Murder by Suspicion

by Veronica Heley

  ‘I did,’ said Malcolm. ‘Mum was not herself at that time. She’d been taking some linctus or other which was turning her into a zombie. She was getting dizzy and sleepy, and sometimes she didn’t seem to know who I was. I wanted her to go to the doctor, but she wouldn’t. I was afraid she’d walk under a bus one day, or burn the house down. Every time I said something about it, Claire would urge my mother to take a double dose.’ A gesture of frustration. ‘I didn’t know what to do. She was getting worse every day, and … when she had that heart attack and died, well, I know you’re not supposed to feel that way, but I was relieved.’

  ‘Why did Claire encourage your mother to keep taking the linctus?’

  ‘I really don’t know, unless it was to spite me. We never got on, you know.’

  ‘Did you realize your mother planned to cut you out of her will?’

  ‘Not until the day before she died, when she showed me a will form and said what she wanted to do, and I … I was so upset. I hadn’t had any idea. You see, when Dad died things weren’t too easy. Mum had her little pension, but it didn’t go far. I took over paying the mortgage, and Claire helped at first, but after she and Mum started going to the Vision, they hadn’t a penny between them and I had to come up with money for everything: rates, electricity, telephone, food … everything. I managed, but it was a struggle.’

  ‘So when your mother said she was planning to leave the house to the Vision and to Claire, you felt it was unjust?’

  A grimace. ‘Mum was raving about hellfire and damnation. I thought she’d gone out of her mind. I’d been carrying the burden of the household all that time and … Yes, I guess I lost my temper. It was all too much! I stormed out of the house and walked around the streets for a while. When I got back Edward was knocking on my door. Claire had gone out to an evening prayer meeting, so she wasn’t around to help. Edward said Mum had fallen asleep in here. We carried her back to her own bed and tucked her in. Edward gave me the will form which she’d been wanting them to witness, and yes, I tore that up. The next morning Mum said she was going down to the shops early for something she needed, so I said I was going to have a serious talk with her when I got back from work, and I went off as usual. They called me back later that morning to say she’d had a heart attack and died.’

  ‘Do you think you were right to tear up the will she’d tried to make and not mention it?’

  ‘At first, yes. I was so angry. Angry with her, and angry with Claire, and angry with myself for not having made her go to the doctor. We hadn’t known about the heart complaint, and if I’d made her go, she might have lived. The doctor could have made her see sense about that linctus.’

  ‘So you were right to tear it up?’

  He looked away. ‘No, probably not. If that was what she wanted …’

  ‘It would have made you homeless.’

  Another grimace. ‘I know. But if I’d told them about it, I’m sure they would have made some readjustment so that I could have gone on living here. As it was, I was so skint when she died that I had to borrow the money to pay Claire off. Since then, I reckon I’ve repaid Claire by spending so much on the Vision.’

  ‘Do you still feel you were right to throw Claire out when your mother died?’

  A shrug. ‘Rightly or wrongly, I felt she’d helped Mum to an early grave. If she’d only backed me up when I wanted Mum to see the doctor … but she never did. We never got on. Even when I was small, Claire would pinch herself and say I’d done it. She used to pour ink on my school homework, hide and destroy my gym kit. Little things, I know. I used to look at her and wonder why she hated me. That sounds ridiculous; that a child should hate her younger brother. I didn’t want to believe it. You don’t, do you? Not in your own family. But yes, I did think she contributed to our mother’s death, and I was glad to see the back of her.’

  Ellie repeated, ‘Do you still think you were right to throw her out?’

  He met Ellie’s eyes squarely. ‘Perhaps not. When I stopped being angry with her, I thought maybe I ought to have been more generous, given her more money to start over – but I hadn’t a penny to spare, then, and … well, since then she’s done pretty well out of me.’

  ‘You planned to take in lodgers?’

  ‘At first, yes. I did the work, and then Jenna came to stay, so I couldn’t risk having anyone else in the house.’

  ‘You said Claire came back for your father’s old desk. How did she get in? Didn’t you ask her to leave her house keys behind when she left?’

  ‘Yes. She must have had copies made because she walked in on Jenna without ringing the bell. But I don’t believe that Claire could have killed Jenna. Not even to spite me.’

  ‘I don’t think she did kill her. She gets her kicks another way. She’s got you working for the Vision for no pay. That must make her feel wonderful. And it’s quite a punishment for you, isn’t it?’

  He nodded. ‘It’s a serious problem. This new big house of theirs has not been well looked after. I thought it was owned by Ealing Council at first, but the Vision have got it on a repairing lease, which means they have to maintain it. I’ve been patching the roof, replacing lead flashing, repainting the outside, hanging new doors, mending cupboards … It’s never-ending.’

  ‘Right. Now, Edward. How has Claire been using you?’

  Edward’s eyes narrowed. ‘Don’t be ridiculous! She can’t do anything to me.’

  ‘Be your age,’ advised Ellie. ‘Of course she could. She knew about you and Jenna, and she knew about you and Gail. So what did she do about it?’

  ‘Nothing, I tell you!’

  He protested too much. What was he hiding? She said, ‘Well, I’m sure she’s worked it out by now that Karen went off with Malcolm. If I’m right, she’ll be calling round here any day now to check.’

  Karen languidly tapped the ash from her cigarette on the carpet. ‘Oh, yes. She came around when dear auntie was out, on Saturday. Didn’t I tell you, Edward? I suppose we had other things to think about.’ Giggle. ‘I was so surprised to see her. I hadn’t realized she was Malcolm’s sister. She asked if Malcolm were looking after me properly, and I said he was. She wanted to know if I’d met Edward yet, and I said I had, and we had a little laugh about it.’

  Everyone looked at her with rounded eyes. In shock.

  ‘Why didn’t you say?’ That was Edward, alarmed.

  ‘Why, what could she do about it?’ said Karen.

  Ellie worked it out. ‘She didn’t tell the police where you were, but she knew you were already having fun with Edward … as he did with Jenna and Gail. But she hasn’t told Edward’s wife about his involvement with any of the girls, which means …’

  ‘Why would she?’ But Edward removed his arm from around Karen.

  Ellie felt sick. ‘What borough do you work for, Edward? This one, or another? And which department of the Council offices? Social Services, or Housing?’

  ‘Neither.’ It was almost a shout.

  Agnes was wide-eyed. ‘But Edward, you told me that—’

  ‘Social Services,’ said Malcolm. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘I think I do,’ said Ellie. ‘Claire is adept at blackmail, isn’t she? She was a repressed personality, always the odd one out, until she discovered the joys of dedicating her life to a man whom she could do something for. She put that man on a pedestal. Whatever he said or did, she was his devoted servant. That man was Pastor Ambrose, the leader of the Vision cult. He is charismatic, powerful physically and mentally. He attracts a good congregation and, with the backing of Social Services, he takes addicts off the streets and makes them live a rigid routine which has a decent record of success. That’s where Edward comes in, isn’t it? Edward; you were responsible for Ambrose’s project getting the backing of your department, right?’

  A shrug. ‘Why not? He does an outstandingly good job in a field most people can’t even begin to understand.’

  ‘I suppose you gave him your backing for the right reasons at the begin
ning.’

  ‘I kept an eye on him.’

  ‘Of course you did. Claire saw to that. There was no need for her to spell things out to you. If she’d told the police or your wife what she knew, you’d have been in deep trouble. There was no percentage in that for Claire. No, there was a better way to get her own back on you. She got you to help Ambrose instead.’

  ‘Absolute rubbish,’ said Edward. ‘I’ve always gone by the book. My hands are clean.’

  ‘Are they? I think you got your colleagues to help find new quarters for Ambrose, and you made sure Social Services continued to send him clients. But, he let you down. That great white elephant of a house eats money. Living expenses mount up, while the two inheritances, on which he’d depended, fell through. Ambrose began not to care about what other, inferior mortals thought. He cut corners, and you turned a blind eye to whatever he did or did not do.’

  Red stained Edward’s cheeks. ‘That’s libellous.’

  Ellie said, ‘There must be some legislation, something legally binding to cover his taking care of the addicts. They must surely be registered with a doctor and a dentist locally. An optician, as well. You must know, as well as I do, that addicts need their physical health monitored at regular intervals. It is possible that Ambrose has convinced himself he doesn’t need to bother with all that, but I don’t think Social Services would agree.’

  Edward had begun to sweat. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘Ambrose’s flock are supposed to give him everything they earn. Is that all right by Social Services? I don’t think so, do you? One of his “clients” recently suffered an abscess under a tooth but was told it was all in her mind. She was driven mad by the pain. She used money she was supposed to have handed over to Ambrose, in order to get treatment from a dentist and antibiotics from the chemist. Then, unable to face Ambrose’s wrath, she fled back to her family, who are the ones who got her into drugs in the first place. Is this how Social Services would have wished him to handle the situation?’

  Edward was now as pale as he had been red. ‘This is the first I’ve heard of it. I suppose it will have to be looked into.’

  Karen said, ‘Enough of this. Mrs Quicke, I want you to buy me a nice little flat somewhere, so that I can see Edward whenever I wish … or whenever he wishes.’ Another giggle.

  Edward tried to respond with a smile. She lifted herself up to kiss him, open-mouthed. His arms closed around her.

  Ellie said, ‘Yes, that is enough! This has got to stop. All of it.’

  SEVENTEEN

  Ellie looked around the room to see how her words had been received. Mr Cook was nodding.

  Malcolm was twisting his hands together, but also, if with reluctance, nodding. Malcolm had a conscience. Malcolm had been driven into a corner and wanted out. He knew what ‘ending it’ might mean and was prepared to face the consequences.

  Agnes had her hand to her mouth, eyes flickering from her son Edward to Ellie and back. Agnes was weighing up the possible result of ‘ending it’ and not liking what she saw.

  Edward unstuck himself from Karen. ‘No.’ He produced a travesty of a smile. ‘I see no reason to “end things”, exactly. If what you say about the way Ambrose has been carrying on is true, I agree it will have to be looked into. His heart is in the right place, and if he has overstepped the mark, well … A quiet word should do the trick.’

  ‘No,’ said Malcolm, washing his face with his hands. ‘It’s got to stop. I can’t carry on any longer. I’ll go to the police and—’

  ‘You can’t do that,’ said Edward, fighting down panic. ‘They’ll charge you with murder. And really, there’s no need. The search for Karen has been called off, and no one’s looking this way for Jenna or Gail. Everything will be perfectly all right if you only keep your head.’

  Mr Cook said, ‘Malcolm’s right. It’s gone on far too long. I’ve been saying so all along. You should never pay a blackmailer.’

  If that was what he thought, it explained why he’d invited Ellie in to visit Agnes in the first place. Taking a hand in the game? Bringing in an outsider to lance the boil?

  ‘It’s all right for you,’ said Edward. ‘Your boys are well out of it. But you know as well as I do that—’

  ‘What?’ Mr Cook picked up on that. ‘What do I know? You think my boys were involved with your mucky games with Claire? Yes, they watched, but—’

  ‘They did more than watch,’ said Edward. ‘Right, Malcolm?’

  Malcolm washed his face again. ‘Leave me out of this. I watched, and so did they. Yes, we ought to have come clean and admitted it, but we didn’t. We covered for you then, Edward, and we’ve gone on covering for you all these years, no matter how many girls you’ve brought home to “play with” under your mother’s roof, but now … I can’t take any more. It’s got to stop.’

  Silence while they all thought about this.

  Karen twined herself around Edward. ‘Who’s been a naughty boy, then? But Karen loves naughty boys, like, if they are kind to her. You’re not throwing me overboard, are you, lover boy?’

  ‘I … no.’ Edward took her chin in his hand and kissed her long and deep.

  ‘What a pair!’ said old man Cook, thumping the floor with his cane. ‘If you ask me, they deserve one another.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Agnes, ‘but if this all comes out, and I do see where Malcolm’s at, and of course I haven’t liked Edward bringing his girls here whenever he liked, and neither Gail nor Karen are exactly who I’d choose to have as house guests—’

  ‘Thanks for nothing!’ said Karen.

  ‘But he’s my son, and I have to think that he might lose his job, and his wife might divorce him … Which I’ll agree I wouldn’t lose any sleep over, because she’s a cold fish if ever there was one … But then there’s my little grandson that I love to bits. Of course, Ambrose should look after his people properly, but … Oh dear. I’m all of a tizz.’

  ‘There, you see?’ Edward was all smiles. ‘No need to panic. I’ll have a word with Ambrose, and we’ll find somewhere else for Karen to stay. There’s no need for us to do anything else, right?’

  Mr Cook shook his head, but said no more.

  Ellie looked at Malcolm, and he looked back at her.

  Malcolm said, ‘No. Mrs Quicke’s right. It’s gone on long enough. It’s over. Finished, as far as I am concerned.’

  Edward’s mouth twisted. ‘You’re outvoted, mate. Karen and I and Mother all agree that this can be smoothed over without going to the police.’

  ‘If it comes to a vote,’ said Mr Cook, ‘then I’m in it with Malcolm. I’ll even come with you to the station, lad, if you wish.’

  Ellie said, ‘And I.’

  ‘Two against three,’ said Edward. ‘As I said, you’re outvoted.’

  Agnes felt for a hanky in her bra and found one. She used it. ‘I’m so sorry, Edward. I’ll stand by you, of course, but this has gone beyond a joke. If it gets rid of that nasty wife of yours then I’m all for it, and I’m sure the judge will let us have access to my grandson if it comes to a divorce. Malcolm is right. This has got to end.’

  ‘There’s no need for that.’ Karen, back to stroking Edward’s cheek. ‘Edward’s my soulmate, like. Aren’t you, my treasure? No need for his wife to divorce him if I can be fixed up with a little hidey-hole nearby.’

  Ellie grasped at this. ‘You’re right. There’s no need for Edward’s wife to divorce him, unless she wishes it. Financially, she’ll be better off if she doesn’t. Divorcees don’t usually have a luxurious lifestyle, and though Edward may keep his job, I doubt if his prospects will be enhanced by disclosure of his blackmail and extramarital activities.’

  Edward smiled, not nicely. ‘Exactly. There’s no need for it all to come out, is there? Malcolm can own up to hiding Jenna and Gail and take the consequences. I shall have a quiet word with Ambrose, and all’s well that ends well.’

  Malcolm shook his head. ‘No, you don’t. They’re going to think I m
urdered them both unless I tell them about you and Claire. I hope to God they don’t think I killed them, but I’m not keeping silent about your involvement if they do.’

  Mr Cook twitched bushy eyebrows. ‘You’ve forgotten something else, Edward. Claire knows what’s been going on, and Claire won’t want to give up her hold on you lot in a hurry.’

  Ellie said, ‘We’ve all forgotten about Claire, haven’t we? Claire is the key to this whole sorry tale. She’s known all along about Jenna, Gail and Karen, but she hasn’t seen fit to pass this knowledge on to the police. Instead, she’s indulged in blackmail for the benefit of Ambrose, and it’s got to stop. Karen, may I suggest that you stand on your own two feet for a change? If you don’t want to return to your mother, that’s all well and good, but if you refuse that option, you may well have Social Services on your back until your next birthday. I don’t think you’ll like that, not at all. And, please get it into your head that I am not going to support you.’

  Karen pouted. ‘But what will I do? Edward …?’

  Edward grimaced.

  Ellie interpreted. ‘Edward may choose to help you out, provided he keeps his job and comes to some kind of accommodation with his wife. I do advise you, Edward, to tell her everything straight away – and I mean, today!’

  Karen wailed, ‘I’ll tell you something for nothing, like. I’m not going back to school!’

  ‘You can go to college. How do you think you can support yourself without learning a trade?’

  Karen flounced, muttering she didn’t need no silly old trade.

  Ellie thought, but did not say, that Karen would probably do well as a high-class tart. No, on consideration, not high-class, because she hadn’t enough brains for that. But if she managed to hook up with a pimp who treated her well … Oh dear! What a terrible thought! But the good Lord only knew what else the lazy cow had got going for her. Perhaps it would be best if Edward managed to set her up somewhere … but that would cost a lot … and she’d have to take care she didn’t lose her looks. The only other thing the girl might be good for was modelling. Mm. Would she have enough self-discipline for the job? Possibly not, but …