‘He asked me to go for the police while he stayed with the body.’
‘Did you see them?’
Maureen nodded. ‘They asked me if I’d heard anyone else making threats against her. Barney’d already mentioned Callum. I did put it to them that with her being a rent collector someone might have followed her, knowing she had money on her.’
Lucy’s heart lifted and she looked at her mother with hope in her eyes. ‘That makes more sense. Was the money gone?’
‘Yes. But Barney said Callum could have taken it.’
Lucy could believe some things of Callum but not that he was a thief. ‘Do you think they’ll arrest him?’
‘They were sending a bobby round to Aunt Mac’s.’
‘Oh, poor Aunt Mac!’ Lucy could not stay still any longer but paced the room. ‘I hope the shock doesn’t kill her.’ She stood staring out of the window. The houses opposite were all in darkness except for a single light in a bedroom.
‘Of course it won’t, eejit!’ Her mother lifted her head. ‘She’s strong! Although none of it’ll make sense to her.’ Maureen’s eyes grew round with dismay. ‘They’ll probably blame me. Say it was my greed spurred him on and that I drove him mad with desire! But Callum’s a grown man and he should know how to control himself.’
Lucy remembered the kiss she’d witnessed between the two of them. Not much control there.
Maureen put a hand to her head. ‘Oh, Lucy, what am I going to do? I can’t think straight for the pain in my head.’ ‘I’ll make you a cup of tea.’
‘It’s Guinness I need, girl. Guinness!’ she wailed.
‘I’ll put plenty of sugar in the tea.’
A sob broke from her mother and Lucy put her arms round her. It was as if she was the adult and the other the child. Maureen clung to her, weeping. Lucy felt dreadful, not knowing what to say to comfort her.
After staying awake into the early hours Lucy eventually fell asleep so heavily she did not hear the church bells the next morning. It was Timmy who woke her. ‘There’s a man who says he’s a policeman at the door. I think I’ve seen him before,’ he whispered. ‘He’s asking for you.’
‘Me?’ Lucy sat up in bed, scared, and looked for her mother but the space she’d occupied was empty. ‘Where’s Mam?’
‘She’s gone out.’
‘To church?’
‘I dunno. She wasn’t dressed for church and didn’t say where she was going.’ Timmy scratched the back of his neck. ‘What’s going on, Luce? Mam looked terrible.’
‘I’ll tell you later.’ She scrambled out of bed, wondering where her mother could have gone. Aunt Mac’s? Barney’s? ‘Where’ve you put the policeman?’ She was wondering if it was Rob and what he wanted with her.
‘I didn’t let him in. Although I’ve remembered now who he is. It’s D.C. Jones. I said you were in bed and I had to wake you first.’
‘You did right,’ said Lucy, taking a deep breath and thinking Rob wouldn’t like being kept waiting outside.
She shooed her brother out of the room then buttoned on a frock. She would be sixteen next birthday and wondered whether Rob would notice any difference in her. She’d eaten his chocolates and they’d been delicious. He must be on her side if he’d not only kept silent about what she had told him but given her chocolates as well. But what did he want with her now? She couldn’t think straight, her thoughts all mixed up, remembering snatches of their conversation in the hospital. She had to keep him on her side. Lucy ran a comb through her chestnut hair which swirled about her shoulders as she flung the door open.
Rob was not in uniform. He looked tired, leaning against the door jamb. ‘Morning, Lucy. I’m sorry to disturb you but I wonder if you could spare me a few minutes?’
Now it was time to be nice to him she found herself remembering the girl Dilys had mentioned and feeling stroppy. ‘It’s Sunday, you know, the day of rest.’
One dark eyebrow shot up. ‘I know what day it is and I’m sorry to disturb you,’ he said with heavy irony. ‘May I come in? As I’m sure you know there was a murder la—’
‘Hang on.’ She was aware of Timmy listening and turned to her brother. ‘Go and look for Mam.’
He wasn’t pleased. ‘But I want to hear what he has to say. What’s this about a murder?’
‘I’ll tell you later.’ Lucy pushed him out of the flat, beckoned Rob inside and closed the door. ‘So why me?’ she said defensively. ‘I don’t know anything about it.’
‘Perhaps not.’ He moved over to the fireplace and stood on the rag rug, glancing about him. ‘This is better than your last place.’
She ignored the remark. ‘Of course I know nothing about the murder! Just because I used violence once doesn’t mean I make a habit of it!’
That eyebrow rose again expressively. ‘Now who’s being stupid? And what did I tell you about my never having heard that? Now, you were the only witness to an incident which took place here yesterday between Callum McCallum and Mrs Winifred Jones. Barney and your mother both say Mrs Jones alleged he waved a gun about and threatened her in this room.’
The thought flashed into Lucy’s mind that here was the perfect way to get Callum out of her mother’s life, and for a second she wavered between telling the truth or landing him in trouble. Then, shocked with herself for even thinking such a thing, she blurted out, ‘That’s a lie! And you won’t get me to change my mind about it!’
‘I want the truth, Lucy.’ There was a warning note in Rob’s voice. ‘You hesitated. How do I know you’re not just saying that because McCallum’s an old family friend? It’s natural you’d want to defend him, but I need to know the truth.’
Lucy snorted. ‘It’s not natural at all!’ She moved behind the sofa and gripped the back of it. ‘I’d rather he was out of Mam’s life. I want her to marry Barn— someone else,’ she amended hastily. Rob looked at her and the expression on his face baffled her. ‘I’m telling the truth, cross my heart!’
Did he believe her? Several seconds passed before he nodded. ‘So what was it he waved about when Winnie was here? Or did he wave anything?’
‘His pipe. He smokes like a chimney.’
‘You’d swear to its being a pipe in court?’
Lucy would rather not but if Callum’s life depended on it then she would. How could she let him hang? It would break Uncle and Aunt Mac’s hearts. ‘Yes!’
Rob surprised her by giving a satisfied nod. ‘I didn’t think McCallum did it but there’s some who’d be happy to pin it on him. It doesn’t make sense to me, his killing her. Barney, on the other hand, believes it makes perfect sense. He’s convinced McCallum intended the bullet for him as soon as he came through the door and hit her by mistake.’ Lucy’s eyes widened. ‘But that’s stupid! It would mean Callum needed glasses and a hearing trumpet. You can hear Barney coming from halfway down the road. Clump, clump! That’s how that boot of his goes.’
Rob smiled. ‘Smart girl! It’s still possible that the killing was a mistake. An ex-soldier, maybe, down on his luck like so many. Frightened of being caught in the house, he might have fired blindly when she entered.’
It sounded so plausible that Lucy found herself believing in that desperate ex-soldier. She felt a deep sympathy for him, and for Winnie. ‘He’d have kept the gun for a souvenir,’ she murmured. ‘I know Uncle Mick kept his although he…’ She stopped abruptly, remembering the day he’d died. The palms of her hands were sweaty all of a sudden.
Rob’s eyes met hers and he said roughly, ‘Stop it! Try and remember that you saved my life by bringing me round and you tried to save his. I never did thank you for saving mine.’
His words chased the shadows away and made her feel wonderful. She could feel a pulse beating at her throat. ‘You’ve saved mine twice. I hope there doesn’t have to be a third time.’
‘You’ll need to stay out of trouble then.’
For a moment she hesitated. ‘I saw Shaun O’Neill the other day.’
‘Mind if I sit down?’ R
ob did not wait for her reply but seated himself on the sofa. She thought he looked slightly pale. ‘Want to tell me where you saw him?’
Lucy sat beside him but kept a few inches between them in case her mother came in. ‘I can’t tell you much. He was talking to a man near the Mere Bank pub. I was scared stiff, to tell you the truth. I don’t know why he makes me feel that way.’
‘He’s a violent man and probably reminds you of your uncle. But you mustn’t let fear override your commonsense, Lucy.’
‘He could be staying in this area somewhere. That’s what I’m frightened of.’ Her voice was barely audible.
He lifted his head and there was a hard light in his eyes. ‘We’ll get him, don’t you worry.’
She followed Rob to the door, wanting to ask for that in writing. He looked down at her and smiled, then surprised her by touching the tip of her nose with one finger and repeating, ‘Don’t worry.’ He closed the door behind him.
Lucy thought, I really will try not to. She went over to the fire and put a match to the newspaper and stayed on her knees on the rug, watching the wood catch and listening to the familiar crackling as it sent out sparks, thinking of the girl whom Dilys said wanted to marry him. How much did he love her?
The door opened. ‘So what did you tell him?’ Her mother’s voice sounded breathless. There were dark circles beneath her lovely eyes and lines about her nose and mouth. She looked older than she had twenty-four hours ago.
‘Where’ve you been, Mam?’ cried Lucy, going over to her. ‘I’ve been worried.’
‘Never mind that! What did you tell the copper?’ She took hold of Lucy’s arms and shook her.
‘The truth! That Callum didn’t threaten Winnie with a gun. It was his pipe he was waving about.’
She waited for the strain to vanish from her mother’s face as the words sank in but all Maureen did was laugh. ‘It doesn’t prove he didn’t have a gun! He was dead jealous of Barney and that could be reason enough for him to do something stupid. Anyway I went round to Aunt Mac’s to see if Callum was there and warn him but the house is being watched. I just hope to God that the eejit has had the sense to get out of Liverpool by now or he’ll hang!’ She hugged herself. ‘How dare he put me through what I’ve been through these last hours? I’ll never forgive him.’
‘I don’t think they’ve got him yet. And I don’t believe he did shoot her. You’ve known him a long time, Mam. You should have more faith in him.’
Maureen’s eyes flashed. ‘I had faith in our Mick. How can you have forgotten what he did to us?’
Yes, how could she? thought Lucy, squaring her shoulders. She had done right getting rid of him. But Callum? She still remembered him saying how glad he was that nobody had died when he’d accidentally blown up the wrong house.
Maureen held her hands out to the fire and her voice was hard when she spoke. ‘I’ll not think of him again. Barney’ll need comforting and looking after. I’ll give him a little time to pull himself together and for the police to leave him alone – a few days should do it – and then I’ll go and see him. You can come with me – help persuade him that he can’t live without me.’
* * *
Lucy followed her mother into the darkened room where a fire sent shadows flickering round the walls. It was morning but wooden shutters cut out the daylight. Barney sat slumped in an armchair in front of the fire. Maureen tutted. ‘You need some light in here, darlin’!’ She hurried over to the window and flung the shutters wide.
Lucy had never seen such a change in a man in such a short space of time. Everything about him drooped: his shoulders, his moustache. He had bags under his eyes. Even the wave in his hair seemed to be affected. His hair hung in an untidy fringe on his forehead and about his ears. She went over to him and placed a hand on his arm. ‘I’m really sorry, Uncle Barney. If there’s anything we can do to help we will. Won’t we, Mam?’
‘That goes without saying.’ With a thrust of her hip Maureen eased her daughter away from her position by his side. Lucy went round the other side of the chair as her mother pressed her cheek against Barney’s. ‘There now, darlin’! What you need is looking after now that dear, dear woman who cared about you so much has gone.’
‘I can’t believe it!’ He lifted his raddled face to them. ‘She meant well. She always meant well. I’m going to miss her.’ A deep sigh escaped him.
‘Of course you’ll miss her. She did a lot for you, but I can do just as much.’ Maureen perched on the arm of his chair and drew his head against her bosom.
‘No! No!’ His muffled voice sounded alarmed and he forced his head up and seized one of her hands and one of Lucy’s. ‘I don’t want another Winnie. I just want you living with me so we can be a happy little family.’
‘That’s all I want, too,’ said Maureen, pressing her lips against his mouth and removing her daughter’s hand from his grasp at the same time. ‘We won’t let anyone come between us ever again.’
‘You know what they actually hinted at?’ His tone was fretful as his eyes went from mother to daughter. ‘That it could have been me.’
‘That’s terrible!’ said Lucy, shocked and indignant. ‘What had you to gain?’
‘Exactly!’ he said promptly. ‘But Rob explained to me that when there’s a murder family members often come under suspicion. Anyway I gave the police the name of her solicitor and of course I’m not mentioned in her will. She left what she had to a cousin, so that soon changed their minds.’
‘I should think so, too,’ said Maureen indignantly. ‘The very idea!’
Barney looked at Lucy. ‘I know you said it wasn’t a gun McCallum was waving about but he could have gone home for one.’ He gave a rueful grin. ‘I’m hoping he’s had a fright and has run off and won’t come after me. I can’t scarper like able-bodied people can.’
Maureen stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. ‘Callum might be all kinds of a fool but he’s not a complete eejit. He’ll get to Ireland and stay there.’
‘You think so?’
‘I’m sure of it. He’ll have to accept that he’s lost me to you for good.’
Barney nodded, looking much happier. ‘Even so, I’m going to have extra bolts put on all the doors. It’s a sad state of affairs when a man can no longer feel he’s king of his own little castle.’
‘It’s a terrible thing but I think you’ll see I’m right,’ said Maureen.
He perked up even more. ‘I hope so. But we can’t rush into marriage, lovey. We have to observe the proprieties and there’s things need sorting out.’
Maureen said she realised that and, turning to Lucy, suggested she went and did whatever she had to do while she and Barney discussed the future.
Lucy decided to go and visit Aunt Mac to see if she could find out if she’d had any news of Callum, but although she was asked inside the house it was immediately obvious that if the old woman knew where her son was, she wasn’t cracking on.
‘I feel like I can’t trust your family anymore,’ she said, looking Lucy straight in the eye. ‘My boy’s innocent. This is all your mother’s fault for playing hot and cold with him. I don’t want either of you coming round here again.’
Lucy was hurt and felt she had to fight back. ‘Callum isn’t completely blameless,’ she said fiercely, banging on the table. ‘Where was he when she needed him?’
Aunt Mac did not answer. Her back was ramrod straight and her expression uncompromising. Lucy stormed out of the house, near to tears.
Later that day when Maureen came home from work Lucy told her about the visit. ‘That’s that then!’ said her mother, tight-lipped. ‘I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.’
‘What about Shaun O’Neill?’ said Lucy, placing a cup of tea in front of her.
‘What about him?’ said Maureen, sounding surprised.
Lucy had thought long and seriously before deciding to tell her mother about her recent sighting. ‘I’ve seen him not far from here. It could be nothing but I thought I’d b
etter warn you, just in case.’
‘In case what? He killed Winnie?’ Maureen gave a hollow laugh and sipped her tea.
Lucy laughed. ‘Yes. It’s a daft idea, I know.’
‘Unless you think…’ Maureen’s eyes widened ‘…that it wasn’t Callum who intended shooting Barney but Shaun mistook her for me in the dark. Callum and our Mick probably spoke about me and Barney… and I’ve got a thing or two on Shaun.’
Lucy was alarmed. ‘Don’t get carried away, Mam. I don’t believe that at all. He just makes me feel uneasy and I told you because he might try and get money out of you.’
‘Money? You have to be joking?’ Maureen threw back her head and laughed and laughed.
Lucy joined in but she wasn’t joking. Barney had money and maybe Shaun O’Neill might try a bit of blackmail if he got to hear Maureen was going to marry Barney.
‘I think we can forget that,’ said her mother, wiping her eyes when she’d sobered down. ‘And I’m going to forget him, too. Things are going our way at last, Luce, so don’t go and spoil them by you letting your imagination run away with you.’ She reached up and brought Lucy’s head down to kiss her cheek. ‘We’ll be moving into Barney’s big house and there’ll be money for nice clothes and you can have some fun at last.’
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ said Lucy, hugging her back.
But none of these things happened overnight and Winnie’s murder remained unsolved. A couple of vagrants were arrested on suspicion, having been seen in the area, but they were soon released due to lack of evidence. Whoever the killer was they had got off scotfree.
The wedding was arranged to take place at Christmas and at the end of summer Barney suggested Maureen and Lucy do something to brighten up his house. ‘I’m tired of browns and greens and duck egg blue but I can’t be going round shops and warehouses choosing paints, wallpaper, fabrics and the like. Get the shops to send all the bills to me and don’t forget…’ he smiled at them both ‘…I want my two best girls knocking everybody’s eyes out at the wedding. So send me those bills as well.’
Someone to Trust Page 17