Norm sat on the edge of his chair, instead of sinking into its depths as he usually did. ‘You oughta tell your granddaughter. She’s a right to know, even if …’
Mr Tucker screwed up his face. ‘Tell that bitch nothing.’
‘She’s Mo’s niece.’
‘Blood isn’t thicker than water where she’s concerned. You know Mo never got on with her. It’s number one all the way with that one. She’d be round soon enough if there were any money in it but there ain’t, so we won’t see nothing of her.’
‘You’re her grandad. She might want to take care of you.’
Mr Tucker sucked in his cheeks, noisily. His upper plate didn’t fit too well. ‘You want to be rid of me, then?’
Norm shook his head.
Mr Tucker cackled. ‘Know which side your bread’s buttered, eh? Too old to go on the pull nowadays, are we? Not so easy to find yourself another bread ticket?’
‘Mo was all right. I’ll miss her.’
Mr Tucker nodded. Mo had been all right. She’d done her bit by them. She’d had a sharp tongue but her heart had been in the right place. Family first and last, that was Mo.
Norm said, ‘I been thinking. I could go down the Social tomorrow. Tell them what’s happened. There’ll be money for the funeral. She’d got a bit saved, in the Building Society. She din’t make a will, did she? So it’s yours. Not your granddaughter’s, nor Jogger’s.’
Mr Tucker nodded vigorously. ‘And the flat’s in my name. Not Jogger’s.’
‘Jogger lives with his girlfriend, don’t he? The flat’s in her name, what with her having the baby and all.’
My Tucker nodded. ‘They’ll stop Mo’s allowances. Bound to.’
‘Suppose I were registered as your carer, ’stead of her?’
Mr Tucker relaxed. ‘Thought you’d get round to that. A fine carer you’d make. Be better off in a home.’
Norm grinned. ‘No, you wouldn’t.You always said you wouldn’t. If I stay …’
‘And where else would you go?’
‘… I can be your carer. With some help from the Social. Right?’
There was a long silence.
It was about the best arrangement they could come to, and both knew it.
‘Chip butties for tea?’ said old Mr Tucker.
Norm nodded. ‘And tomorrow, I’ll see about some compensation from the old bitch, right?’
‘Turn the telly back on. I like to see those big girls shaking themselves all over the place.’
Her house was much as it had been before when Ellie got back, except that nearly all the chocolate cakes Rose had been making had vanished. And there was a fresh pile of dishes in the sink. Rose fell on Ellie’s food purchases with cries of joy, and set about making supper. Aunt Drusilla was snoring lightly, in the conservatory. There was no little Frank today; no doubt the childminder was looking after him till six.
Ellie had a quick cuppa, checked the messages on the answerphone, and was on her way out again.
Bill’s house stood in a quiet cul-de-sac with its back garden looking out over the Thames. At low tide, mud flats were about all you could see, but at high tide the river presented a constant source of entertainment, with boats rocketing up and down, oarsmen sculling, gulls wheeling. At all times the willows on the towpaths provided a touch of rural beauty.
Bill was waiting for her and so was Joyce McNally, together with her scoutmaster fiancé and the flower-arranging lady, Mrs Dawes. The caterers drew up shortly after. Joyce was torn between pleasure at having her wedding reception in such a beautiful setting, irritation at having to alter existing arrangements, and annoyance at having to be grateful to Ellie and Bill for making everything possible.
‘You mean, we can use the garden and it goes down to the river? But will the tide be out? I mean, mud flats are not exactly … though of course I do realize that … I suppose we’ll have to run off some notices to let everyone know about the change of venue, and none of this would have been necessary if only … though of course, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful and this really is quite the most … Mrs Quicke, you are indeed a marvel …’
Bill was quietly enjoying the spectacle of Joyce’s changing facial expressions. He took Ellie’s elbow and guided her into his den at the back of the house. This was the small, untidy room in which he spent most of his time now that his two girls were away at University. There was a superb view from this window. Early narcissi were spangling the grass, and a splendid magnolia was bursting into flower all over. Because his house was so old, the garden was surrounded with red-brick walls, which provided protection for the plants within.
‘It’s very beautiful here,’ said Ellie, a touch wistfully. ‘You are a very kind man to let us take over your house like this.’
‘Be sure I shall exact every penny of my fee. The Golf Club Dinner on Saturday night will only be the start of what I shall require by way of repayment.’
‘Good,’ said Ellie. ‘I shall look forward to it. Full evening dress? I shall have to buy something, you know. And maybe have my hair restyled. What do you think?’
‘You always look just right to me,’ said Bill and seemed to mean it.
‘You should have seen me this morning,’ said Ellie, and proceeded to tell Bill all about it. She liked talking things over with Bill. She knew he liked her a lot, but he’d never tried to pressurize her into a more intimate relationship, as Roy did. Also, they’d known one another for ever. You never needed to explain anything to old friends.
Bill smoothed out a smile when she reported how she had stalked out of the police station. ‘So Mrs Tucker’s death really was an accident? But you didn’t find out what the police wanted Stewart for?’
‘If I were a fanciful woman …’
‘Which you are not …’
‘… I’d wonder who might have wanted to harm poor Stewart, and the answer would be …’
‘Diana. A little tacky, getting involved with a new man while still married to another, don’t you think? I wonder. She arrived at my office this morning shortly after you left, demanding to know if we were Miss Quicke’s solicitors. Stormed into my office, frightened a client out of her chair, had to be taken outside and informed of the facts of life.’
Ellie was intrigued. ‘You mean, even this morning she thought it was Aunt Drusilla who had died? But … oh, I suppose if she spent the night with Derek Jolley – which she may well have done because she certainly didn’t spend it at the flat with Stewart – she might easily not have heard. The police wouldn’t have known where she was. I didn’t know where she was. Nor did Stewart. So you told her that Aunt Drusilla was still alive?’
Bill grinned. ‘Her reaction was extreme. She nearly fainted. I had to get my girl to sit her down and push her head between her knees. Then feed her some sugared tea. You’d have thought I’d just told her the sky had fallen in.’
‘Which it had for her, I suppose.’ Ellie sighed. ‘Oh dear. I do love her, of course I do, she’s my only child. But there’s no denying that all she thinks about is number one.’
‘She demanded the use of my phone. I said she might. She punched in a number and then changed her mind, crashed the phone down and exited in a hurry.’
‘Exit left, pursued by a bear,’ Ellie quoted from some half-remembered play of Shakespeare’s. ‘Though I’ve always wondered why it had to be a bear. She may have realized that she’d burned her boats a little too quickly, that Derek Jolley might not be so keen to have her if she didn’t bring Aunt Drusilla’s millions with her. Her first thought might be to make it up with Stewart? No, her first thought would have been to go down to the bank to close the joint account and transfer all the money into her name. I do hope Stewart got there first. He was going to transfer half to himself.’
‘Hah!’ Bill applauded.
‘Suppose he did get there first. She’d be so angry she’d look round for a scapegoat. Do you think it possible that it was she who denounced Stewart to the police? Telling them that Stewart
wanted Aunt Drusilla dead so that he and Diana could inherit? And that’s why the police went round to question him? Is that far-fetched?’
‘I fear not,’ said Bill, gloomily. ‘What are you going to do about that daughter of yours, Ellie? You can’t go on protecting her from the consequences of her actions for ever.’
‘Dear Bill.’ Ellie rested her head against his shoulder and he put his arm about her. In companionship. In fondness. And then drew away again. ‘You really think Diana denounced him to the police?’
‘Haven’t a clue. She’s devious enough. Single-minded enough.’
‘Yes, but … she’s my daughter, Bill. A poor, unhappy creature who lashes out at anyone who gets in her way. As I should know. I used to think it was all my fault that she was like she is. I used to be really afraid of her. Now, I don’t know whether I can help or not. I can’t think – no, I really can’t – that she’d go so far as to murder. No, really! She wouldn’t.’
‘You’d agree she’d be capable of wanting to give Miss Quicke a bad fright? Push her off balance? Force her to see great-niece in a new light? Diana the strong, the one who knows how to solve everyone’s problems? Perhaps Diana just wanted Miss Quicke to become more dependent on her.’
Ellie sighed deeply, but didn’t reply. She remembered Mr Strawson and Diana’s plot to convert Aunt Drusilla’s out-buildings into selfcontained units for sale. Suppose Aunt Drusilla had received a bad shock and it had made her disinclined to return to her house? Diana would have thought she’d inherit. She’d been wrong in that assumption, but suppose …
Ellie didn’t want to think Bill was right, but she had to agree there was a lot of sense in what he said. Only, if it wasn’t Diana, then – as Ellie had suggested to the police – probably someone else was involved. An accomplice who knew how to tamper with the wiring.
There was a lot of squawking from Bill’s kitchen, which finally got through Ellie’s musings on the subject of unsatisfactory daughters. ‘I’d better go and sort that out, I suppose,’ said Ellie. ‘I’ll be glad when this wedding is over.’
Bill gave her a hug. ‘You’ve changed, Ellie Quicke. When Frank died, you couldn’t have stood up to anyone, let alone that appalling female in the kitchen – what’s her name, Joyce? I’ve met her mother, a delightful woman if a little fluffy for my taste, but I hope I never see the daughter again after tomorrow. I’m filled with admiration for you, Ellie. You seem to be able to cope with everything and everybody. Come to think of it, I’d back you even against Diana.’
Ellie kissed his chin, which was all she could reach, even standing on tiptoe. ‘Thanks for that vote of confidence, Bill. Now let’s see what all the fuss is about this time.’
The man whistled through his teeth as he got through on his mobile. ‘Have you heard? They say the old bat had a bad heart, and it was that
which killed her.’
‘What!’
‘Yeah, I got it from one of the builders taking down the scaffolding. That
Norm was round, asking about the old ’un, and he told the scaffolders.
Yeah, he was surprised, too.’
‘Have the builders left, then?’
‘Should be clear of the place this afternoon.’
‘And then what?’
‘Anybody’s guess. No sign of her highness, though. Nor the lady in
waiting.’
‘I need to see her.You thought she might be at the stroppy cow’s place?
How do we find out?’
‘I done some work there a while back. Maybe I’ll go round that way on
the way back.’
Nine
The days were getting longer, but it was still dusk just after six and the lights were on in Ellie’s house when she returned home. She had sorted out Joyce’s last-minute whims, the caterers’ demands for serving tables, and Mrs Dawes’ need for access in the morning to prepare the flower arrangements. Ellie wondered at her recently developed talent for telling other people what to do.
As she left her cab, she noticed a rusty old car parked in the road opposite. Not one of the neighbours.
Letting herself into the house, she found the central heating had been turned up higher than normal. Rose opened the kitchen door and beckoned Ellie within, with one finger on her lips. The study door was ajar and through the gap Ellie saw that one of her armchairs had been eased into the study. Miss Quicke was sitting in it, with her eyes closed. Rose closed the kitchen door with exaggerated caution.
‘Having a little doze. Such a trying afternoon we’ve had. I’ll tell you all about it later. I’ve started supper. You did mean us to have a lamb stew, didn’t you?’
‘Bless you, Rose. You’re a marvel. Listen, the police told me something that should make my aunt feel better. Mrs Tucker, the cleaner, had a bad heart. The shock from the aerial wouldn’t have been strong enough to kill her. It was her heart that did it. I’ve got her address and I thought I’d call on the woman’s father tomorrow.’
Rose brightened. ‘That is good news. I’ll tell Miss Quicke when she wakes up, but in the meantime, Diana is in the sitting room.’
Ellie blinked. ‘Whaaaat?’ Soundlessly.
Ellie metaphorically girded her loins. She was not at all sure that she was prepared to tackle Diana at this, or at any other time. Despite Bill’s faith in her. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her, and realized that she was in fact praying for help.
Dear Lord, what a mess. Please help me say the right thing. Or at least, help me not to say the wrong thing. And please, don’t let Diana have been responsible for that poor woman’s death …
She went across the hall into the sitting room. Diana was sitting in a huddle on the settee. One of the side lamps was on, but the curtains were still open. By the look of her, Diana had been crying. She looked up when Ellie came in, but didn’t speak.
‘Diana.’ Ellie didn’t know what to say to her difficult daughter, so she drew the curtains and switched on another side light. ‘Would you like a sherry, or coffee or something? Who’s looking after little Frank tonight?’
‘I asked the childminder to keep him over, tonight. I couldn’t take him to Derek’s and I can’t go back to the flat.’
Ellie sat down beside her daughter and spoke the magic words. ‘Tell me all about it.’
Diana stared straight ahead of her, plucking at a button on her smart black jacket. ‘The police think I did it. Killed that woman. But I didn’t.’
‘No, no.’ Ellie did her best to believe it.
‘The inspector was on at me for hours and hours. Going over it again and again. Did I expect to gain by my great-aunt’s death? Yes, of course I did. Had she given me the sack? Yes, of course she had … the stupid …! Great-Aunt can’t see beyond the end of her nose, she’s totally out of date, it was only good business practice to …’
‘Cheat her?’
‘It wasn’t cheating.’ But it had been cheating and Diana knew it.‘Anyway, I didn’t do it.’ She was sullen, obstinate. Not at all remorseful. Then selfpity turned to anger. ‘If she’d only given me my fair share of the money, acknowledged me as her heir, none of this would have happened.’
‘You mean, Mrs Tucker wouldn’t have died?’
‘I mean … I don’t mean that, of course. What I mean is that … oh, it’s all such a horrible mess! Why couldn’t she be a normal, loving great-aunt, someone who looked after her relatives and helped them when they needed it?’
‘You didn’t need her money, Diana.You were earning a very nice salary, you had a loving, faithful husband and a lovely child. You had money in the bank to put down on a house, you had a car and a wardrobe full of good clothes.’
‘It wasn’t enough,’ said Diana, in a hard, tight voice. ‘I want much, much more than that. I want to be up there with the best. I want a house in Mayfair and an attractive, powerful man at my side. I want …’
‘The stars and the moon. Well, you could have got it, if you’d worked for it.’
D
iana turned on her mother.‘Look who’s talking! You could have helped me, given me my half of this house, given me a loan to start up in my own business.’
‘No, I couldn’t, Diana. And please don’t go round repeating that you own half this house, because you know very well that you don’t. I own half outright, and the other half is mine for my lifetime and only after my death comes to you. If I had given you all the money you asked for, you’d only have wanted more. Then more. It would never have been enough.’
‘It would! It would! All I ever wanted was—’
‘Fairy gold, Diana. Do you remember the story? The fairies gave the hero what he asked for, but because he hadn’t earned it, it turned to dust in his hands.’
‘I hate you! You’ve never loved me! Why did I think you’d be able to help me? You never think of anyone but yourself!’
Ellie winced, absorbing the hurt but not giving in.
Diana blew her nose, wiped her eyes and threw the tissue in the direction of the waste-paper basket. It missed.
‘Drink?’ said Ellie, who felt the need for a sherry. A large one.
Diana turned her shoulder on her mother but didn’t get up to leave, which Ellie thought was a good sign. Ellie got herself a sherry but paused in the act of pouring one out for Diana.
‘Diana, have you eaten anything today?’
Diana shrugged. ‘I couldn’t possibly eat. You’ve no idea what a terrible day it’s been. Last night was quite something. Dinner out, down by the river. Making plans, such marvellous plans Derek has. His flat’s superb, in a brand-new block in Old Isle-worth, also overlooking the river. We drank champagne and it was just wonderful. Then this morning he said I must check with Aunt Drusilla’s solicitor, and I didn’t know who that might be so I went to see your famous Bill and he said …’ She gulped.
‘He told you Aunt Drusilla was very much alive.’
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