Dark Room

by Minette Walters

  Betty's eyes bulged in her powdered face. "My husband's going to hear about this. You've got a right nerve talking to me like that."

  "What an excellent idea. Why don't we phone Mr. Kingsley now? I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that his wife has engaged in a drunken brawl with a nurse at the Nightingale Clinic."

  Tears coursed down the grotesque face. "I need to see Jinx," she wept. "Please let me see my daughter." But she seemed to realize that tears weren't going to win her any sympathy, so she took a deep breath, patted her hair, and pulled her coat straight. "There you are. That's better, isn't it? I won't cause no trouble, not if you let me see her." She dabbed at her eyes and fixed a pathetically roguish smile to her lips. "Cheerful as anything. Don't take no mind of what I said earlier." She patted Amy's arm. "I didn't mean anything by it, dear. I've got a cruel mouth sometimes. Are you going to let me see Jinx? Please, it's that important."

  Veronica mellowed a little. "What is so important that it can't wait till tomorrow, Mrs. Kingsley?"

  "Meg and Leo," she said. "Me and the boys read they'd been murdered, but her Daddy's refusing to do anything about it. Seems to me someone should give the poor kid a cuddle, even if it is only me."

  Veronica agreed with her, and if she thought it a little odd that Betty had waited twelve hours and got herself drunk before she put the idea into practice, she didn't say anything. Instead she sent Amy down to find out if Jinx was still awake, before escorting Betty to number 12 and leaving the two women together with the door wide open. "I'll be just along the corridor," she informed them. ' 'You have fifteen minutes, Mrs. Kingsley, and I do not expect to hear any raised voices. Is that understood?''

  Betty waited till she'd gone, then gave a disparaging sniff. "She's a right bitch, that one." She staggered to a chair and collapsed into it, staring morosely at her stepdaughter, who was already in bed. "I suppose someone's told you Meg and Leo are dead."

  Jinx hid her dismay. "Who brought you, Betty?"

  "I made Jenkins do it." She waved a meaty hand towards the door. "He's waiting outside."

  "Does Adam know you've come?"

  "Course not." She shook her head. "He's in London. The shares have been sliding all day. He's trying to repair the damage."

  "I saw it on the news."

  "Oh my, my. You're a cool one. Always were." She blew her nose. "D'you know why they're sliding? Because Leo's dead and Russell's dead, and fingers are pointing."

  Jinx watched her for a moment. "It won't affect you or the boys," she said calmly. "The company's sound and Adam won't let the slide continue indefinitely. Your shares will go back up again, so you won't lose out."

  "And how's your precious Adam going to stop the slide?" she hissed, her little eyes like flints. "You tell me that. There's me and the boys worrying ourselves sick, while you and your daddy behave as if nothing's happened."

  "If necessary, he'll resign." A small frown creased her forehead. "You know that as well as I do. It's what he's always said he would do in a crisis."

  "And where will that leave us?"

  "With all the shares Adam gave you ten years ago."

  Betty took out a compact and floured her ravaged face. "No," she said tightly, "it'll leave me with no home to call my own. It's not ours, remember, belongs to the company. An asset-that's what they call it, isn't it? Did you think of that when you brought this crisis on our heads? If your daddy resigns we lose the Hall. The boys'll be out of a job, and none of us'll have a roof over our heads. What've you got to say to that?"

  "I'd say it means you've sold your shares and you're afraid Adam's going to wash his hands of you." Jinx rested her head against her pillows. "And about time, too. He deserves better than three dead weights who know only how to drag him down. You should all be standing by him, instead of crying about what's going to happen to you." She smiled to herself. "Do you know what? When you came in, I thought, my God, one of them has come to hold my hand. One of them has come to say, 'We believe in you, Jinxy. We know you must be going through hell, but we're here for you.' What a mug, eh? Why on earth should I have imagined for one minute that you or your good-for-nothing bastards could change the habits of a lifetime?"

  "Don't you call my sons bastards."

  "Why not?" said Jinx, pressing the bell beside her bed. "It's what they are. You've never been a wife to my father."

  Betty's eyes filled with tears again. "I hated you the first time I saw you."

  "I know. You always made that very clear."

  "You hated me, too."

  "Because you were so stupid." She turned to Veronica Gordon, who had appeared in the doorway. "My stepmother's leaving," she said.

  "I did my best," said Betty. "I wanted to love you."

  "No, you didn't. You wanted to displace me. Jealousy is a disease with you. You knew damned well that Adam loved me far more than he would ever love you."

  She smiled coldly, and Veronica found herself reassessing every opinion she'd ever had of the young woman. This was no dewy-eyed victim, she thought.

  MEMO

  From: Det. Supt. Cheever

  To: C.C.

  Date: Wednesday, 29th June, 1994

  Re: Wallader/Harris

  Detailed below is all relevant information, as of 09:00 hours today.

  · Despite extensive inquiries, we can find no witnesses to an individual wearing bloodstained clothes in the vicinity of Ardingly Woods on 12/13/14 June. Ho weapon has been found. Reports of several oars in the area, but no effective leads. (NB: Forensic examination of Jane Kingsley's oar reveals no bloodstains)

  · Wallader 4 Harris's personal effects have been located at 55 Eaglet on Street, Chelsea.

  · Wallader"s two cars have been located. One at Eagleton Street and the other in a rented garage in Camden. Harris's car was located in the street outside number 35. All three cars are undergoing forensic examination today, but a preliminary examination revealed nothing of significance.

  · A reading of Harris's diaries, in conjunction with the evidence of friends and relations, suggests that Harris & Wallader had an ongoing, if spasmodic, sexual relationship for some eleven years. In addition, it is now clear that Harris was sexually involved with Russell Landy both before and during his marriage to Jane Kingsley.

  · There is evidence that Harris had an abortion in February 1984, some five days aifter Landy's murder, although it is unclear who the father was. Some indication that it may not have been Wallader or Landy. Her diaries reveal a promiscuous personality, as borne out by her brother's evidence.

  · There remain question marks over the Harris family. Clear indication of tension, neither Simon nor Rev. H. had much time for Meg, with both expressing preference for Jane Kingsley (bizarre in the circumstances); Mrs. H., on the other hand, seems overly fond of Meg and angry/jealous (?) of Jane.

  · A twenty-five-year-old psychological assessment of Wallader, supplied by his mother, describes a child with a severe personality disorder.

  · The Walladers mention an argument on Monday, May 30, during which Leo claimed he planned to marry Meg instead. He phoned later that evening to warn his parents not to say anything until he gave them the go-ahead. In the event, the go-ahead was not given until Saturday, June 11, although Sir Anthony & Lady W. cannot account for the delay.

  · Current estimate of Wallader's wealth, held in property, stocks and shares, and gold: Ł1.1 million. According to his solicitor, Wallader consistently refused to make a Will, so there is none in existence.

  · Harris informed her parents of events on Saturday, June 11. On the same day she also phoned her business partner and two friends, with the information. We can find no one who was privy to the facts prior to Saturday, June 11. She told her business partner she would be in the offtoe on Monday, June 13. (NB: Harris's diary entries are erratic. There are empty weeks, followed by a day, or days, fully recorded. There are no entries after Monday, May 18, and no mention of Leo Wallader, by name, since December 1993, when she writes that after all th
ese years she has finally introduced Leo to Jinx.)

  · According to her partner, she did not visit her office on Monday, June 13.

  · NB: Entry in Harris's diary, following Kingsley's marriage to Landy, reads as follows: "Since becoming unattainable, Russell is so much more attractive." Echoed, in April 1994, by the following: "Jinx tells me she is taking the plunge again. I knew I would live to regret that introduction."

  · According to Mr. & Mrs. Kingsley's statements of Tuesday, June 14 (following Jane Kingsley's accident), they were informed by telephone of their daughter's canceled wedding on Saturday, June 11. This is supported by the evidence of Colonel Eric Clancey who stated, also at the time of the accident, that Jane Kingsley told him about her changed wedding plans on June 11.

  · The evidence of Mr. & Mrs. Kingsley (taken after the accident) is that Jane spent the week from Saturday, June 4, to Friday, June 10, at Hellingdon Hall. She appeared to be in good spirits, made no mention of the row with Leo, and discussed preparations for the wedding as if it were going ahead.

  · Jane Kingsley's own evidence in an interview conducted 28.6.94 is that she cannot remember anything since June 4. She admits to knowing about Harris's affair with Landy, though claims she only learned about it after Landy's death. She claims not to remember being told about Wallader & Harris but this is disputed by the Wallader parents' testimony which states Leo told her on the afternoon of Monday, May 30 (i.e., prior to memory loss from June 4). DI Maddocks is convinced she remembers more than she says, and this would seem to be borne out by the above.

  · Miss Kingsley admits she believes her father could have ordered Landy's death but does not believe he did so. She can offer no evidence in support, other than her own conviction that he would not have allowed her to find the body. There is some merit in this argument if Kingsley is fond of her.

  · A possibly related incident occurred at the Nightingale Clinic during the night of Monday, June 27. Dr. Protheroe, the clinic' s director, was attacked by an intruder with a sledgehammer. Miss Kingsley has been a patient of his for some ten days, and in addition Dr. Protheroe was visited by Kingsley's solicitor during the afternoon of June 27.

  · Protheroe escaped relatively unscathed; however, the weapon was found later in an outbuilding at the Nightingale by a member of the security staff who states it belongs to the clinic. This is supported by preliminary forensic tests which have found no blood/hair/tissue on the hammer head but some paint from Protheroe's car, which was badly damaged during the assault. This would suggest his assailant was well acquainted with the layout of the clinic grounds and points to a past or present patient, or possibly a visitor. Protheroe described his attacker as male, 5'10" or 5'11" and of medium build. The assailant was dressed in black and wearing a ski mask or similar.

  · Miss Kingsley is 5' 10" and of slim build. However, (1) the attack was at night, (2) DI Haddocks is of the opinion that Protheroe is doing his utmost, for whatever reason, to protect his patient, (3) Miss Kingsley could have worn padding. One pointer that may be worth considering, assuming the incident to be related to the Landy/Wallader/Harris murders, is that Miss Kingsley is unquestionably weak following her accident and Protheroe had little trouble fighting off the attack. Dr. Clarke does not rule out a woman being capable of the attacks on Wallader & Harris. In addition, the heel marks on the bank near where the bodies were found do seem to imply that a woman was present at the scene.

  · Re: the Xandy murder. Miss Kingsley's alibi for the afternoon and early evening of February 1, 1984, was supplied by Miss Harris. In light of the new evidence that Harris and Landy were having an affair, and that Miss Kingsley may have known about it, this alibi is not as straightforward as it appeared at the time. Worth a second look. NB: Harris's diary says nothing on the subject, indeed does not mention Landy's murder at all.

  IN CONCLUSION:

  1. Meg Harris clearly made a bid to win back both men after they had made serious commitments to Jane Kingsley. We only have Kingsley's word that she knew nothing about this and/or did not bear a grudge.

  2. It appears Wallader & Harris did not reveal their proposed marriage plans until shortly before they were due to leave for the relative safety of France.

  3. Jane Kingsley, too, saw fit to keep the secret.

  4. Their killer probably drove them to Ardingly Woods in his/her own car.

  5. On the most likely date of Wallader/Harris's deaths, Kingsley drove her car at a concrete stanchion only some twenty miles from Ardingly Woods.

  6. Shortly after Kingsley's admission to the Nightingale Clinic, Dr. Protheroe was attacked with a weapon similar to Landy/Wallader/Harris.

  The investigating team is concentrating its efforts on uncovering the movements of Wallader/Kingsley/Harris between May 30 and June 13. All relevant parties will be requestioned with a view to establishing a timetable of events.

  Yours,

  Frank

  City Worries About Franchise Holdings

  There was a sharp drop in the value of Franchise Holdings (FH) Ltd. shares yesterday, following the identification of one of the bodies found in Ardingly Woods last Thursday as Leo Wallader. Until recently, Wallader, a 35-year-old stockbroker, was engaged to Adam Kingsley's daughter, Jane, and the market has reacted to press speculation linking this murder to the murder of Kingsley's son-in-law, Russell Landy, ten years ago.

  Concerns have been expressed for some time about who will succeed Adam Kingsley to the chairmanship, and it is these concerns that are fueling the present crisis. Adam Kingsley has a reputation for hands-on management and without his driving force, there are doubts about the future of Franchise Holdings.

  A spokesman for the Company said this afternoon that investors are being panicked by irresponsible press coverage. "There is no question of Adam Kingsley stepping down," he said. "Our investors have done well by us and will continue to do well for many years to come."

  However, City analysts are more skeptical. "Franchise Holdings is a one-man band," said a source. "If Kingsley goes, the collapse in confidence will be catastrophic. Frankly, it will be a miracle if he can weather the present storm. The fear is that any investigation into Kingsley's affairs will uncover financial irregularities. The funding on some of his early acquisitions has never been adequately explained. It would be different if there was an obvious successor."

  Kingsley's sons. Miles, 26, and Fergus, 24, were expelled from public school for possession of drugs, and have been cautioned in the past for vandalism and theft. They are regulars at the various London casinos and at race meetings. Adam Kingsley's daughter, Jane, who owns and manages a successful photographic studio in South London, was married to Russell Landy for three years before his murder. Police have reopened the file since the death of her fiance.

  Daily Mail-29th June

  *18*

  WEDNESDAY, 29TH JUNE, CANNING ROAD POLICE STATION, SALISBURY-9:00 A.M.

  WPC Blake noted the thunderclouds on DC Hadden's face as he pushed past her and shouldered his way through the double doors. "What's up with Hadden?" she asked the Sergeant as she leaned her elbows on the front desk.

  "Politics," he grunted, preoccupied with some notes he was writing. "He reckons the DC1 has given away the best case he's ever had."

  "Who to?"

  "Hampshire police. He handed over a prime piece of evidence last night on the Ardingly Woods murders and Hadden's furious about it, claims he's the one who cracked the case and now no one's going to credit him with it."

  "What was the evidence?"

  "The sledgehammer that was used to attack the doctor up at the Nightingale on Monday night," the Sergeant told her.

  Blake watched his busy pen for a moment. "So what's the connection with Ardingly Woods? Sledgehammers come two-a-penny on building sites. What's so special about this one?"

  "The dead man's fiancee is a patient at the Nightingale, and she appears to be in the habit of losing husbands and lovers to death by bludgeoning." He glanced up from his notes.
"Jane Kingsley, daughter of Adam Kingsley. It's been all over the newspapers for the last couple of days."

  "I've been busy."

  He pushed a tabloid towards her and stabbed a double column with his pen. "Hampshire gave a press briefing yesterday. It's all there."

  Blake took the paper and read the piece rapidly. "Well, I can see why Hadden's pissed off," she remarked, laying it back on the counter. "Who do you reckon did it?"

  He shrugged as he signed his name. "All I know is I wouldn't want to be employed by Franchise Holdings if they arrest Adam Kingsley. According to the business pages, the shares are sliding already, and that's just on fears he might have been involved." He straightened up. "How are you getting on with the Flossie Hale assault?"

  "Not bad." She gave him a rundown of what she'd discovered. "He was carrying a key ring with a black disc embossed with a gold F and H. Flossie thinks they might be his initials but I'm not keen to put that in the description in case she's wrong. What do you think?"

  He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment or two, then picked up the newspaper and leafed through the pages, looking for the business section. Inset into the article on Franchise Holdings was a picture of the company's logo-entwined initials against a black background. He showed it to her. "Something like that?"

  "What are you, Sarge," said Blake in amazement, "a bloody magician?''

  "Just a reader of newspapers. Would you believe, there are two degenerate sons as well as the hammer-wielding daughter?"

  THE NIGHTINGALE CLINIC, SALISBURY-9:30 A.M.

  The floor around Jinx's feet was awash with newspapers when Alan Protheroe knocked on her door at nine-thirty. "I ordered the lot," she said with a weak smile. "Have you seen what's happening?"

  He nodded. "I watched the breakfast news. The shares started sliding again as soon as the market opened."

  "Poor Adam, it's very unfair," she said bitterly. "They've been dying to cut him down to size for years and now they've been given the chance." She clenched her hands in her lap. "You know what makes me maddest of all? It's this garbage about no obvious successor. It's a cheap way to parade the family failings. Three of the present board are perfectly capable of taking over if anything happens to Adam, and the City knows it. There was never any question of Miles, Fergus, or me stepping into his shoes. He wouldn't have it. He's worked too hard to watch his children destroy what he built." She sighed. "Well, we're destroying it anyway, between us. It wouldn't matter a tuppenny damn what I'd done if either Miles or Fergus could stand up and be counted."