Murder By Accident

by Veronica Heley

  He drew up at her gate. ‘I can only do so much, Ellie. If she wants to commit suicide, I can’t prevent her from doing so. Tell her to keep her mouth shut from now on. No hysterics. No tears. Just “no comment”. I’ve given her my business card and put my home number on it.’

  ‘You think she’s guilty.’

  Silence. ‘I think she’s capable of losing her temper and acting rashly. If I were the police, I’d be obtaining records of mobilephone calls, looking at diaries and worksheets. If they do find she’s had much to do with a jobbing electrician, say …’

  ‘Of course she has, all the time. It’s her work.’

  ‘Yes. But there was a rumour going around some time ago … it’s probably nothing. A client who was signing a lease for one of the riverside flats told me … well, it’s easy to be wrong about such things. Call me if you need me.’

  Ellie did not sleep well and woke to the scent of newly ground coffee. She prised open her eyelids to look at the clock. Nearly nine o’clock. What? It couldn’t be that late, surely. Why, she was usually out of bed every morning by seven. And who was brewing coffee?

  Rose was staying over at her own flat. Aunt Drusilla wouldn’t descend from her bedroom till she’d had her breakfast in bed. So who could it be?

  Ellie hurried through her toilet and almost ran down the stairs. The scent of coffee grew stronger. Someone had been making toast, too.

  There wasn’t anyone in the kitchen, but Diana was sitting cross-legged on the settee in the living room. Diana didn’t even look heavy-eyed, particularly. She was wearing a low-necked black T-shirt over tailored black trousers. Her hair was brushed and shiny, she had made up her eyes, and she was still wearing the sparkling choker from last night.

  On the coffee table in front of her was a cafetière of coffee, mugs, toast and butter. And orange juice. Ellie helped herself to orange juice, and Diana poured her out a mug of coffee.

  Ellie thought of asking, To what do I owe the pleasure? But waited for Diana to declare herself.

  Diana glanced at her watch. ‘Let’s get down to business. I don’t think they’ll track me down here yet.’

  Ellie took a deep breath. ‘“They” being the police? Have you got Bill’s number with you?’

  ‘Yes, but it won’t do any good. I didn’t do it, and what’s more I didn’t ask or even hint that anyone I know should fix that wiring. It would never have occurred to me. But I realize I did have a motive and I could also have had means and opportunity if I’d used an accomplice. They’ll say I did it, because of Ahmed.They’ve tracked him down, you see. He left a message on my answerphone last night to say they’d been around his place asking for him, so he’s gone missing. Easy enough for him. He’s got relatives in every major city in Britain. A change of name, he’ll get by.’

  Ellie put her hand to her throat. ‘Who’s Ahmed?’

  ‘Oh, just someone I was shagging before Stewart joined me down here in London. I never thought the police would check up on my phone bills. It’s not something that occurs to you when you’re having good sex, is it?’

  Ellie let the implications of this roll around her brain. Diana had been having an affair with someone else before she took up with Derek Jolley. How long had it been going on? Where had they met and done it?

  ‘Did Stewart know?’

  Diana shrugged. ‘I got bored with Stewart a long time ago. Ahmed’s not the only one I’ve been with, here or up north, but they’ll jump on him because he’s an electrician. Oh, don’t look so shocked.You Oldies haven’t a clue about what a modern woman needs. I don’t suppose you’ve ever had an orgasm in your life.’

  Ellie swallowed all manner of retorts to this. Was Diana trying to wind her up, or did she truly believe that her mother’s generation knew nothing about sex? Ellie gave a passing thought to the good times she’d had with Frank in bed before he became so ill, and pushed them out of her mind. This was not the time to argue about who had and who hadn’t had orgasms and with which partner. She said, ‘You met him through work?’

  Diana smiled. ‘I jumped straight into bed with him. Or not bed, come to think of it. We usually did it on the floor wherever he happened to be working. His wife’s still back in Pakistan or wherever it is that he comes from, and I was bored out of my skull with Stewart’s milk-and-water lovemaking. I’d tried one or two others but they didn’t hit my button, as they say. Ahmed showed me what I was missing: excitement, passion … fulfilment of myself as a person. I’ll always be grateful to him.’

  ‘What of your husband?’

  Diana shrugged. ‘Oh, he’ll divorce me, no doubt. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.’

  ‘And Derek Jolley?’

  Diana’s finger explored the curve of her lips. She smiled. ‘Derek and I understand one another. He’s another one who understands what a real woman wants. He’s said he’ll wait for me, and perhaps he will. I don’t think they can get me for anything but conspiracy and if they fail to find Ahmed, they won’t even be able to do that. I shouldn’t be held up too long. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.’

  ‘But Diana …’

  ‘Don’t bleat, mother. Accept it. Your little daughter is all grown up now and knows what she wants out of life. You asked me what I wanted out of life, didn’t you? Well, now I know. I want a man who can match me in every way, in business and in bed. And that’s Derek.’

  ‘He’s old enough to be your father.’

  ‘I need someone older, someone who knows what’s what.’

  ‘He makes my skin creep.’

  ‘Mine, too. But for a different reason.’ Here Diana smiled again.

  There was a thump from overhead. Aunt Drusilla was signalling that she required her breakfast in bed. Ellie looked at the clock, and realized that at this very moment she ought to be getting ready to go to church for the installation of their new vicar … the bishop was coming … and piles of dignitaries and practically everyone in the parish, and she ought to be there right now, struggling into her choir gown and sorting out the music for the service.

  Bother the service. This was more important.

  But Aunt Drusilla? She half rose from her seat. ‘How long do you think we have?’

  Diana made a dismissive movement with her hands. ‘Oh, go along. Attend to the old moneybags first, by all means. We all know I come last in your life.’

  ‘What? Diana, that’s not true!’

  ‘Oh yes, it is. You’ve always put your principles,’ and here she pulled a disgusted face, ‘and your husband before me. I’m used to it. Go and see to the old dear and if the police don’t pick me up before you get back, we’ll continue our conversation then.’

  ‘Diana, I do love you and worry about you endlessly.’

  ‘Then you’d do just one thing for me.’

  Ellie was not to be caught so easily. ‘What is it you want?’

  ‘I’ll tell you when you come back.’

  Seventeen

  Ellie called up to Aunt Drusilla that she wouldn’t be a minute, prepared a light breakfast and took it up on a tray. Aunt Drusilla was not in her bedroom at the back of the house but standing in the little bedroom looking out on to the road, looking out on to the road where Diana’s car was in full view.

  ‘Hasn’t the silly girl even got the sense to hide her car? Are we to expect the police?’

  ‘She thinks so, at any rate. She thinks they’re about to arrest her because she knew an electrician rather too well. She wants to ask me to do something for her, but I don’t know what.’

  ‘To take care of her business affairs, I imagine. Maybe to look after little Frank.’

  ‘She says she didn’t do it. That it hadn’t even occurred to her. I think I believe her, but I can see why the police would think she did it.’

  ‘Hm. She must have brought that ground coffee in with her, because I know you haven’t any. Tell her to make me some proper coffee if she’s got time.’

  Aunt Drusilla returned to the back bed
room and indicated that Ellie place the breakfast tray on her knees. ‘Ellie, don’t tell her this, but I’m prepared to go halves with you to fund her defence.’

  So Aunt Drusilla did definitely think Diana was guilty. And Ellie didn’t? She didn’t know what to think.

  Diana was standing by the window looking at her car when Ellie got back. ‘I could have left the car somewhere else, but then you’d have to search all over the place for it. The keys are on the table there. I’ve left a whole lot of my stuff at Derek’s, but he said he’d see they were collected up and brought here. I’ve packed a suitcase of things I’ll need to begin with and I suppose you’ll see to it that I get the little extras I’ll be allowed. I believe you can wear your own clothes when you’re on remand and I don’t suppose for a minute that I’ll get bail.’

  ‘Suppose I ring Bill now …’

  ‘No. I need to ask you something first.’

  ‘To look after your business interests?’

  ‘Derek will do that.’

  Ellie blinked. ‘Some people might say that he wasn’t the ideal person to trust in a business relationship.’

  ‘I trust him. He knows what I’d do to him if he played me false.’ She smiled, and bit down on her lower lip, still smiling. ‘I told you, we’re two of a kind. I want you to promise me something else.’

  ‘Not without knowing what it is.’

  ‘Don’t you trust me?’

  ‘No, I don’t think I do.’

  ‘Which only goes to show how little you love me.’

  ‘I love you, but perhaps you’ve taught me not to trust you.’

  Diana shot her mother a keen glance. She frowned. ‘Well, it’s quite simple. I don’t want that cow Maria taking little Frank. It’s going to be hard enough for him as it is, with his mother accused of murder.’

  Ellie leaned back in her chair. ‘So you knew about Maria?’

  ‘From the first moment she laid eyes on Stewart at that party, I could see she wanted him and intended to have him. He couldn’t see it. Probably still doesn’t. It takes one to know one.’

  Ellie wondered if Diana’s objection to Maria was because she was mixed race, or whether she was just being a dog in the manger. ‘She seems a nice girl and you’ve said yourself that you want Stewart to divorce you.’

  ‘But you don’t approve of divorce, Mother dear, do you? So you’ll work your socks off to keep Stewart and little Frank away from her. Right?’

  ‘You don’t want him, but you don’t want him to be happy with another woman?’

  ‘You think that sounds harsh? It’s nothing to do with colour, either. Do you really think little Frank will thrive if Stewart and Maria start producing their own family?’

  ‘Do you think that he would be happy as the stepson of Derek Jolley? What makes you think Derek wants Frank? I got the impression that he didn’t.’

  ‘Oh, Derek and I are not talking about marriage. We’re just enjoying ourselves.’

  ‘Where does that leave your son? At least Stewart loves him dearly.’

  ‘Stewart is not to have little Frank. And that’s flat.’

  Ellie didn’t like this conversation at all. ‘If you refuse to let Stewart have his own son, then there’s nothing to stop him having more children by Maria.’

  ‘No, but I’m betting he’ll feel responsible for Frank when I’m in jail and that if you refuse to have anything to do with Maria, he’ll go along with that. I want to make you Frank’s guardian and to have him live with you.’

  ‘In spite of my old-fashioned ways and beliefs? What would Stewart have to say to that? Quite rightly, he’d get the courts to let him have Frank.’

  ‘Not if you fight it.’

  Ellie realized this was crunch time. She didn’t like refusing Diana, but it had to be done. ‘I wouldn’t fight it. He’s a good father and Frank adores him.’

  Diana clenched her fists. ‘So you won’t do this one little thing for me? The only thing I’ve ever asked you to do? Not even to save your grandson from misery?’

  ‘Don’t twist things so, Diana. When we began this conversation I wasn’t sure what I felt about you and Stewart divorcing. I know what the Bible says, which is that marriage is for life. I still believe that marriage is for life but I can see that you don’t. Stewart told me he wanted to stand by you …’

  ‘Pfui! As if I’d want him. The sooner I’m rid of him the better.’

  ‘You were happy enough to marry him.’

  ‘I didn’t know what I was doing. I was too young.’

  ‘Nonsense. You saw a decent man who promised to love and honour you in sickness and in health …’

  Diana covered her ears. ‘Oh, stuff that! Will you take little Frank in, and bring him up for me? You can even take him to church if you must, and teach him all that stupid nonsense about God.’

  ‘I won’t take Frank away from his father, and you should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting it.’

  ‘Not even when it’s for the best for him?’

  ‘You didn’t approve of the way I brought you up. So why inflict that on your son? No, Diana. I will not. I will do my best to help Stewart to bring him up, but I will not try to separate him from his father.’

  ‘You’ve never loved me!’

  ‘Oh yes, I’ve loved you,’ said Ellie. ‘And agonized over you. As did your father. And as Stewart is doing now. Even your great-aunt loves you in her own way. But you never give anything back, do you? You don’t love anyone but yourself. You don’t love Derek Jolley, although he might think you do. You didn’t love this Ahmed, who’s had to run for his life because of you. You know what, Diana? I’m tired of this oneway love. I shan’t stop loving you and worrying about you and praying for you …’

  ‘Oh, pullease! You’ll have me in tears next.’

  ‘If they were real tears, I’d be happy to see them. But tears of rage don’t do anything to me. Now I think you’d better be going. I can see a police car drawn up outside.’

  ‘They’ll hang me out to dry!’

  ‘Nonsense, they don’t hang people any more. I’ll ring Bill and ask him to follow you down to the police station.’

  ‘You’re so hard. You’re not like a mother at all.’

  ‘I’ve been well taught.’

  The front door bell rang. Diana showed the first sign of panic. ‘Mother, I didn’t do it, I swear I didn’t.’

  ‘I believe you,’ said Ellie. Perhaps for the first time, she really did believe her.

  ‘Kiss little Frank goodbye for me.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Ellie stood up, and so did Diana. They looked at one another for a long moment. In that moment Ellie learned to appreciate Diana’s strength. She wondered what Diana saw as she looked at her mother. Someone on whom she could rely, perhaps? Ellie held out her arms, hoping that Diana would give her a hug. Diana kept her own arms at her side. Ellie kissed her daughter’s cheek. ‘Would you like me to come with you?’

  ‘No. I’ll do this by myself.’ Diana picked up her handbag and a suitcase and went to the front door. There was a mumbled conversation and Diana walked up the path to the police car between DS Willis and the Dearie constable. Ellie watched as Diana was steered into the back of the car, the others got in, and the car drove off.

  Ellie reached for the phone and rang Bill.

  The church service must be in full swing by now, and her name would be mud with the choir members. Tough. Ellie made some proper coffee from the bag that Diana had brought with her, and took it up to Aunt Drusilla.

  Aunt Drusilla sipped. ‘I ought to have told the police yesterday about that crooked financial adviser. It might have helped.’

  ‘No. They traced her phone calls. She’s been having an affair with an electrician, so the police can make out he was her accomplice. He’s scarpered. She knows how bad it looks. I’ve rung Bill and he’ll go straight down there.’

  Aunt Drusilla sipped her coffee, and refrained from comment.

  Where was dear Rose? Recov
ering from the excesses of the previous night, when she’d had to look after that sour-faced cousin and his wife? No doubt she’d bob up again soon.

  Ellie went downstairs and phoned Stewart. He was at home. Ellie could hear little Frank talking to himself in the background as he played with his toys.

  ‘Stewart, dear. Nice to see you enjoying yourself last night.’

  ‘Yes, it was good, wasn’t it. We’re going to take little Frank to Kew Gardens this morning, feed the ducks, that sort of thing.’

  ‘“We” meaning Maria?’

  ‘Yes.’ No excuses, no comment.

  Ellie thought, What did I expect? She said, ‘Diana was here this morning, very concerned about little Frank. I said you were an excellent father.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘The police caught up with her and took her down to the station. I phoned Bill and he’ll look after her as best he can. The thing is, the police knew she had a motive, and now they can tie her up to an electrician, whom she met in the course of her work.’

  ‘Ah.’

  Ellie was surprised. ‘You knew about him?’

  ‘I knew there was some workman or other. She didn’t make a great secret of the fact that she’d found someone who could give her satisfaction. Apparently I can’t. There was more than one man, you know. And now, Derek Jolley. I’m sorry, Ellie. I know you believe that marriage is for life but Diana has smashed all that. If she wants to be free, then so be it, but I’ll keep Frank.’

  Ellie felt she could understand his position exactly. She didn’t agree with it in her head, but she did agree with it in her heart. He’d said he’d stand by Diana, but that was before Diana’s latest perfidy … and before he’d had more contact with Maria. He wasn’t going to wait for Diana at the police station this time.

  She said, ‘I can’t blame you, Stewart. She’s my daughter and I love her, but I can’t blame you. I don’t know what the future holds. She says she didn’t do it, that it would never have occurred to her to do it, and I think I believe her.’

  ‘I don’t. She’s capable of it, you know.’

  Ellie sighed. ‘Well … she asked me to kiss little Frank for her. I’m happy to help out with looking after him, but you know that.’