“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it! I’ll never mention it to anyone – I swear!”
Ivy smiled, pleased at Mrs Brampton’s obvious joy, and confident that she’d keep her word. Ivy needed to ensure that the paparazzi never learned about the transaction. If they ever started digging, they might find out about Danny’s regular visits, and a whole can of worms might open up.
Ivy shook hands with Mrs Brampton, who was still shell-shocked and star-struck. It wasn’t every day that a famous actress arrived on your doorstep and gave you a free house!
“My solicitor will be in touch with you soon,” Ivy told her, “and you’ll be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.”
Mrs Brampton nodded, looking as though she was about to cry. She grasped Ivy’s hand, and the tears then began to spill down her cheeks. “Oh, I can’t believe it – I must be dreaming! Poor Mr Heartley – I’m thrilled at his kindness to Sean and me, but it seems wrong to be profiting from his misfortune –”
Ivy patted Mrs Brampton’s arm. “I hope you and your son will be very happy here.”
“Oh we will be! God bless poor Mr Heartley – we’ll never forget him. I still can’t believe he’s gone –”
Ivy pressed a finger to her lips, and Mrs Brampton immediately understood.
“I promise I won’t say a word to anyone, and thank you both so much –”
Mrs Brampton followed her out to the gate.
“And any time you’re passing, be sure to drop in for another cup of tea –”
Ivy was still smiling as she drove away. It felt good to make someone else happy. At least something good had come out of Danny’s death.
Chapter 63
“I don’t understand why Rosa didn’t come home for her mother’s funeral,” Ivy’s mother said plaintively as she filled the dishwasher in the kitchen. “It was bad enough that she missed saying goodbye to her mother, but to miss the funeral as well! Your father emailed her again, and we put notices in all the national newspapers, so I don’t see how she could have missed it –” Eleanor looked sadly at her daughter. “Everyone in the village is talking about it. I mean, even if they’d fallen out over something, it would hardly be a reason not to turn up …”
“Rosa is probably abroad somewhere, and didn’t read her emails or see the death notice,” Ivy said.
“She should have been here, looking after her poor mother!” Eleanor said vehemently. “And I’ll tell her that when I see her! I hope that if I’m ever dying of a terminal illness, you won’t treat me like Rosa treated poor Hannah.”
Her mother grabbed a cloth and began wiping down the kitchen worktops furiously.
“Poor girl – how awful to come home and discover that your mother had died and was buried while you were off globetrotting!”
Ivy smiled. “Only a minute ago, you were threatening to give Rosa a piece of your mind!”
“Well, I feel sorry for her at this stage. You have to admit, Ivy, it’s all very mysterious. Why hasn’t anyone been able to find her?”
Ivy shrugged her shoulders. She was grateful that Hannah had died without knowing what had happened to Rosa, and she was equally relieved that Hannah had been fooled by her own lastminute charade.
“Well, it was a lovely funeral,” Ivy said firmly, trying the lift the sombre mood. “We gave Hannah a good send-off, and your roses were beautiful, Mum.”
Eleanor was mopping the worktops, which were gleaming by now. “Well yes, I know Hannah would have liked them,” she said gruffly, turning away, and Ivy knew she was devastated by the loss of her old friend and neighbour. “Hannah always admired my roses – I told her the secret was good compost, and I even offered her some for her own roses, so that she could dig it in around the roots, but –”
Suddenly, Eleanor was gulping great big sobs, and Ivy rushed to comfort her mother. Soon, they were both weeping.
Ivy’s father padded into the kitchen in his slippers, silently filled the kettle and turned it on. He was equally mystified that Hannah’s daughter couldn’t be found, and he knew that this, more than anything else, was upsetting his wife. She was dreading having to face Rosa when she finally came looking for her mother and found nothing but a grave and a burgled house.
“You must be devastated about Danny too, Ivy,” Eleanor whispered as she clung to her daughter. “I mean, so much has gone wrong lately, hasn’t it? You’ve lost your husband, and Joseph is without a father. Fred and Julia are gone too, and neither Joe nor Rosa have ever come home …”
Suddenly, Eleanor looked up.
“Isn’t it strange that in one small village, two of our young people could completely disappear?”
Chapter 64
“Are we ready? Episode 113, scene thirty, take one. Action!”
Ivy began walking down the road where her final scene in Bright Lights was taking place. Isabella was drunk and deeply distressed after discovering her husband’s infidelity with her closest friend. Despite her own regular indiscretions, Isabella was appalled that he would stray so close to home, and for this reason, Ivy was now weaving from side to side as she stumbled along, oblivious to the car that was approaching and the accident that was designed to happen. The make-up department had streaked Ivy’s face with tears, and indeed she felt very emotional herself. Having achieved her dream of starring in the country’s top soap opera, she was now giving it all up.
Her agent, the show’s producers and even her friends among the cast had all urged her not to make such a hasty decision. After all, they reasoned, it was only a few months since her husband had drowned. She was bound to feel traumatised, but that was no reason to give up a starring role and a job that paid her handsomely. They could write her out for several weeks, even months, if she needed time to mourn. But Ivy was adamant – her time in Bright Lights was over.
Somehow, the press had got wind of the story, and everywhere she went, reporters were lying in wait with questions about her proposed departure from Bright Lights. Was it true? If so, was she leaving to take up another role elsewhere? Still under contract, Ivy wasn’t allowed to make press statements herself, so she simply referred the journalists to the Bright Lights publicity office – where she knew they’d learn absolutely nothing.
Several endings had already been filmed – in one, Isabella was seen falling from a horse, in another she was left hanging over a cliff. Luckily, Ivy hadn’t needed to film either scene – a stuntwoman had been used in her place! The varied endings meant that even people working on the programme wouldn’t know which scene would ultimately be screened.
Ivy’s agent was adamant that Isabella shouldn’t die. She’d insisted – and the producers had agreed – that off-screen Isabella would recover from her accident, but decide to leave the bright lights of the city and return to the countryside. That way, Ivy had options, and Isabella could return if Ivy or the producers wanted her back.
The scene now being filmed was the one being given most consideration by the series producers. By having Isabella hit by a car, they could keep her in a coma for weeks, and the audience on tenterhooks. Would she live or would she die? Would her errant husband be the one to turn off her life support?
The first camera unit was now focusing on Ivy as she stumbled along the road, and the second unit was taking close-ups of Isabella’s tear-stained face as she made her way along.
On cue, Ivy turned her tear-stained face towards the nearest camera unit, giving them a final shot of her agony and confusion.
“Cut! That was really good, Ivy!” shouted the director. “Let’s wrap for today, folks! Well done everyone! And all the best to you, Ivy, in your new venture.”
Ivy smiled, pleased and relieved that all had gone well. The sounds of the car crash would be added at the post-production stage, and a series of already-taken close-ups of Ivy’s distraught and bloodstained face would be used as a montage to complete the sequence ultimately selected.
There was a burst of loud applause for Ivy from the cast and crew.
“You were great, Ivy – we’re all going to miss you,” said Anton, slipping an arm around her. He hadn’t been in the last scene, but like many other cast members, he’d come along to offer his support. Sarah, Emily and Dominic were also there, and there would be a special private party for Ivy later that evening in Soho. All the cast and crew would be present to say goodbye and wish her well for the future.
It was at moments like these, when surrounded by people she liked and respected, that Ivy wondered briefly if she was doing the right thing. But at heart, she knew it was time for a major change in her life. It was time to give something back.
“A penny for them,” Anton said. “Thinking of your future?”
Ivy shook her head. She couldn’t possibly tell dear Anton about her thoughts – he’d be shocked, as would everyone else in the cast, if they knew the secrets she’d been keeping for most of her life!
But now, she had one more job to do – one that couldn’t be put off any longer. After the party tonight, she’d get a good night’s sleep in the Soho hotel where she’d booked a room. And tomorrow, she’d go back to Willow Haven where it all started. And this time, the story would finally have an ending.
Chapter 65
It was a mild afternoon as Ivy drove to Willow Haven. The party the night before had been a wild, alcohol-fuelled event at a private London club, and she now had a substantial hangover. But she’d received a wonderful send-off from all her colleagues in Bright Lights, and she felt both weepy and nostalgic. Now, she was on her way, ostensibly to say goodbye to her parents before heading to South Africa. But only she knew she’d be staying in Willow Haven a little longer than expected.
I’m still deceiving people, Ivy thought sadly, but this will be the last time. After this is over, I’ll finally be free of all the lies.
When she arrived in the village, her parents were waiting, overjoyed to see her but their pleasure was slightly tinged with sorrow. South Africa seemed so far away.
“Are you sure you’re not being too hasty?” her mother asked. “I mean, throwing your career away just because Danny’s gone … shouldn’t you give it more time before making such big decisions? And what about Joseph – he’s going to miss you terribly …”
Ivy’s father cleared his throat. “Eleanor, please, it’s Ivy’s decision. Joseph will be fine – he’ll be starting in Betterbuys when he’s finished his degree, and he’s clearly got Danny’s flair for business …”
“Well, we’re going to miss you!” Eleanor stated, refusing to be mollified, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Look, you’re coming out to Owen’s wedding, so it won’t be very long before I see you again!” Ivy told them, tears in her own eyes. She couldn’t have asked for better or more loving parents. They’d stood by her when she’d got pregnant as a teenager, baby-sat while she continued her schooling, and encouraged her to achieve her dreams.
“Did you pass Hannah’s house?” asked her mother, wiping her eyes. “It’s so sad to see it empty. The police still haven’t found out who broke in.” Eleanor sighed. “What do you make of it all, Ivy? Why on earth would a thief take Hannah’s personal letters? We’ve looked up the phone directory and can’t find any Rosa Dalton listed in Hampstead. I don’t suppose you ever managed to contact any of her tenants?”
Ivy shook her head guiltily. “Sorry Mum, I meant to –”
“Oh well, I don’t suppose it matters much now. I mean, nobody wants to interfere, but naturally, people are asking questions …”
Ivy’s heart was beating uncomfortably. “I’m sure Rosa will turn up one day soon.”
“And I’ll give her a piece of my mind when she does!” Eleanor said angrily, stomping out of the room.
In his wife’s absence, her father leaned forward conspiratorially. “By the way, Ivy – if you intend going for any of those power walks while you’re here, tell you mother you’d prefer to be on your own – I’m sick of her attempts to get me fit!”
Smiling, Ivy nodded. That suited her plans perfectly, because what remained to be done needed to be done alone.
That night, Ivy sat at the dressing table in her old childhood bedroom, the room where nightmares had been her constant companion for so long. But tonight, she felt at peace, because tomorrow she would finally put an end to the mystery of Joe and Rosa’s disappearances.
As she combed her hair, her thoughts reverted once again to Danny. Despite what he’d done, she wished he hadn’t felt the need to end it all rather than work out a solution. Of course, there was no solution to murder. It was ironic that they’d both brought toxic secrets to their marriage, but despite all the deception, it had, in essence been a good relationship, and they had genuinely cared for each other.
Ivy abandoned her hairbrush and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Every moment of that last evening with Danny was still imprinted in her brain. Over and over it ran through her mind, like a demented newsreel, invading her dreams and demanding her attention during waking hours. It was as though she was meant to find some deeper meaning in it, but as yet she had no idea what.
Now she sat pondering on the last puzzling words Danny had spoken to her. As he’d stood at the drawing room door before he left, he’d said: “Just remember – this time the situation will be reversed.” At the time she’d been too overwrought to consider what he’d meant. Now, she wondered if he’d been referring to something in their lives that he’d expected her to understand. Was she just being fanciful, or had it carried some kind of message meant for her alone? What was going to be “reversed”?
Suddenly Ivy gasped, feeling as though an electric shock had seared through her as the meaning of his words finally registered. People thought Joe and Rosa had been alive, whereas all the time they’d been dead – now people would think Danny was dead, but in reality, he’d still be … alive?
Ivy felt a bizarre and dizzying sense of relief. Danny had faked his own death! He’d taken the boat out into the Channel, knowing the tides would carry it out to sea. No doubt he’d made his escape in an inflatable dinghy and at that very moment he was probably in some far-off country, where Danny Heartley would disappear, later to emerge with a new identity. She knew that her husband had millions salted away in overseas accounts, where only numbers would be needed to gain access to his considerable funds. The night he’d left, she’d been too stressed to notice what he was doing at the safe. Now with hindsight, she realised he’d probably been taking the documents he needed to access his money. And when you had money, anything was possible. A few phone calls could always secure anything that Danny needed.
Ivy shivered, all kinds of emotions racing through her. Had he read about his own death online, or in some newspaper on the other side of the world? Danny would certainly have got a kick out of that! Was he, at that very moment, sipping cocktails on some beach in the tropics? Ivy knew he wouldn’t be capable of idleness for very long. Perhaps he’d start a second retail empire on another continent … with all the money he had available to him, he could do anything he wanted.
Ivy wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. She should have guessed that Danny wouldn’t sacrifice himself! After all, he’d had years to plan his disappearance. He’d obviously worked out every detail in advance, knowing that if his crime was ever found out, his escape route had already been organised. He might even have bought a bolthole already, on one of his trips to post Rosa’s cards and letters. Now she felt certain that Danny’s body would never be found.
Suddenly she was angry. Her son was grieving for a father who probably wasn’t dead at all! She was also furious with Danny for causing her parents and Peggy so much unnecessary grief, and for leaving Hannah to die without ever seeing her daughter again. But she was also aware that Danny had saved her and her son at great personal cost to himself, and preserved the Betterbuys chain that was his legacy to Joseph. So for all their sakes, she’d accept the eventual verdict of death by misadventure, based on the ‘accident’ she now suspected Danny had staged.
Ivy’s feelings were veering from relief to hysteria and back again. She wondered if Danny was missing her and Joseph. She felt an irresistible urge to phone Brian, and she wondered what he’d make of Danny’s faked death. But she wouldn’t tell him yet – not until she’d done what she came to Willow Haven to do.
The following morning, Ivy was up bright and early. Luckily, it was a sunny morning, which suited her plans perfectly.
In the kitchen, her mother and father were eating breakfast.
“I think I’ll go by the lake today – I might even take a swim,” Ivy told them, buttering a piece of toast.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you – you know how deep that water is!” her mother warned her. Fortunately, Eleanor didn’t suggest that her father accompany her, and Ivy and her father exchanged a conspiratorial wink before she left.
Her mind was still reeling from her discovery of the night before – yet the more Ivy thought about it, the more logical it seemed that Danny would have prepared in advance for his eventual disappearance.
Contrary to her previous trips to the lake, Ivy now made a special effort to meet local people as she walked along. And she told everyone she met that she was going for a swim in the lake as part of her daily health regimen.
Stripping down to her swimsuit, Ivy put a toe in the water and shivered. In fact, she didn’t really need to dive in at all. She could simply pretend she’d been in the water, since Fred’s car was unlikely to have moved since her last dive. Nevertheless, she wanted everything to be above board this time, and as close to the truth as possible. But first, Ivy went to her sports bag and took out a metal powder compact. She threw it into the water and watched as it sank to the bottom. Later, it would become part of her story.
Taking a deep breath, Ivy leapt off the bank and descended into the cold dark waters. She felt a brief moment of panic as the murkiness and debris seemed to claw at her, and she felt like surfacing immediately. Thank goodness she no longer needed to worry about her possessions being in the car!
Still Waters Page 31