Stolen

by Roberta Kray

  31

  Wednesday 21 September. West Henby

  At seven o’clock, Lolly was up in her old bedroom searching through the wardrobe for something to wear. She still had a lot of things here. When she’d left – or perhaps, more accurately, been thrown out – she had gone in a hurry taking only a small suitcase and the bare essentials. She could have returned for the rest, but pride had stood in her way. She had sworn she wouldn’t set foot in the house again until Mal was a free man and back where he belonged. She glanced towards the window. Well, he was certainly home but not in the circumstances she’d imagined or hoped for.

  Lolly’s fingers quickly separated the hangers as her eyes flew from one garment to the next. Eventually her gaze settled on the dark red silk dress she had only worn once. That occasion had been another party, the last party she’d attended here. Even though she tried her best, it was impossible to forget the excitement she’d felt that night, the fluttering in her chest, the anticipation at the knowledge that Jude was coming. Jude was back in her life.

  Although she couldn’t have known that he was only using her to get to Esther, Lolly still cursed her naivety. How had she been so stupid? Blinded by desire, she hadn’t seen what should have been staring her straight in the face. A pink flush spread across her cheeks, a hot mix of anger and humiliation. What a fool! He had trampled on her feelings, leaving her shattered and bereft. Even now, she wasn’t completely over it. She said she was, swore she was, but the memory still haunted her.

  Lolly went to the full-length mirror, held up the dress and examined her reflection. The dress certainly couldn’t be described as lucky but that was why she wanted to wear it, to purge those demons and prove that her present was not controlled by the past. A putting aside of all things negative. On top of that, it was a damn nice dress and it suited her.

  There was something else Lolly had worn that night, her eighteenth birthday present from Mal. It was another item she’d left behind, too afraid of it getting lost or stolen in London. She went over to the dressing table, opened the box, drew out the ruby necklace and fastened it around her neck. The red stones glowed like fire. The rubies had come from Burma and had probably passed through many hands before they’d finally ended up at Mal’s shop in Hatton Garden.

  Before she could change her mind, Lolly pulled the dress over her head, put on her shoes, brushed her hair and took one last look in the mirror. The girl who stared back seemed more defiant than pretty but she would have to do. Her last job was to spray on some perfume, a fine mist of Chanel No. 5.

  Just as she was about to leave, she remembered Terry’s diamond ring still lying in her handbag. Was it safe to leave it here? She didn’t want to lug the bag around all night but she’d curse herself if the ring got nicked. On the whole, Esther’s guests were probably trustworthy but thieves came in all shapes and sizes, and with no lock on the bedroom door anyone could wander in. She took out the ring, put it on her finger and held out her hand. Well, it was somewhat ostentatious, but people would presume it was fake.

  By the time she got downstairs, the guests were already streaming in. Their smart shiny cars rolled down the drive and gathered at the side of the house until the area began to resemble an outdoor luxury showroom. She watched for a while, wondering who’d get out when the uniformed chauffeurs opened the doors. Mal had always spent more time with these men than he had with Esther’s guests, talking engines and speed, performance and handling, before he sent them off to Mrs Docherty to be generously fed and watered.

  Lolly grabbed a glass of champagne and went from room to room, not so much mingling as people-spotting. There were famous faces everywhere: actors, directors, producers, writers, even the odd politician or two. Esther’s star, in a long decline after the abduction of Kay, had risen again over recent years, and the scandal of the trial had only added to her popularity.

  Was popularity the right word? Perhaps what she meant was notoriety.

  As it was still warm, the guests inevitably spilled out onto the lawn. Lolly joined them, throwing fast nervous glances towards the line of trees, certain that Mal was lurking there somewhere. He wouldn’t be able to resist. She kept an eye on the pathways in case anyone decided to wander off towards the lake.

  There was no sign of Nick yet. He probably wasn’t coming. It had been short notice, after all, and she couldn’t expect him to drop everything and dash down to Kent. Everywhere she looked she seemed to be surrounded by couples, men and women holding hands or with arms linked at the elbow, standing together with their shoulders touching. Although Lolly knew she didn’t need anyone – she was more than capable of taking care of herself – she still felt a pang of envy. It would be nice to have someone to share things with. Even at the tender age of nineteen, she was beginning to suspect that she was one of those girls who would never find another half.

  Lolly was still musing on this when a cut-glass voice sliced through her thoughts. ‘Lita, darling. Heavens, I never expected to see you here!’

  Lolly turned to find Anna Leighton standing behind her. The two had first met the summer Jude had come to West Henby and bad times had followed for both of them. Anna was a dark-haired, curvy, sultry beauty, her looks more exotic than would have been expected from her East End origins. ‘Likewise.’

  ‘Claud insisted, I’m afraid. Says there are people he simply has to talk to. It’s such a bore. And how are you? I heard Esther threw you out. You should have taken the evil bitch to court. You’ve as much right to be here as she has.’

  Lolly was unsurprised by Anna’s vitriol. Her husband Claud had briefly left her for Esther and, presumably, only come crawling back after Esther had tossed him aside. She could have divorced him, of course, but rich powerful husbands were hard to come by and Anna had a pragmatic nature. Having clawed her way out of poverty, she had no intention of returning to it.

  ‘And what about poor Mal,’ Anna continued. ‘How exciting to be on the run. I’ve heard he’s been seen in South America.’

  ‘Oh,’ Lolly said. ‘Really? Seen by whom?’

  ‘Hugh Devine. Swears blind he spotted him in Buenos Aires, clear as day, walking down a street in Palermo, but he’s such an old soak he could have been hallucinating. Still, I like to think it’s true. One in the eye for the law, right? And at least over there that spiteful cow can’t cause him any more grief.’ Anna glanced towards the open French doors, through which Esther was currently passing as she made her way into the garden. ‘Talk of the devil.’

  Esther floated down the steps in a long white dress so sheer it was almost diaphanous. She looked like an angel. Her eyes were sparkling, her fair hair piled up on top of her head with a few loose tendrils framing her face. She had a glow about her, an air of triumph, or perhaps it was just self-satisfaction. She was, without doubt, a woman who knew exactly how to make an entrance.

  Jude was by her side, impeccably dressed, his clothes definitely more Savile Row than Kellston market. His face was solemn, unsmiling, but that didn’t detract from how handsome he was. Lolly hated herself for even noticing. He was sticking to Esther like glue, like a man afraid of superior suitors.

  ‘What did I tell you?’ Anna said. ‘I warned you about that boy. You shouldn’t have let him anywhere near her.’

  Lolly, who’d suffered enough without having her nose rubbed it in, quickly retorted, ‘I could say the same for you.’

  Anna glared at her for a moment but then burst out laughing. ‘Touché. We’re both as dumb as each other.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Claud never could keep his eyes off her, or his hands come to that. Still, she’ll get what’s coming to her. What goes around, comes around. Isn’t that what they say?’

  ‘Just because they say it doesn’t mean it’s true.’

  Anna’s mouth curled into a smile. ‘Oh, in this case I think it might be.’

  32

  Wednesday 21 September. West Henby

  It was after eight o’clock and Lolly was on her sec
ond glass of champagne when she saw Nick Trent strolling across the lawn. He had made the effort and put on a suit but didn’t look entirely comfortable in it. Even as he walked, he pulled at his tie as if it was some alien creature that had wound itself around his neck. She liked that he was different to the other men, that he didn’t quite fit in, that he was, like her, an outsider. Neither of them really belonged here.

  ‘Ah, hello. You made it, then.’

  ‘You know me,’ he replied drily, ‘I never like to miss a party. I see the glitterati are out in force.’

  ‘All the beautiful people. Do you remember? That’s what you called them the day you first came here.’

  ‘Did I? Yes, perhaps I did.’

  ‘And I was rude to you, I think. Not about that. I was in a bad mood because . . . ’ It had been because she’d been sitting with Jude on the grass, and Esther had come over with Nick and asked her to take him to see Mal. ‘Oh, I don’t know, something or other. Come on, let’s go inside and get you a drink. Are you hungry?’

  ‘Starving.’

  As they walked towards the house they passed Claud Leighton, Anna’s husband, who was talking to a suave-looking man smoking a cigar. Claud glanced at Lolly but didn’t acknowledge her. He either didn’t remember her or didn’t wish to renew the acquaintance. She suspected the latter. One had to take sides in Esther’s wars and there was nothing to be gained in taking Lolly’s. Esther may have thrown him over but he still needed her; she was hot property in the film world and he was a director who needed stars.

  Lolly turned her attention back to Nick. ‘So, how have you been? Busy?’

  ‘I don’t like to whine on an empty stomach. I’ll tell you about it later. How about you? Have you found out anything yet?’

  ‘Only that Esther’s making an announcement tonight.’

  ‘That sounds dramatic.’

  ‘That’s what’s worrying about it. I’ve asked the others but they say they don’t know what it’s about.’

  ‘You don’t believe them?’

  ‘I don’t know what to believe any more.’

  As they climbed the steps she noticed Jude and Heather standing at the top. There was something conspiratorial about them. They had their heads close together and were talking quickly. She tried to read their lips but it was useless. Jude put his hand on Heather’s arm but she shrugged it off. A group of guests, tipsy and laughing, moved across her line of vision and by the time they’d shifted there was nothing left to see. Both Jude and Heather had disappeared.

  It was crowded in the drawing room where the food had been laid out. Nick piled up his plate from the cold buffet and Lolly took a couple of sandwiches. After Nick got a drink they went back outside, plate in one hand, glass in the other, where they could talk without having to raise their voices.

  Illumination from the house spilled out in white oblongs, chasing the darkness to where the lawn met the trees. Here the branches were strung with fairy lights. A brazier had been lit and they settled near it, sitting down on the grass. Nick took off his tie, put it in his pocket and undid the top button his shirt. ‘You don’t mind, do you? I hate to lower the tone but I feel like I’m being strangled.’

  ‘I’ll try not to die of embarrassment.’

  Nick grinned and glanced at her hand. ‘That’s quite a sparkler you’re wearing. Did you win the pools?’

  Lolly spread out her fingers to show the ring to full advantage. ‘It’s not bad, is it? A fake, of course, but a decent one. You wouldn’t know it’s not a diamond, not at a glance anyway.’

  ‘It had me fooled but that’s not saying much. I know as much about jewellery as I do about celebrities. How exactly do you spot a fake?’

  ‘Are we talking jewellery here or . . . ’

  Nick laughed, his gaze travelling quickly round the people in the garden. ‘All that glisters is not gold, right?’

  ‘If Shakespeare said it, it has to be true.’

  ‘I take it there’s no sign of Mal?’

  The sudden change of subject caught her off guard. Lolly shook her head, simultaneously reaching for a sandwich so she didn’t need to meet his gaze. ‘He’d be mad to come here.’

  ‘He was mad to go AWOL, but it didn’t stop him.’

  ‘I think it was to do with something Heather said. She claims she didn’t raise his hopes about Vicky but I think she might have done. She’s kind of . . . evasive about it all. Anyway, if I remember rightly, you were going to have a good whine about something.’

  ‘You might not want to be eating when I do.’

  Lolly put the sandwich down. ‘It’s all right, I’ve got a strong stomach.’

  ‘You’re going to need it.’ He took a swig of champagne and looked at her. ‘Well, I’ve been following this bloke around – surveillance, the usual stuff – and yesterday I was parked up outside his office and just as he came out of the door a car drew up and somebody shot him.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Yeah, right in front of me. Two shots straight through the heart.’

  ‘Christ,’ Lolly said. ‘Is he dead?’

  ‘As a doornail. And I had to spend the afternoon down the nick being given the third degree. Not my favourite way of passing the time, I can assure you.’

  ‘I can imagine. Are you okay? Seeing something like that must be awful.’

  ‘It all happened so quickly, I didn’t really have time to think about it.’

  ‘And now?’

  ‘I’m doing my best to forget about it.’ He lifted up his glass. ‘You can always rely on champagne to blot out the bad stuff.’

  ‘So who was he, this bloke?’

  ‘A dodgy solicitor called Brent Sandler. He likes to . . . liked to walk the thin line between what’s legal and what isn’t. Although, to be honest, I reckon he crossed it a fair few times. He tended to mix with the more dubious elements of society. Have you ever heard of him?’

  Lolly shook her head. ‘Why would I?’

  He pulled a face and she knew he had more to tell.

  ‘Nick?’

  ‘I didn’t know who the client was at the time, who was paying the firm to have Sandler followed. We don’t tend to be told that unless it’s relevant. Just do the job and don’t ask too many questions.’

  Lolly had a sinking feeling. ‘Is this something to do with Terry?’

  ‘It could be,’ he said, ‘but Terry wasn’t the client. It was Vinnie Keane. And he’s been arrested over the murder, probably charged by now.’

  ‘Vinnie? God, what?’ Lolly was genuinely shocked. She knew Vinnie was no stranger to violence but this was something else. ‘Why would he do that?’

  ‘Perhaps Terry told him to – he could have fallen out with Sandler – but that’s not what I’m hearing. I don’t know all the ins and outs but rumour has it that Vinnie was involved with Sandler’s wife, Laura. It gives him a pretty good motive for getting rid of the man.’

  ‘But you don’t have to kill someone to . . . Why couldn’t she just divorce him?’

  ‘I suppose there could have been financial reasons, or emotional ones. Sandler wasn’t what you’d call an ideal husband. He seemed to prefer the company of prostitutes to his own wife.’

  ‘Delightful.’ Lolly thought about all the selling trips she’d made with Vinnie. They’d never talked about anything personal, just exchanged a bit of banter to pass the time. And yet she felt she knew him well enough to question his guilt. It didn’t seem plausible to her. Something didn’t add up. ‘Surely, if he was planning on killing Sandler, he wouldn’t pay someone else to follow him around. I mean, that would put him right at the top of the suspect list. Vinnie might not be the smartest man who walked the earth but he’s not stupid.’

  ‘Everyone can be stupid when it comes to love.’

  ‘You think he did it then?’

  ‘I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Sorry to break the bad news. I know he’s a friend of yours.’

  Lolly wasn’t sure if she’d class him as a friend exac
tly but she’d grown fond of him in the past year. ‘It’s not your fault. Thanks for letting me know.’

  Nick rose to his feet and said, ‘I’m just going for a . . . Where is the loo, by the way?’

  ‘Straight through, past the library and it’s on your left.’

  While Nick went to relieve his bladder, Lolly contemplated this latest bit of news.

  Mal had just escaped from prison and now Vinnie was going in. It was like a revolving door. He’d be banged up for a long time if he was found guilty. Could love ever be worth that? She sighed into the night air, picked up her champagne and drained the glass.

  A couple of minutes later Jude came striding towards her. ‘Have you seen Esther? I can’t find her anywhere. She’s not in the house. I’ve looked in her room, everywhere.’

  Lolly, who had no interest in Esther’s whereabouts, gave a shrug. ‘She can’t be that far away.’

  ‘Someone said she was out here.’

  ‘I don’t think so. I haven’t seen her. Not in the past twenty minutes or so.’

  Jude seemed disproportionately jumpy and anxious. What was he afraid of? That Esther had sneaked off with another man, perhaps. That even at this moment she was kissing someone more desirable – or doing more than kissing. She might have felt sorry for him if he’d ever expressed one iota of regret for how he’d treated her. As it was, she just gave another shrug. ‘I’ll let her know you’re looking if I see her.’

  ‘People are starting to wonder where she is. I think I’ll check the lake.’

  Lolly frowned. ‘She wouldn’t have gone there. She never goes there.’

  But Jude was insistent. ‘I’ll try anyway.’

  Lolly jumped to her feet, afraid that he might stumble upon Mal and the game would be up. Jude wouldn’t hesitate to raise the alarm, to call the law if he caught so much as a glimpse. ‘I’ll go,’ she said. ‘It’s dark and I know my way around better than you. Why don’t you try the drive? She might have . . . I don’t know, walked down to the gate for some reason.’

  Jude hesitated, perhaps wondering why she was suddenly being so helpful. ‘No, I’ll come with you.’