“Vicarage Road is back in the direction you were walking from, go back to the last junction, turn right and it’s the second street on your left. The B & B is on that corner.”
Without any further explanation for his brief apprehension the car sped away, siren blaring and blue lights flashing. As they departed Gerry realised that the younger officer had kept the details of where he was staying. Fortunately, he had memorised the address and name of the owner and managed to gain access to his room without further delay.
He slept soundly that night and was the last person to enter the breakfast room. The four other guests soon dispersed which gave him the opportunity to try and gain some local knowledge from the proprietor. When she approached his table to ask if he had finished his breakfast, Gerry seized the opportunity to enquire.
“Excuse me asking but do you remember an incident here in Matlock several months ago where a young woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning.”
The blond woman’s demeanour changed abruptly. Before Gerry had posed his question she had been the ideal hostess but now she looked at him warily.
“Are you a reporter? I’m sick and tired of your kind snooping around trying to dig up some dirt on our Sally!” She said with a hint of loathing in her voice.
Taken aback by the sudden change in the woman’s manner Gerry managed to stammer out a denial.
“No, no. I remember seeing something in the papers, that’s all. From what you just said, were you related to Sal in any way?”
“Every reporter in town and beyond knows I was her second cousin. You called her Sal, she was quite particular about who she let use that name.”
Before he could stop himself Gerry’s eyes filled with tears and he hastily wiped them away but his actions were noted by the woman and she sat down on the chair across the table from him. She also had some difficulty in hiding her emotions but managed to control them better than her guest.
Neither spoke, both trying to come to terms with the situation that had aroused such emotions within them. The woman broke the silence by standing up and announcing,
“I think we need to talk about Sally at some time but not now. I’ve got chores to complete to keep this place running. If you have had any involvement with her in the past then we’ll talk later when I’ve finished.
“But I warn you Mr Reynolds, if you’ve just come here as a reporter or some kind of thrill seeker I’ll tell my husband when he gets home tonight and he’ll sort you out, good and proper.”
Before Gerry had chance to respond she walked out of the dining room, dabbing her eyes as she entered the kitchen. Either he had stumbled into an atmosphere that would give him some answers or one that would seek to blame him for their grief and seek revenge. However, he never thought for a moment that a third option could exist.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to speak to the woman he stayed in his room until the early afternoon. His patience was rewarded when a soft tap on the door had him dashing to answer the summons.
She stood in the hallway outside his door, dressed in what Gerry could only think of as a party dress. Having showered and put on make-up he immediately noticed the family resemblance to his Sally and he couldn’t speak as he beheld the person facing him. For a split second he was convinced it really was Sally standing there.
When he found his voice the comment he made would haunt him for several months.
“If I didn’t know better you could be Sally’s twin.”
Realising his remark could have upset her he tried to stammer an apology but she gave a little laugh and spoke.
“I’m sorry if I’ve startled you by appearing this way but yes, Sally and I were often mistaken for sisters when we went out on the odd occasion. If it upsets you I’ll go and change into my working clothes.”
“No, it’s ok. Sally never spoke about any relatives. One thing I’ve never found out is why she suddenly moved here. One minute she was around the next, she had left.”
The woman’s expression changed and her voice lost its warmth and became serious once again.
“Is it ok if I call you Gerry? My name is Valerie by the way. Let’s go into my private lounge where we can talk without being disturbed.”
Gerry nodded and followed her downstairs, steeling himself for what he hoped would be the answers to his questions.
Valerie sat down on a spacious settee and motioned for Gerry to sit next to her, but a nagging doubt warned him to be careful and he chose an armchair opposite the woman. A flicker of annoyance crossed her features but was gone in an instance. Instead she changed her seating position to a more provocative one. She smiled and said quietly.
“When did you last see Sally?”
Gerry was surprised at how long it had been since he and Sally had spent time together. Looking at his hands which were shaking slightly, he said.
“It must be at least eight months since I saw her. But we spoke on the phone a couple of times, that would be about six months ago.”
“Did Sally mention anything in particular during that conversation, about herself, I mean?”
He was reluctant to divulge too many details so he simply said.
“I asked her to come back to Clapfield but Sally said it wasn’t possible at the time so she invited me to come and stay with her.”
“Nothing else?”
Gerry hesitated before replying,
“Only that there was some news she wanted to share with me. I don’t suppose you know what that news was do you?”
Before replying Valerie stood up and went to a cabinet in the corner of the room and poured two drinks. She handed one to Gerry and sat down before speaking.
“When Sally died she was nearly six months pregnant.”
She watched carefully for his reaction, which didn’t take long to happen. He emptied the contents of the glass in one swallow and started coughing. She sat back and watched until he had finished and had recovered some of his composure. Then she continued.
“She was expecting twins. She also told me that the father was going to visit her just before she died but the bastard never showed his face.”
Gerry was speechless, so she continued, feigning anger.
“She mentioned you a couple of times but you only turn up months after she died. I don’t call that being much of a friend, do you?”
He smarted at the obvious jibe but replied with more than a little anger in his voice.
“Valerie, if you want to know I came to Matlock on the same day her body was found. I arrived on her doorstep just before the doctor who attended came out to confirm her death to the police.”
The memory brought tears to his eyes but he continued.
“The doctor saw I was in a state of shock and took me to the ambulance to help calm me down. Then the police took me away so that I could contact someone to come and collect me. I was given assurances that someone would keep me informed about funeral arrangements but nobody did. There was no-one else I knew in Matlock so I kept ringing the police but they told me nothing. Then I had an accident and had to have several skin grafts with limited success.”
As he finished his last statement he took the leather glove off his left hand. The revulsion at the sight of his disfigurement was clear to Gerry so he quickly covered the injury.
Valerie was in a mild state of shock and couldn’t clear her mind of the gruesome image she had seen. The planned seduction of Gerry she had hatched up with her husband was now the furthest thing from her mind. They would have to think of some other way to exhort money out of him.
Unwittingly Gerry provided her with an alternative method.
“I’m sorry for showing my hand to you like that, it’s not a pretty sight but I had to explain why I haven’t come sooner. Valerie, I came here to visit Sally’s grave and pay my respects privately, but I still can’t understand why she didn’t tell me she was pregnant a lot sooner. Things could have turned out a lot better for us both.”
“I think she wanted to get a
way from familiar surroundings to decide the best course of action to take. Continue with the pregnancy, or have an abortion, and whether the father would support her in whatever decision she came to.”
Something about Valerie’s smile troubled Gerry, was she being honest or goading him into a reaction he would regret later. Instead he gave the only answer he knew was true.
“If Sally had confided in me I would have come here much sooner and fully supported her in the decision she clearly made to go ahead with the pregnancy. Once my Grandmother died I had no reason to stay where I was and I’m sure I could have found a job here to support all of us financially. I also have some savings that I could have used if necessary.”
A noise made Valerie jump to her feet and go into the other room, closing the door behind her. She glared at the man leaning against the kitchen worktop.
“Pete, I told you to keep the noise down, you’ll soon know if I need a hand.”
Pete gave a crooked smile and whispered.
“You must be losing your touch if you haven’t managed to seduce him by now, or is he queer?”
“I’ll explain later but I’m not going down that line, I’m going to try a different tack so keep the noise down.”
“I heard what he said about savings so make sure you get a decent amount out of him or I’ll take over.” Pete snarled.
She ignored his last comment, turned on her heels and went back to join Gerry in the lounge.
“Sorry about that, I’ve got a repair man sorting out the dishwasher and I thought he’d knocked something over. He can be a bit clumsy at times. Now where had we got to? Oh yes, you said you could have supported Sally. Did you have anything to add?”
Gerry nodded.
“Yes, one of my main purposes for coming here was to visit her grave. Can you tell me where she is buried?”
Valerie’s smile disappeared, to be replaced by her crestfallen look. She wiped an imaginary tear away and said quietly.
“There is no grave Gerry, Sally and the twins were cremated together. We enquired about the cost of putting a small plaque on top of burying her ashes but I don’t have that kind of money to do so.”
Without thinking Gerry asked what was the price being quoted?
“Around £2000 just for the plaque, any inscription would add to the cost.”
Valerie’s haste in replying should have warned Gerry but the tone of the conversation had dulled his capacity to think clearly. His grandmother had also been cremated but a couple of insurance policies had covered the whole cost of her funeral and he had thrown away the receipt from the undertaker without giving it any thought.
But he was smitten by the desire to make amends for not being around to help Sally in her time of need. And the money Kevin had made him take could go towards the cost this would entail. He had bought it with him to Matlock in the forlorn hope he could use the tainted money to do some good.
“I’ve got about £1500 with me if that can help progress things, and I could send you the balance when you have the final price.”
Valerie sat dumbfounded, was it that easy to con this fool out of his money? What could the limit of his gullibility amount to? Gerry gave her the answer.
“Is there something wrong with my offer Valerie? I know now that I should have made more of an effort to visit Sally and I will regret not doing so for the rest of my life, I just want to try and do the right thing for her memory.
“There is one other thing I need to say. When you have the date for the burial of the urn I will need to come back here for the ceremony because there is something I want to put in the urn to be buried along with the ashes.”
She had recovered her composure by now and said softly.
“Of course, you must come to the ceremony Gerry, what is it you want to place in the urn?”
He felt a little embarrassed at what he was about to say but he knew it would be the kind of gesture Stella Stockwell would understand.
“I did some work as an engraver for an elderly client and because she was so pleased with the task I carried out she gave me a brooch and told me I was to give it to my first real love. I never had chance to give it to Sally…”
As he finished he was overcome with grief at the thoughts and memories it rekindled and he burst into tears. Valerie sprang to her feet and crossed the short space between them and flung her arms around his neck, drawing his face onto her bare shoulder.
“Oh Gerry, that’s a beautiful gesture, don’t cry. Sally would understand”
At the mention of her name the sobs became louder and Valerie clung on even tighter. She glanced to her right as she heard the kitchen door open and her partner stood perplexed at the sight before him.
She silently mouthed the words ‘Get out you idiot’ and gave him a look that warned the man not to interfere, to which he gave a little smile of acknowledgement and stepped back into the kitchen. Gerry had not noticed the intrusion but gently lent back and pulled away from Valerie’s embrace.
Taking a handkerchief from his pocket he wiped his face and spoke in a subdued voice.
“I’m sorry about that. I thought I had more control of my emotions.”
“I should be the one to be apologising, not you, for questioning your love for Sally. Do you mind if I see the brooch and who was that lady you mentioned, Shirley something, a close friend of yours?”
“Her name was Stella Stockwell. I engraved a gold cigarette lighter she was giving her husband on their Golden Wedding Anniversary. She gave me the brooch as a thank you because it reminded her of someone. I think Sally met her a couple of times.
“I’ll go and fetch it now and bring the money for the deposit on the plaque.”
Valerie nodded and as soon as he had left the room she dashed into the kitchen to speak to her partner. He leered and said.
“Change your mind did you? Anyway, that was a quick one by your standards.”
She glared back at him.
“Nothing like that at all if you must know Pete. He broke down when he started talking about the girl. So far, I’ve got £1500 out of him but there could be more but let’s wait and see. He’ll be back down with the money and some kind of brooch. But we’ll have to act quickly.”
She turned her head when she heard Gerry coming back down the stairs, she put a finger to her lips and pointed at Pete to motion for silence and returned to her seat on the large settee.
To her surprise, Gerry sat next to her and handed over an envelope. She took it and then planted a kiss full on his lips. The thought of his crippled hand rubbing over her body made her pull away from the kiss just as quickly. Gerry blushed slightly and suddenly said.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking one small favour? Would it be possible to include my name on the plaque, I’m not sure how it could be phrased? And as long as the rest of the family don’t object.”
She looked puzzled for a moment but recovered herself in time.
“There is no other family member still alive, apart from me that is. But once you’ve sent the balance of the money, you can let me know the message you want put on the stone. I’m afraid we will have to finish this meeting soon as I have to prepare the dining room for breakfast for you and the rest of the guests. Will you be ok for now? It’s been quite emotional for both of us.”
“Yes, I’ll be fine. As there’s nothing else for me to do here right now I will book a coach back home tomorrow and wait for you to give me the final figure so that I can send you the balance. I will pay my bill before I leave, if you can have it ready for me please.”
“Will that be cash or by card? I could give you a small discount for cash if you prefer” she said with her disarming smile at its fullest.
“Ok, I’ll pay cash if you tell me where the nearest ATM is situated.”
She nodded and gave him directions. As soon as Gerry left the room she returned to the kitchen to confer with Pete.
“Take this brooch to a pawnbroker who won’t ask too many questions. It might not
fetch much but it’s got gold lettering on the back. Make up some story about someone who couldn’t pay their bill or something like that. I’ve got that mug’s cash and I’ll have a bit more tomorrow when he pays his bill.”
“What if he enquiries about the ashes at the undertakers?”
She looked at Pete with disdain.
“What do you take me for Dumbo? There are several undertakers in the area and I didn’t even have to give him a name of one. Besides the ashes were scattered on the Garden of Remembrance next to the crematorium. No way was I going to fork out any money for her bloody ashes. She never did me no favours!”
Pete laughed.
“What about Sally’s Mum?”
“She’s been in the Nursing Home for the past couple of years and doesn’t know what day it is anyway. She probably can’t remember having a daughter. That side of the family disowned me after I did time inside, so sod them. That bloke Gerry would describe me as a blond but we know different.”
And as she finished speaking she removed the blond wig to expose a close cropped brunette mop of hair. She continued.
“I’ll hang onto the money for now while you sort the brooch out. I’ll meet you back at the flat once Mrs Simmons comes back on Saturday and pays me for looking after this place. I told her I wasn’t staying on after she returned so we can go on holiday on our proceeds.”
Pete moved forward and put his hands around her waist.
“You know something Diane, I’m not sure which I prefer, you with the wig on or off” and he leaned forward to give her a kiss, but she slipped out of his embrace.
“Uh no, not now! Plenty of time later once this caper is over.” She left him standing in the kitchen on his own.
There were several things to sort out the next day once Gerry had booked out. Diane conveniently forgot to give him the promised discount for paying in cash and as she had guessed, he would be too embarrassed to remind her of the offer. She had used the same trick with some other guests who had paid in cash, thus adding to the ever increasing sum of money she had accrued while running the B&B.
The Reluctant Villain Page 34