All Eve remembered with the sharpness of a freshly developed photograph was how naked the next house had looked, and how much her dad had changed, from a jeans and casual shirt person to golf sweaters and too tight pressed pants.
“If Hayley doesn’t mind?” Ben looked relieved.
“Only one way to find out.” She got into her car and waved him good-bye. Hayley would be a much better choice to rifle through Donna’s affairs. She didn’t have these ambiguous feelings, because although Eve pitied Donna’s end, she didn’t much like this woman she’d never met.
The weekend dragged on. Eve buried herself in work and when her eyes smarted, she cleaned house. If there was such a thing as euphoria to be gained from scrubbing floors and using a discarded toothbrush to remove grime from grouts, she’d still have to find it. At least her sore back and aching arms distracted her.
When Hayley arrived on Monday morning, Eve fully expected her to be astonished by the transformation of the cottage, but her hopes fell flat. Hayley must be too preoccupied with her grandmother, and their investigation. Eve put the kettle on, slightly mollified. “How’s your grandmother?”
“Picking up. We’re having two prospective chefs coming tomorrow for a cooking trial, and I’ve arranged for a hair-styling appointment for my nan to look her best.” Hayley waited for a reaction.
“That’s nice.”
“You mean, because Bella might have done Donna’s hair too, and you and me might just do a few things in Nan’s apartment while she’s around?” Hayley grinned.
Hayley took Eve up to have tea with her nan before the hairdresser arrived. Letty sat close to the window. Sunlight streamed over her shoulders and cast a warm glow over her face. Handmade lace doilies and a snowy-white table cloth with matching edging transformed the place into an old-fashioned living-room Eve had once seen replicated in a museum.
There was nothing old-fashioned about Letty though. The blue eyes in the wrinkled face were as sharp as a young woman’s.
She didn’t beat around the bush either. “My granddaughter tells me you’re interested in the Dryden affair.” Letty’s gaze held Eve’s as she waited for the answer.
Eve didn’t know what to say, so she settled for the truth. “Yes.”
“Why?”
Eve looked to Hayley for help, but all she got was a raised eyebrow. So, the truth again. Eve said, “Because I met Ben Dryden and his father.”
“The police cleared him,” Letty said.
“Not in the minds of people.”
“You want to change that.”
“Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong to want a murderer to be held accountable?”
Hayley passed filled cups of tea around. The part of Eve’s brain which constantly observed, admired the thin china with its distinctive blue and white pattern. Wedgwood, or at least an excellent copy.
“What does Ben say?” Letty stirred two spoons of sugar into her tea.
“He doesn’t know. All he cares about is saving his father more anguish.”
“Noble. And stupid.” Letty patted Hayley’s hand. “We old people don’t need protection, we need to be involved.”
“Will you help?” Eve asked.
“What if you don’t like what you find out?” Letty gave her a shrewd glance.
Eve was taken aback. “I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“You have faith in Ben. That’s good. He always was a good boy. Too foolish to see when his loyalty wasn’t deserved, but good.” Letty patted her lips dry with a paper napkin Hayley handed her. The embroidered linen napkins were only for show then.
The bell from the pub rang.
“That’s Bella,” Letty said. “Leave her to me.”
Bella’s gaze focussed on Eve’s hair as she said hello. She picked up a strand of Hayley’s locks and tut-tutted. “We need to take off these split ends.”
“But not today,” Hayley said.
Bella gave Letty a resounding smack on one cheek. No air kisses for her. “Let’s get started. Where’s your bathroom?” she asked.
Eve and Hayley shared an exasperated glance. “Don’t you need proper lighting?” Hayley asked.
“Not for washing hair.” Bella gently pulled up Letty. “Here we go, love.”
Eve caught an inaudible stream of chatter from the bathroom.
“Don’t worry,” Hayley said. “Nan’s a pro.” She handed Eve a feather duster. “Careful with the porcelain figures in the display case. They’re heirlooms.”
Eve flicked the duster over the furniture.
Hayley put a bath towel over the armchair and an overlapping layer of newspaper on the floor. She rearranged it to catch the maximum amount of sunlight through the window.
Letty shuffled over to sit down. Her wet hair fell to the nape of her neck. Underneath, her scalp shone pink. She looked like a fragile porcelain doll in that chair, Eve thought.
“Hayley told me we had a long-missed customer lately,” Letty said as Bella combed through the tangles. “What was his name again? Handsome lad. And me missing him.”
Bella tittered. “That Chris Ripley is still a sight for sore eyes, I can tell you that. He can massage me any old time.”
“I wonder what brought him into the ‘Green Dragon’.”
“Sit still. Maybe he’s got his eyes on Hayley, eh, girl?”
Hayley chortled. “I doubt that. He could stay away well enough before.”
“Well.” Bella pondered. “It must have been a bit awkward, with him and old John thick as thieves, and people saying nasty things about the Drydens. Mind, he was always nice to the girl, and to everyone else. A real keeper, that one.”
The girl? Eve flicked the duster over the picture frames as she tried to melt into the background.
“You knew Donna quite well, didn’t you?” Hayley flashed Eve a beam. “I’m trying to convince Eve here that she doesn’t need a fancy city salon when we’ve got you. If you were good enough for Donna Dryden, after her London hairdressers …”
“Stylists, my dear. She used to have a stylist. Mind you, they frazzled her hair to an inch of its life, and that brash blonde didn’t suit her. She looked so much prettier when she came to me.” Snip, fell another clump of hair.
“It must have done her good to have someone to talk to,” Letty said. “I always say, if I need a listener, I know where to go.”
“Bless you. Yes, I dare say she had her troubles. What with everything at home revolving around old John, and her being used to the city lights and all.” Bella lowered her voice. “She did seem a lot happier those last, oooh, let me think, eight months or so. She went a bit more natural with her hair colour too, a nice shade of honey blonde mixed in as highlights. Her final appointment, she asked me if I’d recommend going a lot shorter for a change.” Bella sniffed, as in tribute to her dead customer. “If you ask me, there was someone else in the picture.”
“Another man? But where would she meet him?” Letty asked.
“At work? I’ve got to say, I’m not one to speak ill of the dead, and she might have had her reasons to look around, with Ben putting his father before her. I expected Ben to show his wife a bit more consideration. And then, when we found out – I never was more flabbergasted in my whole life.” Bella gave a delicious shudder as she ran her comb through her customer’s hair to scrutinise her cut.
“You think it was him?” Letty asked.
“Who else could it have been? My husband, may he rest in peace, was that jealous he didn’t want me to take on male customers until I put my foot down.” Bella pulled a hair-dryer out of her bag. “I’ll put it on medium heat for you.”
“What about the mystery man?” Letty asked.
“He had no reason to kill her, now did he? She was leaving Ben after all. And she was killed in her own living room.”
“Maybe he was married too and needed to get rid of Donna. He never came forward,” Hayley said.
“He was protecting her memory. As any gentleman would.” Bella pursed her lips
.
“Did you ever see her with anyone? Or did she say anything?” Letty asked.
“Chris brought her down to the pub on a few occasions, as a favour to Ben when Ben decided his father needed him more. You could tell deep down he didn’t really care much. But then Chris was nice to everyone, and with his own girl far away, in one of these Middle Eastern countries, he’d be a tad lonely. Pity they broke up. He showed her picture in uniform to me once. Beautiful black hair, all natural. He was that proud of her.” Bella sighed as she gave Letty’s hair a final comb-through. “Donna said to me there’d be someone new for me, if I held my eyes open. Say what you want, Donna Dryden had her airs, but she was a sweet girl at heart.”
Bella held up her hair-dryer. “Shall I clean up, or is anyone else in need of my services?” She looked from Eve to Hayley, and back at Eve. “When did you have your last trim?”
“Trust her,” Hayley whispered into Eve’s ear before she escaped downstairs. Eve sincerely hoped she was right. A bad haircut should be considered a small price to pay for information rendered, but she liked her recent style. She’d muttered something about not taking up more of their time, and Letty’s space, but was quickly overruled.
The water muffled Bella’s chatter. Eve gave in to the inevitable.
She emerged with a trim that left her hopeful, and armed Bella with innocuous information about Eve’s single status, her planned length of stay and her enjoyment of her new surroundings. Eve wasn’t too sure if she’d also agreed to consider joining the women’s institute, but she could always cry off and claim too much work.
Hayley balked at the idea of going through Donna’s stuff when Eve managed to talk to her in the pub kitchen. Eve resorted to pleading. “It’s sitting there in the attic, and it might help.”
“How would you feel if your dad’s new wife had pawed through your mother’s belongings?”
Eve gritted her teeth. “She did. She even wore my mom’s favourite dress to a party soon after the wedding. Vintage Pucci. I told her it was from a thrift store.”
“Your mum found a designer dress in a charity shop?”
“No. But number two couldn’t get rid of it fast enough after that.” Eve leaned over the counter. She kept her voice low although no-one was within ear-shot. “Please. I really think it could be good for them.”
“You’re not going to give in, are you?”
“Please.”
Hayley heaved an exasperated sigh. “I’ll do it. If you assist me.”
A chill ran over Eve’s body. “I can’t.”
“But you expect me to do it.”
“Okay. I’m in. If Ben agrees.”
“It is a bit gruesome to think of these things,” Hayley said. “And I’m not going to read any letters, or any other personal missives. I leave that to you.”
Chapter 12
The house was empty except for Ben. He’d taken his father to the hospital for his regular health-check. Dark smudges under his eyes made him look exhausted, and vulnerable.
He pressed a key into Hayley’s hand as he led them up into the attic. Eve had expected a dark cobweb-covered space. Instead she found an airy room, with furniture covered in dusty sheets, and plush carpet.
“Everything is as she left it.” Ben’s voice caught in his throat. “I’ve given you the key to her wardrobe.”
“She lived up here?” Eve asked.
“She did, for a few months. Until she’d move out.” Ben surveyed the room as if he saw it for the first time. “I should have sent Donna to a hotel when she said she wanted a divorce. She might still be alive.”
“How –“Eve noted Hayley’s vigorous headshaking and shut up.
“We’ll call you when we’re done.” Hayley squeezed Ben’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go and get some work done?”
Eve handed Hayley a pair of surgical gloves. The air in the attic smelt fresh. Ben must have opened the three narrow windows regularly, yet he couldn’t bring himself to throwing out Donna’s belongings despite passing them every time. That was another point towards his innocence, Eve decided. If you killed someone, you’d get rid of the constant reminders of what you’d done.
Hayley emptied the wardrobe. She dropped the clothes on their hangers onto the sheet-covered bed. Donna had good taste, Eve had to admit. She’d expected frills and an abundance of girlie colours. Instead they found tailored suits in neutral colours, cashmere sweaters and crisp cotton shirts. A few dresses displayed a more fun-loving side, but overall the wardrobe spoke of a self-assured woman, not an empty-headed pretty girl, as Eve had half hoped.
Hayley folded up the clothes into cardboard boxes lined with sheet tissue they found at the bottom of the wardrobe.
Eve sorted through the drawers. She closed her eyes as she searched among the lingerie for a diary or letters or any other clue. Nothing. She dumped the lingerie into a trash bag without so much as a glance. Looking a Donna’s intimate things would have felt like a violation.
The next drawer contained boxes full of bangles and bracelets. Fashion jewellery, Eve guessed, intended to add a bit of interest to business clothes. Ben had to decide if there were any pieces of sentimental value among the lot. Silk scarves filled the rest of the drawer. Eve emptied the whole drawer into a cotton bag.
She lifted the sheet off the vanity dresser. Two small jars with high-end night cream stood on it, their lids encrusted with a brownish residue. Eve swept them into the trash bag. Donna would have kept the rest of her cosmetics in the bathroom.
She struck gold in the drawers underneath. Dried flowers, a sachet of crumbled lavender, a small, leather-bound photo album, a calendar and a stash of letters. Plus, more antihistamines.
Eve hid the letters and calendar in her handbag. She flicked through the album. A younger Ben, his arms wrapped around a blonde woman who didn’t need the heavy make-up to be beautiful. They gazed at each other with the rapture of love in its early stages.
Eve moved on. More pictures, mostly of Donna on her own, posing at the beach, artfully sitting atop ruins, sipping cocktails at sunset. A few photos showed her with friends. Eve recognised Kim in one shot, and a group picture with Chris, Ben and a grim John. What a pity Donna’s phone, with its presumable wealth of texts, contacts and photos was lost to Eve.
“I’m done,” Hayley said. “Let’s get out of here.” She lifted one of the boxes. Eve took another. They carried eight boxes downstairs, plus the bulging trash bag. They’d drop the boxes off at a friend of Hayley’s who worked for yet another charity.
“Ben?” Hayley called.
His steps came in staccato. He gaped at the boxes, shoulders sagging a little. From regret or relief? Eve wished she could read his face.
Hayley dropped the wardrobe key in his hand. “It’s all done, mate. If you want to donate the furniture as well, I can arrange that.”
“That would be great.” He rubbed his forehead. “I should have done that sooner.”
“My nan has a suitcase full of my grandfather’s clothes under her bed. He died when I was eight. It’s hard to let go.” Hayley gave Ben a brief hug. He chuckled at her. For an instance, to her annoyance, Eve felt invisible. Then he turned to her and said, “Thank you. For everything.”
She thought of the letters and calendar in her handbag, and what he’d think of her if he knew she’d pinched them. Her stomach lurched. They’d better contain a clue, to be worth this sickening feeling.
“How is your father?” Eve asked.
“Shaky. Not that he’d admit it. I’ll pick him up tonight.”
Eve spread the letters on her table. Hayley had rushed back to the pub after they’d dropped off the donations.
She’d leave them in their envelopes, unread. With any kind of luck, the calendar contained enough clues on its own. She picked it up and touched the smooth surface. Why wasn’t it with the police? Or had the officers read and dismissed it? There had never been the remotest hint of another suspect apart from Ben in the newspaper reports.
Eve put the calendar down and instead searched for her own address book.
Her dad picked up after the third ring-tone. “Hello?” His voice sounded unfamiliar.
“Dad?” she asked, a little uncertain. “It’s me, Eve.”
“Eve. Everything okay with you, Sweetpea?”
She used to cringe at that pet name. Now she realised he’d only ever used it when nobody else listened to them. Which probably meant, he was alone now.
“Yeah, sure,” she said. “But I’ve been thinking about you and Mum a lot lately, and I thought I should check in with you.” She attempted a laugh. It rang phony in her ears. “The first signs of middle age, I assume.”
“Why don’t you come home for Christmas? Crystal is arranging a big party, for all her family,” her dad said.
Eve shuddered. “Big gatherings aren’t really my thing. How are you?”
“Well, actually, we’re thinking of moving. Crystal has seen a place with a pool, and she wants me to be more active, physically. We’ll still stay in Seattle though, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
A pool. Of course. Despite the not quite Floridian climate of the Pacific north-west. They probably had a check-list with whatever status symbols mattered for Crystal. “That’s a lot of work,” Eve said.
“We’d get someone for the maintenance. Keep the economy pumping.”
“Don’t forget to give me your new address.” She paused, unsure what else to say. Screw it, she thought. Why not try some honesty? It would make a change. “Dad? Are you happy?”
“Happy?” She envisaged him, blinking confused as he sat in his too young clothes in his bland home office. “What are you talking about?”
“What do you do for fun? You and Crystal? I remember you and Mum dancing in our lounge, and on the patio.”
Let Sleeping Murder Lie: A cozy mystery Page 9