by Janet Woods
‘That’s what I like, a girl who’s sassy as well as easy.’ Tim’s glance suddenly went to the doorway. ‘Hello, who are you, young fellow?’
Justin stuck his thumb in his mouth and stared at Tim, uncertain.
Scooping him into her arms, Janey kissed him. ‘This is Justin ... Linda’s son. He lives with us.’
Tim stared unbelievingly at her for a few seconds, then his mouth relaxed into an ironic grin, and he shook his head. ‘That’s figures.’
Justin pointed at the shiny buttons on Tim’s coat and chuckled, then buried his face in her neck.
‘If you imagine you’re eating my buttons you can think again, young man. Saffy chewed the last lot and I had to replace them. My superior officer told me I was a disgrace to the British Navy.’
How uncomplicated Tim was, Janey thought, as she watched him lower Saffy to the floor and open his suitcase. Justin wriggled to be put down and went to join her, watching solemnly as Tim brought out a brightly colored box.
‘I guess you’d better have this, Saffy.’ He touched the catch and a jack-in-the-box sprang out. Saffy squealed with delight. Astonished, Justin took a step backwards and fell over.
‘And this is for you, Justin. A genuine plastic toy radio made in Hong Kong.’ Tim wound up the knob in the middle and animals went round a dial as it played a tinkling tune.
A smile spread across Justin’s face and he began to rock backwards and forwards with it held in his arms.
‘He’s getting in the groove. Go Justin! Wasn’t it clever of me to bring two gifts? I must be a mind reader.’
Dear Tim, he was so natural and nice. He’d matured into an easy-going man with a great sense of humor, she thought. Linda would never know what she’d missed out on. She hoped he’d find a woman more worthy of him, one he could share his future with.
‘Let me make you some tea before Susie gets home from school.’
‘Susie?’
‘My sister, surely you remember her?’
‘Oh that Susie.’
‘She and my stepmother live here too,’
His eyes met hers for a second, and then he gave an easy, self-effacing laugh. ‘I can take a hint. Nice move, Janey, no wonder Griff looked so damned smug?’
‘Why would Griff look smug?’ Then she remembered his kiss and an unexpected blush warmed her cheeks.
Tim laughed as he ruffled her hair. ‘I might just give him a run for his money.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ she said as he grabbed up his luggage and headed up the stairs. ‘There’s nothing but friendship between Griff and myself.’
He turned to gaze at her then slowly smiled.
Her face heated up even more. ‘Absolutely nothing.’
Chapter Seventeen
Tim’s energy seemed inexhaustible. Within days he’d stripped the wallpaper from the downstairs rooms, painted the hallway a soft green, and was now inspecting the ivory satin wallpaper she’d chosen for the lounge.
‘This will look a bit bare,’ he commented, standing back and gazing critically at it. ‘Have you got any pictures to hang?’
‘No.’
‘You’re an artist. Paint some.’
There was a strange reluctance in her to paint. The domestic routine of the house and children occupied all her time, leaving no room for the creative urges that had once ruled her life.
‘I haven’t got time.’
‘Sure you have, after the children are in bed.’
‘You don’t understand, Tim. I can’t just paint a picture. I don’t feel inspired.’
He threw her a wolfish grin. ‘Let me inspire you.’ Closing one eye, he measured a patch of wall with his fingers and thumbs. ‘Four foot by three ... Justin sitting on that stone step in the garden. Wallflowers, daisies, sunflowers, foxgloves and hollyhocks, a wooden garden bench with an old fashioned girl and a face like Saffy’s.’
‘Devlin would hate it ... he doesn’t like chocolate box.’
‘Sod Devlin, this is for you. You need to capture this turning point in your life since you’re bound to feel at a loose end after having Devlin waiting on you hand and foot. ‘
She thought for a minute or two. Forget the windows and lace curtains it would make it too fussy. She wanted the children captured amongst the flowers, and painted through a window that wasn’t all that clean. She would get out her camera and catch them in just the right position with the right light. This was their home, and when she was old she’d have the moment on their infancy captured. Her eyes narrowed. ‘Light diffused through an arch of climbing roses perhaps – illuminating their faces. Saffy could be gazing at a kitten in her lap, Justin could be teasing it with a ribbon.’
‘Tabby cat?’
‘Tortoiseshell, to tone in with the colors of the wallflowers.’
‘Are you sure? I’ve never seen a tortoiseshell wallflower.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Tim. I’ll just blend the colors ... ‘ Tim’s chuckle brought a grin to her face. ‘You rat! Just for that you can get your own lunch. I’m going into town to stock up on paints as soon as the kids wake up from their nap.’
‘Go now, if you like. I can manage them for a couple of hours.’
She needed no further encouragement, and within minutes was on her way, mentally listing the materials she’d need.
She bought it in bulk then ruefully gazed at the bill. Why do I need all this? I’m only painting one miserable picture. Only it wouldn’t be miserable. Her subject would be modeled on Saffy, her green eyes shining with mischief, her smile, impish, and Justin ... his eyes alight with curiosity.
Griff arrived on the doorstep just as she was unloading her purchases.
‘You take this. I’ll bring in your parcels.’ He pulled a kitten from under his jacket and placed it in her arms. ‘Dad said you might like to give this a home. It’s from the barn. A fox killed his mother and the rest of the litter.’
The kitten was a tabby, long furred and velvety soft. An omen. She’d paint a tabby in the picture instead of a tortoiseshell. ‘He’s beautiful. Thanks Griff.’
Tim was lying on the floor, the kids clambering all over him. Laughing, he rose to his feet with one captured under each arm.
Griff eyed the one piece of wallpaper pasted to the wall, and grimaced. ‘It looks as though you need help with that. It’s crooked.’
‘It’s the wall that’s crooked.’
‘You should have hung a weighted piece of string from the picture rail as a guide.’
There was a moment of tension when the two men eyeballed each other, causing her to hold her breath for a second. Then it slipped past as Tim’s good-natured grin reasserted itself.
‘I’ve never hung wallpaper before. I’m better with a paint brush and roller.’ When he put the two children down Saffy immediately transferred her affections to Griff, who swung her up in his arms.
‘You’ve done an expert job on the hall,’ Griff conceded. ‘I’ll give you a hand with the papering, if you like.’
Men! Janey thought, making a dive for Justin who was heading for the bucket of paste as fast as his legs could carry him. The sight of the kitten stopped the squawk of protest he was about to give.
‘This is Fluffy. Isn’t he sweet?’
‘Fluffy?’ Griff’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline and a grin spread across his face. ‘Dad will die laughing.’
‘She’ll have him on the vet’s operating table before the month is up, you wait and see.’
‘Tarzan, then. Will that suit your machismo image better?’ Giving them a dirty look she took Saffy from Griff’s arms and stalked off. ‘I’ll get you both rugged up and we’ll walk to the village shop to buy Tarzan some food.’
She left the men to sort their idiot themselves out and as she manoeuvered the pushchair out through the front door she could still hear Griff and Tim laughing.
‘Idiots.’ he snorted.
* * * *
Pamela had just rounded the bend on her bicycle when she hit
a patch of ice, and skidded across the road into the fence surrounding Coombe Cottage. Climbing to her feet, she gazed ruefully at the twisted frame and buckled wheel.
‘Pamela! I heard the bang. Are you all right?’
‘A couple of scrapes, that’s all.’
John placed his hand under her elbow. ‘You’re trembling. You’d better come inside and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’
‘I’m all right, really,’ she protested as she allowed herself to be led inside. ‘I should have taken more care.’
It was odd being inside Coombe Cottage again, though she wouldn’t have known the place.
One wall had been lined with shelves that contained a stack of books, records, and an expensive looking record player. There were three comfortable chairs arranged around an oblong coffee table, their dark blue covers echoed in the blue checked curtains. The walls had been painted white, the floor carpeted in pale grey.
On one wall was a painting of lilies growing along the bank of a stream. She swelled with pride as she recognized it as Janey’s work. She wished all her paintings were like this. Although the one she’d seen at the big house was good, she didn’t quite understand it – nor like it half as much.
‘She’s very talented.’ John said, watching her eyes stray to it for a second time as he examined her hands. He saw her smile. ‘I’ll fetch a bowl of warm water and the first aid box. You can fix yourself up whilst I make you some tea.’
‘That’s very kind of you.’
As he went to pick up the sheets of paper he’d been studying, her glance fell on them. A puzzled frown creased her brow. Not a normal reaction, he would have thought. Curiosity yes, but puzzlement. Acting on a hunch he moved them to one side, then left her to it while he went into the kitchen.
When he came back with the bowl of water, she had one of the papers in her hand and was studying it. She flushed, and placed it back on the table. ‘I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think I was being nosy. It’s just ...’ She shrugged. ‘I guess I was being nosy. I thought I recognized the girl’s face on this one.’
‘They’re all crime victims.’
‘Yes, I know. These are newspaper cuttings from several years ago.’ She applied herself to task of bathing her wounds, her face a study of concentration.
She knows something ... or thinks she does. He waited.
‘Why have you got them?’ she said after a while.
‘Criminology is my hobby. I used to be a policeman, and then I became a private detective. Much more money in it and I liked being my own boss.’
‘I see.’ Her eyes came up to his. They were clear brown and honest, but troubled. ‘They didn’t catch the man who attacked those girls, did they?’
It was more of a statement than a question.
‘No,’ he said gently. ‘A pity since there would have been other victims too, probably unreported at the time. It’s not an easy thing for a woman to admit to, especially girls as young as these.’
‘What if ...?’ She bit her lip. ‘What if somebody knew something but hadn’t said anything?’
‘The police can be very understanding under certain circumstances.’
‘What circumstances?’
‘In the case of a husband and wife: she wouldn’t have to give evidence against her husband in court, for instance. He stood up and smiled at her. ‘The kettle must be boiling. I’ll go and make the tea.’
By the time he came back she’d finished dressing her wounds, and didn’t resume their former conversation – talking instead about the garden.
‘You should plant a lilac in the corner of the garden, right against the fence. It would look pretty, and the blossoms have a lovely perfume. Dig a big hole so it’s got plenty of room for the roots to spread out.’
She seemed ill at ease, and drank her tea quickly, obviously eager to get away.
‘I’ll drive you home.’ He waved aside her objections. ‘Janey would never forgive me if I allowed you to walk.’
She was silent in the car, her face set and pale. He hoped he’d given her something to think about. Mary Yates’ suspicions had been correct. Eddie Renfrew was involved in the rapes and Pamela either knew it, or suspected.
‘You won’t forget the lilac,’ she said as she got out of the car. ‘I’ll ask Phil to drop you one off. He’s always taking cuttings of things.’
Later, when Janey came in and fussed over her, Pamela couldn’t look her in the face. She should have guessed that Eddie had attacked Janey. He was vile! How could he have committed such a crime and allowed Jack Bellamy to take the blame?
Janey must know he’d attacked her, but she couldn’t ask her outright ... she just couldn’t!
She cried that night, her sobs muffled by the pillow. She wished she’d never heard of Edward Renfrew.
A hand touched her shoulder. ‘Mum, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?’
‘It’s nothing, go back to bed, Susie.’
‘It’s him isn’t it? My father? You’re going back to him!’
There was an undertone of fear in the accusation. ‘I won’t go, I won’t! I love it here with Janey. I’d rather die!’
‘Hush, baby, you’ll wake everyone up.’ Pamela drew back the covers and allowed Susie to slip in beside her. ‘I’ll never go back to him. Whatever gave you that idea?’
Susie shuddered as she snuggled against her mother’s shoulder. ‘I’m so glad. I couldn’t bear living with him again. He came to my room when I was asleep once, and ... and touched me.’
Blood suddenly pounded against Pamela’s eardrums. ‘Oh my, God! Susie?’
‘You know how he used to rant on about religion? He kept telling me I was a sinner and that I had to suffer. It was horrible. I put a chair under the door handle so he couldn’t get in. A normal father wouldn’t do that. He’s insane, isn’t he?’
She’d never considered that possibility, but now she began to wonder. ‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’
‘I was scared.’ Susie’s tense body began to relax. ‘He said you wouldn’t love me any more if you knew. But you do, don’t you? It wasn’t my fault.’
‘Of course I love you.’ Holding Susie in her arms while she drifted into sleep she thought of Janey, and what she must have suffered at Eddie’s hands. Hate for him glowed white-hot inside her.
Wide-awake, she carefully eased herself from the bed and made her way downstairs. The kitchen was warm, and the sight of the kitten curled against Gypsy in the basket made her smile a little.
It emerged whilst she warmed herself some milk, rubbing around her ankles and mewing. She drew it into her lap. It was so sweet and helpless, motherless and seeking love, like Janey had once been. She’d failed Janey, failed Susie, the two people she loved most in the world.
Her decision was made as soon as the thought left her mind. It was time Eddie was brought to justice!
Between them, Griff and Tim completed the redecorating in two weeks, just in time for the housewarming. There had been some good-natured rivalry between them over the past few days, and it culminated with Griff saying to Tim over lunch. ‘Now it’s finished you’ll be moving into navy quarters, no doubt.’
Tim’s eyes gleamed. ‘I don’t know what gave you that impression. I know a good billet when I see one, besides which, I adore my landlady.’ He slid his arm around Janey’s waist and pulled her to his side. ‘You’re not going be heartless enough to chuck me out, are you?’
She disentangled herself with a light laugh. ‘Not if you behave yourself.’
Tim was subjected to a hard look from Griff. ‘I’ll come over and fix up the garden whilst Tim’s at work. Dad said he’s got some shrubs that can be planted along the fence line.’
‘You’ll spoil your pretty surgeon’s hands doing manual labor,’ Tim mocked.
A smile inched across Griff’s mouth. ‘Let me worry about that. You just go and play with your battleships.’
‘Submarines ... Portland is a submarine base.’
‘Shut up, you
two! I’m trying to work out what shopping I’ll need to get for the house warming.’
‘Plenty of booze,’ Tim suggested. ‘I’ll chip in for it.’
‘I’ll help you shop, if you like,’ Griff offered. ‘We could go in the morning, early.’
Her face lit up in a smile. It was hard work shopping with two small children in tow. ‘Thanks Griff, I’d really appreciate it. You can look after the kids while I buy myself a new outfit.’
Tim snorted with laughter. ‘Typical woman ... give her an inch and she’ll take a yard.’
* * * *
Griff arrived at eight-thirty on the dot, and soon they joined the rush hour traffic into Poole, arriving just as the shops opened for business.
She bought herself a pair of black velvet pants and an embroidered waistcoat. To go under it a pearl-buttoned white silk shirt, its cuffs edged with a tracery of delicate lace. It was wildly expensive, but she hadn’t been able to resist it.
With Griff in charge Saffy and Justin suddenly became model children. They stopped for lunch before loading the contents of the loaded trolleys into the back of the car, and then headed back home. Both children fell asleep, and she deposited them on the couch whilst Griff brought in the shopping.
‘Will you stay for a cup of tea?’
‘Some other time. I have to go back into town. I’ll see you tomorrow night.’
Looping his grey scarf about his neck she gazed at him. ‘Thanks for all your help, Griff.’
He brushed his lips across her forehead. ‘I enjoyed it.’ Then he was gone, his long legs taking him rapidly down the driveway. He turned at the bottom, blew her a kiss and disappeared from view.
Half an hour later the telephone rang and a woman enquired. ‘Is Tim there?’
‘He’ll be in about five-thirty. If you leave your name and number I’ll ask him to call you.’
‘It’s Wendy, Janey. It’s just ... well, I haven’t seen Tim in ages.’
‘I’m having a house warming party tomorrow. Why don’t you come? Bring your boyfriend. Tim told me you’re practically engaged.’
‘Not any more, we’ve split.’