by Abi Silver
‘Brian. I don’t think Mum would have wanted all this stuff coming between me and Joe. Are you sure she understood what she was signing?’
‘I am sure she understood, and it’s not for me to second-guess what she would have wanted. I have to try to follow her instructions. Your brother’s conduct has put me in a very difficult position. Very difficult.’
Tracy opened her mouth and closed it again. She had spent the last twenty-four hours cogitating on whether Brian was open to a bribe; a share of the money, perhaps five per cent, in return for turning a blind eye to her and Joe’s difficulties. That might end up cheaper than a fight in the courts over who was due what. But she didn’t have his measure and now he was angry about Joe, it was certainly not the time to bring it up.
‘Was there anything else you wanted, Tracy?’ Brian asked.
‘No. No thanks Brian. That’s all for now.’
Tracy lowered her phone and turned it face down on the worktop. Then she grabbed the drawing she had made when she arrived, tore it off the pad and scrunched it into a tight ball. Finally, she crossed the room to gaze once more at the portrait of Joe. It was truly horrid, Joe appearing cruel and nasty and vindictive. She turned it to face the wall and then returned to Barbara’s room to continue sifting through her clothes.
37
Constance returned to the hospital that evening to locate Lottie, the nurse whom Ahmad had indicated would vouch for him. They met during her lunch break and headed out of the ward to the coffee shop on the ground floor. Constance bought them each a hot chocolate and asked Lottie to talk about Ahmad.
‘I know him about two years,’ she said. ‘He’s a friendly guy. He works hard and he helps out when we ask him.’
‘How do you mean “helps out”?’
‘He is the cleaner but he sorts out loads of other stuff. When things break he fixes them – even the chair in the staff room and the microwave.’
‘And how often do you see him?’
‘Very often. He works hard. Never takes time off. But he is quite a sad person I think.’
‘Sad?’
‘Something happen I think when he is young.’
‘What was it?’
‘I don’t like to ask and he don’t like to tell. He likes to talk to me about the news. He is always interested in the news, in what is happening all over the world. I talk to him about my family too. He is a good listener.’
‘Do you think he is the kind of man who could hurt someone?’
‘No.’ Lottie shook her head violently from side to side. ‘Absolutely no. He is always thoughtful and helps people. He is a big man, and strong, but, no, never.’
‘Did you ever see him with Mrs Hennessy?’
‘Yes. I saw him cleaning in the room. They were talking and laughing. Only one time I saw them together.’
‘Do you know which day that was?’
‘I think on the Tuesday, the day Mrs Hennessy arrived, but I’m not sure.’
‘Did you see anyone else with Mrs Hennessy, her daughter, maybe?’
‘Yes I see her when she arrived. That’s all.’
‘Are there any new nurses on the ward?’
‘We have new nurses all the time. You can ask the HR and they will give you all the names.’
‘Was there anyone here who left suddenly?’
‘We have so many agency staff,’ Lottie said. ‘We never know who will be here.’ She shrugged her apology.
‘Did you see anything unusual on the night Mrs Hennessy died?’
‘No. I worked till ten. I went home. In the morning I hear Mrs Hennessy is dead.’
‘Did you see her before you left?’
‘No. Her door was closed so I didn’t disturb.’
‘What’s Dr Wolf like?’
Lottie shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’
‘He’s been here a long time?’
‘Yes, but he’s always in a hurry. He doesn’t talk to the nurses much.’
‘How is he with the patients?’
‘Very nice, I think.’
‘Is he a good doctor?’
‘Oh yes. He is a consultant.’
‘Is there a doctor more senior than Dr Wolf?’
‘You mean Dr Mahmood?’
‘Maybe. What is he like?’
‘He’s the senior consultant.’
Constance sensed she would obtain very little from Lottie in terms of a view on the character or expertise of any of the doctors so, with regret, she halted that line of questioning.
‘Thank you, Lottie. Here is my card. If you think of anything which might be helpful to Ahmad, or if you remember seeing anyone different around the ward, will you contact me?’
‘Yes. I will.’
‘Otherwise, if the case does go to trial, would you be prepared to come to the court and tell everyone what you just said – you know, that he was a friend, helped people out, that kind of thing?’
‘Yes, of course. They must have the wrong person. Of course I will help Ahmad.’
Constance found Maia on the third floor. She burst into tears when she found out Constance’s identity and kissed her on both cheeks.
‘Tell him I miss him,’ she wailed. ‘They give me other cleaner to help but not like Ahmad. He does no work, he leaves the buckets all dirty, I don’t know where to find them. Oh, I miss him.’
Twenty minutes of questions did not yield anything useful but Maia also promised to be there for Ahmad if needed. She asked Constance for some paper and then drew him a large round sad face with tears coming from each eye. Then she added kisses to the bottom. ‘You give him this,’ she requested. ‘I hope it will make him laugh.’
* * *
Judith stood in a narrow alleyway across the street from the BMW showroom in Mill Hill. She had been there for around half an hour, just quietly watching. She saw Joe come out, smoke a cigarette, kick a stone around the yard, talk loudly on his mobile phone, gesticulate a lot, collect a plastic bag from somewhere inside, check its contents, then speed off in his car with his music blaring.
She thought hard about whether to wait for his return; he had told the police he hadn’t seen his mother for months before her death and had no idea who might have killed her. She reasoned that it was highly unlikely he would change his story now and, from what she had heard of him so far, she didn’t relish the prospect of an encounter on a potentially explosive topic.
She could also go inside, look around, ask some casual questions on the pretext of buying a car, just to ‘sniff the air’. But the site was far removed from the murder scene and all the pertinent questions she wanted to ask – Was Joe Hennessy here all day on Thursday 11th of May? Did Joe Hennessy ever talk about his mother? What had happened to make them so estranged? – would immediately raise the alarm.
As a large black cloud came overhead and the rain began to fall, she checked each way, up and down the street, slung a lingering look at the showroom, then opened her umbrella and walked casually away.
38
Tracy and Pete could hear the party noise filtering out before they opened the door of the pub. Pete swallowed and gripped Tracy’s arm. He was sure they hadn’t been followed; they had hopped in a taxi from right outside the house and he had been keeping watch periodically through the window. On top of that, Pete had made certain he had grabbed his back and grimaced theatrically as they exited the cab. That should be sufficient if anyone was watching. He had never claimed to be paralysed or anything.
‘Pete, please relax. We don’t have to stay too long if you don’t want to,’ Tracy pleaded.
‘I’m fine. Let’s go do some celebrating. We haven’t been out for a while. Do you think Joe’s paying?’
‘Must be joking,’ Tracy replied as they joined the throng.
She could see Joe immediately as they ent
ered, at the other side of the room, propping up the bar, talking loudly and gesticulating wildly. She caught his eye and he nodded once in her direction, before laughing at someone else’s joke and turning away. She was disappointed that he was wary of her; she wouldn’t do anything to spoil his night. He must know that. Then Janice flew over, kissed her on both cheeks, handing her a large gin and tonic, and she began to relax.
Despite her misgivings, Tracy found she was enjoying seeing old friends and acquaintances. Janice had invited half their street, and Aunty Mae, an old friend of Barbara’s, who kept a menagerie of household pets, popped in, trailing cat hair of all colours, to give Janice a hug and tell her that Barbara would have loved to be there. Tracy thought how untrue that was; Barbara hated noisy pubs and stale odours but it was a lovely thing for her to say and Janice beamed for the next half hour.
* * *
Kyla and Simon were both there too, Kyla had brought along a tall and well-toned boyfriend named Craig, replete with elaborate tattoos on both arms. Simon had come alone but looked up optimistically each time the door opened.
‘Can I have a word, Joe?’ Kyla was on her third glass of white wine before she had a chance to speak to Joe alone, and she draped one arm around his neck before a sideways glance from Janice forced Joe to take a step backwards and detach himself.
‘Sure. What’s up?’
‘I brought my boyfriend, Craig, along tonight. He’s over there talking to Si and he’s happy to come over, if you’re interested. I just have to ask him.’
Joe swallowed. He had seen Kyla arrive with Craig but hoped against hope that he was just some casual acquaintance of hers. As he moved his head to the right, he realised he could see down the front of her blouse. He swallowed and tried to catch his breath.
‘Interested in what?’ he mumbled.
Kyla leaned in close and whispered in his ear, and for a second, he thought she might be about to suggest some kind of nefarious sexual practice, which, given the occasion and his recent attempts to remain faithful to Janice, he would be forced to decline but would regret forever. Instead she said, ‘The IT security at the garage is crap.’
‘What?’
‘How long do you think it took me to find out exactly who the previous owner was of the 6 series we sold to Mr Carter, what you paid him and what the mileage was when it arrived?’
‘What?’ He repeated, staring at her in disbelief, and with more than a touch of disappointment.
‘And he’s not the only one.’
‘Kyla, can we not talk about this here? It’s my engagement party.’
‘You’re right. I just thought it was an opportunity not to be missed. Craig’s a very busy man. I’m not going to shop you, by the way. That would really spoil your party, wouldn’t it? I was thinking more of a business proposition. See, Craig won’t work with just anyone; he’s very particular. He has to like you before he’ll work with you. He’s a wizard on the computer, can put data beyond the reach of everyone official but, at the same time, you can find it whenever you need. Would you like to meet him?’
* * *
Tracy was re-doing her lipstick in the ladies when Janice tottered in.
‘Hi Trace. Are you enjoying yourself?’
Tracy turned and gave Janice an air kiss. It was unlike her to be so giddy but she had drunk three gin and tonics in close succession and she was feeling decidedly light-headed.
‘Lovely party, Janice, and you look fabulous.’
Janice smoothed her hair in front of the mirror.
‘Thanks. Listen, I’m sorry. I still feel awful about having the party now. We should have waited till after the funeral. I did say to Joe but he was so keen. He said it didn’t matter. It’s OK with you, isn’t it?’
‘Sure. Mum would have been delighted with your news. And you’ve got so many people here, at such short notice. My lot are always booked up weeks ahead.’
Janice hovered next to Tracy and picked at a cotton on the front of her dress.
‘As you’ve mentioned it, and I don’t want you to hear from anyone else first…’
‘What? Hear what?’
Tracy wound the cotton around her finger and pulled it off with a sharp tug.
‘It wasn’t so long before, but we invited some people around ten days back, as soon as Joe proposed. I wanted to invite you then, but Joe wouldn’t let me.’
‘Oh.’
‘It isn’t that he didn’t want you here. He said you didn’t know people so you wouldn’t enjoy it, but you would feel you had to come. So, I’m just so pleased you are here, and you and Pete are enjoying yourself.’
Tracy felt sick. Her only brother had got engaged and he hadn’t intended to invite her to the party. After all the times she had saved his arse over the years.
‘The bloody sod,’ she muttered and Janice spread her hands over her face with a wail.
‘Oh, I’m sorry, Trace. Don’t tell him I told you, please. I just would have died if someone else had said they knew first. You’ve always been a lovely person to have around, like having a real sister.’
Tracy bit her lip. Janice was a good sort. It was Joe who didn’t know how to behave. She sighed and put her arms around Janice, who wept into her shoulder.
‘It’s not his fault I suppose,’ she muttered to the stricken Janice. ‘The crazy will’s got him all messed up.’
Janice straightened up and began to dab at her eyes with a paper towel.
‘How d’ya mean?’ she asked, tugging herself out of Tracy’s embrace.
Tracy applied some powder around her nose and then packed away her make-up into her bag.
‘Well, you know – all the conditions that Mum stuck in the will. It wasn’t her – most likely Brian, the solicitor chap.’
Janice was perplexed.
‘But we sorted it out. I went with Joe to see Mr Bateman. I told him when Joe had been to see Barbara. March the 8th.’
‘Yeah, sure. He saw Mum then.’
‘What do you mean, Trace? It’s all done, isn’t it? Mr Bateman said we had done all we needed to do. I signed the paper.’
‘Joe didn’t see Mum that night. According to Brian, she was away in Spain. I know you wouldn’t lie, not on purpose.’ As she said the words, Tracy wondered if that was true. If Pete had asked her for that kind of ‘support’ she may well have provided it without too many questions.
‘What’s Mr Bateman going to do?’ Janice was gripping the tissue tightly in her hand.
‘I’ve no idea. I’ve got more important things to worry about, myself. But I thought that was why…why you’d decided to get married now.’
‘What d’ya mean? What should us getting married have to do with your mum’s will?’
Tracy tucked her compact in her bag and headed for the door. Her brother was a nasty piece of work to treat Janice in this way.
‘Ignore me. I’ve got confused. Too many G&Ts. Let’s get back to the party.’
Janice’s hand thumped the door above Tracy’s head. Tracy had forgotten quite what a big girl Janice was, with a long reach.
‘You’re no good at lying, Trace. I was straight with you. Now tell me. If it’s about Joe, I’ve got a right to know.’
‘I can’t tell you,’ she said. ‘It wouldn’t be right. It’s about Mum’s will and if Joe didn’t want to tell you then I shouldn’t. I haven’t even told Pete all the details.’
‘Your brother made it my business when he dragged me to that lawyer’s office and made me sign something. He said that was all I had to do. And now you’re telling me it wasn’t true and I swore it was. For God’s sake, if you don’t tell me I’m going to go out there now with everyone here and ask him.’
‘Please don’t,’ Tracy implored her. She had been angry with Joe and she’d opened her mouth. Poor Janice. She didn’t deserve all this.
�
�I’ll do it!’
Janice tried to push past Tracy and open the door but now Tracy barred her way. Fuming, Janice raised her hand but, as she did, she caught sight of her newly-purchased engagement ring glinting under the strip light. It was a beauty; a pear-shaped diamond on a white gold setting. Then her face creased into a wretched scowl. She began to ease the ring off her finger – no easy task now her blood was up.
‘Stop it!’ Tracy cautioned but Janice continued to struggle with the ring, her tears falling fast to the floor.
Janice finally succeeded in displacing the ring and held it aloft. ‘I’ll bloody throw it back in his face, I will, if you don’t tell me.’ Her chest heaved up and down.
‘OK,’ Tracy answered, realising she had few choices. ‘OK, calm down. If Joe can’t get his share of Mum’s money, because he didn’t visit her like he says, then the only way he can get the money is if he has children but he has to be married first.’
For a second Janice was motionless, then her head fell forward and it might have hit the wash basin if Tracy hadn’t caught and steadied her. The ring went up in the air, landed on the floor and began to roll across it. Just at that moment, there was a light tap on the door. Pete’s voice was channelled to them through a small crack.
‘Trace, love. You’ve been ages. Is everything OK?’
Tracy stretched one foot out to block the door, whilst still supporting Janice and searching around frantically on the floor for the ring.
‘Just helping Janice with her make-up. We’ll be out in a tick,’ she called. She located the ring, picked it up and held it out to Janice who was staring at her reflection in the mirror, both hands pressed flat against her stomach.
‘I knew about the girl, you know, Debi, who he worked with. But he sent her away and he came back to me.’
‘He loves you, Janice. I know he does,’ Tracy said softly, trying to repair some of the damage she had inflicted. ‘It’s not about the money.’
‘Why didn’t he tell me then? About the will?’ she asked, placing the ring back on her finger and pushing it firmly into place. ‘I would’ve still said yes. There’s no one else for me, he knows that.’