The Tulip Girl

by Margaret Dickinson

‘Maddie.’ His voice was gentle. ‘How are you? Are they treating you well?’

  She could not speak for the lump in her throat, so she nodded. The lump grew bigger as he reached across the space between them and took both her hands into his. The warmth of his touch filled her with a new hope. He had come to help her. She knew he could see the unshed tears welling in her eyes, as he patted her hands and said, ‘There, there, we’ll soon have you out of here. They can’t hold you longer than another few hours without charging you and they haven’t done that, have they?’

  Maddie shook her head and her voice was husky with emotion as she said, ‘I don’t know what they’ve done, except ask me lots of questions and then not believe my answers.’ She bit her lip and, unable to prevent the quaver in her voice, added, ‘Mr Theo, do you believe me? You don’t think I – I could poison anyone, do you?’

  His reply was swift and genuine. ‘Of course I don’t. Why else do you think I’m here?’

  For a moment she clung to his hands like a drowning person. ‘I don’t know, but I’m so glad you are. Thank you, Mr Theo.’

  ‘For a start, Maddie, let’s drop the Mister, shall we? From now on it’s Theo. You did promise once before,’ he added softly. ‘Remember?’ Without waiting for her agreement or otherwise he gently released her hold on him and opened the file lying on the table. ‘Now, let’s start at the beginning. Since they are involving Frank Brackenbury’s death in their enquiries, we shall have to do so as well. When exactly did he fall ill and can you remember his symptoms?’

  Maddie frowned, trying to dredge back in her memory. ‘Adam was about five or six months’ old because I remember asking him to look after him whilst I worked. That was before he got really bad, whilst he was still able to sit by the fire in the living room, you know.’

  ‘No, go further back than that. The very first time you saw that there was something wrong.’

  Now she remembered. ‘It was Nick who remarked on it first. He asked me if I’d noticed that Frank seemed to be slowing up in his work.’

  ‘And had you?’

  ‘No, not until Nick mentioned it. But then, I was always so busy what with Adam and trying to build up the new business . . .’ And, she added privately, trying not to think about Michael.

  ‘Mm. And then what happened?’

  ‘Well, I asked Frank if he was feeling all right and he admitted that he had been feeling “a bit under the weather” as he called it. He said he still had a bit of pain in his leg.’

  ‘His leg?’

  ‘Yes, there’d been a bit of a mishap. Nick had accidentally speared Frank’s foot with a fork.’

  ‘And was that all that was wrong?’

  ‘No, Frank said he’d been having a bit of stomach trouble . . .’ She broke off as she met his steady gaze. Theo nodded and said quietly, ‘Go on.’

  ‘He made a – a joke and said he hadn’t wanted to make a fuss in case Harriet – that’s Mrs Trowbridge – thought that he was blaming her cooking.’

  ‘And was he?’

  Maddie shook her head, ‘No, of course not. It was only said in fun. I know it was.’

  ‘So then what happened?’

  ‘Well, I made him go to the doctor, but he came back and said the doctor – Dr Hanson it was then – couldn’t find anything wrong.’

  ‘But he got worse?’

  ‘Yes. Every day we could see him getting weaker although it was very gradual over quite a long time, but in the end he couldn’t get up out of his bed. I called the doctor to the house then to see him. He . . .’

  ‘Wait a minute, don’t go so fast, Maddie. I want you to think back very carefully. Who prepared Frank’s food or drink during that time? Who nursed him when he took to his bed?’

  ‘Well, we all did. Of course Mrs Trowbridge cooked all the meals, just as she always did. But I made drinks and even Nick carried his meals up and sat with him throughout the night sometimes to let me get a bit of rest. He was ever so good . . .’

  ‘Nick?’

  ‘Yes, but . . .’ Her eyes widened as she stared at him. ‘Oh no, you don’t think – you can’t think . . .?’

  Theo held up his hand, palm towards her, ‘Maddie, I’m not thinking anything at the moment. I am just trying to establish what actually happened and the order of events to get things clear in my own mind. Now, go on.’ He reached across the table again and gave her hand a quick squeeze. ‘You’re doing very well. You’ve got a wonderful memory.’

  So Maddie went on with her story, remembering in detail all that had occurred leading up to Frank’s death. She didn’t consider herself to be clever or to have a particularly good memory. It was just that everything was so clear because it was not possible to forget that dreadful time. Sometimes, she wished she could have blotted out the whole thing. And now she was being asked to relive it again and, all the time, Theo made notes on a large, lined notepad. She told him everything right up to the time she had found Frank in the battery house and they had all believed that in his weakened state, he had been careless.

  When she fell silent at last, Theo shuffled his papers together. ‘Have the police asked you to sign anything?’

  Maddie shook her head.

  ‘Well, they might want you to make a formal statement before they let you go. If they do, don’t sign anything until I’m here. You understand.’

  ‘Yes, Mr . . . Yes, Theo.’

  As he stood up, she asked, ‘Will they really let me go?’

  Theo glanced at his watch. ‘They’ll have to, unless they’re going to charge you, and I don’t see how they can.’ Her hopes soared only to be dashed at his next words. ‘At least, not yet.’

  ‘You mean – you think they will?’

  Theo’s face was sober. ‘It depends what evidence they find. They’ll no doubt be interviewing Dr Battison and, I’m afraid, they’ll be searching the farm and taking away any kind of poisonous substances they find on the premises.’ He glanced at her sympathetically. ‘And then, of course, there’s what the forensic team find in Frank’s body.’

  Maddie shuddered, seeing horrific pictures of poor Frank being disturbed from his resting place. It wasn’t right and yet she’d have to let it happen if it was all that would prove her innocence. ‘It’s so awful,’ she said aloud. ‘Them digging him up.’

  Theo sighed. ‘It’s the only course open to them – and us, I’m afraid. I’ve already asked at the hospital if by any chance the blood samples that were taken to do those tests on him when he was ill might have been kept. But, of course, they weren’t, because at the time there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. That was quite obviously an accident.’

  ‘I suppose they’ll be saying next that I tampered with something in there so that he got a shock and . . .’ Maddie muttered.

  ‘Don’t worry about that. I can easily prove you know nothing about the workings of the electricity supply. You don’t, do you?’

  Maddie shook her head. There was a pause and then she asked, ‘What do they need to test for poison in his body then? Blood samples?’

  ‘Yes, or tissue or hair or . . .’

  ‘Hair?’ Maddie was staring at him.

  ‘Yes, why?’

  Excitedly, Maddie said, ‘Mrs Trowbridge cut a lock of hair from poor Frank before they took him away. I saw her do it.’

  ‘Did she, by Jove?’ Theo too was looking excited and hopeful. ‘Where is it?’

  ‘It’ll be in her bedroom. Nick could find it.’

  He stood up. ‘I’ll go to the farm now and see him, Maddie. This just might save them the trouble of exhuming Frank’s body.’

  ‘And when they test the hair and there’s nothing there, they’ll let me go?’

  ‘Oh, you won’t have to wait as long as that. I’ll have you out of here in the morning. What they’ll probably do is release you on police bail to return to the police station in two or maybe three weeks. That depends on how long it takes them to make their enquiries. But, you must be prepared, my dear,
that if they do find traces of arsenic, then . . .’ Theo said no more and when he had left, Maddie felt even more lonely than she had before he had come.

  Forty-Nine

  Theo arrived again next morning and demanded her release and Maddie found herself outside the police station, blinking in the sunlight and pulling in great gulps of fresh air. But before she had time to savour her freedom, Theo was hustling her towards his car.

  ‘Come on, Maddie, I don’t want us to attract attention.’ He almost pushed her into the back seat and got in beside her, slamming the door and ordering his chauffeur to drive off immediately.

  ‘What do you mean?’ she asked as the car reached the outskirts of the town and gathered speed.

  Theo leant back against the plush upholstery and sighed. ‘I’m sorry, Maddie, but the locals have you charged, tried and convicted already. They think you’re guilty.’

  ‘Everyone? Even – even Jenny?’

  Theo managed to laugh. ‘Oh not Jenny. Dear, loyal little Jenny. You’d be amazed what she’s been up to on your behalf. It was she who came up to the Hall with the ever-faithful Steven in tow, to ask me to help you.’

  ‘She did?’

  ‘She most certainly did. Quite the little tigress in defence of her own, isn’t she?’

  Maddie stared at him. Jenny? A tigress? Loyal, yes, she’d known that. But a tigress? Now this was something new.

  ‘You know, she intrigues me. In fact, you both do. But – er . . .’ He hesitated before murmuring, ‘But you for quite a different reason.’ Then more briskly, he asked, ‘Do you know anything at all about her background?’

  Maddie shook her head. ‘No. No more than I do about my own. But we’ve a lot in common. We were both abandoned outside the Mayfield Children’s Home. Me at a month or so old – they were never quite sure just how old I was – but Jen was newborn.’

  ‘Really? And when was this?’

  ‘1932.’

  She saw his eyebrows rise as, again, he said, ‘Really?’

  ‘Why?’

  But now he seemed disinterested as he turned his gaze away from her. ‘Oh nothing. I just wondered. Anyway . . .’ He reached out and took her hand, ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but I have to tell you that Nick couldn’t find the lock of Frank’s hair you mentioned, so they are still going to exhume the body. And besides, to be honest, I don’t think they would have taken just that lock of hair as sufficient evidence, even if we had been able to find it.’

  The brief hope that had sustained her through the past night, died.

  They were passing through Eastmere now and Maddie became uncomfortably aware of the curious glances of the villagers. Some even took a step towards the car, bending to peer in through the windows as the vehicle slowed to a halt outside the village shop.

  ‘You wait here in the car,’ Theo said. ‘I’ll fetch Adam.’

  ‘Isn’t he at school?’

  ‘No. We thought it best to keep him at home for a while. He was getting taunted. Children can be very cruel to each other, can’t they?’

  Oh indeed they could, Maddie thought grimly, remembering the times when she had championed poor Jenny. And now, ironically, it was Jenny defending Maddie’s son. Life had a peculiar way of coming full circle, Maddie thought.

  Maddie jumped suddenly as an egg splattered against the car window beside her and she heard the jeering of three youths.

  ‘Lock the car door, miss,’ the chauffeur advised, ‘until you see Mr Theo coming back.’

  ‘Oi, you!’ Startled again, Maddie glanced round but then she saw that the shout had come from Steven who had appeared in the shop doorway. She saw him jump down the three steps and run after the youths.

  Maddie sat huddled miserably in the back seat feeling more of a prisoner now than she had in the cold, dark cell at the police station. Through the rear window she watched as Steven caught up with one of the lads, grabbed hold of him and shook him, shouting and shaking his fist into the lad’s face. The boy – little older than Adam, she saw now – looked frightened out of his wits. His two mates had disappeared round a corner, leaving him to face the man’s wrath alone.

  At least someone’s on my side, Maddie thought. And Stinky Smith of all people.

  ‘Maddie, oh Maddie.’ Jenny’s smiling face was suddenly outside the car window and as Maddie released the lock on the door, she climbed in and sat close beside her, putting her arms around her and holding her close. ‘Thank goodness, Mr Theo got you out of that dreadful place. How are you? Are you all right?’

  Maddie avoided answering her question by asking another. ‘How’s Adam? Is he all right?’

  ‘Sort of. He’s upset that his so-called friends have all turned against him.’

  ‘Oh Jen. Thank God for friends like you and – and Steven. What would I do without you?’

  ‘Silly thing,’ Jenny laughed. ‘We’re sisters. Remember?’

  She looked over Jenny’s shoulder and saw that Theo and Adam had appeared now at the top of the steps. With his hand resting protectively on the boy’s shoulder, Theo seemed to be looking up and down the street before they emerged from the doorway. At the sight of her son, Maddie’s heart turned over. She had been away for only a short time and yet it had seemed an eternity. As she looked into his eyes, she could see that it had left its mark on Adam too. The boy had grown up overnight, it seemed. And there was something else, too. More than ever, he was like his father.

  She was never going to be allowed to try to forget Michael, she thought, for with her every day was a living, breathing reminder.

  ‘Won’t you stay here with us?’ Jenny was urging her, bringing her thoughts back to the present.

  ‘What? Oh no – no, thanks. I must get back to the farm. There’s work to do.’

  Jenny’s eyes were still troubled. ‘Do you really think you should go back there? I mean – Nick’s still there.’

  ‘Nick? Why shouldn’t he be there?’ Maddie searched her friend’s face. ‘You don’t mean – oh you can’t mean – that Nick thinks I’m guilty.’

  ‘No, no, he doesn’t, but . . .’ Jenny turned away, ducked her head and got out of the car. ‘Mr Theo, she wants to go back to the farm.’

  Then Theo came to the car and, though he made no effort to get in, he bent down and looked in at her. ‘Don’t you think it might be better for you to stay here? Mrs Grange is agreeable, if that’s what’s worrying you. Or you can come to the Hall if you prefer.’

  ‘No, no, I must get home.’

  ‘I don’t like you being out there on your own. The feeling in the village is far worse than I had imagined. Jenny and Steven – and young Adam – have just been telling me.’

  ‘Then it would be far worse to stay here,’ Maddie argued reasonably. ‘And I’d be putting innocent people – Mrs Grange and Jen – at risk too.’

  Theo seemed to be struggling with some inner conflict.

  ‘What?’ Maddie asked. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he said swiftly, a little too swiftly to be convincing. It was as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know whether he should do so. Eventually, he said, ‘Well, at least let Adam stay here. Please, Maddie. We’ll bring him to the farm to see you. Every day. I promise. But just let him stay here with them. At least – for the time being.’

  Much as she wanted to be with her son, Maddie nodded. ‘All right then, but just let him get into the car for a minute. Let me talk to him.’

  Theo straightened up and beckoned to the boy.

  ‘Oh darling,’ Maddie put out her arms as he climbed in beside her. ‘This is all a horrible mistake. You don’t believe I did anything wrong, do you?’

  ‘Oh Mam . . .’ Suddenly he was grinning at her. ‘Of course I don’t. None of us do. Only the stupid villagers who don’t know you.’

  She hugged him to her. ‘That’s all right then. I can stand anything if only you believe in me.’

  He put his arms around her waist and buried his face against her shoulder. His voice was muffl
ed as he asked, ‘Are you sure you’re going to be all right at the farm?’

  ‘Of course, I am. Nick’s there.’

  Adam raised his head and as she looked down into his upturned face, Maddie shivered suddenly at the strange expression in the young boy’s eyes.

  Fifty

  Nick came towards her with his arms outstretched as the car drew into the farmyard.

  ‘Maddie! Thank goodness you’re all right.’ He was smiling happily, his face alight with relief. He hugged her to him and then held out his hand towards Theo. ‘Mr Theo. How can we thank you enough for your help?’

  To Maddie’s surprise, Theo ignored Nick’s outstretched hand and instead said curtly, ‘It’s not over yet. I should wait for the outcome of the post-mortem before you begin to celebrate.’

  But Nick’s smile stayed in place. ‘What can they hope to find from that?’ His tone was derisory. ‘They’ll find arsenic in his body, I don’t doubt.’

  Maddie felt a shiver of alarm as she glanced at the frown on Theo’s face. ‘Why do you say that?’ he asked Nick sharply.

  Nick shrugged. ‘Stands to reason. It’s in the ground all around here, isn’t it? It’s used in weedkillers, isn’t it? More than likely the ground is sodden with it.’

  Theo said nothing but his steely gaze never left Nick’s face.

  ‘May we you offer you a drink, sir?’ Nick said.

  ‘No, thank you. I must be on my way.’ Now his glance lingered on Maddie. ‘If you need anything, you know where to find me.’

  With that, he gave a curt nod towards Nick and climbed back into the car. Nick put his arm around her shoulders as they stood and watched the driver reverse down the track and into the lane.

  ‘Phew. Thank goodness he’s gone. Poking his nose in where it’s not wanted.’

  ‘Oh Nick, don’t say that. He got me out of that awful place.’

  ‘He got there first, I’ll grant you. And with his position around here, they would listen to him. But don’t think the rest of us weren’t trying.’ For a moment there was belligerence in his tone. ‘We don’t need his sort. I’ll look after you, Maddie. It’s just you and me now. We’ll be all right together.’