by S M Mala
‘Hello,’ Ruby answered. ‘You managed to lock yourself in the bathroom to avoid my demonstration of love. Have you gone off me that quickly?’
‘I love you,’ he whispered, closing his eyes.
‘I get the impression you’re scared of my sexuality,’ she laughed out loudly. ‘And I love you very much.’
‘Do you remember anything about the person you saw down the corridor?’ There was silence. ‘It could have potentially been the killer.’
‘I know this sounds odd but they looked familiar, then did a double take.’
‘Who?’ he asked in anticipation. ‘Please tell me.’
‘I’m trying to remember.’
‘Like I said, I love you and be careful.’
‘I will be careful and you’ve got your copper friend following me around so there’s no way I’m going to get into trouble.’
‘I meant be careful with Hugh Yates.’
One hundred and twenty one
Her palms were sweating as she waited for Hugh to turn up. She’d arranged to meet him at the gastro pub. Ruby knew he wouldn’t make a scene if he got upset. It was too public.
Since Sunday, her annoyance at him faded. All she could recall was seeing Mick Dawson and the writing across his lips. The killer had probably let her in and that was confusing enough.
Flicking through her pad, she searched for information about Mick but noticed nothing had yet been reported, which she thought a little strange. She wondered if Scottie knew about this and if there was a valid reason. Then she saw something from the corner of her eye.
Hugh was walking towards the table.
She sat firmly in her chair. Any smile she had diminished, remembering what he had written on Sunday.
‘Sit,’ she said, sipping her water and closing down her tablet.
‘Telling me what to do now?’
The annoyance in his voice was evident.
‘I wanted to speak to you so I’m pleased you arranged for us to meet,’ Ruby said calmly, glancing at him as he smirked. ‘I suppose you know what happened on Sunday?’
‘You found Mick Dawson’s body and probably saved his life,’ he replied flatly, gesturing the waiter to come over. ‘Can I have a bottle of Peroni please? Or do you want to share a bottle?’
‘I’m not drinking,’ Ruby said quickly, knowing lunch might not be such a good idea based on his expression. ‘You drink up but remember, you’ve got Theo this afternoon.’ She took a deep breath. ‘What did you mean by asking him if he wanted to live with you?’
‘Oh I see,’ Hugh said, smiling brightly. ‘You want to have a go at me? I expect there’s a long list.’
‘Please explain?’
‘With you moving on, I thought he might not like the idea of having Jonathan Scott around. It’s all of a sudden, isn’t it? You hardly know the guy. What has it been? A couple of months?’
‘We were together for three months beforehand but split. We talked things through and we’re very happy. Leave Theo out of it. You promised, all those years ago, that we wouldn’t use him in a tug of war, so don’t start now.’
Ruby picked up her menu and the smell of steak wafted up her nostrils. It made her feel a little sick so she gulped down more water.
‘And your article on Sunday? I bet you Mick Dawson knew nothing about Scottie and me. Did you tell him? Hugh, you really are scraping the bottom of a barrel if you want someone to take cheap shots at me.’
‘I could say the same thing about you. You’re forever having a little dig here and there about me and Helen,’ he hissed back, leaning closer. ‘It pisses me off.’
‘Not as half as you do.’
‘And you know that man has got three kids, one of them not-.’
‘Hold it!’ she said, putting her hand to his face. ‘You’ve told me before. It’s irrelevant.’
‘He’s high up in the police! And after everything you said! I thought he would be the last person in the world you’d want to go for, all things considered.’
‘And I thought the same thing about you but you still managed to fuck Helen Trott,’ she said calmly. He rolled his eyes then yawned. ‘You know what? You’re not the man I knew all those years ago. You’ve changed into something I don’t like. I thought you always had integrity but it depends on who it is, isn’t it?’
‘I take it this is going to be a quick lunch,’ Hugh smiled then sat back in his chair. ‘Can you stop bringing up Helen? I made a mistake and paid the price. I know I hurt you but we’ve moved on. That’s what you wanted and I agreed.’
‘You had no choice as I couldn’t have gone back to you,’ Ruby quietly replied. ‘Are you still seeing her?’
‘No,’ he said, watching the waiter put the bottle and glass on the table. ‘It finished a long time ago. I don’t know, I was bored to be honest. You and I started to drift apart.’
‘I didn’t think so. I thought we were together considering we were trying for another baby,’ she replied, feeling her cheeks get hot.
‘You changed your focus to the Samaritans, writing as an agony aunt and looking after Theo and me. It was wonderful but the spark in you had gone.’
‘The spark went because after the investigation and the Commissioner having a heart attack, I couldn’t take any more. I wondered what I was doing with my life,’ Ruby said, feeling emotional. ‘We had an innocent boy to look after and we were obsessed with digging up dirt. And you wouldn’t let me print what I wrote so what was the point? In the big scheme of things, it doesn’t make sense. Theo should always come first.’
They looked at each other. For a moment she recognised the man she fell in love with, just from his expression of concern.
‘I loved you very much, Hugh. I never thought we would end. I agree that the challenge of me had gone but that still shouldn’t have made you cheat. That hurt,’ she said, taking a deep breath, feeling sick again. ‘But whatever you feel about me now, don’t do this to Scottie. He’s done nothing wrong. Why would you want to do this?’
‘You can’t figure it out?’ he replied, shaking his head from side to side. ‘Isn’t it obvious?’
Sitting there, she knew what he was saying and didn’t want to hear it.
‘I always want us to be civil with each other for Theo’s sake. You’ll move on and find someone else, that’s for certain,’ Ruby quietly replied, picking at the label of her bottle of water. ‘And I want you to try and get to know Scottie, understand he makes me very happy.’
‘How do you know he’s not corrupt like some of them? How can you be so sure?’
‘Is Helen Trott innocent? She might not get her hands dirty but she knows people who do.’
‘I know you’ll never forgive her for the way she treated you after Sidney died and because of me. I realise that was the worst thing I could’ve done to you. I wasn’t thinking straight.’ Hugh moved closer and looked at her squarely in the eye. ‘I think you should stop seeing Jonathan Scott and give us another try. You’re making a terrible mistake, do you know that?’
Closing her eyes, she knew he would never believe that she couldn’t love him. That was against Hugh’s nature to think she could love someone else. He smiled, sipped his drink and seemed so self-assured.
She pondered for a moment and just wanted to go home, to avoid what she had to do.
It was never going to be easy and there was no intention to hurt him.
There wouldn’t be an even ground for them.
And it wasn’t in his nature to lose.
‘Hugh, I have to tell you something…’
One hundred and twenty two
Scottie had his head down. He had read everything he could about the other Samaritans and no-one came out as a suspect. The only person was Mick Dawson. There was no way he would write a message across his lips then take the lethal injection.
Though he did ask Nigel Stubbs to hit him, to make out he was a victim.
‘You never guess what I dug up,’ said Dave, coming towards him and glancing
at the photographs. ‘You know there have been a series of incidents involving Samaritans over the past twenty years that I can trace. I was just doing a search and there are about five deaths, involving Samaritans which were unsolved.’
‘Really? How were they killed?’
‘Seemingly suicide from the sound of it but things didn’t add up as their close family and friends said they were fine. No hint of depression, nothing. It happened all over London They worked for the press of other advice bureaus at the-‘
‘What?’ Scottie sat up. ‘That’s a major similarity, don’t you think?’ Then it struck him for a moment. ‘Do you think our killer could have been involved?’
‘That’s a long shot and they were suicides. If that’s the case, then Mick Dawson is far too young to be a suspect,’ Dave replied then looked at the pictures on Scottie’s laptop pointing to the screen. ‘Isn’t that your Nana Gwen?’
Immediately Scottie’s blood ran cold.
One hundred and twenty three
‘Gwen,’ Ruby said, opening the front door. ‘You better have told Jean where you’ve gone as she’ll worry.’
‘What have you been up to? It’s not in the papers but Scottie told his mum what happened on Sunday. That’s the problem with being pregnant, you can’t get pissed and pass out. You alone?’
‘Certainly am. Theo’s with Hugh and-.’ Ruby suddenly broke down in tears.
She’d spent the afternoon trying to hold it together but seeing Nana Gwen’s smiling face just egged her on.
‘I have that effect on people,’ said Nana Gwen gently. ‘Mostly Jean. That’s when I turn up unexpected and she’s got her women’s association thingy and thinks I’m an embarrassment. Me?’
‘That would be a miracle, wouldn’t it?’ sniffed Ruby. She sat down on the sofa. ‘God Gwen, I saw my ex today and told him that I was pregnant and going to marry Scottie then he-’
‘You’re getting married? To him?’ she said, feigning disgust. ‘Just because he’s knocked you up doesn’t mean you have to marry the poor bastard. I expect he begged you, didn’t he? Probably like Jack in that respect to be honest. Do you think he did it on purpose? Getting you pregnant?’
‘I doubt so very much,’ she laughed. ‘He certainly didn’t want more kids and it never crossed my mind.’
‘So what did your ex-husband do?’ the woman asked, siding up closer to her. ‘I take it he wasn’t happy?’
‘He just looked at me. I’ve never seen the expression before, not even when I kicked his arse out. He was really hurt. Then he stood up and stormed out of the pub.’
‘Leaving you the bill, no doubt. Typical man!’
‘He’s going to try and put a spanner in the works, I know he is,’ groaned Ruby. She felt Nana Gwen’s arm around her. ‘What am I going to do?’
‘What can you do? The man still wants you back and you’ve moved on with my grandson. He’ll have to get used to it, it’s as simple as that. The thing is with men, they still think they can take up where they’ve left off, whereas we women know that’s not the case. Why didn’t you take him back?’
‘He slept with my former step-mother who is also the Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police. Scottie’s boss.’
The women yelped with laughter as Ruby tried not to grin at her amusement.
‘Jesus! Had I known your ex liked them that old I would have asked him to slip one in for me! Oh god! I need a pee. I’m bursting.’
‘Go to whichever toilet you like,’ she said, being cheered up by the old woman who was briskly walking up the stairs. ‘I suppose you want a drink?’
‘Got any port? You know it nearly costs a fiver to get a large glass down the pub! Bloody London prices! How the hell do they expect a pension to last?’
Slowly getting to her feet, Ruby went to the drinks cupboard and opened it up, reaching for the port.
There was a knock at the door.
‘No rest for the wicked.’
Annette was standing on the doorstep.
‘Hello there!’ Ruby said, wondering if Nana Gwen would behave with someone her own age as she hugged her friend. ‘Come in.’
‘Thank you,’ Annette replied and Ruby noticed she looked a little hesitant as she walked in. ‘Is it true they’ve got this place under surveillance?’
‘God no!’ Ruby lied, not wanting anything that Mick Dawson said to be confirmed. ‘That’s just people telling fibs.’
‘Have you heard? He seems to be coming out of the worse. I tried to visit but couldn’t get through due to the amount of police guarding him.’
‘Would you like a drink?’ she asked, walking to the kitchen and getting two glasses, not wanting to think about what happened to the man. ‘I have some port.’
‘That would be lovely,’ Annette replied quickly. ‘I’m not holding you back, am I? Is your friend here?’
‘Scottie? He’s trying to work out what happened. They’re still none the wiser and now with Mick being hurt, the prime suspect has an alibi.’
‘Your prime suspect?’ asked Annette quietly. ‘No others?’
‘There are no others. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it to himself. And Scottie knows something and isn’t letting on.’
‘What do you think he’s picked up?’
‘Giggling fits since hearing I’ve being laid off. You know I’ve been sacked, though they’re not calling it that. I will no doubt lose my job on the paper because it’s not good to have someone like me work there.’
She handed her a drink and watched Annette grimace.
‘I think it’s a shame you’re not fighting for your job back in the Samaritans.’
‘Maybe I do give bad advice, well, not the things they think I should be saying,’ sighed Ruby, forcing a smile. ‘But things are changing.’
‘Why did you go to see Mick Dawson? Diane told me you were the one that found him.’
‘I had enough of what he was saying and intimating that I was getting special treatment. I shouldn’t have got hurt and-.’
‘Don’t you know?’ Annette asked, touching her arm gently. ‘He got his friend to attack all us, including himself. It was all a set up. Didn’t your man friend tell you?’
‘Why that shit!’ she said, turning around and getting a glass of water now seeing what Scottie was hiding. ‘When I get my hands on his neck, that policeman is going to see what it’s like to be on the wrong side of the law.’
‘Are you sure you didn’t see anything when you were at Mick’s place? Surely you must have seen something? I mean, you got there in the nick of time.’
‘Well,’ Ruby said and turned around, realising Annette was standing very close. ‘I was just angry and I’m very hormonal.’ Ruby shrugged and turned around. ‘It’s the baby playing with my emotions.’
The next thing she heard was the glass crash to the floor, making her jump as she turned and swore something else fell out of Annette’s bag then noticed the blood claret drink all over the slate tiles.
‘You’re pregnant?’ the woman asked aghast. ‘Oh my god!’
‘Oh,’ Ruby said, noticing a pen roll under the washing machine. ‘You dropped-.’
‘That’s exactly what I said,’ interrupted Nana Gwen, walking into the kitchen and shaking her head from side to side making Annette jump. ‘What a waste of port!’
‘I have to go,’ Annette said, looking flustered. ‘I didn’t know you had guests.’ She stood there for a moment and looked at the ground. ‘That man arranged for someone to hurt you when you’re carrying a child?’
‘What man?’ asked Nana Gwen, looking confused. ‘Who arranged what?’
‘I have to go,’ said Annette, shaking her head. ‘And you’re alright? Everything is fine?’
‘Yes, it’s fine. That’s how we found out after I was hit on the head. Please don’t go,’ Ruby said, wondering what was upsetting Annette. ‘I was going to tell you about my plan of getting back in the Samaritans but under disguise. I thought you could help me with your knowledge of
who’s who.’
‘So you’re not giving up?’ she said, half smiling and tears coming to her eyes. ‘Oh Ruby, what a trauma you’ve been through.’
‘Of course not. They can’t bin me like that based on crap publicity and now you’ve told me what Mick Dawson was up to, I’ll have a reason to fight on.’
Ruby let out a little laugh and noticed Nana Gwen was frowning at Annette.
‘I’m really sorry. Forgive me Ruby. I had no idea,’ the woman gasped. ‘I’ll get out of your way.’
‘I’ll clean up the mess,’ Ruby replied, looking around for the dustbin and brush. ‘Please don’t leave. I have some of those Thai peanuts you like.’
‘I’m forever dropping glasses when I’ve had a few. That’s my relatives buying me cheap ones for Christmas,’ laughed Nana Gwen, looking at the floor. ‘What a waste! Wish I could lick it all up for you.’
Suddenly Ruby turned and saw Annette standing by the door as she glanced over.
Then it hit her.
One hundred and twenty four
‘What do you mean she’s not alone?’ he asked, driving home. ‘Who’s with her?’
‘Calm down,’ said Stephen, on the other end of the phone. ‘I’ll pop in and check.’
‘Just make sure she’s okay.’
As he arrived at the house, there was no one in the unmarked car and the door was wide open.
A panic surged through his chest as he ran in. The first thing he saw was something red on the kitchen floor.
‘Ruby!’ he shouted out.
He thought he was going to die then he heard her voice.
‘Why didn’t you tell me about Mick Dawson getting someone to attack me?’ Ruby asked as she looked up him from the sofa then got to her feet.
‘Oh my god!’ he said rushing up to her, giving her a massive hug, feeling his heart beat faster.
Then he noticed Nana Gwen sitting in the armchair with a bottle of port in front of her, grinning while holding a full glass.
‘You never buy me this vintage stuff,’ she said, taking a swig.
‘What happened?’ he asked, trying to catch his breath and steady his nerves, not wanting to unveil his discovery.