t be. He needs help, my dear. So, if you are protecting him, for whatever misguided reason, you’re really not doing him any favours.’

  ‘I have no idea where he is,’ Lolly said. ‘Why do you think he’s absconded?’

  Esther’s expression grew sly. ‘How on earth would I know? You’re the one who visits him in prison, not me.’

  Nick leaned forward and rested his palms on his knees. ‘Why don’t we cut to the chase here, Mrs Fury? You’ve been talking to Heather Grant, and so has Mal. There’s every chance he’s got it into his head that Vicky Finch is your missing daughter. Now, because you’re leaving the country, he suspects this could be more than a coincidence. He’s concerned, perhaps, that you’ll try and take Vicky with you and wishes to prevent this happening. You want to know how much, if anything, Lita knows about his plans. That’s why you asked her to come here. Would you say that’s a reasonably accurate summary of the situation, give or take a detail or two?’

  Lolly was impressed. Most men were either entranced or intimidated by Esther, and Nick appeared to be neither. It was a novelty, and he went up a few notches in her estimation. She waited for the response.

  Esther took a while. Eventually she said, ‘Heather Grant might have got carried away. I asked her not to say anything to Mal until she’d made more enquiries, but she ignored me. Personally, I don’t believe Vicky Finch is my daughter.’

  ‘Do you think Mal will come here?’ Nick asked.

  Esther gave a visible shudder, although Lolly wasn’t sure if it was genuine or not. The woman was an actress after all.

  ‘Who’s to know? If he does, I’ll have no choice but to call the police.’

  Nick sat back and folded his arms. ‘Why don’t you go away, stay somewhere else for a while?’

  ‘Why should I? This is my home. I refuse to be terrorised by that man.’

  ‘Terrorised?’ Lolly repeated sceptically.

  ‘Oh, you can defend him as much as you like, but that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s tried to kill me once and I’m sure he won’t hesitate to try again. He wants me to be frightened, to be always looking over my shoulder, to jump at every sound in the night. No, I’m not going to let him drive me out.’

  Lolly saw a flaw in this reasoning. ‘But you’re moving away anyway, aren’t you? You’re going to live in the States.’

  ‘So what?’ Esther snapped. ‘If I do, it will be in my own time and when I’m good and ready.’

  ‘Maybe Lita should stay a few days,’ Nick suggested. ‘It might help calm things down if he does show up.’

  Esther gave a scornful laugh. ‘Like a bodyguard, you mean? No, I don’t think she’d be much use for that. She couldn’t scare away a fly.’ But then she seemed to have a change of heart. ‘Well, perhaps it wouldn’t do any harm.’ She looked at Lolly and sighed, ‘You’ll have to fend for yourself, though. I’m too busy to be waiting on you hand and foot.’

  Lolly made a noise, half snort, half splutter. The very idea of Esther waiting on anyone was a joke; she was a pampered
princess who never lifted a finger. ‘You don’t have to worry about that. I’m quite capable of taking care of myself, thank you.’

  Esther glanced at her watch. ‘I’m afraid I have to go out. I have an appointment and it’s too late to cancel. If you’d let me know you were coming . . . We’ll meet up again at dinner. Will you stay for a bite to eat, Nick?’

  ‘Thank you. I’d like that.’

  ‘Seven o’clock, then. It won’t be anything fancy, just a cold platter, but we can probably rustle up a decent bottle of wine. I had to let the cook go and it doesn’t seem worth hiring another.’

  ‘She’s gone?’ Lolly said. This was a blow to her. Mrs Docherty had been her ally in the past, someone to run to when things got too much. Comfort could always be found in the kitchen: a friendly face, hot buttered toast and a strong cup of tea.

  ‘Over a month ago now. The woman was a dreadful gossip, you know, forever spreading rumours in the village.’ Esther stood up and smoothed down her skirt. ‘Right, I’ll see you both at dinner. Do make yourselves at home.’

  Nick waited until the door had closed behind her. ‘So, what do you think?’

  Lolly, who knew Mrs Gough wasn’t beyond a spot of eavesdropping, gestured towards the garden. ‘Let’s go outside. I could do with some air.’

  She chose the path that went past the tennis court and led eventually to the lake. The last of the summer roses were still blooming, their petals velvety, their scent wafting on the breeze.

  ‘Esther’s up to something,’ Lolly said. ‘She isn’t scared of Mal. She never was. It’s almost as though she wants a confrontation.’

  ‘A set-up of some sort?’

  ‘I wouldn’t put it past her. She hates him enough. And Mrs Docherty, the cook, was never a gossip. She worked here for years. Mal wouldn’t have kept her on if she couldn’t be trusted.’