Private Sorrow, A

by Reynolds, Maureen

  Edna took some time to tell the story but when she was finished, Molly said, ‘That’s not like Mr Knox. He wouldn’t leave someone else to give you this news, Edna, especially as he told you to start in two weeks’ time while he sorted this mess out.’

  ‘That’s what I thought, Molly, but she’s wearing a lovely engagement ring and she’s still living in the house, and running it by the look of things.’

  Molly was firm. ‘I still don’t believe it. If she cancels your contract, I’ll tell her it must be done by Mr Knox and until that time we’ll still be billing him. That’ll put her wind up and he’ll have to appear or phone here, so maybe you can get to the bottom of this whole mystery.’ This cheered Molly up slightly, especially imagining the look on Sonia’s face when she realised the bills would still be coming in. Molly fully intended to refund this money if it was John Knox’s decision, but not until she heard from him.

  ‘All the jobs have been allocated for today, Edna,’ she continued. ‘Mary is finished with her assignment at Keiller’s sweet factory and she is out on another job now. Just go home and come back in tomorrow.’

  Edna didn’t look too happy with this suggestion. ‘I can’t face my mum. At least not until this evening, so I’ll just go somewhere and have a coffee and maybe have a look around the museum or something like that.’

  Molly said, ‘You can come with me if you like. You know the job I’m on and maybe another pair of eyes and ears will help me make some sense of this mystery.’

  Edna was surprised but pleased. ‘Is it not a confidential matter between you and Mrs Barton?’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t go around mentioning it to everyone but I don’t think she’ll mind. Anyhow, I’m just going to see how she is today. She had an accident on Saturday night and she thinks a car hit her.’

  Edna was shocked. ‘Is she badly injured?’

  ‘No, she was lucky, but now she’s not even sure if there was a car or not. She’s a bit confused about it but before we go to see her, I want to speak to the janitor of the school. He found her lying in front of the school gate.’

  The two women made their way to the Rosebank School and Edna said, ‘This is the school Billy goes to.’

  ‘It looks like a good school,’ said Molly. ‘I expect the janitor will be working this morning but maybe he can give us a few minutes of his time.’

  When they arrived at the school, they were lucky. The janitor was in the playground. He came over when Molly called and he took them into the house. His wife looked surprised when the trio entered but he told her, ‘It’s about that poor woman who had the accident on Saturday night, Morag.’

  ‘Oh, I hope she’s all right,’ the woman said. ‘She looked terrible when we found her and Norman was going to call an ambulance but she wouldn’t hear of it. But he walked her to her close and saw she got home safely, didn’t you, Norman?’

  He nodded. ‘I wasn’t happy leaving her. Is she all right?’

  Molly said she was still a bit battered and bruised but otherwise she had been lucky. ‘Did you hear a car going past at the time of the accident?’

  Norman put his hand over his mouth and gave this a bit of thought. ‘We had the wireless on and I can’t say I heard anything until the scream. I went outside and she was lying there. Quite honestly, I thought she was dead because she didn’t answer me right away. If there was a car, I didn’t see any lights. Mind you the rain was pouring down and the wind was strong. I doubt if anyone would have heard anything with the sound of the storm. What on earth was she doing out on a night like that?’

  Molly said, ‘She was playing bridge with her friends.’

  Morag looked at her husband and mouthed silently, ‘Bridge?’

  Molly knew she wouldn’t get anything else from the couple but as she was going out, she had a sudden thought. ‘I’m looking for a girl called Etta Barton – the woman you picked up on Saturday is her mother – I think she would have been a pupil here in the late 1920s. I don’t suppose you have any knowledge of her?’

  ‘No,’ said Norman. ‘We came here to work after the war. I got the job after coming home from the army in 1946, but maybe the school register will have her name on the list.’

  Molly hadn’t thought of that but decided to go and talk to the headmaster. The school was quiet, as all the children were in their classes. The milkman was delivering crates of milk in small-sized bottles for the pupils to drink at the mid-morning break.

  The headmaster was busy but a very charming woman called Mrs Chambers helped them with their enquiries. ‘Yes, Etta Barton was a pupil here from 1919 to 1926 when she left to go to the Morgan Academy. She won a bursary which allowed her to attend that school and I believe she did very well in her exams there, as she did here.’

  ‘What was she like as a pupil, do you know?’ asked Molly. The woman said, ‘I don’t have that information here, just her school and exam marks and where she went after leaving here.’

  ‘Would there be any teachers left here that maybe taught her?’

  ‘Well, Miss Kidd came here in 1925, so she maybe remembers her but she’s teaching at the moment and you won’t be able to speak to her until dinner time, or after school.’

  Molly said, ‘I would be grateful if you could speak to her and tell her I’d like a word at dinner time if that’s convenient for her. We’ll come back then.’ She turned to Edna and said, ‘I’d like to go see Vera now. She looked terrible yesterday and I just want to check she’s all right.’

  As they walked away, Edna said, ‘Would the police be able to give you some idea about this case?’

  Molly looked doubtful. ‘I’m not sure if they are allowed to discuss a police matter with a member of the public.’

  ‘What about the newspaper office? Surely they would have reported on the story of the accident and the disappearance.’

  ‘Vera showed me three cuttings from that time. Do you think there might have been more newspaper coverage other than the ones I saw?’ Edna said it was worth a try. ‘Right then, we’ll go and see Vera and Miss Kidd, then in the afternoon we’ll go to the Courier office.

  When they reached Vera’s door, Molly was pleasantly surprised when Vera opened it. She was dressed in her coat and furry hat. ‘Come in,’ she said. ‘I’ve just got back from the doctor’s surgery.’

  The kitchen was clean and tidy and a bright fire was burning. Thankfully, there was no sign of the broken umbrella, muddy coat and shredded stockings. Molly introduced Edna and asked Vera how she was feeling. ‘The doctor examined me and I’ve got a bruise on my hip, but thankfully no broken bones and my cuts and grazes will clear up in time. He’s given me some pills to take away the pain, plus some sleeping pills to let me get a good night’s rest. I haven’t slept since Saturday. I keep remembering the accident and how I could have been killed.’

  ‘At least you’ve seen a doctor and there’s nothing seriously wrong, which is a blessing,’ said Molly. ‘Vera, we’ve been to Rosebank School to speak to the janitor and he didn’t hear the sound of a car, but he did have the wireless on so that doesn’t mean there wasn’t one.’

  Vera suddenly looked tired. ‘The more I think about it, the less I remember. Maybe I imagined a car, I just don’t know. The doctor said the bruise was caused by something hitting me but he said it could have been the way I fell. Maybe I hit my side on the pavement.’

  ‘There’s just one thing, Vera. The school secretary said Etta was a very clever girl and that she won a bursary to go to the Morgan Academy. You and your husband must have been very proud of her.’

  Vera seemed a bit agitated. ‘Yes, we were in the beginning, but she didn’t like the secondary school, so she left when she was fifteen. We had high hopes that she would stay on until her sixth year and maybe go to the university, but she didn’t want to do that,’ Vera said. ‘I’m going to fill a hot water bottle and lie down for a wee while.’

  It was time to go.

  When they were outside, Molly asked Edna if she had any tho
ughts on Vera.

  ‘I feel very sorry for her,’ said Edna. ‘Just one thing – why did she become edgy when you asked her about the school?’

  Molly said she had noticed that as well. ‘She also became agitated when I asked her about a name and address in her book that had been totally scored out. I could only make out the name Ruby. I thought she looked scared when I mentioned it.’ Molly sighed – she seemed to be uncovering more questions than answers.

  21

  Back at the school, Miss Kidd was waiting for them. She was a very tall woman in her fifties with a gaunt looking face, limp brown hair and clothes that were entirely brown. She knew why they were here and she held a large ledger in her hands. ‘I taught Etta Barton when she was in primary six, right through to primary seven. A clever girl who, as you know, won a bursary to the Morgan.’

  Molly repeated her statement about how pleased her parents must have been.

  Miss Kidd looked thoughtful, as if trying to recall those far off days when she was a young teacher. ‘Yes, they were, but the strange thing is that Etta totally ignored her mother’s praise. I remember how happy her parents were when we told them of the award, but when Mrs Barton went to give her a hug, Etta kept her arms at her side and went rigid, yet when her father did the same, she went wild and threw her arms around him. I remember the hurt look on her mother’s face. I’ve never forgotten it and, of course, when she disappeared after her father’s tragic death, I can’t say I was surprised. I thought then that she had also died, and I still think that.’

  ‘What about friends in the school? Did she have anyone special she played with or hung around with?’

  Miss Kidd suddenly looked stern and unhappy. ‘I shouldn’t mention this but it is all so long ago. She didn’t seem to have any friends but there was a girl in the class she particularly didn’t like and one day she hit her with a wooden club that was used for PE classes. The girl wasn’t badly injured and thankfully she recovered. There was a bit of a hoo-ha over it but Etta was almost on her last few days here, so it was dropped. Then, when she was fifteen, she did a similar thing to a girl at the Morgan Academy and her parents took her away from school. I believe she started work that year in Marks and Spencer and I often saw her when I went in there.’ Molly and Edna were speechless at this revelation. ‘I’ll tell you this, Miss McQueen, Etta may have had a clever brain but she wasn’t a nice girl. Oh no, not at all.’

  As they walked down Dallfield Walk, Edna said, ‘What a terrible girl. If she was my daughter, I’d be grateful that she’d disappeared and left me in peace.’ Then she thought of Billy and knew that no matter what he did with his life, she would always be there for him. Just like Vera. He had been in the dining hall when she was in the classroom with Miss Kidd. He used to come home for his dinner but now all of his pals went for school meals so he wanted to join them. It was a blessing for her mum, who now only had to take him to school and pick him up.

  ‘I think we’ll have something to eat before we go to look at the old newspapers,’ said Molly. ‘Do you fancy going to Wallace’s restaurant, Edna?’

  Edna, who hadn’t eaten much breakfast and was now feeling very hungry, said that would be fine. The restaurant was busy when they arrived but they were soon seated at a small table up beside the kitchen door. ‘I’ll have some potato and leek soup,’ said Molly and Edna said she would have the same.

  When they were eating the soup, Molly said, ‘What do you make of this case, Edna?’

  ‘Well, it’s such a long time since the girl went missing and she could be anywhere. She might even be living in Dundee, a happily married woman with a family. Or she could be dead. I just don’t know, Molly.’

  Molly sighed loudly, ‘Neither do I.’

  The two women then settled for fish and chips and two cups of tea. ‘I didn’t feel hungry until I passed the dining hall at the school,’ said Molly.

  Edna laughed. ‘No, neither did I. To change the subject, Molly, what did the newspaper cuttings say? The ones that Vera showed you.’

  ‘She just had three: one about the accident; another about Etta going missing; and the third one about Dave Barton’s body being found.’

  Edna looked thoughtful. ‘You would think that the papers would have reported these twin incidents more thoroughly wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Maybe they did, but Vera just kept the three cuttings.’ By now they had finished their meal and Molly insisted on paying for it. ‘You’ve been a great help coming along today, Edna.’

  Although Edna didn’t say anything, she was pleased with this praise. They made their way to the Courier office and asked if they could see some back issues. The girl smiled when they came in but seemed taken aback when Molly mentioned 1930. They were soon seated in a small room with a few copies of the Courier and the Evening Telegraph. Molly soon found the relevant dates and was disappointed to see the same cuttings that Vera had shown her.

  Edna pointed out, ‘There must be some others that explain who found his jacket and why the police assumed he had fallen into the sea?’

  Then, tucked away on page four of the Courier dated 8 October 1930, was another bit of news.

  MAN’S DEATH

  The body of Mr David Barton, who was the victim of a tragic accident on Sunday, 6 October, still hasn’t been found. Two women who were out walking on the cliff path on Sunday afternoon found a jacket and wallet belonging to Mr Barton. They handed these items into the police station and they were put into the lost property.

  Then a report also came on Sunday afternoon that a young couple who were sitting on the clifftop on Sunday morning at about eleven o’clock said they heard a scream but because they couldn’t see the path from where they were sitting, didn’t know what had happened. They also thought the scream came from further along the path. After discussing it with their parents, the pair contacted the police and a thorough search was instigated.

  At the spot where the jacket was found, the police noticed the path was broken at the edge and it seems likely that the unfortunate man lost his footing and fell over. The police also discovered a fragment of blue fabric, which was found a few feet down from the path. Mrs Barton identified this fabric scrap as belonging to a shirt owned by her husband.

  Molly and Edna scrutinised the rest of the papers and it wasn’t until 12 October that the Evening Telegraph had an article about the missing girl.

  GIRL STILL MISSING

  The police are becoming increasingly worried about a missing girl. Miss Etta Barton hasn’t been seen since Saturday, 5 October. Miss Barton is the daughter of Mr Barton who was tragically killed in a fall from the cliff path at Arbroath on Sunday, 6 October. Miss Barton’s mother is beside herself with worry and she appeals to her daughter to get in touch, as she’s worried her daughter doesn’t know about her father’s death.

  There was no more about either case. ‘Well, that seems to be all the papers said about the events,’ said Molly. ‘I wonder why Vera didn’t cut these out and keep them?’

  ‘Maybe she didn’t see them. You did say she was in hospital and when she came home perhaps the doctor gave her some sedatives and she never saw these two editions.’

  ‘Yes, that’s probably the reason. I’ll ask her the next time I see her.’

  As they walked towards the agency, Edna said, ‘Will I come in tomorrow, Molly?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I’ll speak to Jean now and any job she was thinking of giving to the temporary staff, I’ll give to you.’

  Edna was amused. Molly’s temporary staff was a group of her friends who liked the odd few days of work but didn’t want to be employed full-time because they were married and had husbands and homes to look after.

  At the agency, Jean was taking down the details of a fortnight’s work and Molly handed over the job sheet, saying, ‘There you go, Edna, and don’t worry about John Knox. It’ll all work out, you’ll see.’

  As Edna walked home, she wished she had Molly’s confidence but there was nothing she could do. If J
ohn had become engaged to his sister-in-law then that was that. She walked along the road with her head held high, silently rehearsing what she would say to her mother.

  22

  Sonia arrived at the agency before it opened on Tuesday. She hung around outside in the cold for twenty minutes until Molly came downstairs and opened up. Sonia was furious as she glanced at her watch but sensibly remained quiet, at least until she was in the office. ‘I want to make a complaint about Mrs McGill. She came to the house yesterday and demanded to be let in. I told her that John no longer wanted her to work for him but she didn’t believe me.’

  Molly knew who she was but still asked her, ‘Excuse me, but can you give me your name?’

  Sonia glared at Molly. ‘My name is Sonia Simpson and I am the sister-in-law and fiancé of Mr Knox who, until lately, employed one of your girls to do his secretarial work for him. I happen to be a trained secretary and I will be doing this work for him and, I may add, at no extra cost to him. Not like your outrageous charges.’

  By now, Molly was angry with this woman who had stormed in and tried to slander one of her staff. ‘Let me put the record straight, Miss Simpson. Mr Knox entered into a contract with Mrs McGill to come and work for him on three days a week. The agreement stated that should he wish to terminate his contract, he could do so at any time by coming here or writing a letter signed by him. He can’t send you. He must come personally or, as I said, write a letter confirming the termination.’

  Sonia was outraged. ‘I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life and John won’t be sending another penny here to keep that upstart of a secretary in a job.’

  ‘That is where you are wrong. Until we hear personally from Mr Knox, we will continue to expect payment as agreed in the contract.’ By now, Jean had arrived and she stood inside the door in silence.

  Sonia glared at them both and pushed Jean out of the way as she made for the door. ‘John is out of town just now but I assure you, he will be in touch after I tell him about this ridiculous, so-called contract.’