I met Pete back in the kitchen. “I was thinking,” he said. “Once we’ve sold this place, we’ll need to decide where to from here. Shall we look at buying another New Zealand property or do you think we could go home?”
“To the UK?” I cried. “I thought you said we could stay here a year before we had to decide?”
“I did, but your mum doesn’t seem too bad. Maybe we could suggest it to her, what do you think?”
I shrugged my shoulders, suddenly feeling flat.
“All I need to do is the driveway and I’ve already booked the digger driver for next week. Then we’ll be able to put the place on the market. Fastest turnaround to date.” He appeared chuffed with himself.
“Would you mind very much if I said I’d rather stay in New Zealand for a while longer?”
“Of course not. The house might not sell right away, anyway.”
“I can’t see that, to be honest.” I glanced around at the stunning kitchen. “It’s gorgeous now and quite unique. Can’t we just live in it a while longer and enjoy it? I’m sick and tired of living in a building site.”
He pursed his lips to the side. “I don’t know. What on earth would I do with myself?”
“Have a break! It’s not as if we can’t afford it. Maybe in a couple of months Mum might be in a better place and we could look at returning home then.”
“I would’ve thought you’d jump at the chance of getting rid of this place, to be honest.”
“I know. But I can’t stand the thought of it right now. It’s the only connection I have with Dad.”
“It wouldn’t be because you think there might be a chance of finding the missing gold would it?”
“As if. But what would happen if we did happen to find it?”
“We’d need to tell the police, of course. I mean, what would we do with a shitload of gold bars?”
“Surely we could keep some of it? I think we deserve to keep some, considering.”
“This is by the by, babe. But, if we did happen on twenty million pounds worth of stolen gold, I can’t see the authorities agreeing to let you keep any of it.”
“I wasn’t meaning we ask them for compensation—I mean we only hand some of it over. Keep the rest.”
He barked out a laugh. “Seems the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”
“What do you mean?” I could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully.
“Just spit it out.”
“Your entire family embezzled a huge amount of gold supposedly and you’re talking about doing the same if we found it. Am I married to a master criminal?”
I punched his arm playfully. “Sod off! I just think… If they’ve not missed it…” I shrugged.
Pete grinned and shook his head. “My wife, the tealeaf.”
“I am not a thief. It’s just a case of finders keepers.”
“Surely that’s not legal?”
“It is. I googled it.”
“Then it must be true.” He shook his head.
“It says morally anything of value you find should be handed in, but legally, unless the legal owner could be traced from it, like a mobile phone, or a handbag, then it’s not illegal to keep it.”
“Not in this case, Hilda. I mean, we’re not talking a fistful of cash, are we? If we stumbled across the amount of gold your mum suggested then legally we have no choice but to inform the police.”
“I hope we don’t find it then. It won’t do us any good and instead, it will shame my family. Who knows, Mum and Neil might even be charged.”
“Not necessarily. It was never reported so if we found it, who would the police return it to?”
“I dunno.”
“Eventually it would have to be returned to us, surely?”
“Do you think?”
He laughed and pushed his chair backwards. “I doubt it. We’re not that lucky. If we want to be millionaires, we need to do it the old fashioned way. People like us don’t get lucky.”
Chapter 32
“Hello, stranger,” I said, after opening the door to Neil.
“Hi, Hilda. Sorry, I’ve had a funny few days.” He stepped inside.
“I’ll put the kettle on and you can tell us all about it over a cup of tea.”
Mum’s face lit up when Neil joined her in the new lounge. He kissed her cheek and sat beside her on the two-seater sofa we’d brought through from the snug. She told him about her painting and seemed particularly with it and upbeat. I wondered if the diet was having an effect or if it was just coincidence. In any case, I was more determined than ever to keep it up.
“Here we go.” I placed three mugs of coffee on the occasional table beside them and plonked myself down on the bean-bag opposite.
“Thanks, Hilda. Is Pete not around?”
“He’s popped into town for something or other. He can’t sit still for more than five minutes.”
“He was always the same as a lad,” Mum said.
I glanced at Neil and he just grinned.
“So, tell us, what’s been happening with you? We’ve missed you, haven’t we, Mum?”
She nodded and reached for his hand.
“Well, last time I was here I had an accident.”
We both gasped.
“A dog ran out in front of my car and I hit him—thought I’d killed him to be honest.”
“Blimey. I take it you didn’t kill him, then?”
“No. It was touch and go for a few days there. He’d lost a lot of blood, but he’s out of the woods now. He has a plate in his leg to fix a nasty break. I’ve been trying to track down his owners—he wasn’t microchipped, you see.”
“And nobody’s come forward? Seems strange. What breed of dog is he?”
“He’s a mongrel, I think. Friendly, though. In fact, he’s very well trained.”
“Sounds like you might have got yourself a companion.”
“No can do. I’m allergic to dogs and cats. Theo licked my face and I was covered in a rash almost immediately. Hence the reason I hibernated for days.”
“I love dogs. I always wanted one, but your dad didn’t like them,” Mum said. “Or should I say they didn’t like him. Pheromones apparently.”
I widened my eyes at Neil, amazed Mum was conversing normally for a change.
“Oh, good,” Neil said. “Because that was my next question.” His eyes darted between Mum and me. “I wondered if there’s any chance Theo can stay here for a few days—just till we locate his owners.”
“Here?” My stomach flipped. I’d never had a dog before.
Neil nodded.
Mum looked at me excitedly and placed her hands together in a praying motion. “Can we, Hilly-billy? Please?”
It was hard to resist. “Gosh, Mum, I don’t know. Maybe we should meet him first?”
She jumped to her feet and excitedly pulled Neil up too. “Let’s go now. I can’t wait.”
“Okay, okay,” Neil laughed. “He’s just in the car. But we can’t get him excited. I’m under strict instructions to make him rest until his leg heals fully, but he doesn’t seem fazed by it.”
We trudged down the hallway and outside.
Neil, in front, took a pair of gloves from his pocket and pulled them onto his hands. “I can’t even touch him without breaking out in hives.”
Neil’s small green Toyota was shuddering and bouncing where it was parked on the driveway.
“What have you got in there, a horse?” I said, laughing.
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” He tentatively opened the back door and placed a hand inside before allowing it to swing up. “Meet Theo.”
I wasn’t expecting to feel anything for the mutt. I’d never been an animal lover, never had any desire to care for a pet of any kind. But something about the scruffy, curly-haired little dog melted my heart. He was adorable, with short mottled-grey and white curls on his body and two huge floppy brown ears. I couldn’t even see his eyes amongst all the hair. He didn’t appear bothered by the fact one of his fr
ont legs was bound in a bright blue plaster cast.
Mum was instantly smitten. She dropped to her knees beside him and allowed the boisterous pooch to lick her face.
Just then, Pete pulled up beside us. “Who’s this, then?” he asked, getting out of his car. He also crouched down and made a fuss of Theo.
“Maybe our new house guest,” I ventured. “What do you think?”
He straightened up, a puzzled expression on his face. “What are you talking about?”
“Neil needs someone to care for this little fella until they find his owners. I think Mum’s pretty smitten, what do you think?”
He shrugged. “Don’t mind, so long as he’s housetrained?” He looked at Neil, who nodded his head vigorously.
“Yes, totally housetrained. He’s a good dog,” Neil said. Not wasting any time, as he opened the passenger door of his car and pulled out a huge brown cushion, two bowls and a chew stick.
“Do you get the feeling we’ve been played?” Pete laughed, taking the leash Neil held towards him and bending to fasten it to Theo’s collar.
A short time later, Theo was ensconced in the lounge, curled up next to Mum on the carpet as though he’d always lived there.
“Neil, Mum told us about the missing gold,” I said, taking advantage of the fact Mum was occupied.
“What missing gold?”
“Come off it. I know all about it. You might as well drop the act.”
“I honestly have no idea what you’re on about.”
“The forty-two gold bars the lot of you pilfered when you worked at the mine.”
But he was adamant. “I told you the other week when she first mentioned it—there is no gold. She’s confused. The security was so tight back then you couldn’t get away with pinching a teeny nugget, never mind forty-two gold bars. She’s having you on.”
“She certainly seemed believable. I was even thinking it could’ve been the reason Dad was killed.”
“Sorry, love. I was in charge of the finance department and I would’ve known if anyone had stolen anything—everything had to balance. Believe me, it didn’t happen. I’m not being funny, but she probably watched a movie or something—who knows what influences can convince our brains something happened? Either that or she just has an over-active imagination.”
Mum crawled across the carpet to the sofa and sat beside Neil. “It did happen. They were all in on it.”
“Who was in on it, Eliza? I certainly wasn’t.”
“You were the only one who wasn’t. Wendy said you were too straight-laced, so they kept it from you. The rest of them worked together. They stole forty-two bars over ten years. It was agreed nobody would touch it, cash it in, etcetera, until we’d definitely got away with it. Declan was the only one who knew where it was hidden. His mum found it, I suspect. She was angry and warned us all we would be locked up if they didn’t stop. After that, everyone began to get tetchy—wanting their share. Then, within a few months, Declan and his parents were dead. They’d been the only ones to know where the gold had been hidden. It almost drove us all mad.”
Neil sat staring at Mum with his eyes boggling and his mouth agape. “My Wendy knew about it?”
Mum nodded, apologetically.
“I don’t get it. How could they have skimmed off so much gold without alerting anyone? It doesn’t make sense.” Neil scratched his head.
“I don’t know the ins and outs of it—I didn’t even work there. But I know that, between them, they scammed the system. It happened, Neil. I can assure you of that.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Neil jumped to his feet and Theo barked at him, hobbling to Mum’s side before Pete or I could respond.
“I’m sorry, Neil. It’s nothing against you. If anything, it proves what a stand-up bloke you are.”
“This is utter tosh. Wendy wouldn’t have been involved in anything like that. I know my own wife, for goodness sake.” He stomped out.
Mum looked as though she was about to cry.
“Don’t worry, Mum. He’s just upset. He’ll be back.” Although, as I said the words, I wasn’t sure.
I followed Neil out and caught up with him as he got behind the wheel of his car.
He shut the door and started the engine before winding his window down. “It’s not true, Hilda. Wendy wasn’t a crook. I won’t have her name sullied like that.”
“It’s okay. I don’t know if Mum is mistaken or if it did actually happen, and, without the gold, we’ll never really know. Don’t take offence, she didn’t mean to upset you.”
He rubbed his face, then raked his fingers through his hair. “I know. I just need to be alone for a time. Are you sure you’re okay with me leaving Theo for a few days?”
“He’ll be fine. Mum’s quite taken with him.”
“I’ll call in tomorrow. Apologise to Eliza and Pete for me. I didn’t mean to offend them by storming out like that.”
“No apologies needed. Pete won’t care and Mum won’t remember. See you tomorrow, Neil.”
Chapter 33
Theo’s barks woke me in the middle of the night.
I groaned and slid out of bed, heading in the direction of the racket.
Mum was beside herself, pacing the floor. She looked distraught.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, puzzled by the funny little dog, who was barking at what appeared to be nothing in the corner of Mum’s bedroom.
“He was growling for ages and then he just went mad,” she said, wringing her hands. “The warden will be around soon and we’ll end up in solitary confinement.”
I pulled Theo out of the corner by his collar and tried to distract him, but he kept going back. Something was definitely bothering him. “I’ll take him into the lounge, Mum. He’ll have Pete awake at this rate.”
Theo reluctantly followed me into the lounge and jumped onto his cushion, clearly buzzing about something. “Now settle down, boy or you’ll be out on the deck, quick smart.” I stroked his head and he looked at me comically, one of his humongous ears folded inside out. “And you can quit it with all this cuteness—it won’t wash with me.” I kissed the top of his head.
Mum was back in bed, the quilt pulled up high. I’d not sensed anything spooky for a while, but the dog had given me the heebie jeebies, so I raced back to my own bed.
“What’s all the noise?” Pete asked, startling the hell out of me.
“Theo. Our over-vigilant guard dog.”
“What’s he guarding against?”
I slid into bed and placed my chilly feet onto Pete’s toasty ones. “Nothing I could see, but something had him rattled.”
“Not another bloody ghost whisperer, for god’s sake.”
Wide awake, I lay staring at the ceiling, thinking about Neil’s reaction to the supposed stolen gold. Maybe Mum had made it up. I didn’t know how someone’s mind worked with dementia—I knew they forgot stuff, but could they invent stuff too? I suppose they could.
It was all very far-fetched. And, if it had been true, surely Wendy wouldn’t have kept it from her husband for ten whole years. Why would she even want to? To cash in her share would certainly be life changing—not something she could keep under wraps for very long.
Could Neil have been lying?
I didn’t think so. His reaction had seemed genuine, but he could’ve been acting, I guess. Maybe the shattered photograph frame highlighting Neil’s face had meant he was the only trustworthy one of the bunch, and not the opposite, as I’d taken it.
Then there was still the mystery of the key to solve. Maybe Neil would know what it was from? I’d ask him tomorrow.
I woke to Theo’s barks once again and groaned. Forcing my eyes open, I reluctantly dragged myself from the bed and out into the hallway. Once again, I found Theo with Mum in her bedroom.
“He won’t shut up,” she said, trying to pull him out of the corner.
“How did he get back in here?”
“He was waiting behind the door when I came through earlier a
nd he rushed into my room.”
I took hold of Theo’s collar and led him back through to the lounge and outside across the deck into the back garden. He cocked his leg against a tree almost immediately.
Mum followed. “Ah, that’s what was wrong with him. He was busting for the loo.”
“That seems to be the case. Thank goodness he didn’t christen the new carpet or Pete would go ballistic. At least Theo is housetrained but I think we might need training in the art of caring for a dog, Mother.”
She laughed. “Theo will train us. He seems like a pro.”
I looked down at Theo, who had hobbled back over to us and was now seated beside us, looking up as though he had a broad smile on his face. “He sure does.”
True to his word, Neil arrived that afternoon and he was back to his usual self. Mum, as predicted, didn’t seem to remember what had happened yesterday and ushered him through to the living room.
“How was Theo’s first night?”
“A little noisy. But we think we’ve worked out why,” she said bashfully. “He needed a toilet break.”
“Aww, so the poor little guy was cross-legged there for a while then, I take it?”
Mum nodded and giggled.
“I hope he didn’t make a mess?”
“Not at all. He was the perfect gentleman, weren’t you, boy?”
Theo placed his chin on Mum’s knee and gazed up at her adoringly, his short tail wagging non-stop.
“Yes, we need to get into a better routine with him.” I perched on the arm of the sofa. “We didn’t let him outside before we went to bed. It just didn’t even occur to me.”
“Oh, heck. Then it’s a wonder there were no puddles this morning. I’m not sure I would’ve been so gentlemanly.” He laughed. “Where’s Pete?”
“In the shower. He was covered in paint.”
“I noticed he’s painted the side of the house. It’s looking good. When are you putting it on the market?”
“Putting what on the market?” Mum asked, suddenly serious.
“Erm…” Neil turned to me, clearly worried he’d put his foot in it, and rightly so.
Legacy of Lies- The Haunting of Hilda Page 14