by Kitty Neale
‘Hello, gorgeous,’ Eddie said softly. ‘Can I take you out tonight?
She was aware of the heat rising to her face, of the twinkle in his eyes, his amazing smile, but somehow managed to harden her heart. ‘No, you can’t, now please leave me alone.’
‘Lucy, what’s wrong?’ he asked looking mortified.
‘I don’t know how you’ve got the nerve to ask me that. You came round to my flat on Wednesday, uninvited, offering so-called help, when … when all the time you just wanted to get me in … into bed.’
‘No, Lucy, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t expect it to happen, really I didn’t.’
‘I don’t believe you and in future, just stay away from me,’ she snapped, marching off and heading for Pearl’s shop.
‘Good morning,’ Pearl greeted. ‘It’s nice to have you back, and how’s the flat?’
Lucy felt so ashamed of herself and fought to hide her feelings. ‘It … It’s lovely.’
Nora ambled over to hug her, then said, ‘Johnny gone, Lucy.’
‘Gone! What does she mean, Pearl?’
‘It’s a long story, but Bernie died in a car accident and John has gone to stay with his gran for a couple of days.’
‘Oh, that’s awful,’ Lucy said. ‘Poor John, he must be dreadfully upset.’
‘Yes, I’m afraid he is,’ Pearl said.
They spoke a little more about it, but then Lucy took Nora upstairs and as she happily began to dust, Lucy set up the ironing board. Though born in Battersea, her parents’ house hadn’t been near the High Street and as a child she had never heard of the Dolbys. Lucy thought back. When had she first heard the name? Yes, she’d been around fourteen when the local papers had been full of Kevin Dolby and the robbery. There’d been a lot of talk about it, but not much of it had registered with her. At that age all she’d been interested in was fashion, music, and of course, boys.
So much time had passed since then, with so many unhappy memories of her own. Her mind shied away from them, and instead Lucy found her thoughts dwelling on Eddie again.
Pearl was finding it hard to concentrate as she put out stock. She couldn’t stop thinking about John and the fact that he was alone with Dolly. If Kevin really had left the country, would it send Dolly over the edge again? Unable to stop worrying, she went to the telephone.
It was John who answered, and she could tell immediately by his voice that something was wrong. ‘John, are you all right?’
‘I was just going to ring you. I … I’ve just found out that Granddad didn’t die in a car accident. He … he killed himself.’
‘No!’ Pearl exclaimed. ‘I can’t believe it. Are you sure?’
‘Yes, the police were here earlier to ask Gran some questions and I overheard them talking about it.’
‘Oh, John, no wonder you sound so upset.’
‘I felt so guilty, thought it was my fault, but I hadn’t overheard everything and Kevin told me that Granddad was very depressed because he was going funny, senile, or something like that.’
‘Kevin’s there?’ Pearl asked sharply.
‘He turned up last night, but I was already in bed so I didn’t see him, or Adrianna, until this morning.’
‘Adrianna? Who on earth is Adrianna?’
‘She’s Kevin’s friend.’
‘John, I want you to come home,’ she said quickly. ‘Derek will have to sort out someone to cover his stall, but then I’ll send him down to fetch you.’
‘Kevin’s taken Gran to the bank, but I’ve already told her that I’ll be leaving,’ he said, but then his voice cracked. ‘I … I can’t stop thinking about Granddad.’
Pearl desperately wanted to hold him in her arms, to comfort him, and said, ‘Derek should be there in two, or maybe three hours, and when you come home we’ll talk it through.’
‘All … all right,’ John croaked. ‘I … I’ll see you soon, Mum.’
Pearl said goodbye, close to tears too. Poor Bernie. She hadn’t seen any signs that that he was going senile, or that he was depressed, and it was incomprehensible to her that he’d taken his own life. What had driven him to do such a thing?
It was only a short drive to the village and Kevin had gone to buy a newspaper. Alone in the bank Dolly was livid, red-faced with anger as she faced the manager.
‘I don’t care what you say, you stupid man! The account may not be a joint one, but my husband is dead and as his wife I’m his next of kin.’
‘That may be true, Mrs Dolby, but as I’ve already told you, we will need to see his death certificate, and that probate has been granted.’
‘Are you calling me a liar?’
‘No, Mrs Dolby,’ the man said, a picture of resigned patience. ‘I am very sorry to hear that your husband has passed away and you have my deepest sympathy, but unfortunately we are unable to assist you without the aforementioned documents.’
‘I’ll get them, but in the meantime I want to draw money from the account.’
‘I’m afraid that isn’t possible.’
Dolly glared at the small, weedy-looking man, her anger reaching boiling point. To get Adrianna out of her house she needed money urgently and had no idea how long it would take to get the documents. She reared to her feet and leaning over his desk she yelled, ‘It’s my money, you pretentious pig!’
‘Please, Mrs Dolby, calm yourself,’ he said, taking out a handkerchief and distastefully wiping her spittle from his face.
Rage gripped Dolly’s mind. In fury she began to hit out, sending everything flying off the desk with one sweep of her arm, and then she went for the man.
When Kevin walked into the bank he couldn’t see his mother, but he could hear her yelling and screaming. He hurried towards the sound, and in an office saw two men trying to pull her off another. He dashed forward, trying to help her. ‘Let go of my mother!’
‘Can’t you see what she’s doing?’ one yelled. ‘She’s a bloody mad woman!’
‘I said get off her,’ Kevin shouted, fighting to remove their hands, but then he caught a glimpse of his mother’s face, the foaming mouth, and the man who was cowering away from her.
‘The police are on their way,’ a young woman called from the doorway.
‘Mum! Mum, that’s enough!’ he shouted, he too now joining in the attempts to pull her away from the man. ‘Stop it!’
She didn’t seem to hear him, but at least with three of them holding her, the man she’d been attacking managed to scramble away. Kevin caught a glimpse of his bloodied face, but it took all their combined strength to stop his mother from going after him again.
At last, abruptly, she stopped fighting and when they finally let her go, she slumped onto the floor, rocking back and forth, wailing, ‘He wouldn’t give me my money.’
‘What’s she talking about?’
Kevin was told, and he too felt a surge of anger that his mother hadn’t been able to draw out any money. Kevin looked at her, still rocking, and didn’t know what to do. Moments later the decision was taken out of his hands as the police arrived. They spoke to the staff, came to look at his mother who seemed unaware of anything going on around her, and then asked him, ‘Do you think she’ll fight us if we try to get her into our car?’
‘I don’t know,’ Kevin told them, and it was true. He had no idea.
‘I think we’ll get a doctor to take a look at her. The manager’s all right, it’s mostly scratches, but the doc can take a look at him too.’
A call was made, and during the next half hour while they waited for a doctor to turn up his mother remained unresponsive, as though in a world of her own. When he arrived, Kevin did his best to answer the man’s questions, telling him that she had once been in psychiatric care but that he couldn’t tell him what medication she took.
‘I’ll need to consult with my partner, your mother’s doctor, but in my opinion she needs to be sectioned. I’ll ring him as soon as I’ve taken a look at the manager.’
After cleaning what were superficial sc
ratches, the doctor asked to use the telephone, and while making calls, the police interviewed the manager. They returned to tell Kevin that due to Dolly’s mental condition, he wasn’t going to press charges.
‘Can I take her home, then?’
‘No, Mr Dolby,’ the doctor said. ‘Your mother has a history of mental illness and as she’s become unstable, I’ve made arrangements for her to be admitted for psychiatric care and assessment.’
‘How long is that going to take?’
‘At this stage, it’s impossible to say.’
Kevin was left alone with his thoughts until the ambulance arrived. His mother offered no resistance when led away, and told he couldn’t accompany her, the doctor wrote down the name and telephone number of the psychiatric unit.
As the vehicle drove away, Kevin felt nothing for his mother, no love, no pity, just annoyance that she hadn’t been able to get her hands on any money. She could be in the loony bin for ages, and that left him skint.
There was the house of course, and as it had been left to him he would sell it. It would take a bit of time, but first he had to find his father’s will to prove his inheritance. In the meantime he was broke, and though he hated the thought of doing it, Kevin knew the only solution was to sell his car.
Chapter Thirty-Five
‘Where’s Gran?’ John asked when Kevin came back without her.
‘She had a funny turn and they had to take her away.’
‘What do you mean? Who took her away?’
‘It would have been the police, but luckily for her the bank manager didn’t press charges.’
‘The police!’ exclaimed John. ‘What did she do?’
‘She lost it, went for the bank manager and got her claws into his face.’
‘But why?’
‘I don’t know, something to do with money,’ Kevin said impatiently.
John couldn’t make sense of the answer, but he continued to ask questions, concerned about his gran. ‘Where did they take her?’
‘To a funny farm.’
John frowned. ‘What’s a funny farm?’
‘All right then, a psychiatric hospital.’
‘When will they let her come home?’
‘I don’t know, John. It may not be for some time.’
‘Can’t you find out?’ he begged.
‘Yes, I suppose so, but not now. I’ve got more important things on my mind,’ Kevin said as he began to pull out drawers, throwing the contents aside as he rifled through them.
‘What are you looking for?’ Adrianna asked.
‘My father’s will.’
John watched as another drawer was emptied, wondering why finding a will was so important. Deeply upset he walked out of the room and into the garden. The sun was blazing down from a clear blue sky, yet it failed to cheer him. His neck drooped, and the limp blooms of roses on bent stems seemed to echo his feelings. John knew that a simple dousing of water would perk them up, but it couldn’t do the same for him.
For a moment John sat on a bench, but he knew how much the garden had meant to his grandfather and went to find the hosepipe. He watered the plants, finding it soothing as he recalled the many happy times he’d spent in the garden with his grandfather. He’d learned so much from him and the memories brought unshed tears to his eyes.
At that moment John saw a blue tit landing on the bird feeder, but it only settled for a while before flying away. Tears flowed in earnest then and he found himself praying that wherever his grandfather was now, he was like the bird, able to fly, to soar, free of the unhappiness that drove him to his death.
Adrianna wasn’t sorry that Dolly had been taken away and hoped she and Kevin would be gone by the time she was let out. ‘Kevin, when can we get out of here?’
‘As soon as I’ve sold this house.’
‘Leave it out!’ Adrianna protested. ‘You said you’d find somewhere remote to lay low. You didn’t say anything about staying here until you sell the house.’
‘Yeah, well, I’ve changed my mind. With woods behind this place and a small lane out front, it’s well secluded and safe enough.’
‘I don’t want to be here when your mother comes home.’
‘I think it’ll be ages before they let her out, and this place is sure to be sold by then.’
‘You said her funny turn had to do with money. What did you mean?’ Adrianna asked.
‘Without proof of my father’s death she wasn’t allowed to draw money from his account. It may mean there’s no cash available until I sell this place, but not to worry, I’ll flog my car. I can buy another one once this place is sold.’
Adrianna was getting sick of Kevin and his promises. So far none of the big money he’d talked about had materialised and now he was down to selling his motor.
‘Sod it, I can’t find the will,’ he complained. ‘Maybe it’s in his bedroom.’
Adrianna didn’t comment and when Kevin went upstairs she was left with her thoughts. She had wanted to get away from Vince, and though Kevin had served his purpose, maybe it was time to move on. She’d have to wait until he’d sold his car, but then she’d somehow get her hands on the money. It would be more than enough to get her out of the country, and there’d be a nice amount left over to live on for a while.
‘I still can’t find it,’ Kevin complained when he marched back into the room.
‘Maybe he left it with a solicitor or something,’ Adrianna suggested.
‘Yeah, you could be right. In this dead and alive hole there’s probably only one, maybe two. I’ll take a drive around later to see if I spot them.’
‘When are you going to sell your car?’
‘I’ll see if there’s anywhere in the village while I’m out.’
‘You’d better make it quick. I had a look in the cupboards and there isn’t much in the way of food.’
‘All right, I’ll do my best. Where’s John?’
‘He’s in the garden.’
‘I’ll go and have a word with him,’ Kevin said. ‘Then once he’s been picked up I’ll drive to the village.’
‘Do what you like,’ Adrianna snapped, wanting nothing more than to get away from this dump. ‘It’s like a bloody oven in here and I’m going to have a cool bath.’
Kevin saw that John was turning off the hosepipe, his expression hopeful when their eyes met. ‘Did you ring the hospital?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ he lied, ‘but they couldn’t tell me much. They’re still assessing your gran.’
‘Will I be able to go to see her?’
‘John, I know it’s difficult for you to understand, but your gran is unstable, both mentally and emotionally. She’ll receive treatment, but it could be some before she’s stable enough for visitors.’
‘Will you be staying here?’
‘I can’t leave until I can arrange your grandfather’s funeral. Even then, I can’t go until I know your gran’s going to be all right,’ Kevin told him, yet in truth he couldn’t give a shit about her and he was only going to stay until he could sell the house.
‘Will … will you let me know about … about the funeral?’
‘Of course I will.’
‘And … and Gran?’ John asked.
‘As soon as there’s any news, I’ll be in touch.’
John began to roll up the hose. ‘My dad should be here to pick me up soon.’
Kevin’s lips tightened. John referred to Derek as his father when the title should be his. It annoyed him, but he kept his feelings to himself. He’d do the same when Derek turned up, keep up the front, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
They had only just gone inside when there was a knock on the door and John hurried to open it and said, ‘Come in, Dad.’
‘No, I’ll wait here,’ Derek said tersely. ‘Just get your stuff and we can go.’
‘My … my gran has been taken away.’
‘Taken away! What do you mean?’
‘She had a funny turn and they took her to hospital.’
>
Kevin got into character as he walked to the door, his expression one of sadness. ‘Hello, Derek, I heard John telling you about my mother.’
Derek’s expression hardened. ‘She was all right when I dropped John off yesterday. When did this happen?’
‘Earlier this morning. I wasn’t there at the time, but she was in the bank and the manager upset her. I’m praying for her and hope she’ll be home again soon.’
Derek’s eyebrows rose sceptically, but he looked at John and said, ‘I’m sorry about your gran, son, and your granddad, but get your things now.’
John nodded and as soon as he was out of sight, Derek leaned forward menacingly, his voice a soft growl. ‘I could wring your bloody neck for that stunt you pulled. Pearl was frantic when John didn’t come home from school.’
‘I know,’ Kevin said meekly. ‘John told me and I’m so sorry. I was leaving the country and acted on impulse, but I’ve prayed for forgiveness and it won’t happen again.’
‘It better not,’ snarled Derek. ‘And you can forget all this talk about prayers. You’re not fooling me, Kevin. You’re no more religious than I am, and I know you were sniffing around a while ago for information on Vince Chase.’
Kevin managed to keep his composure. This might be his opportunity to find out if Vince had died in the fire. Keeping his voice soft, he said, ‘I was looking for Mr Chase as I’d found out he has a large, derelict house that would be ideal to turn into a refuge for the homeless. I was hoping to persuade him to donate it to us.’
Derek’s eyes narrowed. ‘Who do you think you’re kidding? Especially as since you came back on the scene his house has been torched.’
‘But that hasn’t got anything to do with me,’ Kevin protested. ‘Why would I want to harm the man? I hardly knew him and hope he got out alive.’
‘He may have, but nobody seems to know yet. There wasn’t any news about it until the local paper came out this morning, and they say the fire service are still searching for bodies.’
John appeared with a bag in his hand. ‘I’m ready to go now,’ he said. ‘Adrianna’s in the bathroom, but I called goodbye to her.’