Embellished Deception: A Psychological Suspense Novel (The Crime Files)

by Netta Newbound

  Lots of people had got up in the chapel at the crematorium to share memories of Mum. Some were funny, some cheeky, but all very touching and heartfelt.

  She had a lot of friends.

  My grandmother had come with my aunties and uncles. She seemed much happier than she had on Christmas day, but she had no idea what she was doing there.

  Simon had been the only family member able to make a speech. Everyone else was too emotional. Although, saying that, I was surprised that Dad was being extremely strong. Not at all what I'd expected, and I was waiting for it all to hit him and cause a massive meltdown.

  Getting out of the car with Dad, Beryl, Simon, and a reluctant Kevin, I couldn't wait to get inside and change my shoes. My feet had swollen for some reason, and my normally comfy shoes had made deep indentations on them. I heard cars pulling up behind us in the street, and knew I didn't have long before the house would be filled with well-wishers.

  Shoes changed and lipstick reapplied, I made my way back downstairs to play the dutiful hostess.

  Almost two hours later, Simon and I were in the kitchen cleaning up the last of the plates of food and glasses.

  It hadn't gone too bad, as wakes go, but I was tired and feeling irritable, and couldn't wait for the remaining guests to leave.

  There were still a few people reminiscing with Dad in the lounge, which I knew was doing him good. But it felt strange to have a houseful of people and not have Mum fussing around and cleaning up after everyone.

  I was terrified to have to face the future without her. The gnawing ache in my gut was a constant reminder of our loss, and the house was like a soulless, empty shell. Even the vibrant colours Mum had furnished the place with had dulled somehow.

  Kevin had left earlier, not wanting to get stuck in the rush hour traffic. I'd expected Simon to want to go home with him, but instead he'd decided to stay until Sunday.

  I dreaded it.

  At least with Simon still here, I was able to keep myself distracted.

  I knew he had to get back to work and to some sort of normality, as did Dad and I, but I hated the thought of it.

  I kept expecting her to walk in and tell us all off for draping our coats over the banister instead of hanging them in the hall cupboard. Or for leaving the dishes stacked up on the draining board instead of wiping them and putting them away as she insisted we always did. So I found myself doing these things for Mum, just in case she was watching—I knew it was silly, but the thought did comfort me.

  "Geri, you will promise to make a doctor's appointment next week about the baby, won't you?" Simon had finished the last of the dishes and was now sitting on the kitchen bench. Another thing Mum would have hated, and it irritated me slightly.

  "I will. I told you already," I said impatiently.

  "Sorry for hassling you but I'm worried about you both."

  "The baby is fine! I am fine! I just need some rest and to get back to some kind of normality—if that's going to be at all possible."

  A movement in the doorway caught my eye, and I turned just in time to see Vinny storming out the front door and up the path, leaving the door swinging wide open.

  "Oh hell! That's all I need now. The whole village will be gossiping."

  "Don't be silly, Geri. No-one will care, and they'll find out eventually anyway."

  "It's alright for you to say. You're going home on Sunday and won't have to put up with all the whispers and sly looks. You know what this place is like."

  "Well, what will they have to say? Seriously, Geri—we're married and are still together, in this anyway. No-one needs to know any different. And if it makes you feel better, I'll be coming up regularly to spend time with you, if that's okay."

  "Course it's okay. I wish you didn't have to go at all. I don't know how I'll cope without you."

  "You'll cope. You're stronger than you think. And besides, you have your dad."

  Chapter 39

  Monday came around all too fast.

  Dad and I had bid a tearful goodbye to Simon the night before, leaving me with a feeling of desolation.

  With Simon there, at least I felt a degree of protection. Without him, I felt vulnerable, bereft and exposed.

  He promised to come back soon. But for how long Kevin would put up with that was anybody's guess.

  James had called in to see us on Saturday. He too had decided it was time to return to his home in Portsmouth. There had been no more attacks, and I guess it made the evidence against Carl seem even more believable. Even Beryl had resigned herself to the fact that he was the rapist.

  But no matter how much I had to agree it didn't look good, I refused to accept Carl could be responsible for the vicious attacks.

  On Monday morning, as promised, I called Doctor Jessop's surgery. His receptionist, Katie, said she could slot me in that afternoon at 2pm.

  At least that would give me a reason to call Simon later—not that I should need a reason, but I couldn't give Kevin the satisfaction of knowing how much I missed my husband.

  Dad stayed in bed until almost lunchtime, which was a first for him. He was normally up at the crack of dawn, but I figured he must need the sleep. I tapped on the door a couple of times, but he didn't answer. When he finally appeared in the kitchen, he was unshaven and still in his pyjamas that had yesterday's dinner slopped down the front.

  "There's tea in the pot." I rubbed his shoulder.

  "Thanks, lass."

  "Can I make you something to eat?" I opened the fridge and scanned the meagre contents.

  "No, I'm right. I'll have a slice of toast later." He pulled the chair out from the drop leaf two seater table and sat down.

  "I'll grab something for tea while I'm out. I'm going to see Doctor Jessop this afternoon."

  His head snapped around to face me, terror in his eyes.

  "I'm fine," I said, bending to kiss the top of his head. I just need a check-up—you know, with the baby and everything."

  "Thank God for that. I couldn't bear it if you got sick too."

  "I'm fine, Dad." I sat on the other chair and held his frail hand. "I was thinking, shall I ask Beryl to come and sit with you while I'm out?"

  "No, course not, lass. I'll be right."

  "So long as you're sure." It was as though the roles had reversed, and I was now the parent and he the child.

  Doctor Jessop confirmed what I already knew. My baby was due in less than six months’ time according to his old-fashioned cardboard gizmo. However, my stomach flipped when he said the date—16th June.

  The doctor lifted his head and took his glasses off. "Is there a problem?"

  "Oh, no—not a problem. It's just that the baby's due on my mum's birthday."

  He nodded. "What a wonderful way for you to remember your lovely mother," he said. "However, it is only a guide—the scan will be more accurate. You should hear from the hospital in the next few days."

  Afterwards, I strolled up the high street to the butcher’s and chose a couple of pork steaks for tea. Pork was my least favourite meat, but Dad loved it and he needed cheering up.

  Instead of heading straight back to the car I did a bit of window shopping. I wasn't in any hurry to return home to reality. Out here I was able to pretend life was normal and that I wasn't grieving for the most wonderful woman I'd ever known.

  As I strolled back to the surgery carpark, Vinny pulled up to the side of me in his police car.

  "Hi, Geri. Can I give you a lift?"

  "Thanks, Vinny, but my car's just there." I nodded to my little silver Nissan on the other side of the low stone wall.

  "It's just that I wanted to have a chat with you. It's important. Maybe we can go for a short drive?"

  I hesitated. I didn't really want to go anywhere with Vinny—however, I was intrigued by what he had to say."

  "Is it about Carl?"

  Vinny leaned across the passenger seat and opened the door.

  Reluctantly I walked around the car just as Doctor Jessop came out of the surgery
. He tipped his old fashioned tweed hat at me as I climbed in beside Vinny. I placed my handbag and the steaks in the footwell.

  Vinny waited until I was belted in before doing a U-turn and heading out of town in the opposite direction to Cumberside.

  "Where are we going?" I asked, puzzled.

  "To a favourite coffee shop of mine. They do the most amazing cream teas."

  My stomach growled, and I realised I hadn't eaten a thing all day. However, the thought of a scone with lashings of jam and clotted cream made my inner fat girl roar.

  Vinny laughed.

  "Did you hear that?" I asked, feeling my cheeks flush.

  "I do have ears." He laughed again.

  We drove in relative silence through the countryside. It had been years since I'd been along this stretch of road, but it hadn't really altered much.

  Woodland and forestry stretched on both sides of the road as far as the eye could see. The clear, crisp January day showcased the old oak trees to perfection.

  Just as I was beginning to think we'd never get there before dark, we pulled into a quaint little village called Camberley. I'd only ever gone through there at speed on the odd occasion, and hadn't noticed how utterly beautiful it was.

  After parking outside a cute stone coffee shop, Vinny, ever the gentleman, got out of the car and ran around to open my door.

  I followed him inside, sitting at a small round table by the window.

  A young, dark-haired waitress appeared on the other side of the serving hatch.

  "Oh, hello," she said. "I'll be there in a tick."

  "How's your dad holding up?" Vinny asked.

  "Better than I thought he would, but he's like a lost little boy. It breaks my heart to see him like this."

  "I hear Beryl's been around at yours a lot."

  "Yeah, she's devastated too. Mum was her best friend for years, more like sisters really. They seem to be helping each other through it."

  Vinny nodded.

  "Anyway, no offense but I didn't have you down as the care in the community type."

  "Hey! I'm the local bobby. Of course I care." His eyebrows knitted together.

  "Sorry." I smiled.

  The waitress approached our table like a whirlwind that seemed out of place in the laid back surroundings.

  "Sorry about the wait," she said, out of breath and flustered as she fastened her white pinafore around her waist. "We don't normally see anybody at this time of day, so I dismantled the coffee machine to give myself a head start. That'll teach me in the future." She laughed.

  "No problem, so long as you've still got a couple of scones going begging," Vinny smiled.

  "You're in luck—I just have two left."

  "A pot of tea for two?" Vinny looked at me for confirmation.

  I nodded.

  "And two scones with the works then, please." He treated the girl to his sexiest, knock 'em dead smile. He was seriously handsome, and he knew it.

  "Be right up." She vanished behind the counter once again.

  "So, have there been any more developments in the rape case?"

  "No—not a thing. But to be honest with you, Geraldine, I don't expect there to be." He shrugged and smiled apologetically. "I admire your loyalty, but Carl's guilty, I swear to you."

  "What are you basing that on?" I snapped. "A few clothes in his wardrobe that could well have been planted by the real culprit."

  "And how do you think the real culprit ..." he said, raising two fingers of each hand for emphasis, "...gained access? Beryl was away, so that leaves you as the only other person that had been in the house for weeks. There were no other keys. In fact, if I remember rightly, you didn't even have a key and you were staying there. There was no sign of a break-in. Come on, Geri—even you must see, it's open and shut.

  "I still don't believe it." I shook my head. "So what did you want to talk about then, if not Carl?"

  "You're mad with me."

  "I'm not mad with you."

  "Then why are you talking to me with tight lips?"

  "I don't have tight lips," I said, feeling my lips were indeed tight and trying to soften them with a fake smile. "Just tell me, Vinny."

  The waitress reappeared and placed two huge scones in front of us with separate dishes of butter, jam and cream.

  "Gosh, that looks good," I said.

  "Award winning," she said with a smile, nodding her head towards the framed certificate on the wall. She headed back to the counter where she produced another tray filled with a china teapot, cups and saucers and a jug of milk.

  I set about slicing my scone in half. "I can hardly wait to try it." My stomach growled once again.

  Vinny made a space on the table for the waitress to empty the tray and then she was gone again.

  I proceeded to layer the scone with the toppings and took an enormous bite, giving myself a cream moustache.

  Vinny laughed and then did the same.

  "Right then," I said, wiping my mouth on a napkin. "So come on—what was so important?"

  "Eat your scone first."

  I shook my head and took another bite.

  I was fit for bursting as I demolished the last of my jam and cream laden pastry, washing it down with the second cup of hot sweet tea.

  "That was delicious." I pushed myself back in my chair and groaned. "So come on then, the suspense is totally killing me."

  Vinny pushed his plate away from him and poked a finger at the corner of his mouth, before licking a stray a crumb off it. Then he pushed his chair back and crossed his legs before lacing his hands loosely behind his neck.

  "Are you and Simon an item again?"

  I laughed. "Excuse me?"

  "Well, he's been staying over with you a lot, and I thought you must have got back together. But I'm not so sure now he's gone again."

  "We are just friends. That's all."

  Vinny gave a half nod. "Good."

  Suddenly uncomfortable, I placed my cup on the table and reached for my bag. "We'd better let her clear our dishes away. She's practically boring holes through my head." I nodded at the waitress who was hovering by the counter folding and re-folding a tea towel.

  A smile split her face in half as we got up to leave.

  Vinny approached the counter to pay.

  "I'll just visit the ladies."

  When I returned, Vinny was standing by the car.

  "Well, thanks for that," I said as I joined him. "I won't have to eat for a week."

  He opened the car door and bowed. "M'lady."

  "Why, thank you, kind sir." I slipped into the car.

  Once on our way, it was obvious Vinny had something to say by the way he was gripping the steering wheel and the sidelong glances he kept throwing my way.

  "Spit it out," I said, eventually.

  He cleared his throat.

  "The reason I was asking where you stood with Simon was ... well ... I overheard what you were talking about last week. That you're, you know ... pregnant."

  I watched him warily and nodded. "Okay."

  "I wanted to say ... you can rely on me. I've never been one to shirk my responsibilities."

  I screwed my face in puzzlement and shook my head. "I have no idea what you're going on about."

  "Are you saying you're not pregnant?" He glanced at me.

  "Not at all. There's no point denying it."

  "Exactly—and you obviously want to keep it. I just want to put it out there that I'd be thrilled to have a baby. It's one of my dreams to have a child of my very own."

  I was too shocked to respond.

  "I know we've had our ups and downs, but I'm willing to work on it if you are." He continued.

  I couldn't believe my ears. "What the hell are you on about?" I eventually muttered.

  His eyes left the road and settled on my face briefly.

  "The baby, our baby. I've been worrying about it ever since the condom broke, but now I know it’s actually happened, I'm delighted."

  Shaking my head, I t
ried to find the right words. "Vinny, Vinny, Vinny. I'm so sorry, but you've got it all wrong."

  I could feel the giggles bubbling up in my throat and I wasn't able to control it any longer.

  "What the hell are you laughing at?" Vinny spat, not in the least bit amused.

  "I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh, but I've just realised what it is you're saying. You're not the baby's father—it's Simon's—I was already pregnant before we ... you know."

  Vinny was staring at me and he looked suddenly ferocious.

  "Vinny, the road. Vinny. Vinny!" My scream seemed to go on for ages.

  But it was too late. By the time he turned to face the road, the bend was already upon us.

  I braced myself, my fingers almost embedded in the dashboard.

  Vinny over-swerved and bounced off the berm on the wrong side of the road and, with an almighty bang, we careered sideways until coming to a bumpy stop.

  "What the fuck was that all about?" I screeched, undoing my seatbelt and jumping out of the car. My whole body shook uncontrollably.

  Vinny also jumped out and banged on the roof of the car. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

  "Vinny, calm down." I felt a sharp twinge across the bottom of my stomach and bent slightly until the pain passed.

  "We've got a fucking puncture," he roared. More irate than I'd ever seen him before.

  "Do you have a spare?" I asked, my mind in a whirl but trying to keep my voice as normal-sounding as possible.

  "Course there's a fucking spare!" he snapped, with a sneer and his eyes extra wide—he'd taken on the appearance of a madman.

  My heart was beating wildly in my chest, and the pain across the bottom of my stomach was excruciating.

  "It's okay—come on, I'll help you." I limped to the back of the car and opened the boot.

  In two strides, Vinny was by my side, and he began throwing items from the boot into a pile on the road before he finally managed to reach the spare wheel. Then he lifted it up and bounced it onto the tarmac, rolling it to the side of the car.

  “See if you can find a tyre iron,” he barked.

  I rummaged around in the underbelly of the car and found the tyre iron, and also a jack. I handed them to Vinny, who proceeded to jack up the car and remove the wheel.