Murder In Law Read online

  Susan knew there’d be statements to be made and phone calls and everyone wanting this and that. All she wanted to do was lie down and have a nap. And here they came … more police … questions, questions. Attempted kidnapping … descriptions of the would-be criminals … where’s the mother? … where’s the father?

  Susan retreated into silence, nodding or shaking her head when required.

  Monday, late morning

  The muddle seemed to go on for hours. People on phones and people shouting. Comings and goings.

  Susan was bored. Fifi was bored. Fifi felt that her dignity had been severely compromised by being tossed around in unfamiliar surroundings. She wanted to be soothed. Susan obliged.

  Evan remained catatonic. Susan was worried about him. Any attempt to unstick him from her side resulted in his closing his eyes and imitating a pillar of salt. Susan held him close with her free arm and gradually, very gradually, he began to relax.

  Jenny ran off to play, with Coralie trying to keep an eye on her.

  Lesley rubbed her neck more and more. Rafael noticed and made a fuss. Lesley was whipped off for a hospital check.

  An older DI took Lesley’s place: icy in manner and efficient, if unlikeable.

  Rafael asked that Susan’s statement be given first so that she could be taken home with Evan. He also insisted that a police officer be assigned to guard them in case the would-be kidnappers tried again. And no, he had no idea why anyone would want to kidnap Evan. No one did. It was crazy. The only conclusion he could come to, was that the attackers had mistaken Evan for some other child. Only that didn’t work, because the fake Ellie had claimed to be Evan’s grandmother by name.

  Different theories were propounded as to why two strange people would want to kidnap Little Evan. What strangers would have known Ellie’s name and her relationship with the children? Perhaps they were chancers, seeing his father’s death in the papers, and looking for ransom money? The family had, after all, lived in a big house and belonged to the golf club.

  Susan took no part in any of this. She couldn’t make sense of anything that was happening. All she wanted was to go home and rest. The newly arrived DI said she wanted to know if little Evan had anything to say about his narrow escape. Perhaps they could see him again when he’d got over his fright?

  A car was summoned to take Susan, Fifi and Evan back home, with a stout policewoman to act as protection. Jenny had wanted to stay and it was agreed she’d return with Coralie at lunchtime.

  Ah, home. Susan discovered they’d left the front door open in their haste to rescue the children, which was fortunate as she’d left without a key.

  Their protection officer wouldn’t let them beyond the entrance hall till she’d checked that the rest of the house was empty. Which it was.

  Ah, the kitchen. Home sweet home. Susan told herself what to do and managed to obey orders. Dirty plates left over from breakfast were still on the table. She put them in the dishwasher. She made tea. She changed Fifi and took Evan to the toilet and got some elevenses for all four of them.

  How quiet and peaceful everything was.

  The children were quiet, too. Too quiet, really.

  Their protection officer said Susan must leave it to her to answer the door – or the telephone. Susan nodded. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

  Someone did ring the doorbell. It was Marcy, the cleaner Diana had sacked, curious to know why a police officer should prevent her from speaking to Susan. Susan explained to the officer that she’d arranged for Marcy to organize cleaning up next door, and in return Marcy shouted over the officer’s shoulder that she’d hoped the agency would have kept a key to Mrs Quicke’s place and they had, and so she’d been able to start the cleaners earlier that morning and was that all right? Susan said it was fine.

  Evan drooped. So did Fifi. Susan felt the same way. She spared a thought for Rafael, who would now be sorting everyone out with his characteristic efficiency. At least they didn’t have to cope with Jenny, too. Somewhat surprisingly, Mrs Field had agreed that Jenny and Coralie might stay on for a while.

  Perhaps, thought Susan, Mrs Field had been short-staffed that day, which helped to make sense of how the would-be kidnappers had nearly managed to lift the children?

  Susan wondered whether Rafael would arrange for the broken playhouse to be removed and replaced by something bigger and better, or that he would repair it himself. Either way, Susan suspected that Mrs Field would be all smiles when Rafael had finished with her.

  Susan took the children into the big room. She found Evan his Hippo and Fifi her Gonk. She got as far as the big settee and put her feet up, with Fifi spread-eagled on her tummy, and Evan holding Hippo solidly warm against her side … and they all three relaxed and gradually drifted off …

  A clock ticked somewhere.

  Susan half woke and checked the children were still there and asleep.

  She told herself she must get up, or she wouldn’t be able to sleep properly that night. On the other hand, sleep was probably the best thing that could happen to Evan.

  Her feet were beautifully warm. How was that? Fifi was on her mother’s tummy? No, she wasn’t. She was sitting up and chewing on Hippo’s ear. Susan moved her legs, and somebody objected … Evan, newly roused from sleep and stroking something that purred and was warm against Susan’s feet.

  Susan hauled herself more or less upright. Fifi was sitting beside her with a large ginger cat pressed to her side. Fifi wasn’t taking any notice of the cat, but Evan was.

  Evan said, ‘Puss, puss! I remember him. He’s called Midge, isn’t he? He likes Fifi, and he likes me. He doesn’t like Jenny, does he?’

  Brilliant! Evan was relaxed and interacting with a cat. Susan had never had all that much to do with Midge. He was Ellie’s cat. In the past, before Ellie and Thomas left and the house had been handed over to builders, Midge had accepted Susan as a visitor who was a useful provider of snacks. Fifi hadn’t had much to do with the cat before, but Susan knew that neither cat nor child would be sitting in close contact with the other unless they’d reached an agreement to coexist.

  Susan yawned. ‘Ah, Midge has come back, has he? When the building work began he went over the wall and made his home at the hotel, where he earned his keep, catching mice. I suppose he saw us and thought your granny had returned. He must have got in through the front door this morning while we were out.’

  Evan said, ‘Mummy doesn’t like cats, but I do. What does he eat? Can I feed him?’

  Food. Goodness, how time flew. It was lunchtime already. Susan heaved herself to her feet, collected the children and made for the kitchen, closely followed by Midge who had always appreciated Susan’s cooking.

  Now, what could she find for them to eat? Would Rafael join them? Did she have to feed the protection officer?

  An undercurrent ran through her thoughts. Why had the false Mrs Quicke wanted to get hold of Evan? And would she try again? How had she known that he would be at the nursery?

  Who was this woman who had pretended to be Ellie, and who was the man who’d come to her aid? Had Susan imagined the resemblance between the two?

  Surely their attempt to kidnap the children had nothing to do with Evan’s death? How could it?

  And oh dear, was Lucia all right?

  Round and round, up and down, in and out. The answer to the questions was just within reach but not yet clear.

  Monday noon

  Well, at least she knew how to provide food for the masses. And, cheered by the brilliance of a sunny day, Susan opened all the windows and turned herself back into the Great Provider. She scanned the contents of fridge and freezer. Perhaps they could have a baking session that afternoon? That would keep Jenny and Evan occupied. She managed to open another two boxes of kitchenware and distribute the contents around the cupboards before Coralie brought a tired Jenny home from nursery. Jenny had had a great time. She liked having new toys to play with in a place where she didn’t have to play second fi
ddle to her brother.

  Coralie was indulgent, saying Jenny was going to be a real bossy boots, if they weren’t careful. Twice she’d snatched toys from other children and had to be reproved for it.

  Coralie had bounced back with the energy of youth. She was looking forward to retelling her morning’s adventure to her friends and family, and wondered if they’d have her on the telly news and what should she wear if that happened?

  She’d regained her normal good humour, partly because – as Susan had guessed – Mrs Field had been short-staffed that morning, and had been grateful for another pair of hands about the place. Coralie said that Mrs Field had recognized she was good with children and had hinted that she might well offer her a job when she’d left school and been trained.

  Jenny looked forward to returning to the nursery on the morrow. But Evan? No, he shook his head when the idea was mooted and looked relieved when the PO, their protection officer, said that it was unlikely that either of the children would be allowed to go anywhere until the police had found out why they’d been targeted in the first place.

  Rafael arrived back, preoccupied with business but sparing a moment or two to check that Susan was all right and bring her up to date with the news.

  He said that Lesley was being detained in hospital suffering from concussion and would probably be put on sick leave when she was released. He had diverted to the hospital on his way back, and had identified the assaulted girl as Lucia, who was now being guarded by another PO. Lucia had been gravely injured but was still hanging on to life. Someone would come from the police to search Lucia’s room that afternoon. They were going to try to locate her next of kin, just in case. Finally, the police were still looking for the would-be kidnapper’s car but no luck, so far.

  There was no news of Diana.

  Rafael kissed Fifi, gave Susan a hug, eyed Evan’s fragile composure with a worried air but didn’t comment on it, rubbed Midge behind his ears and disappeared on some business of his own.

  As Susan busied herself with the meal, Marcy came round to speak to Susan. Once again she was blocked at the door by the PO, who interrogated Marcy as if she were a criminal till Susan intervened and vouched for her and asked for her to be let in.

  ‘Well!’ Marcy was both flustered and excited by the policewoman’s presence and had to be filled in on what had happened before she could state her errand. ‘Well, what I came round to say was that one of the curtain rails had been broken by the decorators. Should I order another? And Ellie’s old gardener turned up, only to disappear without lifting a finger to help. What a waste of space he is.’ In tones of deep disbelief, Marcy said, ‘He says he can’t work because he’s got gout! I’ll give him gout!’

  Susan, spinning plates of minced meat and creamed spinach on to the table, and deterring Midge from feeding from Evan’s plate, said, ‘Do you know of a decent gardener who can tell one plant from another and what he should be doing at different times of the year? And would you like some food?’

  Marcy said, ‘Looks lovely, but I brought something for myself. I’ll think about another gardener. Maybe the husband of one of my friends might be able to lend a hand for a while, since that lawn looks as if it could do with a good haircut, and I’d better get back for goodness knows, some people don’t know how to clean a toilet properly nowadays.’

  And off she went.

  The policewoman graciously consented to join them at the table, remarking that her mother was a Michelin-starred chef, which made Susan feel rather low.

  So while Jenny had a nap upstairs after lunch, Susan and Coralie took the other children and Midge outside to see if they could start the electric lawnmower. Which they failed to do.

  But lo and behold! Their policewoman, who seemed to be constantly on her phone, liaising with whoever was now in charge of the case, said she thought she could see where there was a poor connection, and whirr, whirr! They were off!

  Coralie laughingly reverted to childhood, demanding first go at the mower. Midge chased flies. Fifi crawled off into the long grasses and wailed that she was lost until rescued. Evan refused to leave Susan’s side, and showed signs of panic if she moved more than a metre away from him.

  The policewoman said she’d searched Lucia’s room and had removed certain items. She said she’d placed tape across the door so no one could go in until Forensics had given it the once over. That was all right by Susan, who rather hoped they’d seen the last of Lucia, and then chided herself for being uncharitable to someone who might be dying at that very moment.

  Susan took a stool out on to the patio to sit in the sunshine and relax.

  The fact that there was as yet no hedge or fence to divide the garden in two worked well when it came to cutting the lawn and it did give the children space to roam around and explore.

  Susan could hear Marcy’s voice next door in Ellie’s part of the building as she alternately praised and upbraided the cleaners. Curtains were put up here, windows thrown open wide to air the rooms, a hoover whined. All the comforting sounds of normality.

  Ah, if only Ellie were back, they could sit and have a cuppa together in the garden, and gossip about nothing in particular.

  Susan showed Evan how to make a daisy chain for Fifi. Well, there weren’t any daisies in the newly cut lawn, so he picked some blooms from the neglected flower beds which had once been Ellie’s pride and joy. There was no harm in that was there? At least it meant he had become brave enough to venture a little way from her side.

  Oh, the poor garden! Some plants had survived and rampaged through the undergrowth but ivy had crept in here and there and the roses! Oh shame! They needed pruning and training and … Susan’s head ached at how much needed to be done. She was no gardener. She wouldn’t know where to begin. Perhaps with pruning the roses? Only, she didn’t know how to do it.

  Perhaps Marcy’s contact would work out. They must get the garden back to a semblance of its old self before Ellie returned.

  And what of Ellie’s once delightful conservatory? It was the haunt of spiders. In fact, it looked derelict, with its outer door hanging ajar and a broken window. Fifi had tried to get in there and had to be removed so that she didn’t cut herself on the broken glass.

  Coralie and Susan together tried to close the door of the conservatory and failed. It would need the services of a handyman to do that. Coralie checked that the door from the hall into the conservatory was locked as indeed it was.

  Susan amused Coralie by telling how Diana had broken into Ellie’s house through the back door and had spent the night in Ellie’s bedroom before disappearing again.

  Coralie emptied grass cuttings into the compost bin, announced she was flaked out, and lay down at full length on the grass … only to bob up five minutes later to take Fifi on a tour to explore the garden away from the invitingly open door of the conservatory.

  Evan sat down beside Susan and watched. Evan probably needed professional help. Susan wondered who you went to when someone has tried to kidnap you, your mother has dumped you on strangers, and your father has died. Especially if you might have seen that happen, though we won’t ask about that yet, will we? Or will we?

  Susan’s eyes drifted up and up, over the wall to the pale blue sky and the sliver of roof that she could see of the hotel next door. Was Diana holed up there, binoculars in hand, watching her children play in next-door’s garden? Or was she out somewhere, trying to talk her way out of her financial problems?

  Was it too soon to ask Evan questions? He had relaxed now, and at some point he would be asked to talk to the police. Perhaps it might be a good idea for Susan to get an idea of what he knew?

  Susan didn’t look at the boy but said casually, ‘We do make silly mistakes sometimes, don’t we? That funny woman this morning, the one who said she was your granny and wanted to take you home with her. She needs her head examining. Have you ever seen her before?’

  He shook his head. No.

  ‘Or the man who came with her?’

&
nbsp; Another shake of the head.

  ‘He wasn’t in the hall when you went down the other night to see what all the fuss was about?’

  A long pause. A frown. Finally, a shake of the head and a shrug. ‘Dunno.’

  ‘But you did see a man who told you to go back to bed.’

  A nod.

  ‘Was he an old, old man, or someone young?’

  A shiver.

  Susan put her arm around him. ‘All right. That’s enough.’

  A long, long pause. Then, in a tiny voice, Evan said, ‘I smelled his smell. I knew his voice. Mummy says no one is to smoke at home. But he does.’

  Susan controlled her excitement with an effort. ‘You’ve seen him smoke in your house?’

  A bigger shrug. Evan had had enough. He got up and went to join Fifi and Coralie, who were examining an ancient stone birdbath which had fallen over on to its side.

  So Evan had seen something? He’d recognized someone from the aura of cigarette smoke he carried around with him, and from his voice?

  Perhaps Diana would be able to tell them who it was. How annoying that she wouldn’t give them a contact number! Susan got up to tell the policewoman what Evan had just said. The woman was in the living room, walking to and fro, on her phone as usual. When she saw Susan looking at her she turned away, keeping her voice low. Perhaps it was correct procedure for the officer to keep communication with her superiors a private matter, but it was frustrating for someone who had information to impart.

  But then she wondered if Evan’s story could be relied on. Susan wondered when Lesley might be allowed back. Lesley would be good at getting the truth out of Evan, wouldn’t she?

  Jenny woke up and wailed on finding herself alone. Coralie went up to deal with her.

  Susan shivered. The sun’s warmth was fading. Next door Marcy was going around, slamming windows shut and making sure they were secure.