by Anita Waller
Both Pilot and Josh laughed; Mark would have done if he hadn’t been there in a professional capacity. He permitted himself a smile.
Pilot was the first to respond.
‘For Heaven’s sake, Ken. I’m sorry if you feel like that but that’s not how it is. Neither Josh nor I actually do anything except have meetings with Mark, and they’re very rare. Believe me, if we need you for anything we’ll make damn sure we rope you in. Your biggest job is protecting this end of the house by just being aware, making sure alarms are set and basically keeping your eyes open, and looking after Brenda. She’s not as mobile as you but I never worry about her because she’s got you.’
Ken looked grumpy. ‘Us Yorkshire lads get a bit miffed if we’re left out t’loop,’ he said. ‘So what’s to do then? Where do we go now?’
And then Mark did laugh.
‘God, I’ve missed that Yorkshire accent, Ken. What’s to do is that we remain vigilant. We’re keeping the protection at the same level and I might just say I’m glad Christmas and shopping trips are out of the way. Nobody is going out tomorrow are they? No visits to sales or anything? I really wouldn’t recommend it.’
‘Er...’
Three pairs of eyes turned to Josh and they all waited for him to carry on.
‘I am.’
‘What? Where?’ Pilot looked puzzled.
‘Is nothing secret here?’ Josh countered. ‘If you really have to know, I’m taking Jess out for a meal tomorrow night, down in Padstow.’
There was silence.
‘You’ll take protection,’ Mark said firmly.
Pilot, Ken and Josh doubled up with laughter; Mark’s face turned red as he realised what he had said.
‘Stop! You know what I mean, you set of dirty minded individuals. Josh, if you go, take Sam with you. He’ll be discreet but we know Treverick is in the area and I won’t risk any more lives.’
The laughter died at the mention of Treverick’s name and Josh agreed to Mark’s request. He knew Jess would understand; she had lived with the fear for quite some time now.
‘I’ll need to know where you’re taking Jess, Josh, so that I can brief Sam. And be careful...’ The laughter erupted again and he stood up.
‘Right, I’m going. I can’t say anything and have you take it seriously. Have a good time, Josh … and be vigilant.’
Pilot escorted him to the patio doors and everyone called goodnight. The locks were checked and peace of some sort began to settle over Hillside.
Josh drove the Moorgate residents home around eleven o’clock but not before he had spoken to Jess. She had understood completely and even suggested they postpone.
‘I don’t want to postpone,’ he said. ‘It’s taken me three weeks to ask you and I’d like us to go tomorrow night. And it’s booked.’
‘Okay,’ she said quietly. ‘We’ll just have to watch what’s going on around us. And we’ll have Sam. Thank you, Josh, I’m looking forward to it.’
That had been an interesting Christmas. It seemed they had found his gift to his beautiful Angel before she had chance to open it. They must have thought it was another bomb. But he had decided the next one to die wouldn’t be by bomb.
He would never kill his Angel. All he wanted was for her to know he thought of her all the time.
Today was a good day. Boxing Day and he had been given somewhere to stay where he didn’t have to pretend. His new identification was in place and his next move was almost worked out. There were many pitfalls to the next one because the police were ever more on the alert, but he knew he would triumph.
Very soon.
Chapter 32
Dawn was sitting in the lounge to the right of the huge bay window at Moorgate. The magnificent Christmas tree took up most of the space in the window area and she thought that this was what she wanted in the house she was seeking; plenty of room, space for the things in life she enjoyed.
She missed John so much and felt an almost permanent ache inside her when she thought of all they could have achieved together. It was criminal that he should have died so young with such an incredible talent that he should have still been sharing with a world eager for more of his books.
She had talked of John so many times with David; he was convinced that Amy had somehow managed to conceal the life-saving pills that John had needed in those final moments. Amy’s strange behaviour of visiting Dawn at her house - the mistress as she scathingly called her - had convinced Dawn that Amy had been in some way to blame. Dawn would never know for definite, but...
She sighed and brushed away the tear that leaked from her eye. She had his books. She had photos of a shared life. She had Josh. Her son was almost a mirror image of John and yet in character was totally different. His work in the States had been in accountancy and when they had taken the decision to return to England, he had intimated he might look for a different career move. Treverick had stopped that, temporarily. The security issues around going into a workplace were insurmountable. David had lost his life by simply ‘going into work.’
The door opened and Pat walked through with a tray of mince pies and a full coffee pot.
‘We need this,’ she said and pulled a small table towards Dawn’s chair.
‘Too right.’
The two women were quiet while they filled their plates and poured the coffee and then Pat looked at her friend. ‘You ok?’
Dawn shook her head.
‘No. John and David were as close as brothers and now they’re both gone. I miss them.’
Pat nodded. ‘And both of their deaths are ultimately down to Amy Thornton.’
‘You blame her and not Treverick?’
Pat shrugged her shoulders. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Dawn. I blame everybody. David’s death is still too raw. I suppose I blame Amy because she’s the one who kept Treverick tied to us even if she didn’t know it. And let’s face it; she paid the ultimate price, didn’t she?’
Dawn sipped at her drink. ‘She did. What worries me is how many more he will take out. He may have been slightly off with his aim when he shot Freda, but she’s so frail as a result. He took the rest of her life really. She can’t walk more than a couple of steps now but more than anything he’s made her afraid. Freda afraid! That would have been unthinkable. She was the rock for John. He had so much admiration for her, loved her forthrightness and the way she never pulled punches. Now she says very little.’
‘I’ve left her to sleep in this morning. It was a busy day yesterday and a late night so I’ll go and wake her in an hour or so if she’s still not up.’
‘I haven’t called Josh. I’ll leave him. He’s going out with Jess tonight so that will be another late one, I don’t doubt. I like Jess.’
‘Me too. Did he leave anyone special in the States?’
‘About a hundred, I think,’ Dawn laughed. ‘But nobody serious. He was in with quite a big crowd of friends and he’s in touch with them all the time even now but no, I don’t think his heart is over in the States.’
‘Good. We need him here, not pining for lost loves.’
Dawn smiled. ‘There’s enough of that for the two of us.’
They sat in near silence waiting for the rest of their world to come to life and eventually Pat went to refill the coffee pot.
‘I’ll do this and then I’ll take a cup of tea in to Freda. She’ll be annoyed if I don’t wake her soon and she scares me,’ she joked.
Dawn picked up a magazine and began to flick through its pages, not really reading it but looking at pictures. There were quite a few house interiors and, Ronald Treverick or no Ronald Treverick, their search would need to start soon for their own accommodation, She had a few ideas of what she wanted...
‘Dawn, oh God, Dawn...quick, come here.’
Dawn dropped the magazine and ran across to the doorway leading into Freda’s suite. Pat was white.
‘I think she’s gone...’
At first Dawn didn’t realise what Pat meant. Gone? Packed her bags? And then und
erstanding hit her.
‘No.’ The single word was long and drawn out.
They approached the bed and it was clear that Freda had died during the night. She still had on her reading glasses; a book had fallen to one side with her hand still touching it and her late night cup of tea was now cold on the bedside table.
Pat knelt by the bed and took hold of Freda’s right hand. She kissed the cold fingers and turned to Dawn.
‘Freda’s doctor is the top number on the pad by the phone. Can you call him? It’s his home number so he should answer. If not we need to ring – oh, I don’t know. Who, what do we ring?’
‘I’ll be two minutes.’
She spoke to the doctor, Freda’s lifelong friend and employer for many years, and he was there within quarter of an hour. Josh was downstairs still in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt with St. Louis stamped on it. He supported the two women and took charge of notifying everyone at Hillside. Dunbar arrived shortly after the doctor but was reassured to know that Freda had died of natural causes. He left soon after to leave the family to grieve in their own way but privately he knew it was another death down to Treverick.
Brenda was devastated. She had met Freda on the day she had met Jack – brother and sister had accompanied each other to a dance and then separated. Jack had asked Brenda to dance and until the day of his death, they had never been apart. Brenda had been introduced to Freda at the dance; she had joined them to put Tommy Taylor off pursuing her. She remembered the first words she ever heard from Freda – get me out of here, Jack, before I hit Tommy Taylor with a bottle.
Jack had laughed as he did a lot until the day Treverick entered their lives. He had linked arms with his sister on one side and Brenda on the other and they had left the dance hall together. He had walked Freda home first and then taken Brenda back to hers.
Brenda and Freda had shared the destructive assault on Amelia, the trauma of Jack’s early death from cancer, the appearance of Ken a few years later, the un-timely deaths of John and Amy and Brenda felt bereft. Freda had been much more than a sister-in-law; she had been the glue in the family.
Freda’s body had been taken to the funeral home and everyone except the children and Jess were at Moorgate. Brenda had spent five minutes alone with Freda before they had taken her away and she held the memory close in her heart. She had been comforted by the peaceful look on Freda’s face and knew the end had been sudden and on her terms - reading while enjoying the final half hour of the day comfortably resting in bed.
‘Ken,’ she whispered. ‘I want to go home. Take me back to Hillside, please.’
He went to retrieve their coats from the cloakroom and explained to Josh that Brenda wanted to go. He nodded. ‘I’ll take you.’
They said their goodbyes and within five minutes were back at Hillside. Brenda sat quietly in their own lounge while Ken made her a drink. She was lost in thought and Ken chose the option of not saying anything. He knew she would speak when she was ready.
Josh ran up the stairs to find Jess; he guessed the children would be in the playroom enjoying their gifts from the previous day’s haul. She greeted him with a half smile, all too aware of the importance of the woman who had just died.
‘Is everyone ok?’
He shook his head.
‘Far from it. I’ve brought Ken and Brenda back here. It’s knocked Brenda for six and I think she just needs Ken at the moment. She was very close to Freda, known her forever. I wanted to bring them back because I wanted to see you. I hope you don’t mind but I think we have to postpone tonight.’
‘Don’t be silly. Of course, I don’t mind. It wouldn’t feel right going out. I’ll stay in and watch a film or something.’
‘Can I stay in with you?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. I’d like that. Now, everything’s fine here. Go back to Moorgate, you might be needed there. I’ll see you tonight. I’ll tell Lauren what’s happening when she gets back.’ She placed a swift kiss on his cheek and he grinned. Yes!!
Josh went back downstairs, out onto the driveway and climbed into the Mondeo. He was accompanied to Moorgate and then waved at the following car to say he was safe. He felt angry at all the organisation that was required when any of them wanted to move beyond the boundaries of their home; where was the man who was causing all this disorder and turmoil? He had to be somewhere close. And how come he seemed to know everything about them, their movements, even their plans?
Inside Moorgate, everyone was quiet, thinking his or her own thoughts about Freda.
‘Are the children ok, Josh?’ Lauren asked. ‘Jess is a real star. She never seems to get her day off.’
‘They’re fine, Lauren. Jess is coping perfectly well. Noah was asleep and the two girls were making a bit of a mess on the painting table.’
She smiled. ‘Thank you. I really don’t know what we would have done without her. Are you still going out tonight?’
He shook his head. ‘No, she’ll tell you herself when you get back to Hillside. We’ve decided to postpone. It just doesn’t seem right. We’re going to watch a film at Hillside instead. Either something that’s on television or a DVD from her collection.’
There was a tap on the window and Lauren visibly flinched. Mark’s tie, a bright orange with emerald green stripes silk affair was the first thing they saw. Pat pointed towards the door and he nodded. He moved away and Pat went to let him in.
‘You’ve heard?’ she asked.
‘Yes. I knew pretty quickly, but I didn’t want to intrude. Is everyone ok?’
‘Far from it. Treverick did this, Mark. I know it will be on the death certificate as natural causes but he caused it. There was nothing wrong with her until she took that bullet.’
He pulled her to him and held her tightly. Kissing the top of her head, he simply said,
‘I know.’
They moved into the lounge together and everyone turned to him. Greetings taken care of, he said how sorry he was. Freda had been such a joy in his life for quite a long time, he would miss her wit, and her spade is a spade attitude.
He turned to Pilot. ‘We need to make extra plans for whenever the funeral is to be but we’ll deal with that nearer the date. Treverick will find out about this whether you try to keep it quiet or not so don’t deny her the obituary she deserves. Let everyone in this community know one of their leading lights is gone and let’s all celebrate her life. The police will put extra men on and so will I. We’ll have your backs.’
Pilot nodded. ‘You’ve mirrored my feelings exactly, Mark. Freda wanted cremation so we will be spared the graveside ritual and that should make things a little easier but she will have exactly what she wanted.’
‘She’s left instructions?’ Lauren looked at her husband, her eyebrows raised.
‘Yes. I’ve got an envelope with some bits and bobs in it. Whenever she thought of something, she would write it down and give it to me to put in what she called “the afterlife collection.” She’s chosen her music, her quotations, everything. Some of it is funny, some very serious. She mentions you, Mark, specifically. She wants you to forget the black tie bit; she wants you in a red and white striped one. And she’s actually left you a tie pin to wear with it with her name on.’
Mark laughed uproariously.
‘God, I loved that woman! And I’ll be honoured to follow her wishes.’
Pilot looked around. ‘And I’ll be letting the rest of you know what she’s requested as soon as I’ve worked my way through it. This should be a very good funeral.’
Grace was sad. Her Mummy had taken them into the lounge and explained about Aunt Freda not being there anymore and she now felt very sad. She liked Aunt Freda. She didn’t like it when she was shot but Aunt Freda kept saying she was getting better. And she hadn’t got better, she’d died.
Freda had bought both ‘her girls’ matching pink jumpers for Christmas and Grace wondered if they should go and put them on.
‘Olivia,’ she said. ‘Come with me.’
The little girl crossed the room and looked expectantly at her older sister. ‘Let’s go upstairs for a bit.’ Olivia nodded, ever compliant, and they disappeared to the playroom where all the Christmas presents had been taken prior to being sorted into relevant places.
Grace rummaged around until both the jumpers came to light. She looked at the labels to make sure she was giving Olivia the smaller size and handed it over.
‘Let’s put them on.’
There was very little difference in the sizing. Grace was so small for her age and took a size smaller than the recommended size. They put them on and looked in the mirror.
Grace put her arm around her younger sister and said they both looked lovely. Olivia said it was very pink. They went back downstairs and Lauren burst into tears.
Grace was devastated. What had she done? Would she be punished? Olivia looked puzzled by the strange behaviour but wasn’t the slightest bit worried. She sensed the panic in Grace and reached out to hold her hand.
‘She’ll be okay,’ she whispered, ‘she’s just upset about Aunt Freda.’
Pilot pulled his daughters towards him and kissed them both.
‘Just bear with your Mummy. She’s having a bad day. You both look lovely in your new jumpers. Have you put them on because Aunt Freda bought them?’
Grace nodded miserably.
‘I’m sorry, Papa. It wasn’t Olivia’s fault. I told her to do it.’
He felt sick. It was clear Grace still panicked every time she thought she had done something wrong; it was just as clear she expected to be punished.
‘Sweetheart, neither of you has done anything wrong. This is a lovely idea wearing the jumpers for Aunt Freda and I’m sure she’s smiling down on the pair of you for doing this for her. Mummy didn’t cry because you had done something wrong, she cried because you had done something right. And she already misses Aunt Freda very much, as I’m sure both of you do.’