by Ros Seddon
And then there was Jonky. Dear, sweet Jonky ……… Promise me Slimmy, you’ll never tell. It has to be our secret. Us, and those like us……… but not them ……… never them……….
He thought then of the beautiful and kind Eleanor Wilson, lying on a hard bunk in her cold prison cell and he knew that she shouldn’t be there. Slim sighed. He knew what he had to do. He climbed through the gap in the fence and waded through the undergrowth to the supermarket car park and waited outside the phone booth. He didn’t have any money but he knew how to make an emergency reverse charge call. It was time to lay his demons to rest………
As the light of day faded rapidly into dusk he saw the cars headlights and watched as Carters blue Sierra turned onto the wasteland and glided to a stop.
‘This had better be good Williams!’ spat Carter as he strode toward him.
‘You said you’d come alone.’ Slim looked at Claire Peters and she shrugged her shoulders.
‘We needed a witness.’
‘Cut the small talk Williams. Where’s the tree?’
Slim led them along the river path and then stopped. He looked at Carters rugged physique; his thick set hands and arms.
‘She’ll have to do it. Your hands won’t fit through. Mine used to……. but not anymore.’
Claire Peters stepped forward and donned a small pair of white surgical gloves. ‘Finger prints’ she explained as she followed Slim through the woodland thicket, clambering over bushes and brambles, DI Carter in hot pursuit until they reached a small dark clearing. Carter switched on his flashlight and an owl called out above him making him jump and then a small area of woodland became illuminated. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust then he saw Slim standing at the foot of an old oak, his arm outstretched as he pointed out a small dark hole in its trunk. Hesitantly Claire reached into the darkness.
‘I can’t feel anything ……… there’s nothing there.’
‘You’re not high up enough. Jonky used to stand on her rucksack.’
Slim linked his hands together and made a foot well and leaned over.
‘Here …….. I’ll give you a leg up.’
She put her foot into his hands and he lifted her higher up the wall of the thick trunk.
‘Well?’ Carter sounded frustrated. ‘Can you feel anything?’
Claire moved her arm around inside the tree.
‘It’s quite a void in here. You’d never think it was such a big space. It’s a miracle this tree has survived.’
‘We’re not on a bloody nature expedition DC Peters.’
She strained and reached further into the tree.
‘Hang on ……… I think I’ve got something ………. Yes!’ ……… and then the rustling sound of plastic was evident and it became louder as a white blob appeared in the opening and Claire Peters carefully pulled something soft and pliable wrapped in a white carrier bag from the dark hole in the bark.
‘What is it?’ asked Carter.
She carefully opened the bag and looked inside.
‘It’s ………. It’s a wig Sir; a blonde wig!’
‘Bingo! Well done Williams! Now we’re getting somewhere. Just check there’s nothing else in there Claire will you?’
Slim hoisted her up once more but Claire’s arms were not long enough to reach the bottom of the void. Pleased with their result Carter announced he would get forensics over to double check and radioed through to despatch. The area was eventually sealed off and once again the wasteland was the focus of a police investigation.
Since David had returned from the park with Oliver, Felicity hadn’t mentioned Mary Darch’s visit but he knew something was wrong and throughout the day he questioned her. The atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife.
‘Just leave it David.’ She warned him, ‘We can talk about it when the children are in bed.’
At lunch the scene was unbearable. They sat opposite each other with Oliver sitting between them at the side of the table and they barely said a word to each other. It was Oliver who broke the silence.
‘Do you think my Mummy has gone back to America?’
Felicity almost choked on her orange squash and she looked directly at David with accusing eyes. She pushed her plate away and stood up.
‘I think Ollie; you should ask your father why we haven’t seen anything of your mummy these past few days.’ Felicity left the room. David pushed his chair back and made to follow her, then he stopped and sat back down. He took the little boys hand in his and spoke quietly.
‘Ollie ……. mate; I don’t know why your Mummy hasn’t been round but I promise you I will try and find out, ok?’
The child nodded and he looked down at his plate of pasta, barely touched.
‘Perhaps she had to rush back because of her work ……… perhaps her boss phoned and said they needed her there.’
‘But I need her too…….. and she promised to be here for two weeks and ….. and she wasn’t. And she promised to take me to the beach and the fun fair. She didn’t even say goodbye.’ Oliver’s face sank and David could see the tears starting to roll down his soft tanned cheeks.
‘Hey! Come on mate!’ David picked up his son, sat him on his knee and hugged him close. ‘If she doesn’t come round today I’ll try and find her ok? And …… and Mummy Flick and I can take you to the beach and the fun fair.’
‘Now?’
‘Well …….. not right this minute but …… listen mate, you run off and play in the front garden and I’ll go talk to Mummy Flick eh?’
‘Yeah! …… Cool!’
Felicity was in the lounge sitting on the sofa; her knees drawn up in front of her. She was sniffing loudly; a tissue in her hand. She had been crying.
‘Babe; we need to talk ……. Come on. Charlie is fast asleep and Ollie is playing in the garden. I want to know what’s wrong.’
‘Nothing.’
‘There’s obviously something ……… and what the hell was that all about in there? Flick, what makes you think I know why Ellie hasn’t been round?’
‘Ok! Ok David. I was going to wait until the boys were in bed before broaching the subject, but since you don’t seem to be able to leave it alone; answer me this ….. did you sleep with Ellie when I was in hospital last week?’
‘What? Where did this come from babe?’
‘Never mind where it came from and don’t ‘babe’ me. I want to know the truth. I have a right to know!’
‘Is that what she told you?’
‘What?’
‘Ellie; is that what she told you?’
‘Ellie didn’t tell me anything. I haven’t seen her since that day at the hospital when you took her home. I had a visitor this morning; her friend, Mary.’
‘Mary Darch; what did she say?’
‘That you raped Ellie. That she turned up that night in a terrible state with her clothes strewn all over the car like she’d left in a hurry and she had bruises ……… bruises on her arms and her neck and …….. she said you’d almost strangled her!’
David sank into the sofa beside her; his face was white with shock.
‘……… and you believe her?’
‘I ………… I don’t know what to believe David …….. I really don’t. I told her to get out before I called the police. I …….. I told her she was crazy……… but the more I think about it the more I have doubts. It was the night you told me you were working in the garden until late and you didn’t hear the phone. Now we both know that’s utter rubbish. That phone is so loud you’d hear it two streets down. Tell me the truth David. Did you rape Ellie?’
‘No. Look Flick, you have to understand; Ellie and I were together a long time. Our relationship was …….. well it was quite passionate but extremely volatile. When she went off with that girl I was devastated; totally, totally devastated. You were the one who insisted she came here to stay and I knew it was a bad idea from the word go. She did nothing but tease me the whole time she was here; walking arou
nd half naked …….. I …….. I didn’t rape her.’
‘But you slept with her? Where; upstairs in our bed?’ ……….. Downstairs? …...… Where; where David? ……… Here? ........ Here; on the sofa? Oh God!’
Felicity leapt from the sofa and stood looking at it in disbelief.
‘How could you? ….. How could you David?’
She ran from the room and went upstairs.
‘Daddy what’s wrong with Mummy Flick?’
Oliver was standing in the open doorway with mud on his face and his bare arms looking completely lost.
‘Nothing mate. Look, how do you fancy staying at Granny’s tonight?’
‘Cool!’
‘Ok. Well I’ll just phone Granny and let her know you’re coming and then I’ll run you over there ok?’
When David returned to the house in Rose Lane about an hour or so later, minus Oliver, Felicity’s car was gone. He ran upstairs to the bedroom and checked the wardrobe. She had taken the baby and all his things. She had taken her clothes and most of her personal belongings. He went downstairs and phoned her parents. Margaret Breen answered the phone and although her voice was a little shaky she made it perfectly clear;
‘I’m sorry David; Felicity doesn’t want to speak to you. Perhaps you need a little space from each other for a couple of days. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’m sure it’s just a tiff and between you, you can work it out. Of course it could be post natal depression you know. That’s quite common these days.’
Felicity obviously hadn’t told her mother what it was all about. He phoned Mary Darch.
‘Do you have any idea of the damage you’ve done?’ he snapped.
‘Ah David. I wondered how long it would take you to call. You’ll be pleased to know that Ellie has been released from custody and will be on her way home shortly. Did you really think you would get away with it David? The truth will always out. And when they catch up with you I hope you rot in your prison cell. Better still …….. I hope you rot in hell…………’
Chapter Fifteen
It was a beautiful summer’s day. The sky was a deep azure blue and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Felicity was sitting in the back garden with her father and baby Charlie soaking up the sunshine. Her father didn’t say very much these days but she was happy just to sit with him. Little Charlie was dressed in a blue romper suit. Felicity had laid him in his carry cot and lifted its hood to provide shade across his face whilst leaving his legs bare for him to kick freely in the warmth of the sun.
‘Felicity?’ Margaret Breen called from the conservatory door. ‘There are some people here to see you.’
‘Who is it?’
Margaret came toward her and whispered as she got close; ‘I think it’s the police dear. They want to talk to you. Will you be all right or do you want us to be with you?’
‘No it’s fine Mum. Can you watch the baby for me?’
Felicity opened the front door to find DI Carter and DC Claire Peters waiting patiently on the doorstep.
‘Oh! Detective Inspector! DC Peters. What is it? What’s happened?’
‘Felicity.’ said DI Carter. ‘We just need to ask you a few questions. We won’t take up too much of your time. Can we come inside?’
‘Yes of course.’ They followed her through to her parent’s enormous lounge and she gestured for them to sit down.
‘This is nice.’ said Carter.
‘Would you like a cup of tea Inspector? …… DC Peters?’
‘No. Thank you. Felicity …….. Flick. Now ……… obviously from the simple fact that you are here at your parents and not at Rose Lane we have deduced that you are perhaps not seeing eye to eye shall we say with your husband? Do you want to tell us about it?’
‘Not particularly Inspector. It’s quite simple. I have left him. I have left David and Charlie and I are living here until…….. well, until such time as I sort out somewhere for us to live.’
‘I see. And on which momentous day did you finally come to your senses?’ Carter grinned as he made his sarcastic remark.
‘Sorry?’
‘When did you leave him Flick?’ asked Claire Peters.
‘The night before last. We had a row. He took Oliver to his parents; I think so as we could talk; only while he was gone I took Charlie and our things, got in my car and came here and I’m not going back.’
‘Must have been some row then eh?’ suggested Carter. ‘Was that the last time you saw your husband Flick?’
‘Yes. Why? ………. Has something happened? …….. Inspector? …….. What is it?’
‘Has he been in touch since you left?’
‘No ……. that is; he did phone; when I first got here. He spoke to my mother. She doesn’t know why I left him. I haven’t told her. I heard her talking to him saying perhaps we needed some space. Inspector has something happened to him? You must tell me!’
‘No. We don’t know where he is. We need to find him and he’s taken off. Do you have any idea where he might have gone Flick?’
‘Why are you looking for him? Is it because of Ellie? She’s told you about the rape. I know what happened. That’s why I left him.’
DI Carter looked at Claire Peters and Felicity noticed their surprise.
‘Rape?’ asked Carter.
‘Mary Darch came to see me. She said Ellie had been raped and she said it was David. When I questioned him about it he denied raping her but he didn’t deny sleeping with her. That was when I left.’
‘Right.’ Carter gave Claire Peters another look, this time one of understanding and then Claire spoke.
‘Flick where were you last Saturday night?’
‘At home; at Rose Lane. I came out of hospital with the baby that morning. I was there the whole weekend because I couldn’t take him out for a few days. You’re not supposed to you see; not until they’ve adjusted to the air and everything.’
‘And David; was he with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘All night?’
‘Yes……… why?’
‘Is it possible he could have popped out; perhaps while you were sleeping?’
‘No. The baby woke up and I brought him downstairs to feed him so we didn’t wake David. Then the phone rang and it was Mary Darch, Ellie’s friend. She asked if David was here. She …….. she said she thought she’d seen him outside her house with Ellie. Look, what’s all this about?’
‘What time was this?’
‘The phone rang twice. I got up to answer it and it stopped. David was asleep; he didn’t hear it. I couldn’t go back to sleep and I knew Charlie would want his feed soon so I went downstairs and made a coffee. It was 12.45am. I remember looking at the clock wondering who would phone at that hour.’
‘When you were downstairs is it possible he sneaked out then?’
‘No. Charlie woke up and I went up to get him before he woke David and David was still there in bed. He hadn’t moved. I brought Charlie down and fed him and ……… I must have nodded off at the kitchen table because the phone rang again and it woke me up. It was 1.20am then. I remember looking at the clock. Then after I spoke to her David came downstairs saying he’d heard the phone.’
‘He hadn’t moved.’
‘What?’
‘You said he hadn’t moved.’ Carter had been wandering around the lounge and had stopped at a photograph of her and David on their wedding day. He picked it up. ‘How do you know he was there in the bed at all? Did you actually see him?’
‘Yes. He was there when I woke up, lying beside me.’
‘You saw his face or his body? ….. his shape under the covers? What exactly did you see Flick?’
‘Well, he had the covers over his head. He often does that. We used to joke about it. I said he looked like a nun.’
‘Do you not think it strange that the phone woke you but not him? That the baby crying woke you but not him? Perhaps he wasn’t there at all.’
‘No he …… I …….. he came down the sta
irs.’ Felicity remembered now. When she was on the phone she’d heard a noise in the kitchen. It is possible it was David returning from meeting Ellie at Mary Darch’s house. He could have hid in the dining room until she had gone back into the kitchen and then gone upstairs and come back down…………..
‘What is it you think he’s done Inspector?’
‘We have a warrant for his arrest Flick. We have sufficient proof this time.’
‘What ……… what do you mean this time?’
‘When we find him your husband will be charged with three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson.’ Claire Peters leaned toward her and lightly touched her hand, concerned with Felicity’s pallor which was becoming whiter by the second.
‘I’m sorry Flick. We have evidence to prove that Eleanor Wilson was wrongly charged. It wasn’t her that did all those things before; it was David.’
Felicity stood up and took a step toward the door. ‘I’m sorry I feel a little………..’ She could feel her head beginning to swim and then her body became lighter and lighter and then suddenly incredibly heavy and like a thunderbolt had struck her, down she went on the floor with a thud. When she opened her eyes a few seconds later her mother was there and Claire Peters and Carter had brought her father and the baby in from the garden and they were all fussing around her. She felt completely stupid.
‘What happened?’
‘You fainted. Come on, let’s sit you up. Your mums made us all a nice cup of tea.’
‘Here, drink this dear.’ Margaret held a cup of tea out to her. ‘Sip it slowly dear. It will do you good.’
‘I’m sorry. I feel such a fool.’
Claire Peters smiled. ‘You’ve had quite a shock Flick. It’s a totally natural reaction. Drink your tea. You’ll be fine.’
Margaret walked to the door with the two Detectives.