Kitty Neale 3 Book Bundle

by Kitty Neale

  ‘It’s about time you bucked yourself up. I’ve been sitting here thinking, and I can’t believe you listened to anything that Rupert had to say. For one thing, if you remember, Kevin refused to take money from you and at the same time he even protested about changing our wills. The only money he accepted went into the fund for the refuge.’

  ‘There is no refuge,’ Bernie said tiredly, but he couldn’t find the energy to argue.

  ‘Don’t talk rubbish,’ she snapped, and with that final parting shot she went inside.

  Dolly had sounded a bit sharp and Bernie wondered if he’d forgotten her medication again. He was still woolly-minded, however, and the thought didn’t remain in his head for long as he flopped onto the vacant bench.

  It was four o’clock before Bernie felt fully alert again. He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting, but his bottom felt numb and his back was aching as he stood up to stretch. He knew he was going senile, but it seemed odd that after feeling like a zombie for most of the day, he now felt that his mind was clear. If anything, his pattern of behaviour was more like Dolly’s than his father’s: her pills kept her quiet for long periods until they wore off and she had to have another dose.

  An awful thought crossed Bernie’s mind and, sickened, he flopped down again. He already knew that Dolly hadn’t been taking her pills, but now he suspected that she’d been giving them to him instead.

  ‘Bernie, you’ve been out there long enough,’ Dolly called. ‘Come inside. I’ve made a pot of tea.’

  Tea … yes, he’d started to feel muzzy-headed after drinking a couple of cups that morning. Despite this, Bernie didn’t want to believe that Dolly was giving him her drugs, but there was only one sure way to find out.

  ‘All right, I’m on my way,’ he called in reply, and soon after drinking the brew Bernie’s anxieties disappeared as his mind floated, cushioned, as though resting on a cloud of cotton wool.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Before getting dressed early on Tuesday morning, Emily stared with distaste at her reflection in the mirror. She was thin, bony, her breasts tiny, whereas Tim’s late wife Delia had been curvaceous with long, shapely legs.

  Though Emily had agreed to marry Tim and the wedding was planned for Christmas, she was plagued with doubts. It wasn’t just that she felt Tim would find her body unattractive; it was fear of the intimate side of marriage. She hadn’t been with a man for many, many years and the thought of that side of things made her nerves jangle.

  Emily threw on her clothes, wishing there was someone she could talk to. She felt uncomfortable at the thought of discussing it with a friend and it was at times like this when Emily wished she had a sister. It would have been lovely to be able to share confidences with someone she could truly trust, safe in the knowledge that anything they talked about wouldn’t be repeated or gossiped about.

  When her doorbell rang moments later at almost seven o’clock, Emily knew it would be Tim. They had taken to sharing breakfast before leaving for work. She quickly brushed her hair and then hurried downstairs to let him in.

  ‘Good morning,’ Emily said, forcing a smile.

  ‘Hello, darling,’ he said, kissing her cheek.

  Soon they were sharing a pot of tea and a rack of toast, but as Tim spread marmalade on a slice he said, ‘You’re very quiet this morning.’

  ‘Am I? I didn’t realise.’

  ‘Emily, I know I’m not the most perceptive man, but even I’ve been aware that there’s something on your mind.’

  ‘No, there isn’t. I’m fine.’

  ‘I know you too well to believe that. Please, darling, tell me what the problem is and maybe I can help.’

  Emily just shook her head, but as though struck by a thought, Tim asked worriedly, ‘Is it me? Is that it? Have I done something to upset you?’

  She saw the concern in his eyes, and blurted out, ‘It isn’t you, Tim. I’m the problem.’

  Tim reached out to clutch her hand as he said, ‘Darling, I love you, and though I don’t know what the problem is, there’s nothing you need to hide from me … nothing you can tell me that will change that.’

  Emily so badly wanted to unburden her fears. This was the man she had agreed to marry, one she trusted, and if she could talk to anyone, it should be Tim. At last she said, ‘If we get married, I know I’m going to disappoint you.’

  ‘You couldn’t possibly do that, but what do you mean by if we get married? Surely you’re not telling me that you want to call it off?’

  ‘I … I … just don’t feel that I can compete with Delia. She was beautiful, and she had a lovely figure, but me … well … I’m tiny, thin, and I haven’t got any of her … her attributes.’

  ‘Emily, I don’t care that you’re thin – in fact I prefer slim women.’

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Yes, and if you must know Delia was very slender when I married her.’

  Now that she had started, Emily found that she wanted to carry on, to bring all her fears into the open. ‘Tim, there’s something else. You … you see I’ve only been intimate with one man, and that just once with Pearl’s father. I … I’ve so little experience and … well, the thought of that side of marriage makes me very nervous.’

  ‘You’re not the only one. I’m nervous too.’

  ‘You! But why?’

  Tim was quiet for a moment, but then he said, ‘This is a bit difficult for me to talk about, especially as Delia is no longer with us, but you see she wasn’t exactly a warm woman, well, not in that way. She was very warm and welcoming to our friends, and of course you knew that, but I’m afraid in our bedroom it was a very different story.’

  ‘But you seemed so happy.’

  ‘I suppose in all other ways we were. I had come to accept it, you see, though I often used to wonder if it was me; that I failed to, well, please her.’

  Emily found herself lost for words, but she at last managed to say, ‘Oh, I’m sure that isn’t true.’

  ‘Isn’t it? I don’t know, Emily, and now you know why I too am nervous.’

  Emily squeezed Tim’s hand. He was nervous too, and somehow that wiped away her fears. For the first time her smile was genuine as she said, ‘We’re as bad as each other, but don’t worry, with a bit of practice I’m sure we’ll be fine.’

  ‘Practice sounds perfect to me.’

  Emily smiled. Now that her fears had all but dissipated, she was looking forward to becoming Tim’s wife, and to the many happy years they’d hopefully share together.

  Bernie was usually an early riser, but his mood was so low that he’d remained in bed until at last, with his mind set on what he was going to do, he finally got up. Despair swamped him, his movements slow, but he washed, shaved and then put on his best suit. It was nearly time now.

  At first Bernie had tried to find excuses for Dolly’s behaviour, one being the fact that she hadn’t been taking her medication which made her unstable. Yet she must have planned to stop taking her pills, and he was sure it coincided with Kevin’s release from prison.

  Bernie had worked it out that the pair of them were up to something, his wife and son devious liars, and until now he’d been the idiot they’d taken in. He’d let Dolly fool him into thinking she was taking her pills, and though he’d been suspicious at first, he’d finally fallen for Kevin’s so-called religious conversion.

  On top of that, when Dolly’s drugs had affected his thinking, she had convinced him that he was going senile. Her cruelty and her lies sickened him, Kevin’s too.

  Bernie had been over and over it in his mind, and realised that with Kevin involved, whatever they were up to had to do with money. He of course stood in their way, and with Dolly already sedating him, Bernie guessed there was worse to come.

  The thought of being drugged and helpless in their hands was more than Bernie could bear. They could even be planning to get rid of him, to kill him! Though it might sound extreme to anyone else, Bernie knew they were both capable of such an act.

&n
bsp; What they didn’t know was that the bulk of his money was hidden away in a secret account and when he died, they’d never be able to get their hands on it. That was the only thought that gave Bernie any comfort, and rather than wait for them to kill him, he’d decided to save them the job.

  He just couldn’t stand it any more, couldn’t live like this … It was time to put an end to it all.

  ‘I’ve never known you to lie in bed for so long,’ Dolly complained when he went downstairs. ‘I’ve just made a fresh pot of tea and I was about to call you.’

  ‘I don’t want it,’ Bernie said. ‘I’m going out.’

  ‘Wait! Where are you going?’

  He ignored Dolly’s shout as he hurried down the path. All his affairs were in order, and as he hadn’t yet changed his will in favour of Kevin, John still stood to inherit his house. Yes, his house – it was in his name only, and there wasn’t a thing Dolly could do about it.

  Bernie knew he would miss his grandson, but he hardly saw the lad now and at least by doing this, John would shortly have his inheritance. It gave him great comfort to know that John’s future would be financially secure, and though the lad might miss him for a while, he would still have the most important people in his life; his mother, Derek and Emily.

  With everything clear in his mind now, Bernie got into his car. He was ready … ready for the final act. He had the means, after all – he was driving it – and he’d enjoy this last journey in a vehicle he was fond of. It would take him out of Hampshire and into Sussex. When he got to the top of the cliff Bernie intended to make sure that there was nobody around to see, or stop him.

  It was strange really, Bernie thought. Now that he’d made the decision, he felt strangely calm. His only regret was that he wouldn’t be around to see Dolly’s face when she found out she was going to be penniless.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Both bewildered and annoyed, Dolly stared at the untouched pot of tea. If Bernie had drunk at least one cup he wouldn’t have been in any fit state to drive off without telling her where he was going. He’d said he had things to sort out, but what did that mean? Was he going to see Kevin again, was that it?

  She hurried to the telephone, but again she was unable to get through. She tried the operator, her voice reflecting her impatience. Only a short while later, Dolly huffily replaced the receiver. The line would be checked, but there had been no indication of how long it would take.

  It was only when she sat and thought about it that Dolly came to the conclusion that Bernie wouldn’t have gone to Ealing. He’d made his feelings about Kevin clear, had said that he never wanted to see him again – but how dare he speak for her? There was no way she’d allow Bernie to turn Kevin away from their door, and to that end she would make sure that soon he’d be incapable of protesting against anything.

  With no idea where Bernie was, or how long he’d be out, Dolly had to get rid of the tea, but she had already decided to make sure that this didn’t happen again. When Bernie came back she’d add two pills to the next pot and then the soppy old sod would be completely under her control.

  It was time to get things moving, to get poor Kevin away from that awful Rupert. No matter what it took, Dolly wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way.

  In Battersea, Lucy had taken Clive to school and then she was going straight to Bullen Street to view the flat. Pearl had convinced Nora to stay with her and as soon as she asked her if she’d like to dust the shop, a smile appeared on Nora’s face as she set to work.

  Like Lucy, Nora’s love of housework always amazed Pearl, and at first she had felt guilty at seeing her take on so much. They were tasks that Pearl felt she should be doing, but when she had tried to help it had upset Nora. She had retreated to her room and it had taken hours to persuade her to come out, with only the promise of letting her do the housework finally doing the trick.

  ‘Lucy back soon?’ Nora asked.

  ‘Yes, I should think so.’

  ‘I don’t want her to go.’

  ‘I know, sweetheart, but she won’t be far away and you’ll see her nearly every day,’ Pearl consoled.

  ‘Clive too?’

  Pearl smiled. ‘Yes, of course.’

  Nora seemed placated and shortly after that Lucy returned, entering the shop flushed with happiness. ‘Pearl, the flat is lovely. I was hoping for the ground floor, but that only had one bedroom so I’m upstairs. It’s smashing though, with a brand new modern kitchen and a newly fitted bathroom. You’d never believe it was once an old scruffy terraced house. Everything is brand spanking new: the paintwork, the wallpaper, and even the doors and windows.’

  ‘It sounds lovely. When can you move in?’ Pearl asked.

  ‘Now if I want to,’ Lucy replied, flourishing the keys, ‘but of course I’ll have to get my furniture out of storage first.’

  ‘Then you’d better give them a ring to sort it out.’

  ‘Thanks, Pearl,’ she said, hurrying towards the telephone.

  Pearl found it lovely to see Lucy so happy. After all she had been through she deserved it, and now Pearl started thinking about what she would buy her as a house-warming gift.

  ‘Talk about luck,’ Lucy said as she replaced the receiver. ‘They can deliver it tomorrow.’

  ‘That’s good. And as you’ll need a couple of days to sort yourself out, the last thing you need to worry about is Nora. She seems happy enough in the shop and I’m sure I can find enough to keep her occupied.’

  ‘Pearl, are you sure?’

  ‘Bessie managed without any help, and I’m sure that I can too.’

  The smile disappeared from Lucy’s face. ‘I … I know that Nora is settled now, and I suppose you don’t really need me.’

  ‘Of course I do,’ Pearl said hastily. ‘I just wanted to put your mind at rest by saying that I could manage.’

  Lucy looked relieved. ‘Thanks, Pearl, that was thoughtful of you, but for a moment there I thought … well … that I was out of a job.’

  ‘There’s no chance of that,’ Pearl said and meant it. She had grown very fond of Lucy, and as she did a lot – the laundry, the cooking – she really didn’t think she could manage without her.

  It was after midday when Kevin returned to Ealing. He found Rupert sitting in the drawing room, legs crossed and a glass of whisky in his hand. ‘Do you want one?’ Rupert offered.

  ‘No, thanks,’ Kevin said, going into his act. ‘Sorry, Rupert, I tried, but it was forty grand or nothing. I still think it’s a bargain so if you want to go ahead he’s already had a bill of sale drawn up by his solicitor.’

  Rupert frowned, ‘Goodness, he really is in a hurry.’

  ‘Yes, he is, but if we delay we run the risk of someone else coming along with a better offer. I got a tip from one of the bar staff that another man has been taking a lot of interest in the club, taking note of how many customers turn up, and clocking what goes into the till. He must have worked out, as we did, that the place is a goldmine.’

  ‘I don’t mind moving quickly, but I’d prefer my own solicitor to look at the books and such, let alone this bill of sale.’

  ‘Fine,’ Kevin bluffed, ‘do that, and as I hoped you’d agree to the conditions I’ve got it with me. I suppose I can get hold of the books too, but if your solicitor can’t look at the lot today, and this other bloke makes a better offer, I think we can kiss goodbye to the club.’

  ‘Oh dear, I don’t want that to happen, but I don’t know what else to suggest.’

  Kevin kept his cool and spoke persuasively. ‘Look, I’ve seen his yearly accounts and the profit margins look impressive. Not only that, as a solicitor has drawn up the paperwork, it’s bound to be kosher. After all, these legal bods aren’t going to chance anything coming back on them. Now if it were me, I’d go ahead and seal the deal rather than risk losing the club, but if you want to act like a cautious old man, it’s up to you.’

  Kevin knew his barb had hit the mark when Rupert bristled, ‘I’m not that old.�
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  ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, but you don’t seem to realise how much the club means to me. I can run it for you, and increase the profits, I’m sure. I could then go on living here with you, knowing that I’m paying my own way, whereas if the sale falls through …’ Kevin choked, the sentence deliberately left unfinished.

  ‘Oh, please, don’t get upset,’ Rupert cried. ‘Nothing is going to fall through. Give me that paperwork. I’ll sign it now and you can take it back to him.’

  Rupert had reacted just as Kevin had hoped, but still with a subdued voice he asked, ‘What about the money?’

  ‘I’ll write him a cheque, made out to cash, and you can take that along too.’

  Rupert scrutinised the document, reading every line. To make it look legitimate, an old contact had told Kevin about a less than honest solicitor’s clerk who would draw it up for the right price. It had cost Kevin more than he’d expected, and now he just hoped it was good enough to fool Rupert.

  ‘It all looks fine to me,’ Rupert said at last, signing the document with a flourish.

  ‘Brilliant,’ Kevin enthused.

  ‘It still rankles that I can’t be there with you to complete the deal, but as the idiot is so totally homophobic I suppose at this stage it’s better not to rock the boat. However, once everything is finalised and he can’t back out, we’re going to my club in style.’

  ‘What are you going to do? Hire a Rolls-Royce?’

  ‘Yes, good idea,’ Rupert said. ‘I’m also going to reward you for everything you’ve done for me.’

  ‘Reward me? How?’

  With a small smile, Rupert said, ‘It’s going to be a surprise, dear boy.’

  There was something in his eyes that worried Kevin, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. No, he decided, he was imagining things, and shaking his head, said, ‘You’ve done enough for me already, and now I just want to prove that I’ve got what it takes to make the club a success.’