The Cat Next Door

by Marian Babson

  The distorted images blurred again and retreated. The lights continued moving and flashing outside, the hum of voices went on relentlessly, but seemed to fade gradually into the distance.

  Against the odds, she finally fell into an uneasy slumber.

  Despite the fact that Aunt Milly was refusing to leave her room (‘Not another one!’ Emmeline said grimly), there was a livelier, more buoyant atmosphere at breakfast.

  ‘They can’t pin this one on Chloe!’ Uncle Wilfred was close to something resembling his old jovial self. ‘She’s got the best alibi of any of us. She was locked up in Holloway – with a full roster of prison guards for witnesses!’

  ‘It’s sad about the poor dead girl,’ Nan said. ‘Terrible, really. But it isn’t as if any of us knew her.’

  ‘The police are going to need quite a lot of convincing on that score, I’m afraid.’ Richard was taking a more sombre – or perhaps a more realistic – view. ‘She was found in our garden, after all.’

  ‘So much the better!’ Wilfred speared another sausage and gnawed it thoughtfully. ‘I don’t want to sound callous but, if she had to go, she picked the best place for it. Throws the whole case against Chloe into disarray. With another corpse on their hands, the police will have to give her the benefit of some doubt.’

  Margot began to feel an overwhelming sympathy for Aunt Milly. She wondered if it were too late to retreat into her own room and close the door against the world.

  ‘Not really. It’s just spreading the doubt around – ’ An uneasy stirring around the table silenced Christa abruptly. They had all picked up her as yet unvoiced thought:

  If Chloe hadn’t killed Claudia, then who had? Another corpse in the garden was reason enough to suspect that her killer might still be free – and still killing.

  But who? And why?

  Justin and Fenella were huddled as closely together as their chairs would allow. Their full attention appeared to be concentrated on their plates, but telltale side glances betrayed their discomfort. It was clear that they suspected everyone but each other. After all, they could prove they were out of the country at the time of the first murder.

  And so could she. Margot crossed glances with Henry and looked away quickly. Where had he been then?

  ‘Will we be going to court this morning?’ Nan wondered. ‘Will Chloe be there – after this?’

  ‘Not for long,’ Wilfred said. ‘She’ll have to appear, but it will just be a formality. I was on to Comfrey first thing this morning – ’

  ‘Dragged him out of bed at the crack of dawn,’ Richard translated, not without pride in the renewed forcefulness of his father.

  ‘Comfrey’s certain they’ll have to order an adjournment while the police investigate this new development – ’

  ‘They’ll have to try to determine whether the two murders have any connection with each other.’ Richard finished his coffee and pushed back his chair. ‘Chloe is in with a fighting chance.’

  ‘But she still isn’t free.’ Nan spoke sadly. ‘Is she?’

  ‘Not yet.’ Wilfred pushed back his own chair and snatched a piece of Emmeline’s buttered toast to take with him. ‘But things are looking a lot better than they did yesterday.’

  That depended on your point of view. Things certainly hadn’t improved for the poor woman in the patchwork suede jacket who had been found head down in the pond.

  ‘Mmmm …’ Emmeline seemed to be thinking along the same line. ‘Just remember, we aren’t out of the woods yet.’ Her sharp glance reminded them of more than that.

  Richard was not the only male to twitch uneasily. Each of them was due for a further interview with the police. More probing questions would be asked – and not just about last night’s mystery woman. The police would want to hark back to last year’s murder and the precise nature of everyone’s relations with Claudia.

  And they might be right. Claudia had had her moods and, in the wrong mood, could be a bit of an emotional bully. Living by her emotions herself, she had sometimes delighted in pushing other people to the limits of theirs. Had she pushed someone too far?

  ‘So exciting!’ Claudia was back, the later Claudia. The young matron, mother and slightly bored political wife, acquiring new animation as she recounted her big adventure. ‘Oh, that moment when they broke the door down and came storming into the room! Chills up and down my spine and goosebumps everywhere else! I’d never felt anything like it before. I thought I was going to die!’

  Only she hadn’t, not there, not then. Nor in any other of the close brushes with eternity her subsequent travels had led her into. She had had to come home for that. Had she felt one last terrible burst of excitement as her attacker lunged at her with the knife?

  Probably not. One of the damning points in the case against Chloe was the fact that there had been no defence wounds on Claudia’s hands. She had trusted her attacker completely and the sudden assault had caught her unaware.

  But that wouldn’t have applied only to Chloe. Claudia would have trusted anyone in the family …

  ‘ … Margot?’ Nan stood beside her, repeating her name. ‘Margot, would you mind?’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Margot turned to look at her, wrenched back to the present. ‘I’m afraid I was miles away. Mind what?’

  ‘Driving me to court this morning. I know nothing much is going to happen today but – ’

  Margot’s heart twisted as she saw that Nan’s hands had developed a slight tremor and she looked older, more haggard.

  ‘But, if they adjourn the trial, it may be our last chance to see Chloe until … until heaven knows when.’

  ‘Of course.’ Margot saw that Wilfred and Richard had already departed while she had been deep in her own thoughts. ‘Anyone else want to come along?’

  ‘I think not,’ Christa said. ‘There’s nothing we can do so – ’ She broke off, shrugging, her bracelets jangling as she reached for her coffee cup.

  There was a murmur of agreement, perhaps tinged with relief, from the others.

  ‘The fewer of us who show our faces today, the better.’ Emmeline spoke with the voice of grim experience. ‘The media will be back to doorstepping in force after this new development. Wrap a scarf around your faces, keep your heads down, your hand on the horn and don’t stop for anything. If you hit one or two of them – good!’

  Justin and Fenella exchanged a horrified glance. Emmeline had sounded as though she meant it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Despite Emmeline’s forebodings, they had no difficulty in getting away from the house.

  As they drew near the Crown Court, however, increased numbers of media lurking outside told them that the first rumours of fresh news breaking had begun spreading.

  ‘They know something’s happening.’ Margot drove past and, since it was morning and not a market day, managed to find a parking place nearby.

  Nan took her arm as they hurried past the cameras and microphones, heads down, ignoring the shouts for attention.

  ‘Just a word, please – ’

  ‘Is it true that -?’

  ‘Over here! Look this way – ’

  ‘One minute – One minute – ’

  Then they were through the turmoil and up the steps and into the sanctuary of the courthouse. The last few dogged journalists trailing after them were restrained by the official at the security arch.

  ‘In here – ’ Nan was looking frail and shaken. Margot led her into the lift and breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed and the glass-walled enclosure moved slowly up the atrium to the floor above.

  There was a subdued bustle outside the courtroom, a rising sense of something about to happen. The media pool huddled together, staring avidly at every passer-by. The artist, sketchpad at the ready, was limning in light butterfly strokes outlining background, suggesting the tension and excitement of faceless figures leaning toward each other, expectant and eager …

  ‘Keep moving,’ Nan ordered, with a return to her old briskness, ‘they’ve s
potted us.’

  Margot needed no urging. Her gaze had inadvertently crossed with that of the artist and she had seen the telltale twitch of his fingers as he swung to a blank corner of the page and began a new sketch. Of her.

  ‘Just a minute … please …’

  They evaded the notebook-clutching woman who had attempted to cut them off and hurried into the courtroom.

  ‘Sit at the end,’ Nan directed unnecessarily. ‘We may want to get away quickly.’

  Her own opinion precisely. She and Nan firmly ensconced themselves. Opposite them, the jury filed into the jury box. Chloe was already in place, her head still bowed, her eyes still downcast.

  The QCs were conspicuous by their absence, although their legal teams were at their benches, rather more alert than usual and with an air of expectancy.

  The press box was overflowing, with some obvious media types spilling into the seats outside it. Clearly everyone was aware that something was about to happen. Everyone but the jury. And Chloe.

  At the last minute, the QCs came bustling in and just had time to take their places before:

  ‘Court rise.’

  It seemed that they had barely reseated themselves when it was all over. The two QCs had advanced purposefully to the bench to confer briefly with the judge, who, obviously forewarned, seemed unsurprised at their representations.

  ‘Court adjourned.’

  There was a buzz of excitement. For the first time, Chloe lifted her head, startled. Comfrey QC hurried to her to impart the reason behind the adjournment.

  In the stricken moment before Chloe lowered her head again, Margot saw the puzzlement – and the fear - in her eyes.

  They ran into Verity as they left the building, pushing their way through the media throng, who were now undecided as to whether to accost them or head straight for a quote from Comfrey QC, who was always good value.

  ‘What is it?’ Verity was on her way in – or thought she was. She was obviously having second thoughts as she looked at the stream of people pouring out of the courthouse. ‘What’s happened? Is it a bomb threat?’

  ‘Adjournment.’ Nan walked past without stopping, pulling Margot along with her.

  ‘What? Why?’ Verity pivoted in her tracks and followed them. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Doesn’t Kingsley know?’ It had not occurred to Margot that no one would have told Kingsley. On the other hand, why should they? Kingsley’s position was anomalous, to say the least. He would not be the first person one of the family would rush to confide in.

  ‘I haven’t seen Kingsley this morning. He had to go back to London last night, he was expecting a vote in the House. He had to be there for it.’ Verity didn’t like admitting she had been left behind in The Roman Arms. Someone might notice that it was not the first time this had happened. In fact, Kingsley was making rather a habit of it. Margot wondered if there were someone else in London who was sharing those evenings when he had such important business in town. Undoubtedly, Verity was wondering the same thing.

  ‘He’ll sleep late after such a late vote,’ Verity said defensively. ‘He’ll be here for the afternoon session … That is, he’d planned to be.’

  ‘You can tell him he needn’t bother,’ Nan said. ‘There isn’t going to be an afternoon session. The trial has been adjourned.’

  ‘But why?’ Verity demanded. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘It’s something to do with new evidence the police will have to have time to investigate.’ Margot was no more willing than Nan to go into specifics. Not with Verity.

  ‘New evidence? How can there be? The case is a year old. They’ve had all the time in the world to find new evidence. Why wait until now? Kingsley is going to be very upset. He thought this nightmare was nearly over.’

  ‘So did we all.’ They were at the car, Nan wrenched the door open and dived inside. ‘And now it’s started all over again!’ She slammed the door behind her.

  ‘What? What?’ Verity snatched at Margot’s arm as she started to get into the driver’s seat. ‘What does she mean by that?’

  ‘Verity, I can’t go into it now.’ Margot pulled away so sharply that Verity staggered back. ‘Go home and turn your television on and find out!’

  They hadn’t told Lynette yet, either. Fortunately, she did not appear to have noticed that her television set had been unplugged and the batteries removed from her transistor radio. Emmeline’s work, probably. A throwback to the precautions she had taken last year when Claudia’s death had featured in all the newscasts. This would bring it all back. How long could they keep Lynette in ignorance of last night’s events?

  ‘Wrapping her in cotton wool again,’ Christa snorted. ‘What a shock it’s going to be when that little madam finally has to go out and face the real world.’

  ‘Trying to keep the peace a little while longer,’ Emmeline corrected. ‘There’s enough chaos around here at the moment without having her start in, too.’

  ‘She’ll have to know sometime.’ Christa almost seemed to relish the thought.

  ‘Do you want to be the one to tell her?’

  ‘Why should any of us have to tell her? Plug the television back in and let the evening news take the strain.’ Christa had her practical side.

  ‘She’s being awfully quiet,’ Henry said uneasily. ‘It’s most unlike her. Do you think she knows already?’

  ‘I think Tikki is up there with her,’ Emmeline said. ‘I saw him slip into the house a little while ago. She’s always quieter when she can play with him, he’s a soothing influence.’

  Listless and lethargic, Margot lay back in her chair, hearing conversation around her as from a great distance. She seemed to have expended her day’s ration of energy in driving Nan to court and back. On their return, she had tossed her handbag down on the bed and stretched out beside it for as long as she dared before coming back downstairs to join the family conference.

  Nan had taken over the kitchen to prepare a discreetly festive evening meal. It would not do to appear too jubilant in the light of another woman’s demise, but Chloe’s improved prospects surely deserved some celebration.

  Uncle Wilfred and Richard were discussing those prospects even now with the legal team before they, too, adjourned and went back to their London chambers to await further reports of the police investigation and its implications for Chloe.

  Aunt Milly was still in retreat, still reading with a desperate urgency that belied the expectations of the others. It was her garden Death had visited for a second time and, even though the victim was a stranger, she saw nothing to be cheerful about in the circumstance.

  ‘ … benefit may outweigh the awkwardness …’ The conversation had moved on, but not by much. Margot stifled a yawn.

  ‘ … wonder who she was? What was she doing here when none of us knew her … or say we didn’t.’ As the only resident male present at the moment, poor Henry was on the defensive. ‘I mean, it’s not as though we live in a house fronting the High Street. We are off the beaten path. You can’t just stroll into our garden to admire the flowers, you have to search us out. What did she want? Haven’t the police found out who she is yet?’

  ‘If they have, they aren’t telling us,’ Christa said. ‘I suppose we couldn’t expect them to.’

  ‘Not until it suits their purpose,’ Emmeline added grimly.

  How many conversations like this had they had over the past year? Without the ray of hope now on the horizon. But also without the dark suspicion that a killer was still at large and might be one of them.

  ‘Wasn’t she carrying any identification …?’

  ‘Of course, it’s early days yet …’

  The voices droned on soporifically; a delicious smell began wafting through the air from the kitchen. Slumped in the comfortable armchair, Margot felt her eyelids begin to droop. The last vestige of her attention drifted away and she abandoned the pretence that she was awake …

  The first piercing scream from upstairs brought them all sitting bolt upri
ght in their chairs.

  ‘For God’s sake!’ Christa snapped. ‘Isn’t that damned bell good enough for her any more?’

  There was another scream. And another.

  ‘Lynette!’ Nan came flying out of the kitchen. ‘Lynette - what is it?’

  The screams continued, rising in a crescendo of terror.

  ‘Lynette!’ Nan took the stairs at a breakneck pace, the others not far behind. ‘It’s all right, dear. We’re coming!’

  Tikki plunged down the stairs as the others rushed up, nearly tripping them. His ears were laid back, his tail bristling.

  ‘Did the cat scratch her?’ Christa asked. ‘Is that what this is all about?’

  ‘Tikki doesn’t scratch.’ Henry’s hand was firmly on the small of Margot’s back, propelling her upwards – or keeping her from falling. Did he realise how weak she was?

  ‘She’s not in her room.’ Nan came out more quickly than she had gone in and stood bewildered for a moment as the screams still resounded around them.

  ‘I think she’s in my room,’ Margot said faintly, a cold dark foreboding settling over her.

  ‘Your room?’ Nan whirled about and dashed down the hallway. ‘What’s she doing there?’

  From the way Lynette was screaming, Margot had a pretty good idea. This was not the first time the privacy of her room had been invaded by someone bored and lonely who amused herself by prying through other people’s possessions. This time Lynette had found more than she had bargained for.

  Margot moved to one side as the others crowded into the room and made straight for Lynette, still screaming and hysterical over by the window.

  ‘Lynette, stop that!’ Emmeline raised her hand just enough to emphasise that a good quick slap was the best remedy for hysteria, child abuse notwithstanding.

  ‘There, there, dear.’ Nan gathered Lynette into her arms. ‘It’s all right, dear, we’re here.’

  ‘But why is she here?’ Christa voiced the pertinent question. ‘I thought she never left her room.’

  ‘So we all thought.’ Emmeline’s eyes were cold.