‘Yes. I damn near fainted. I realized I ought to ring Derek and tell him, stop him from putting the money down on … well, if I’d had the money, we could have really made a killing, but now … I don’t know what he’ll do.’
‘You know very well what he’ll do,’ said Ellie, with compassion. ‘He’ll dump you.’
‘No, he won’t. He loves me!’ She went and got some sherry for herself and gulped it down. ‘You’ve got to see it from his point of view. Without Aunt Drusilla’s money, he can’t … won’t … and then I’m still married to Stewart … unfortunately …’
Ellie sighed. ‘So you went to see Derek and he dumped you …’
‘No, I haven’t spoken to him since … he’s been leaving messages on my mobile all day, but I haven’t got back to him yet. Well, I thought that at least I still had the money from the sale of the house up north although it’s not nearly enough, but when I got to the bank … I could kill Stewart!’
‘You don’t really mean that, Diana.’
‘Oh, you know what I mean. I was so furious with him that I … well, I was passing the police station and I went in to ask where my great-aunt was because she wasn’t back at the house, and they gave me a really hard time.’
‘So you told them to look at Stewart … which, if I may say so, Diana, was both unkind and unfair.’
‘I wasn’t thinking straight. He shouldn’t have taken the money out of our account.’
‘Why not? Half of it is his and you dumped him last night, remember?’
‘Yes, well. That was … then. Things are different now.’
‘Having second thoughts about dumping Stewart?’
Silence.
Diana finished off her sherry. ‘I can get him back any time.’ Defiantly. ‘Not that I want him, of course. He’s just so deadly dull, and boring. I can’t think why I married him.’
Ellie wasn’t so sure that Stewart would take her back. ‘So have you taken your things out of your flat yet? Have you told Derek that the money is not available any more?’
Diana looked away. The answer was no to both.
So Diana had yet to break the bad news to her new boyfriend, who would ditch her if Ellie knew anything about him. She had nowhere to go, no job and no loving husband to pick up the pieces. And was under suspicion of murder.
Ellie tried to put her arm around her daughter, who pulled away. Ellie contemplated her daughter’s averted face with compassion mixed, it must be said, with irritation. ‘What do you want out of life now, Diana? I know what you thought you wanted in the past, but what do you want now?’
Diana shrugged. ‘Something’ll work out.’
‘You can’t stay here.’
‘I can move back into my old room upstairs.’
‘Aunt Drusilla has moved in there. Either Rose or little Frank has the little bedroom. I think you’d better go back to the flat and have a talk with Stewart. But remember, the lease of that flat is up soon.’
‘You can get it extended for me, I’m sure.’
‘No, I don’t think I can. It’s time you stood on your own feet, Diana. And I’m not going to ask you to stay for supper, because I think it might be a little awkward for you to sit down at table with Aunt Drusilla. Off you go.’
Diana got to her feet, closed her eyes, fists clenched at her sides, opened her mouth and screamed. And screamed. And screamed.
Ellie watched her, feeling detached. She was sorry for the girl in a way, but chiefly she wondered how much she herself had been responsible for Diana’s selfishness. With sorrow.
‘What’s all this?’ Aunt Drusilla, leaning on her stick, eyes snapping. Rose peered over her shoulder.
Diana cut herself off in mid-scream and dissolved into tears.
‘Oh, Great-Aunt, everything’s such a mess and I’ve been such a fool.’
‘That’s true,’ said Miss Quicke, making for the most comfortable chair in the room. ‘I’ll have a sherry, too, Ellie.’
Diana’s remorseful tears froze on her cheeks and she switched into the high-handed mode which came more easily to her. ‘You don’t understand. I’ve always done my best by you. I’ve saved you thousands of pounds by using different contractors …’
‘Who paid you thousands of pounds to make the switch …’
‘. . entirely for your own good …’
‘For whose good?’
Diana hesitated for half a beat. Then, ‘For both our goods. You benefit and so do I. I deserve to benefit because of all the hard work I put into …’
‘Giving me an inferior service. Don’t you think I know the difference? Did you think I wouldn’t bother to check up on what you’d done? I gave you the job to—’
‘To save yourself money,’ said Diana, smiting the palm of her left hand with her fist.
‘No,’ said Miss Quicke, with a small sigh. ‘I gave you the job because I wanted to see for myself what you were made of. Also, a little, to please your mother. I gave you the opportunity to prove yourself as a businesswoman, and I warned you right from the start that you would have to follow my guidelines.’
‘Yes, but I—’
‘I warned you. Your mother warned you. You chose to disregard our warnings, and continued to deliver a second-class service while drawing a first-class salary. You can’t say I haven’t been fair. You’ve had three written warnings from me.You shall be paid till the end of the month, plus whatever is due to you by way of holiday pay, and that is the end of it.’
‘You don’t understand!’ Diana seized a chair and drew it up close to her great-aunt. ‘The kind of work I was doing for you, well, it was boring. All the time I was thinking, making contacts, laying the groundwork to move into something that would really bring in the money. At long last, I’ve found it. There’s this big property on the other side of the shops, been derelict for ages and then was done up by a man who put in new windows, extended into the roof, put up garages. He’s got to sell because he’s over-extended. I can get in on the ground floor, make a large profit.’
Aunt Drusilla cackled. ‘I know the property. The man hasn’t planning permission for all the alterations and extensions he’s had done, and yes, of course he wants to get out quickly, before he’s made to put it all back as it was.’
Diana went white. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course I’m sure. By the way, whose money were you proposing to use to “get in on the ground floor”?’
‘Well, I thought you’d be pleased to … then of course yesterday we heard that …’
‘The reports of my death have been much exaggerated.’The old woman laughed, a dry coughing sound. ‘Would I be right in thinking that you’ve fallen victim to Derek Jolley? That he persuaded you to put up your own money, the money from the sale of your house up north?’
‘Derek and I are … we have an understanding, yes.’
‘I heard. More fool you. That Stewart’s a nice lad, you won’t find many like him growing on trees. Or he was a nice lad till you corrupted him.’
‘Corrupted?’ That stung. ‘How dare you!’
‘Easily, when it’s the truth. I’m not sure whether he can be saved or not, but I know I’m not prepared to give you any more leeway. You are out, young lady.’
‘You can’t do that. I’m your great-niece. I have every right to—’
‘To expect something under my will? For your information, I did make a new will recently. I left two thirds of my estate to your mother, which she will probably waste on charitable causes but that’s her problem, and one third to my son Roy. Oh, and a small legacy to Rose. I set you down for ten thousand pounds, if you can stay out of jail till it’s time for you to collect your inheritance.’
‘Out of jail?’ Diana gasped. ‘What on earth do you mean?’
‘That’s where you’re heading, in my opinion.’
‘Why, you …!’ Diana raised her arm to hit her great-aunt. Both Rose and Ellie cried out. Diana realized at the last minute what she was doing, and recoiled.
Aunt Drusilla tipped the last drop of sherry into her mouth and said, ‘Now, if the police ask me tomorrow who might have wanted to kill me, what shall I say?’
‘If I’d tried to kill you – old woman! – you’d be dead by now.’
Ellie drew in her breath. All of them heard the hate in Diana’s voice, and all three believed her.
Someone rang the doorbell. Rose went to answer it while Ellie lowered herself gently into a chair. Diana seemed frozen, standing over her greataunt.
‘Hello there!’ It was Derek Jolley, rubbing his hands, half uneasy and half jocular. Ellie thought, He must be fifty if he’s a day.Too ripe a complexion and going bald already. What does Diana see in him? Money, I suppose.
‘Darling.’ He tried to kiss Diana’s cheek. ‘Miss Quicke. So glad to hear that you’re still with us and not … well, laid low. How delightful, quite the family gathering.’ To Diana, ‘I thought I might find you here. Something’s wrong with your mobile, I haven’t been able to get through to you all day.’
Diana said. ‘Derek, I have some bad news. I haven’t been able to persuade my great-aunt to invest in our little venture, and half my capital has been removed from my bank account.’
His nose seemed to become more pointed. ‘My poor dear! It’s been a bad day, has it? Never mind, a bottle of the old Jolley champagne should buck you up a treat.’
Ellie put her hand over her eyes. Derek was going to stick by Diana. Why? There must be something in it for him. If not money, then what? Or did he still hope to get money through her from somewhere?’
Aunt Drusilla said, ‘Mr Jolley, may I ask whether my great-niece has been foolish enough to sign something in the property line?’
‘If she has, dear lady? She has done nothing improper, I can assure you. A sound proposition, just waiting for the right person to …’
‘To pick up the tab. Well, that is her affair. Again and again I have warned her and now I wash my hands of her. Not another penny does she see of my money. Now, Rose, I rather think I’d like to sit quietly in the conservatory till supper.’
Rose steered Aunt Drusilla out into the conservatory and shut the communicating doors behind them. Ellie looked from one hard-set face to the other. The distressing thought came to her that Derek and Diana were wearing identical expressions, wary and speculative. A trifle mean. Did they deserve one another? Ellie hoped not. She would have one more try.
‘Diana, little Frank will be missing you. Why don’t you pick him up from the childminder’s, take him home, have a good talk with Stewart?’
Derek Jolley didn’t speak, but Ellie imagined she heard him say that he wasn’t interested in the brat.
The doorbell rang again. Ellie went to answer it. A stranger stood there. A heavily built man in well-worn casual clothes that looked as if they could do with a good clean.
‘Miss Quicke? Can I have a word?’
‘I’m Mrs Quicke. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know you, do I?’
‘I’m Norm. Mo Tucker’s partner. Mind if I come in a minute?’ He wasn’t threatening, but somehow he managed to get himself into the hall and close the front door behind him.
‘Mrs Tucker?’ Fresh from the scene next door, Ellie took a couple of seconds to connect. The cleaner who’d died. ‘Oh, yes. A terrible thing. She had a heart condition, apparently. You must be shattered.’
Rose poked her head out of the kitchen. ‘Miss Quicke wants to know who it is.’ Rose looked as if she’d seen the big man somewhere before but couldn’t quite place him.
Norm half glanced towards Rose, but concentrated on Ellie. ‘I want a private word with Miss Quicke.’
‘With my aunt? Rose, is my aunt up to it at the moment?’
He turned on Ellie and being such a big man so close to her, she quailed.
‘Ain’t you Miss Quicke? You said you was Miss Quicke.’
‘No, I’m Mrs Quicke. Miss Quicke is my aunt. But she’s been through a very difficult couple of days and I’m not sure—’
‘Not half as difficult as my days have been missus. I’ve got Mo’s old grandad on me back an’ her son too, an’ all.’
‘Oh dear.’ Ellie eyed the still-closed sitting-room door and then led the way out through the kitchen to the conservatory, where Miss Quicke was leaning back in a chair, leaning back, with her eyes closed. ‘Aunt Drusilla, this is Norm, Mo’s husband. I mean, partner.’
Miss Quicke’s eyes opened halfway. ‘My condolences,’ she said, using the formal phrases that came naturally to one of her generation, ‘Very shocked. It must be a very difficult time for you.’
‘It could be easier.’ Unasked, he sat on a chair, planting big hands on knees and leaning forward. ‘It’s her old father, see. Lost his leg. Mo was his carer. Then there’s her boy, Jogger we call him. Got a girlfriend an’ all, an’ a baby. Mo did the lot, looked after all of us.’
‘I’m sure she did.’ Miss Quicke’s eyelids began to sink again.
‘Well. Hah!’ Norm rubbed his thumb across his fingertips.‘We wondered what you wanted to do about it.’
‘Do?’ The aged voice faded. ‘I can do nothing. I am turned out of my own home, having to take refuge in my niece’s home, which is comfortable enough in some ways, I suppose, but not what I have been accustomed to. I have no idea when I shall be allowed back.’
Norm shifted on his chair. ‘She was killed in your house, by your telly.’
‘Which she had no right to turn on. She was supposed to be cleaning, not sitting down to watch the television.’
‘Well, there’s no harm watching the telly, listening while she worked, was there? There’s no getting away from it, is there? Your telly killed her.’
‘I believe it was her heart condition which killed her. I am told that the aerial delivered a slight shock, not enough to kill a normal, healthy person. Her theft of my electricity – for it was theft of my electricity to watch my television without permission – her theft gave her a shock and her bad heart did the rest.’
The old eyes closed completely.
Norm reddened. ‘Look, lady. That’s not good enough. Mo died on your premises, doing work which you’d asked her to do. I think we deserve a little understanding, don’t you? A little … compensation.’
Silence. Then a thread-like voice. ‘See my solicitor, if you wish. I don’t think you’ll find him very helpful, though. You haven’t a leg to stand on.’
‘I bet you don’t want a court case, though, with all the publicity. If the papers get hold of this, it’ll be “Millionairess’ Telly Kills Cleaner. Refuses Compensation!”’
Miss Quicke yawned. ‘I dislike being blackmailed even more than I dislike publicity. Publish and be damned, as the Duke of Wellington is supposed to have said. I rather agree with him. Now, if you please, I am exceedingly tired.’
Ellie touched Norm’s elbow and, rather to her surprise, he left the conservatory with her without any more argument. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, in the hallway. ‘I called at the agency this afternoon, asking for your address. I intended to come to see you tomorrow. What you must be feeling! I think I only saw your … Mrs Tucker … once or twice. It must have been a terrible shock.’
Norm’s face was still red. ‘We’re due something for losing Mo, aren’t we? You tell that old … that old woman that I’m down the Social tomorrow first thing, and they’ll give me the name of a good solicitor. She’s taken Mo from us and she has to pay for it. Right?’
‘I wouldn’t count on it. May I make a suggestion? The cleaning company for whom Mo worked have insurances. Maybe they can help you in some way? Why don’t you go to see Maria, discuss it with her? There may even be some wages due.’
He didn’t seem to take that in. ‘It’s that rich bitch back there that should pay, and I’m going to see to it that she does!’
Ellie showed him out. Watched him climb back into his rust bucket of a car and drive away with a farting of blue exhaust fumes. Ellie listened at the sitting-room door. Quiet voices. Derek
and Diana were still there.
‘I need peace and quiet,’ said Ellie to herself. ‘I need to get out of here for a while. And think!’ It was getting dark. The builders had departed and both her neighbours’ cars were parked up front. On impulse she called to Rose that she would be back in half an hour, and went next door.
Ten
Ellie heard raised voices inside as she rang her neighbour’s front door bell. Armand and his wife Kate were having an argument. As the door opened, Ellie said, ‘Is it a bad time to call?’
‘Come in.’ Tall Kate drew Ellie in and banged the front door to behind her. ‘We were only arguing about what tiles to put on the floor of the extension. Perhaps you can make my dear husband see sense.’
Ellie began to giggle. ‘Sorry. I was looking for somewhere to have hysterics, quietly.’
Kate’s handsome face lost its frown. ‘You can’t have hysterics quietly. I hear you’ve been having all sorts of trouble. Have a seat, a glass of wine and tell us all.’
Foxy-faced Armand was a teacher at the High School, and possibly an inch shorter than his wife. He’d been red with anger when he answered the door, but his naturally kind heart won out. ‘Ellie, you know you’re always welcome here.’
‘Red wine do you?’ asked Kate, handing Ellie a large glass full, and pressing her down into one of their angular but comfortable chairs.
‘I daren’t,’ said Ellie. ‘I’ve been trying to drown my sorrows already.’
Armand drew up a chair beside her. ‘Tell us all the gory details. Who killed who, why and wherefore.’
‘And was that your holy terror of an aunt in your conservatory? We couldn’t help seeing she’d moved in when we went out into the extension to see what the builders have done today.’
‘We will not,’ declared Armand, ‘discuss the tiles.’
‘For the moment,’ said his wife with a darkling look. Kate was something of a financial whizz kid in the City and earned three times as much as Armand.They had been through a rough patch when they were first married, but had won through to a more or less permanent truce, disturbed by the occasional flare-up.
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