Murder for Nothing Read online

  ‘She’s right, you know,’ said Rafael, who showed neither embarrassment nor tenderness for the girl. ‘She’s got herself into a right mess, owing money left, right and centre.’

  Angelica screamed. She had a nice, tight scream. It went up to the roof and assaulted their ears. ‘What am I to do? Mrs Quicke, you’ve got to help me out. Lend me enough to get them off my back and I swear I’ll pay you back.’

  ‘With what?’ said Ellie. ‘Promises?’

  Angelica sprayed tears, clasping Andy’s arm. ‘Andy, you’ll help me out, won’t you? If they kill me, or maim me, you’d never be able to forgive yourself! It’s only a couple of thousand, when all’s said and done. And the drugs, of course. But I’m sure they’ll understand that I don’t have them any more.’

  Sweat broke out on Andy’s forehead. ‘But Angel, the flat’s in such a mess, it’s going to cost an arm and a leg to put right, and I really don’t have that sort of money.’

  Ellie had had enough. Time was passing and she needed to be on the track of the lost drugs. And for that, she needed her mobile phone. She drew Susan to one side. ‘Listen, this is important. I gave Lesley my phone and it has some numbers on it which I desperately need. Can you get it back? You have Lesley’s phone, don’t you? If we can find her a change of clothing and her night things, you could be at the hospital in half an hour. I’ll give you money for a minicab each way.’

  Susan blew her nose and gulped. She was still weeping but trying to concentrate on what Ellie said. ‘You want me to go as well as Andy?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But he’s her husband.’ Susan looked at Angelica. The girl was pressing herself up against Andy, who was trying to fend her off but not being firm enough about it.

  Susan said, ‘I get you. He’s not much of a husband, is he? I’m only her niece, of course, but I am very fond of her. You think that her getting pregnant was a mistake?’ She let the question hang in the air. Then she shook her head. ‘Well, even if it was a mistake, Lesley would have wanted to keep the baby. She wanted children. Yes, you’re right. I’ll go, too.’

  ‘Andy won’t think of taking the things she’ll need, so that’s your excuse for going with him. And whatever happens, get me my mobile phone, right?’

  ‘It’s that important?’

  ‘Yes. And it’s that important that she has someone to comfort her. I’d go myself, but …’ She gestured to include Andy, Angelica and Rafael. ‘A house full. And remember to tell Lesley she’s welcome to come back here when she’s discharged from hospital. Let’s get some things together for her.’

  As they started for the stairs, they heard Andy sweeping across the hall, followed by the light clip-clop of Angelica’s shoes. Angelica was breathless. ‘Don’t leave me, Andy. Let me come with you!’

  The front door banged behind him. Opened and banged again. Exit the pair of them.

  Susan halted. ‘Shall I call him back? He’s forgotten to take Lesley’s things.’

  Ellie added, ‘And he’s taken the thing that Lesley will not want to see. Let him go.’

  Susan said, ‘You’re right. I think I know which are Lesley’s cases. I bought her one of those suitcases on wheels for her last birthday.’ She started up the stairs.

  Ellie would have followed Susan but Rafael laid a hand on her arm. ‘A word.’

  He knew? Or guessed that she knew where the drugs had gone?

  Ellie sang out, ‘Susan, can you cope? I’m going to see if Lesley left anything in the bedroom over the kitchen.’ Nodding to Rafael to follow her, she led the way up the stairs, round the landing and into the old housekeeper’s room. She threw open the window. The ruined mattress and duvet lay where Lesley had left them. And nothing else. Not even her handbag. Where was her handbag? Still in the car with Andy? Was it going to be safe there? Would Angelica plunder it?

  Rafael said, ‘What is it, Mrs Quicke? I saw some thought strike you as soon as Angelica opened the cupboard door. You think you know where the drugs may be? Yet we searched there earlier and you didn’t react then.’

  ‘No, Rafael, I don’t know what’s happened to the drugs and the money. I suspect that … but I may be quite wrong. As soon as I’ve got a minute, I’ll make some phone calls.’

  ‘You’ve thought of someone who might have had access to the cupboard since Sunday night …’

  EIGHT

  Monday suppertime

  Ellie said, ‘I can’t think that someone I trusted would have stolen from me, but what do I know?’

  He gave her a sharp look but changed the subject. ‘How shall we dispose of the old mattress? Do we throw it out of the window or drag it downstairs?’

  She said, ‘Drag it downstairs.’

  He grabbed the mattress and lifted it on to one edge. Seemingly without effort. He might look slender, even willowy, but there was strength in them there willows.

  She held the door open for him, deciding to share her suspicions. ‘I use the services of an agency to clean the house. I’ve had the same two people for years, but one is off work having her bunion seen to, so someone else comes with Annie for the time being. It’s not always the same person. They came early this morning. Annie has been with me for years. I could have sworn that … but anyone can be tempted, can’t they? A moment of madness?’

  ‘You suspect your cleaner found the stash and lifted it?’ He began to ease the mattress out of the door and along the corridor.

  She bundled the duvet up and followed him. ‘It’s possible, yes. They did clean the Quiet Room this morning. I know that because all of Thomas’s books had been picked up and put back in their rightful place in the cupboard. Annie’s daughter wants a boob job. Annie and her husband were going to help their daughter out with the cost but they neither of them earn a lot and, when they’d done their sums, they realized they couldn’t afford it. In her coffee break this morning, Annie asked me for a loan and I refused.’

  He laughed without sound. ‘Welcome to the club. I’m always turning people down for a loan. They can get quite vocal about it.’

  ‘I don’t usually have individuals approaching me. In the trust, everything is done through a committee by letter or email. I feel awful, because if I hadn’t refused Annie she wouldn’t have been tempted to take the money. And now, unless I can get it back straight away, the police are going to be involved and … Oh, this is all horrid. I pay the bills to the agency so I’ve never needed Annie’s home address. I know she lives in Greenford – she takes the bus to get here – but I don’t know precisely where. Her telephone number, for use in emergencies, is on my mobile phone, and I gave that to Lesley when she was taken into hospital.’

  He’d pulled the mattress as far as the head of the stairs. ‘Shall I slide it down or throw it down, or what?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  He said, ‘One … two … three … and … Whoosh!’ He launched the mattress into the air. It bumped and slid and stuck, hovering halfway down, and then, gathering momentum, flumped and bumped all the way down to the bottom of the stairs where it lay, puffing out dust. He put his hands on his hips and laughed.

  Ellie caught the infection. She giggled. She folded the duvet over and over, tossed it up into the air and let it tumble over and over and come to rest sitting on top of the mattress.

  ‘Success!’ he said. And then, ‘What fun!’

  ‘What …?’ said Susan, frowning as she reappeared with a small tote bag.

  ‘It’s the child in me,’ said Rafael, running smoothly down the stairs to pick up the mattress and stow it upright at the side of the stairs.

  ‘And in me,’ said Ellie, ‘although heaven knows, there’s not much to laugh about at the moment.’

  Susan looked as if she didn’t know whether to join them in a smile or continue to frown. The smile won. ‘You’re both crazy.’

  Rafael took the bag off Susan. ‘Let’s go. That is, if you don’t mind riding on the back of a motorbike. It would take too long to fetch the car. Now, Mrs Quicke,
don’t you try to lift things while I’m away. Double-lock the doors behind us and don’t let any suspicious characters in. I’ll be back in an hour or so to help you tidy up any loose ends, so to speak.’

  Ellie was alone at last.

  She felt limp.

  The house seemed to sitting down on its haunches. Listening. Waiting.

  Were there any watchers outside? She looked out of the window. No watchers. No motorbike. No bodies. She checked the locks on all the windows and doors and shot the bolts on the front door.

  Suddenly, like a swarm of bees, problems screamed out for attention in her head.

  What if the drug people came back now, while she was alone?

  Well, they couldn’t get in, could they?

  Er, yes, they could, if they broke a couple of windows and climbed in that way.

  She shuddered.

  And then she took a deep breath.

  Dear Lord, give me courage. It’s probably ridiculous to imagine I’m going to be tracked down in my own house … except that bad things are happening. Look at that poor girl, Kate. Killed at a party.

  Oh, dear. I’m in such a mess. So many people in trouble and I don’t know which way to turn or what to do next.

  Please, Lord, look after Lesley. She’s going to need everything her friends can do for her to get through this.

  What to say about Andy? Well, I certainly don’t know what to hope for there. But if you could keep an eye on him? Perhaps he’s just the product of an overindulgent mother who has told him that he deserves a life of wine and roses … which is certainly not what ordinary life is about.

  And Susan, dear Susan. Keep her safe. And yes, look after that rogue Rafael who is possibly not as black as he’s been painted, but if he does have designs on Susan, then …? But you’ll know best how to help her through the heartache when he’s had his wicked way with her and dumped her. Because, if the truth were but known, I don’t think many women could withstand Rafael’s charm.

  I don’t know what to hope for re Angelica. Yes, she’s one of your lambs but, oh, dear! Give me some advice?

  I must admit I’m afraid of what the drug man will do now he knows that the drugs definitely came here only to disappear. He’ll hold me responsible, won’t he? And perhaps, in a way, I am. Because if I hadn’t refused Annie that loan for her daughter’s boob job she wouldn’t have been tempted to steal. It’s out of character for her to take something that isn’t hers but I couldn’t let her have the money for a boob job. It was a ridiculous thing to ask for, very expensive and totally unnecessary, and the family has no means of paying me back for it, so in effect they’re almost as bad as Angelica, except that …

  No, Angelica isn’t in the same class as Annie. Annie is the salt of the earth: a hard-working, opinionated gossip who has been part of my life for years. We’ve exchanged news about our families and our ups and downs over tea and biscuits so many times.

  How could she have stolen from me? I feel betrayed. I wish … if wishes were … what? Fishes? No, not fishes. Can’t remember what they’re supposed to be like. Something down to earth, no doubt.

  I keep forgetting that a girl died at that party. Kate, her name was. I don’t know anything else about her except that she had red hair. But you know all about her. You watched her grow up and go to the party looking for Jake. You watched her die. You know who is grieving for her. If you want me to do something about finding her killer, then you’ll have to point me in the right direction because I don’t have a clue.

  Meanwhile …

  She lifted the phone and dialled. She didn’t think she’d be able to get the information she needed over the phone because the agency would be closed at this time of day, but she must try.

  A girl called Maria ran the cleaning agency which Ellie had used for years. Maria was not only a friend of hers but was also married to the general manager of Ellie’s charitable trust, so there were many ties binding them together. Maria wouldn’t mind being interrupted after hours, would she?

  ‘Maria? Sorry to trouble you after work …’ Ellie could hear Maria’s two little girls playing in the background. Little screams of delight. Water splashing. Were they in the bath? Or the paddling pool? Was it their bedtime already? Ellie looked at her watch … running slow … and looked at the clock. Yes, time flew when you were having fun, didn’t it?

  Maria sounded stressed. ‘Ellie? Can I ring you back? The doorbell’s just rung and—’

  ‘It won’t take a minute. Do you have Annie’s phone number on you?’

  ‘Well, no. It will be in the office. I can get it for you in the morning if you like. Is there a problem?’ Maria took the phone away from her head and shouted to her husband, ‘Can you get the door?’

  To which he replied, faintly, ‘I’m on it, I’m on it!’ Rather sharply.

  Maria returned to Ellie. ‘Sorry, chaos here. We’re trying to get the girls to bed before the babysitter comes. We’re going to my parents for supper. Look, I’ll ring you tomorrow first thing when I get into the office, right?’ Down went the phone.

  Ellie replaced the receiver at her end, too. She had hoped that Maria might be able to access the office computer from home somehow. Not that Ellie knew how it might be done, but Maria was young and bright and knew all about such things, and perhaps she might have been able to come up with Annie’s phone number. Well, she hadn’t done so.

  Ellie wondered about ringing Maria back, but no … they’d be on their way out any minute now and explanations would take too long.

  Ellie considered the alternatives. She was not going to ring the police and say she’d been robbed of money and drugs.

  In the first place, she would have to admit she’d a house guest who had stashed drugs in her house. She could just imagine how Ears would react to that! And how Thomas would react … horrors! And then, if it got into the papers that drugs had been found in his house – which it would do – how all his colleagues would react! He would be accused of bringing shame on the church and, oh, untold problems!

  In the second place, she didn’t want to get Annie into trouble, because they’d known one another for ever. All right, she’d never be able to trust Annie again, but give her away to the police? No, it was out of the question. Ellie realized that somehow or other she’d decided to get the stuff back off Annie and delivered to the drug dealer without recourse to the police, even it meant she would be saving Angelica from the results of her behaviour.

  Frustrated, Ellie stamped on the hall floor. And then said, ‘Ouch!’ because that had hurt.

  When Susan returned with her phone, then she could ring Annie. Why hadn’t she written the number down somewhere in her study? Because Annie had told Ellie that she didn’t need to. Annie had one of the latest phones, had put her own number on Ellie’s phone for her and shown her how to access it. Annie had pictures on her phone and could show videos of her grandchildren. Altogether, she was far more advanced in such things than Ellie.

  Ellie rubbed her forehead. Questions without answers. Problems without solutions. Time wasn’t on her side. It was no good letting problems squirrel round and round in her head because she was only going to get a headache.

  She needed to work out what to do for supper. Only she didn’t know how many people there were going to be. She started to count on her fingers, and the doorbell rang.

  It wasn’t Rafael. It was someone with a more uncertain touch pressing the bell. One long, one short.

  She froze.

  The silhouette of a man?

  Not tall enough for Rafael. And too chunky.

  She tiptoed to the door … how ridiculous to tiptoe! She looked through one of the clear panes of glass in the stained-glass window. No one she knew.

  A chunky hunk with dark hair. Young. A rugby player? Conservatively dressed.

  Rafael would have told her not to open the door but a name had popped into her head and, well, curiosity had always been her middle name. So she opened the door a crack.

  ‘
Mrs Quicke?’

  Yes, she knew the voice. She opened the door wide to let him in. He looked around, assessing her and her position in society. He was perhaps in his late twenties, casually but expensively dressed and nicely barbered. A young professional but … in what field? He didn’t look super intelligent. Rugby playing? Definitely. Perhaps his family had found him a sinecure?

  ‘Jake. We spoke on the phone. You told me about Kate.’ He was jingling keys in his pocket. His shoulders were held stiffly. Gold rugby balls for cufflinks. Ill at ease? Yes.

  ‘I’ve just come back from the police station. I told them it might be Kate. They showed me pictures and then took me to the mortuary to check. And it was.’ His voice cracked. ‘What a shock. I mean, we’ve known one another since nursery school. Our mothers are cousins and …’ He ran one hand back through immaculately cut, dark hair. His eyes were dark brown and slightly liquid … Contact lenses?

  He gestured widely. ‘It’s knocked me for six. I mean, you don’t expect, do you …? They, the police, asked how did I hear, and I said you’d rung me and they said how did you know, and I said it must be because of Angelica. Is she here?’ He looked up the stairs as if expecting to see her run down to greet him.

  ‘No, she’s gone out with her cousin.’ No need to tell him where.

  He took a couple of steps forward to look into the sitting room. ‘I must talk to her. The police wanted to know why I left the party early and I had to tell them that it looked as if it was going to degenerate into chaos and I wanted no part of it. Then they wanted to know what time I left, and I had to say I had no idea. I didn’t look at my watch. I didn’t think about needing an alibi. I mean, it was such a crazy evening. I went outside and Angelica followed me and we had words but then I left. I assumed she went back inside the house. What do you think?’

  Ellie thought he wanted to put the idea in her mind that Angelica went back into the house and in a minute was going to suggest that Angelica killed Kate because, whatever he felt about Kate, she was of his world and Angelica wasn’t, and he’d quite like to shed the pretty poppet now … What better way to get rid of Angelica than by suggesting that she might have been responsible for killing Kate?