by M A Comley
“If anything, he’s my main concern in all this. No point in having a word with him, I suppose,” her father said.
She exhaled a large breath. “Believe me, I’ve tried. Even after last night’s incident, I tried to tell him that these guys mean business, told him he should take what happened as a serious warning, but I can’t see him doing that.”
“Then why work with him? Why put yourself in jeopardy like that, love?”
“Hey, come on, Dad, this isn’t like you. You’ve always given me credit in the common sense department. What’s with the doubts this time?”
“A gut feeling I have. I’ll back off under the proviso that you’ll be extra vigilant on this case. You know how tetchy these criminals get if their income is interfered with.”
“I’ll be careful—that goes without saying. Anyway old man, Tony won’t let anything happen to me.” Lorne could tell by the look on her father’s face that he remained unconvinced by her words. “I know he was with me last night, but we didn’t see the car before it struck us.”
“Right…” was all her father said before he left the room.
That went well! She watched him walk up the passage, but he stopped midway and hit the palm of his hand on his forehead, then walked back towards her.
“Sorry, mind like a sieve. I wanted to remind you to ring Jade first thing.”
“I will, Dad.” She took a few steps forward and kissed his cheek. “And don’t worry about me, promise?”
He smiled at her, but the smile never reached his eyes. He turned away without uttering another word.
Knowing how hectic Jade’s morning was with two toddlers in the house, Lorne left it until nine o’clock before she rang her sister.
“Hi, Jade, how’s the tribe?”
“Remind me again why I wanted a handful of kids? I’m so glad I decided to stop at two.”
Lorne laughed. “Hey, that’s one more than I managed to cope with. Driving you to distraction, are they?”
“Yeah, you could say that. I need a kind and caring auntie to volunteer to take them off my hands for a few days while hubby and I have a break.”
“Ah, well, ordinarily I would jump at the chance—you know that—but if you and Luigi went away together, you’d probably come back pregnant again. Think of your two being a cheap version of contraception.”
“You’re just too practical for words sometimes, Sis.”
“I aim to please. Dad said you called last night.”
“Yeah, I finally tracked Angie down; you know she’s the type to do lunches and charity balls, etc. She says that she can fit you in sometime this afternoon, around four-ish. Does that suit you?”
“Nice of her to squeeze me into her busy schedule. Will Jai San be there, too?”
“As far as I know, yeah. I’ll ring her back and confirm it, then, shall I? If I don’t call back, you’ll know I’ve managed to fix the appointment for you. You have the address, don’t you?”
“I have. Thanks, Jade. I hope the kids don’t play you up too much today.”
Lorne hung up just as Tony entered the kitchen. “Looks like I have an appointment this afternoon with Jade’s friend.”
“That’s great. What time?” he replied, giving her a cuddle.
“Four. I’m going to chase up Katy this morning, too. I’m not happy that the police aren’t making this case a priority, it’s all too quiet for me.”
“It does seem strange, especially after all the publicity.”
“In fact, I think I’ll ring her now. I’ll sort your breakfast out in a moment, hon.”
“Do what you have to do. I’m quite capable of throwing a few slices of bread in the toaster. I’ll be sure to watch for the smoke coming out the top.”
Lorne shook her head and tutted at her husband’s joke. She picked up the phone and dialled Katy’s number. “Hi, any news?”
“I was going to share all I had over the weekend, not that I’ve found out much. It’s looking more like a cover-up the more I delve into things,” Katy told her in a hushed voice. “Hold on a sec, I’ll go through to the office. Yep, AJ, I need that info ASAP before I go out.” There was a moment’s pause before Katy spoke again. “Sorry about that. Can’t talk for long, just on my way out to arrest someone. Look, the more I dig into things, the more the barriers are going up. I spend half my day trying to ring people to find out some kind of information about the ship that went down, but no one returns my calls. Roberts is getting a bit antsy about the time I’m spending on the case, too, so I have to be careful.”
“I understand. Why do you think information is proving difficult to come by?”
“I’m guessing there are some pretty high up people involved in this. You know how these things go, Lorne. It galls me to think of these people getting away with this. Have you managed to find anything out?”
“As it happens, yes. I’m meeting up with one of Jade’s friends later. The woman’s au pair had a sister on board the ill-fated ship. Also, yesterday Tony and I met the journalist who ran the story. We met him and had a pretty eventful evening. I’ll fill you in over the weekend. Are you still coming tomorrow?”
“That’s a definite. I can’t wait to be with sane people.”
Lorne chuckled. “You’d better go elsewhere for the weekend if that’s the case, then.”
“Got to go. See you tomorrow.”
• • •
Lorne jumped in the car at a quarter past three and was en route to Angie’s house when it occurred to her that maybe she should have left the meeting with Angie until the weekend; it would have been better to have had Katy’s perspective on things and to team up with her former partner again. Deep down, she missed the rapport she’d once had with Katy. Actually, this weekend it had been Lorne’s intention to try and persuade Katy to join the firm; the only stumbling block Lorne could see was the question of salary. They’d never be able to afford to match her Met salary yet, not until the business really took off.
She turned in through the gates of the large mansion house, which was not dissimilar to the Wallaces’s house she had visited a few days earlier. Archetypical for the wealthy—stinking rich brigade in the London area, Lorne guessed. She drove past an army of men tending the beautiful garden who appeared to be redesigning one of the beds, ripping out the spring bulbs and making way for the abundance of summer bedding plants that were lined up in trays in regimented lines along the drive. She suspected that if she stayed around long enough, she would be privy to military precision at its finest.
A butler rushed out of the house and opened the door to Lorne’s car when she pulled up outside the front entrance. Embarrassed, she smiled at the wizened old man. “Sorry, have I parked in the wrong place?”
The butler seemed surprised by her question. “No, ma’am, I’m just opening the door for you. Mrs. North is expecting you. Walk this way, please.” The butler shuffled up the hallway.
If I walk like that, mate, your mistress will think that I’m some kind of primate, she thought before reprimanding herself for being grossly unkind and insensitive to the man’s obvious disability.
The hallway of the house took Lorne’s breath away. A large, sweeping galleried staircase, which appeared to be very Americanised for the house, greeted her. If it had been any other house of this era, Lorne had the feeling the staircase would have looked out of place, but the way this one was designed with its backdrop of windows was truly spectacular.
The butler coughed slightly to gain her attention. “This way, ma’am.”
“Sorry, interior design fascinates me and I’ve never seen anything quite so beautiful.”
“Ah. Mrs. North employed the services of a top architect when she purchased the house five years ago. This area alone took almost six months to complete.”
“I can believe it.”
He showed her through a small hallway and into a vast lounge at the rear of the property. Angela North was sitting in a winged chair alongside the open bi-fold doors. The peti
te lady was smartly dressed in a cream-coloured pencil skirt and a chocolate boucle buttoned-up cardigan. She stood and limply shook hands with Lorne.
“You have a beautiful house, Mrs. North.”
The comment brought a sparkle to the woman’s eyes and a tinge of colour to her cheeks. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and barely above a whisper. “You’re very kind. Not everyone appreciates the alterations I’ve made to the house.”
“I’m surprised. You have an excellent eye for detail.”
“Thank you, that means a lot. Would you care for a tea or coffee?”
“A coffee would be nice, thank you.”
The butler left the room while Angela motioned for Lorne to sit on the white leather sofa opposite her chair. As they sat, Lorne’s eye was immediately drawn to the landscaped gardens and the beautiful open countryside beyond.
After seeing the admiration on Lorne’s face, Angela said, “Isn’t it beautiful? I spend most of my day just taking in the view. I’ve always loved this house—more for the location than anything else. A house can be altered to your specifications, but you can’t change a view—that’s what my father always told me.”
“He’s right. If ever I win the lottery, I might come and make an offer on this place; it has to be my dream home. You’d probably send me off with a flea in my ear for being so cheeky.”
Angela smiled proudly. “They’re going to have to carry me out in a box, I think. Anyway, enough of my luxuries I know you’re a very busy lady—let’s get down to this awful tragedy.” Sadness swept her smile away and tears moistened her eyes.
“Jade told me your au pair had a relative in the disaster—is she here?”
“Do you mind if I introduce you later? She’s very timid. I thought I could fill in the details for you first, if you don’t mind.”
Lorne nodded reassuringly. “Of course I don’t mind. It must be hard for Jai San to be in a strange country having to deal with something so tragic.”
“It is. She’s such a sweet girl. My heart really goes out to her.”
“Has she worked for you long, Angela?”
“About six months, I suppose. She was so excited when she learned her sister would be joining her here. When I say ‘here,’ I mean in the UK, not here in this house. My little Anthony absolutely idolises her. Before she came into our lives, he used to drive me and his previous au pairs to distraction. Throwing temper tantrums every minute of the day—I don’t mind telling you I was at my wit’s end. She has a calmness that surrounds her. Does that sound strange?”
“An aura, you mean?”
“Not exactly. She’s a Buddhist. I know I’d be lost without her. My days at the charity can be stressful enough, you see I’m a bit of a soft touch where Anthony’s concerned and he tends to play on that when I get home. His tantrums were getting more and more out of hand and were having a detrimental effect on my sanity until she came along.”
Lorne understood completely where Angela was coming from—her own daughter Charlie hadn’t been the easiest child to bring up. Not that Lorne had brought Charlie up, per se; that onerous task had been down to Tom, her ex, most of the time. During her teens, Charlie had been a devil child, and even before she had reached her teens, she had demanded Tom’s attention throughout most of the day. Rather than get into the whys and wherefores of parenting with a stranger, knowing the subject could be as volatile as politics or religion to some people, therefore avoided at all cost, Lorne steered the conversation back to Jai San. “Can I ask how you found your au pair? Did she come recommended?”
Angela thought for a second or two before she responded. “Well, like I said, I had worked my way through numerous au pairs—or Anthony had. Let me think. Do you know, I can’t for the life of me remember. How bloody silly of me.”
“It really doesn’t matter.” Lorne stopped talking as the sound of a rattling tray filled the room and the butler approached them.
“Thank you, Harry.” Angela smiled at the bent old man and patted his hand affectionately when he placed the tray down on the table beside her. “Why can’t I remember? How bizarre. Maybe Jai San can fill in the blanks later.”
“How is she?” Lorne accepted the bone china cup and saucer from Angela after she had filled it with coffee served from a silver coffee pot. The aroma of the beans filled Lorne’s nostrils, reminding her how foolish she had been as a child walking down the high street and detesting the smell wafting out of the Cawardines coffee shop.
“Jai San has gone into her shell. She gives the impression of being fine during the day—grateful to Anthony for the distraction, I suppose—but come the evening it’s a different story. I see her out there wandering around the garden in a daze. My heart breaks in two, seeing her like that. I’m not sure I could switch off my feelings as well as she appears to.”
“Poor thing. Does she speak much English?” Lorne asked before sipping her coffee.
“She gets by, and is improving daily. She constantly reads to Anthony; he loves stories, especially stories about King Arthur and Merlin. I think it also helps Jai San to learn the language. I give her the option of ringing home often so she doesn’t feel cut off, but she says once a month is enough. I don’t think she likes to take advantage.”
“She sounds like a real sweetheart. I can’t wait to meet her.” Lorne hoped that Angela would take the hint that she was eager to meet the au pair, but she didn’t. Lorne came to the conclusion that the wealthy woman was lonely and in need of stimulating conversation. “You say you work for a charity, Angela—do you mind me asking which one?”
Her smile broadened. “It’s a new heart charity called Beating Life. I’m the founder of it. My father died of heart disease when I was in my teens, and I always promised that if I ever came into money, the first thing I’d do was to set up a charity to help those suffering from the same illness.”
Lorne wondered what she meant by ‘coming into money,’ but felt asking the question would seem too rude. Then she remembered Jade telling her that Angela had recently married a wealthy man. Roger, wasn’t it? That would explain her sudden wealth, but that was last year. Hadn’t the butler said she’d bought and renovated this place five years ago? Curiosity got the better of her, “Came into money?”
“A long-lost aunt of mine left me this place in her will. Of course, it was a wreck when I took it over, but I didn’t really mind. I saw it as a labour of love, creating this place. When I married Roger last year, it was on the proviso that we live here.”
“I see. I don’t blame you in the slightest. What does Roger do for a living?”
Her chest puffed out. “He’s an accountant. He stays in London at his penthouse all week and returns home at the weekend.”
Lorne found that snippet of information very odd, considering he had a small son of his own. Maybe he’d married Angela with the intention of her just being the boy’s mother? She bit her tongue and didn’t voice her concerns. “So with your husband working away and you busy most days with your charity, I can understand your need for employing an au pair. I admire you greatly for taking on another woman’s child like that, I’m not sure I could do it.”
Angela’s brow furrowed slightly. “I’ve never really thought about it. I knew from the minute Roger and I started going out that he and Anthony came as a package; I didn’t see it as a problem between us.”
Lorne could see the glow in the woman’s cheeks when she either spoke or thought about her husband. Looking around the room, Lorne spotted their wedding picture above the ornate fireplace. He seemed to be a likeable enough chap. He had thinning blond hair and youthful good looks. She could see the attraction, at a stretch. A very long stretch, he wasn’t her type at all. “He seems a nice man,” Lorne said.
“He’s wonderful. I’m lucky to have him.”
And he you, as you’ve taken on the responsibility of his son. Lorne drained the coffee in her cup and smiled at Angela. “Any chance I can have a quick chat with Jai San now? I hate to hurry things
, but I’ll have to be making a move soon.”
“I’ve been twittering on, do forgive me.” Instead of ringing a bell, as Lorne expected her to do, Angela left the room and came back with her arm wrapped around a tiny Asian girl’s shoulders. “Lorne, this is our little treasure, Jai San.”
The girl bowed her head and didn’t look Lorne in the eye until she spoke. “Hello, Jai San. There’s no need to be afraid. Is it all right if Jai San sits with us for a while?”
“Of course.” Angela guided the girl to the other end of the sofa Lorne was sitting on and went back to her own seat.
Lorne moved to the seat next to Jai San. “There really is no need to worry. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your sister?”
Water filled eyes met Lorne’s and her heart went out to her. Jai San nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry for your loss. It must have been a great shock to you.”
“My baby sister was coming here for a better life…like me. Now she’s gone.”
Lorne reached for her hand and held it firmly in her own. “Can I ask how your sister came to be on that ship?”
“The lady at the agency arranged it.”
Lorne looked over her shoulder at Angela, who quickly rose and left the room to find something. She came back seconds later and held out a business card for Lorne to take.
“Here you go—forgive my absentmindedness. This is the agency we contacted to employ Jai San.”
“Ah, that’s very helpful, thank you.” Lorne sensed that Jai San was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She proceeded with caution. “How did you come to work for the agency?”
Jai San fidgeted in her seat for several minutes, and Lorne was about to ask the question again when the young woman’s head lifted and their gazes met. “I met a man.”
Lorne continued to smile at Jai San to put the girl at ease. “Where did you meet this man? In the UK?”
“Yes. I came here with three other girls. A man promised us a better life in England and gave us a lift in his boat.” She fell silent until Lorne squeezed her hand to urge her to go on. “It was a trick. When we got here, he…he sold us.”