by Mona Marple
“There aren‘t any drinks.“ Graeme replied. “We‘re the only people here, there‘s no cafe!“
Priscilla sighed, but her eyes closed again immediately.
Sandy searched the room with her eyes for Teddy, to find him sitting by the far wall, his body curled into a ball.
Tom returned, his cheeks rosy from the cold temperature outside. “The boats are still not running. There‘s basically nothing they can do until the weather calms down.“
Sandy gulped then plastered on a false smile. “It‘s down to us then.“
Tom shook his head. “I‘m out of my depth here, Sand. All I wanted was a quiet couple of days with you.“
She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Me too. But that poor woman deserves justice, Tom, and I think I can work it out.“
“Oh, I know you can work it out. You‘re amazing, Sandy Shaw.“ He said with a grin.
She flashed a smile at him, then addressed the others. “I‘d like to speak to Jeff next. Follow me, please.“
The first thing that happened when Jeff stood up was that he let out an awful howl, a primitive, mournful sound that Sandy at first thought was Lady Margaret‘s ghost arriving. The second thing was that he lost consciousness and fell, face first, onto the hard stone floor.
Eli was the first to dive to his assistance. He dragged Jeff into a sitting position, went in his man-bag where he had a bottle of water, and threw some in his face. Jeff became conscious within moments with a splutter. The First Aid technique had been unusual, but effective.
“Damn it Jeff.“ Eli grunted as his brother panted in his arms on the floor. “You scared the life out of me.“
Sandy noted that Devon and Trixie watched the scene from their seats. She gave Jeff a few minutes to recover, then lead him into the office room, where he fell into the chair and immediately closed his eyes.
“Jeff, I‘m really worried about you.“ Sandy admitted. The comment made him open his eyes and look at her. “I think you‘re in shock.“
“Does that mean I‘m not a suspect?“ He asked. His voice was low and timid.
“Not necessarily. You could be in shock because you did it.“ Sandy explained. She had no basis for that theory but it seemed to make sense to her that a person could act in the moment and then go into shock afterwards, with regret.
Jeff gave her a panicked look. “I would never hurt my mom.“
“I don‘t think you did.“ Sandy admitted. “But I‘m going to find out who it was. Your mom deserves that, doesn‘t she?“
“Of course she does. She was my greatest role model. Everything I‘ve achieved is because of her.“
Sandy smiled at him. “And what have you achieved?“
The question seemed to puzzle him. “I have a beautiful daughter.“
“What do you do for work?“
“I‘m a manager of a supermarket.“
“Okay.“ Sandy said, with surprise. She had assumed he was a house-husband when Eli had commented on Devon being the breadwinner.
“It‘s not glamorous or well-paid, but it‘s good honest work. I like it.“ Jeff said. “And with Devon gone so much at the lab, one of us needed to take a back seat.“
“What did your mum think about that choice?“
“She supported every choice I‘ve ever made.“
“She didn‘t think a man should be the breadwinner?“
“Not at all. She‘s always been the breadwinner and she‘s raised us to know that men and women are equal.“
“She must have got on well with Devon, since they‘re both strong, professional women.“
“They didn‘t have the easiest relationship.“ Jeff said. “In fact, my mom struggled with all of our partners.“
“Really?“ Sandy asked.
Jeff nodded. “I don‘t know why. She made them very welcome, well, she made most of them welcome.“
“But she didn‘t make Devon welcome?“
“Oh! She made Devon more welcome than Devon wanted to be. Her real issue was with Meghan.“
“Eli‘s ex?“
Jeff nodded. “It‘s not my place to gossip about that.“
“This is a murder investigation.“ Sandy said, the force in her tone surprising her and Jeff. “I need you to tell me about her problem with Meghan.“
Jeff let out a long sigh. “Meghan had an affair.“
“Oh, wow.“
“Yeah. It was a one-off, with a work colleague. The thing is, Meghan had been the perfect daughter-in-law. Like, we would joke that there were four children, because Meghan and Eli were childhood sweethearts. Mom adored her. So, when it happened, Meghan told mom before Eli. She didn‘t know what to do.“
“I‘m guessing your mum told Eli?“
“Oh, she didn‘t tell Eli. She said it was family business and she arranged a family meeting. Everyone was there. Not Devon, she‘s never gone to a family meeting. But everyone else. And that‘s how Eli found out. Meghan told him she had had an affair and wanted a divorce.“
“A divorce? Why would she...“
“Mom had told her there was no other choice.“ Jeff explained. “She felt so betrayed. I mean, she‘d got Devon who was never going to really be that into family business, and then Priscilla who was constantly trying to one-up her, but she‘d got the one perfect daughter-in-law. She couldn‘t stand the betrayal. Meghan had to leave the family.“
“But surely that wasn‘t her decision to make?“
Jeff shrugged. “Eli was devastated, Meghan was devastated. Hamm went completely off the rails. And then, this trip was mentioned, and it was funny because mom and Meghan had always spoken about this trip - since we were teenagers. So mom decides to finally arrange it, and she includes Meghan in the eMail and books her a ticket, and it‘s like nobody dare mention it because she‘d been cast out of the family by then - none of us could speak to her. The day before we leave, mom sends this eMail around saying she‘s made an awful mistake and included someone in the booking who isn‘t family.“
“Meghan.“
“Exactly.“ Jeff said as he shook his head.
“Did Eli want her to come?“
“Are you kidding me?“ Jeff asked. “She‘s the only girl he‘s ever kissed. He worships the ground she walks on.“
“That story doesn‘t make your mom sound too great.“ Sandy said. “Was it like your mom to be so harsh?“
“I wouldn‘t say she‘s the one in the story who looks bad.“ Jeff said. “Meghan had an affair, remember. Mom was standing up for Eli because she knew he was so in love with Meghan that he wouldn‘t see straight.“
“Okay.“ Sandy said. “So, your mom was clearly very involved in your lives still. How did Devon and Priscilla feel about that?“
“Devon really didn‘t say a whole lot about it.“ Jeff admitted. “She‘s very independent. I think, if anything, it amuses her. Priscilla found it a lot harder to handle. I think she saw mom as competition in some way. If mom was hosting a barbecue on Saturday, Priscilla would host one on Sunday and try and make hers bigger and better. Silly things like that.“
“Do you think Priscilla had the motive to want your mom dead?“
Jeff pondered the question. “I couldn‘t say.“
“So, it‘s not a no?“
Jeff squeezed the top of his nose between his fingers. “If you‘d asked me yesterday if anyone wanted my mom dead, I‘d have been more definite. Today, it seems someone did want her dead. And I don‘t know who that could be.“
“How‘s your marriage, Jeff?“ Sandy asked.
The change in questioning made Jeff release his nose and open his eyes wide. “I don‘t want to answer that question.“
“That‘s fine.“ Sandy said. “The refusal to answer probably tells me everything I need to know. The people with happy marriages usually want to gush about them all the time.“
Jeff winced. “The people who gush about the happy times are often the ones who can‘t survive the hard times. My wife and I are very different people, and we‘
re very aware of each other‘s weaknesses. I believe we love each other, and we made a beautiful daughter together, and I‘ll take that kind of steady commitment over the highs and lows some people have.“
Sandy nodded and allowed a smile to spread across her face. “I like that. I could go for that type of love myself.“
“Well, the man you‘re with, he clearly loves you.“ Jeff said.
Sandy felt herself blush. “Oh, Tom, we‘re...“
Jeff shrugged. “He looks at you the way I used to look at Devon. Not like he fancies you - that‘s what you say over here, isn‘t it? Not like he fancies you, but like he sees your soul and is connected to it. It‘s a good way to love.“
“You‘re very wise.“ Sandy said. She was stunned by how different the McVeigh brothers each were, and how much she had warmed to each of them in turn. “Your mother clearly taught you well.“
“Ah.“ Jeff said, as a huge smile transformed his face. “She taught me that I could do anything in the world I wanted to do, and I‘ve chosen to stay in the background and let my wife chase the glory. That‘s not an easy choice for a man to make, but I know my mom was proud of me for having the courage to make that choice, and I know my daughter and I have made some memories I‘ll cherish forever.“
Sandy smiled. “Sounds good.“
“Thank you.“
“So, Jeff, who do you think killed your mom?“ Sandy asked, the question not surprising Jeff as much as she had expected it to. He actually laughed in response.
“You‘re good!“ He exclaimed. “Good cop, bad cop, all in one person. Okay, who do I think it was? I guess I have to take a guess?“
“Answer however you want.“ Sandy said.
“Hmm.“ He pondered. “I think it was Graeme O‘Connell.“
“Because he isn‘t family?“
“Well, there is that, but I worry that mom was too open with people about her wealth. It caused unwanted attention at times. She always had pretend third-cousins twice removed asking for money. She even had a stalker once. She‘d send personal eMails from the company account, and I told her not to because I knew the places she enquired would be raising the prices as soon as they realised who she was. I think Graeme McConnell saw that she was a rich lady and decided to kill her so he can sue her estate for the stress he‘ll have suffered.“
Sandy took a moment to process the bizarre theory. “Why would he be so motivated by money that he would kill a stranger?“
“Gambling debts.“ Jeff said.
“You know that how?“
“I know how to spot a gambler. He acts just like my brother."
10
“I have a suspect.” Sandy whispered to Tom. She had told the visitors to take a lunch break and they had all, to her surprise, obeyed. Each one had a backpack with pre-packed sandwiches, crisps and bottles of pop. Eli had an apple and what was left of his water after splashing Jeff. Priscilla had woken up and lay across Teddy’s lap sobbing.
“Who?” Tom asked. They were the only ones without a packed lunch due to their last minute decision to do the tour.
“Teddy.”
Tom raised an eyebrow but made no response.
“He did it for the money. He has no income, needs a big cash injection to launch his political career and, it turns out, he has gambling debt.”
“Wow.” Tom breathed. “Money can do awful things to a person. Would he really kill his mum, though? I mean, look at him, he’s devastated.”
“They’re all devastated.” Sandy said. “And it’s only a theory. I haven’t spoken to everyone yet. Anything interesting happened out here?”
“I don’t know.” Tom said. “I keep thinking, how would I react if someone I loved was killed in front of me. I don’t even know what would be strange behaviour in that situation.”
“True.” Sandy said. She thought back to the day she and Coral were told that their mother had died. Coral had wept, while Sandy had closed herself in her bedroom and felt her body grow numb. There were no tears, not until the funeral.
She gazed around the room at the family and realised they didn’t look like one. They had lost their anchor and were drifting, separately, out to sea.
Teddy’s face was soaked from silent tears that dripped from his chin onto his wife’s hair. He seemed entirely unaware that she was there.
One thing was clear. Whoever had committed this act knew that Marlene McVeigh was central to the family and that their action would change the family forever.
“Priscilla?” Sandy called. The woman had made no attempt to eat so leaving her interview longer seemed pointless. “Can you follow me?”
Priscilla pushed herself off her husband’s lap, then turned towards him. “No, honey, I’m fine, I’ll do this alone.”
Sandy frowned at her inappropriate sarcasm and lead her into the office room. She wondered if Priscilla would win her over like the others had.
“Priscilla, you seem devastated by what’s happened. You must have been very close to your mother-in-law?” Sandy asked.
Priscilla rolled her eyes, which had grown bloodshot from all of her crying. “I couldn’t stand her.”
“They’re strong words.”
“Not strong enough. I hated her. I hated everything about her.”
“Can you tell me why? What did she do to you?”
“She made it impossible to have a normal marriage, that’s what she did. All three of them are as bad as each other, well, Eli’s a little stronger, but Jeff and Teddy, they worshipped her. She said it’s dinner at hers on a Friday, and it doesn’t matter what plans I already had with my husband, it’s dinner at hers. I’ve lived that way for years, being second best to her, and nobody else could see it.”
“Does Teddy know how you feel?”
“Of course he does. And he will tell me to my face; he’ll say, don’t start this fight because you won’t win. So basically, if he had to choose, he’d have chosen her, not me. It’s the reason we don’t have kids.”
“How so?”
“I don’t like being second best. Trust me, I have been a pampered princess my whole life, and I wanted a prince to come and rescue me and protect me. I’ve ended up with a man who will give me attention if his mother doesn’t need him. But if I have a baby, it will be Marlene, then the baby, then me. And I refuse to go any lower than second place.”
“Did Marlene want you to have children?”
Priscilla let out a breath. “Not really. She was very into women’s rights, so to be fair to her, she wouldn’t have ever put pressure on a woman to have a family.”
“Okay. It sounds, Priscilla, like it was a fairly turbulent relationship between the two of you. That’s a brave thing to come in and admit in a murder investigation, isn’t it?”
“Oh please, our feelings for each other were pretty obvious. I’m sure everyone who has come in here has already told you what I have, why would I lie? At the end of the day, she was a woman who couldn’t let her sons grow up, and now they’re going to have to learn how to.”
“You could say that her being killed makes your future look brighter?”
“If it doesn’t send my husband completely insane, yes, I could say that.” Priscilla admitted. Her honesty was startling.
“Are you happy she’s dead?” Sandy asked.
Priscilla let out a small laugh. “I’ve dreamed about this day for years. The day when she’s out of the picture and it’s just me and Teddy to live our life. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to have a family, or move more than five miles away from the McMansion. We can be free to be husband and wife.”
“Why the upset out there?” Sandy asked. “All of the tears?”
“I love my husband.” Priscilla said as she twirled her wedding ring around and around her slender finger. “I can imagine how heartbroken he is today, and part of me has wondered if he’d be so upset if it was me killed, not her. That’s an awful thought, you know.”
“You’ve not been crying for her, have you?”
“I’ve never cried for that woman and I won’t start now. I’m crying for myself, because she’s out of the picture but she’s still the only person he can see!” Priscilla shouted.
“His mother’s just been killed, Priscilla. Surely you can understand.”
“Maybe I’ve been too understanding for too long.” Priscilla said. She crossed her arms and met Sandy’s gaze. Her eyes were blank, emotionless. Sandy tried to disguise the shiver that ran through her spine.
“Did you kill her?” Sandy asked, hoping that Priscilla couldn’t hear the shake in her voice as she asked the question. “Did you do this to get her out of the way so you could have Teddy to yourself?”
Priscilla laughed again. “Is that your theory? That I come in here and tell you exactly what my motive was, if I did it?”
“You haven’t answered the question.”
“The family would love it if it was me. They’ve wanted rid of me for years because I don’t sit quietly like Devon does. Poor Meghan was as perfect as perfect can be and they still booted her out, and me? I just won’t go. I keep turning up, day after day to help Marlene bake and run her around and take her lunch on busy days at work. I keep trying, even though I know I’m getting it wrong. I know that trying so hard is getting it wrong. But I can’t stop myself. You know they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Well, the way to my husband’s heart is through his mother’s.”
Sandy pictured the dagger sticking out of Marlene’s back. The dagger that, in the darkness, had managed to pierce Marlene’s heart. She shuddered.
“You still haven’t answered the question. I’ll let the police know that you dodged that question and that you have a strong hatred for your mother-in-law.” Sandy explained. She looked down and made notes on her pad, an opportunity for Priscilla to strike her. But Priscilla remained still in her chair.
“Is that it?” Priscilla asked.
“No, I have some more questions.” Sandy said. “What was Marlene’s relationship with the other relatives like?”
“She was loved by them all.” Priscilla said. “Which doesn’t make things look good for me, does it?”
“Even Devon?” Sandy asked. “If you’re innocent Priscilla, you need to give me some information to help yourself.”