The Appeal
Page 33
Charlotte
Sam doesn’t call Martin to tell him about Helen – she calls James!
Femi
Yes! Why would she call Martin, after their fight at rehearsal? She suspects him of knowing about Helen. She doesn’t suspect James. She trusts him. But what she has to tell him – that his mum killed his older brother and is now making his niece ill – is super-sensitive. She doesn’t want to tell him on the phone. She calls him at around 10 p.m., says, ‘There’s something you have to know about your mother.’ I think she mentions that Kel has left, that she’s only just discovered this herself.
Charlotte
James is terrified. He’s heard the rehearsal went badly, he knows Sam’s on to them. He also knows from Isabel how dogged and tenacious Sam is. That people listen to her, that she doesn’t let anything slide. He could try lies, bribery or threats, but with a child’s health at stake, he knows Sam will be impossible to silence.
Femi
Once the babies are born, he enlists Olivia to help. She knows about the murder before it happens, because she has to post as James while it is taking place!
Charlotte
James drives from the hospital to Sam’s flat. Arrives 11.30 p.m.–12 a.m. She lets him in, tells him what she and Andrea have discovered. But he already knows the truth about his mum. Paige doesn’t, but he does – and he must protect his family’s reputation, social standing and internal cohesion.
Femi
Sam suggests they talk on the balcony, because the neighbours have complained . . . James listens to what she has to say, establishes that no one else knows and then pushes her off the balcony, calmly closes and locks the doors, makes his way back to the hospital.
Charlotte
The police look into Sam’s phone records.
Femi
And James says she called to tell him she won’t be in the play the following night. Outside the flat he meets Issy. She’s been sitting there, in the shadows, sending emails to say Sam will be fine in the morning, that she didn’t mean what she said – especially what she said to Issy. He realises she is a witness to him being at the scene of the crime, so must get her onside. He tells her what happened, convinces her not to call the police, carry on as normal and, ultimately, confess to the killing. But what does he promise for her, to do that?
Charlotte
He confides in her. Doesn’t tell her everything – not about Helen or the appeal. Says it happened by accident. Sam suggested they move to the balcony because of the neighbours and, while they fought, she fell. Issy has never been the confidante of the alpha family before. She agrees to keep his secret. Remember the scenario she imagines with Lauren – that if they keep a secret together, they’ll be friends forever? He drives her home.
Femi
James returns to the hospital, calls Martin, tells him Sam is dead. Martin calls Glen to say Paige needs to learn Sam’s part. I don’t think Glen knows the real reason why. It’s Issy and Martin who know about the murder before the body is found. These phone records simply reflect a family telling each other the happy news of a birth. If they triangulate the phones, James’s is at the hospital all night, Issy’s is at Sam’s flat. Does James ask Issy to find the body the next night?
Charlotte
If he wanted that, surely he would drive her there himself? They could easily explain that away as checking on a friend. No, I think once Issy comes to terms with Sam being dead, which she does very quickly because her obsession was never about Sam, only about herself, she places herself centre-stage for a taste of the spotlight. Just as she does when Claudia attacks Sam.
Femi
James can’t realise Issy will take the blame. He must pin his hopes on a verdict of suicide. Why does she confess? Why admit to a crime you didn’t commit?
Charlotte
Go back to the Lauren thing again. Issy imagines a situation in which she feels sympathy for a friend who has made a terrible mistake. A friend who will suffer horribly if she is found out. She agrees to share the blame, meaning the friend is now in debt to her. Their friendship is guaranteed. She confesses in order to guarantee her status with the alpha family.
Femi
James is a new father. He’s always been supportive of Issy. Meanwhile Sam has totally rejected her. Kel has left with Claudia. Lauren doesn’t exist. Give me a moment . . .
Femi
Here it is. Correct me if this is wrong, but:
Who killed Samantha Greenwood? James Hayward. In the hours before her death, she told three people three things. Issy that she no longer wants to be her friend, Kel that she’s returning to Africa, James that she knows Poppy is not ill at all.
Who knew it was going to happen? Olivia Hayward. Who knew about it before her body was discovered? Isabel Beck and Martin Hayward.
Femi
Who is erroneously imprisoned and why? Isabel Beck, because she took the blame in a misguided effort to protect the alpha family.
Three people are not who they say they are: Clive Handler, Lydia Drake, Helen Grace-Hayward.
Three masquerade as others: Sam as Issy, Issy as Sam, Olivia as James.
One does not exist at all: Lauren Malden.
Charlotte
Mr Tanner, are we close to your theory with this?
Femi
Are you having problems with WhatsApp?
Charlotte
Close the app and open it again if it freezes. You may have an old phone.
Femi
Are you still there, Mr Tanner?
Roderick Tanner, QC
This is Sandra. Mr Tanner has stepped away for a moment. He’ll compose himself now and will return shortly.
Posts written by the user SueB on a community message board for The Association of Overseas Volunteers
10 April 2018
SueB
Dear OV friends, back in the UK after medvol in CAR, DRC, S. Sudan. OH and I had to leave, thanks to me, and I want this to work. It’s not easy. We joined a local drama group to help us settle in, but a woman there makes me uneasy and I don’t know why. The moment we met, I had shivers down my spine. No obvious reason. It’s like she’s putting on an act all the time. Hiding something. Tricky to put in words. No one else can see it. They all love her. Do you find your time as an OV means you can’t relate to certain people now?
17 April 2018
SueB
Been busy and can’t look at this message board often, but thanks and love to everyone for your kind words and messages. It’s good to know others have had issues too. Determined to chill out and just accept readjusting takes time. Soyez bénis.
26 April 2018
SueB
Medical friends. Does anyone know of any new therapies or research into Medulloblastoma? Heard there’s a new combination being tested in the US.
27 April 2018
SueB
Thanks all – me neither. If anyone hears anything, let me know. A friend’s child is just diagnosed. Cheers.
29 May 2018
SueB
City and finance friends: do you know how someone v rich might donate a lot of money to a crowdfunding campaign? Looking for terminology and understanding of the options and process, etc. PM me.
30 May 2018
SueB
Urgently need info on an overseas bank account. Got a long number, IBAN and BIC codes plus other references. Can you tell me what it reveals about the owner, legality, etc.? Anything. PM me.
9 June 2018
SueB
Can anyone recommend a researcher? Need info on someone’s background to see if they had a child thirty years ago or more. Not an adoption thing. Is it a researcher or something else? Not too expensive. PMs only. Cheers.
4 July 2018
SueB
Thanks, OV friends, for your help and support. Sorry not to reply by PM to you all. Too much has happened here. For all those who helped: I found what I was looking for. My heart is so heavy, but better to know the worst-ever truth than be
happy only because you believe lies. I don’t belong here. I’m going home.
The user SueB deleted their account at 21:51 on 4 July 2018.
Phone records reveal a call from Samantha Greenwood’s phone to James Hayward’s phone that went straight to message at 21:52 on 4 July 2018.
FROM: The Fairway Players Admin
SUBJECT: Night Must Fall
DATE: 18 August 2018 at 10:03
TO: Current Members
Dear all,
Firstly, may I thank everyone who took the time and trouble to wish me a happy sixtieth birthday earlier this month. After so many years, Helen still manages to surprise me – this time with a trip to Hawaii, where we swam with dolphins and watched the sun set over Pearl Harbor. It was certainly a birthday to remember. We hope you too enjoyed your summer break from rehearsals.
Well, it is time to turn our thoughts to The Fairway Players’ November production. After much consideration, we have decided to reflect the long, menacing nights of winter with Emlyn Williams’ classic thriller Night Must Fall. I will direct and James will assist. This dark, nail-biting play has the benefit of a large cast with a variety of roles, so whatever your age or level of experience, do pop down on the audition nights: Sunday 9 and Monday 10 September. As ever, I ask that parents keep very young children at home. We can’t expect little ones to sit still and quiet for two hours. If you need to alternate your audition nights – mum one night, dad the next . . . – it can be arranged.
If you have any friends or family interested in joining our friendly, welcoming group, do bring them along. Helen will organise very special après-audition drinks and nibbles, more about which later . . .
Regarding our last production, All My Sons. Well, it wasn’t an easy journey, but we finally reached our destination. As you know from the newspaper review, it was a resounding critical success and, with a full house all three nights, it proved a commercial winner, too. Including the profits from ticket sales, we raised just under £4,000 for Poppy’s appeal, all thanks to Sarah-Jane MacDonald and her dedicated fundraising team.
That brings me to the news that, only a couple of months ago, we thought we would never have the chance to deliver. Helen and I are bursting with joy to tell you: our darling Poppy is cured! She received the ‘all clear’ only this week from her new doctor at Mount More. Dr Saeed Mazhar ran a series of blood and bone-marrow tests, as well as a thorough set of brain scans earlier this month. He found no trace of her tumour and no tumour markers in her blood. It is infinitely better news than we ever dared hope for.
I naturally credit the scientists who developed such effective chemotherapy. I recognise, too, the skill and dedication of the doctors who diagnose and administer such treatments on our doorsteps, free of charge, day in, day out. Others may cite the power of prayer. We know so many of our friends have held Poppy in their prayers since she was diagnosed in the spring. I thank you all. But I know Helen and Paige have a further explanation for Poppy’s miraculous recovery.
At the Yogathon last June, Poppy was given a very special present: a Healing Doll from Africa. This extraordinary wood-and-rag figurine is used on that continent to counter negative energy and thus promote physical and psychological health. While Poppy was in the midst of her chemotherapy we gave little thought to the doll, we simply placed it on the shelf above her bed to watch over her at night.
It was only recently, when Dr Mazhar expressed his surprise that her cancer showed such speedy and complete remission, that we looked around for possible explanations . . . Of course it may be pure coincidence. Whatever you are prepared to believe, Poppy is back to the noisy, vibrant little girl she was this time last year, and we couldn’t be prouder of, or more thankful to, our circle of family and friends whose good wishes, help, support and positivity carried us through these challenging few months. From the bottom of our hearts, Helen and I thank you all.
There remains A Cure for Poppy, and the funds we raised for experimental drugs that she thankfully no longer requires. We have taken the decision, as a family, to donate the money to a variety of childhood cancer charities and comparable good causes, in order that other children, less fortunate than our own, may benefit. These donations have been made and the appeal closed.
We look forward to turning the page and starting anew. So, join us in a celebration of life, love and the future, in the River Room at The Grange after auditions on Sunday night, and together we will look forward to a happy, healthy and stress-free end to a challenging year.
Regards,
Martin Hayward
FROM: Dr Tish Bhatoa
SUBJECT: Can you help?
DATE: 18 August 2019 at 10:03
TO: Sonja Ajanlekoko
Dear Ms Ajanlekoko,
I am a doctor based at an independent medical centre near Mongoumba in the Central African Republic. Jonathan Ngongo gave me your contact details. He says you were a close friend of Samantha Greenwood, who volunteered with your organisation for many years, and that if anyone can answer my question, it is you. In short, I was led to believe Ms Greenwood died last year, in tragic circumstances at her home in England. Yet only two weeks ago I saw her here.
It was very early in the morning. A cloud of mist hung over the Ubangi River, but I’m sure I was not mistaken. I had just unlocked the waiting-room doors prior to morning clinic and suddenly sensed someone walk right up behind me. Yet when I turned, there was no one quite so close. It was only as I adjusted my eyes to focus further afield that I noticed her, standing quite still on the opposite bank. Her face had no particular expression, but she seemed to watch me. It was as if an ice-cold veil settled over me from head to toe. I looked aside, then looked back to confirm it had been a trick of the landscape. But no, she was still there. My eyes met hers for a long moment, until I finally had to turn away. When I glanced back again, she had gone.
At the time I was happy to explain this as a mirage, perhaps a side-effect of my malaria medication – that is, until I treated a lady here yesterday. She arrived in very poor health, having walked all the way from Boyabo, and knew nothing of anyone here. While I treated her at the roadside, she fixed her eyes on a spot over my shoulder and asked, ‘Who is the white lady?’ I glanced behind me. Nothing. ‘She’s still there,’ said the woman. I smiled and reassured her that someone was clearly looking over her. That’s when the woman gave me a very unnerving look and said: No, the white woman is watching you. Then she whispered ‘sara hanga’ several times. Sara hanga. Sara hanga. It means ‘Be careful’.
Ms Ajanlekoko, there are no white aid workers in this region at the moment. What’s more, the lady described Ms Greenwood exactly as I had seen her that day by the river. Was I misinformed of her death? If so, then there is something I must say to her, and I wonder if you could tell me where she is based, or at least pass on the message that I would like to speak with her?
My kindest regards,
Dr Tish Bhatoa
FROM: Sonja Ajanlekoko
SUBJECT: Re: Can you help?
DATE: 19 August 2019 at 16:17
TO: Dr Tish Bhatoa
Dear Ms Bhatoa,
I am afraid you are too late. Samantha Greenwood indeed passed away over a year ago. A delegation from our UK office attended her funeral and reported on how sad the occasion was. From my correspondence with her, I know she intended to return to her work in the Central African Republic. It is a comfort to know she has arrived.
You have my assurance that if you wish to speak with her, you may, because whatever you do and wherever you are, please be certain of one thing: she watches you.
Sara hanga,
Dr Sonja Ajanlekoko, MBBS (Nigeria) 2008, DRCOG
Project Coordinator, Médecins Sans Frontières
Item published in the Lockwood Gazette online 14 January and in print 17 January 2020:
CHARITY FRAUD GRANDAD SENTENCED
Martin Hayward, 61, of Upper Lockwood, who netted more than £200,000 in a bogus charity appeal, was jailed
today (14 January) for six years.
In 2018 Mr Hayward told friends and family that his granddaughter Poppy, four, had a brain tumour and could only be cured by treatment costing £1m.
The local community donated their hard-earned cash and held fundraising events over a period of five months, all the time encouraged by Mr Hayward and his family.
In fact, the child was in good health.
As money rolled in, Mr Hayward used it to pay off debts and build a swimming pool, telling increasingly desperate lies to maintain public interest in the appeal. He even conned local medical professionals into verifying his granddaughter’s illness.
‘The community is devastated,’ said local mother Sarah-Jane MacDonald, who claims she was duped into organising a number of events. ‘We were even led to believe the little girl had gone blind, but it was all a cruel trick.’
Local band leader Tony Zucchero contacted the Gazette to speak of his ‘devastation’ at last week’s guilty verdict.
‘My band and I, alongside members of the local community, gave up time and money to help a child in need. How anyone could tell lies like this is beyond belief.’
Initially, other members of Mr Hayward’s family were implicated in the fraud, including his son James, 37, wife Helen, 63, and daughter Paige, 34, but those charges were dropped as Mr Hayward maintained he alone had planned the deception, and had lied to his family too.
A not-guilty plea was entered, on the grounds he was depressed and in the grip of a gambling addiction at the time of the offence.
At last week’s trial, the jury did not agree.
In sentencing, Mrs Justice Limbert is quoted as saying, ‘You cynically lied to those closest to you. You preyed on their kindness and pulled on their heart strings to gain as much money as possible for yourself.’
The case is linked to the death of nurse Samantha Greenwood, who fell from her apartment balcony in 2018. Isabel Beck, who worked with Ms Greenwood at St Ann’s Hospital in Lockwood, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2019. However, doubts about the safety of her conviction have been raised by her counsel, who claim to have found new evidence in correspondence not submitted at the original trial. The case is due to be heard in the court of appeal next week.