Unfinished Business

by Heather Atkinson

  George and Sally looked at each other sadly and nodded. “Okay,” said George. He turned to Brodie. “But only once I’ve established your credentials.”

  “Here’s my card,” replied Brodie, handing it to him. “Everything’s legitimate, I’m a member of the Association of British Investigators.”

  “Katie, don’t say another word until I return,” said George before heading into the hallway to use the phone.

  “Why do you want to know about Sarah?” said Sally, as suspicious as her husband. “It was years ago.”

  “I’ve been engaged by a client who is concerned for Sarah’s wellbeing,” explained Brodie.

  “Why?”

  “It’s to do with her husband, but we were here speaking to her aunt to get a bit of background about the family and she mentioned what happened between the two of you,” he said, fixing Katie with his amber eyes.

  “What exactly did she say?” said Sally when Katie looked away.

  “She mentioned an argument and some hair pulling. Apparently something else happened but she refused to tell us, she said it had to come from Katie,” he replied, addressing Katie, who was staring at the carpet and squirming on the spot.

  They waited in silence for George to complete his call. They could all hear him on the phone but his words were muffled because the door was closed. A minute later he returned.

  “Alright, it seems they are who they say they are,” said George, almost appearing disappointed. “Apparently private investigators aren’t licenced but it’s a real business. Do you still want to talk to them?”

  Katie nodded determinedly. “I do.”

  “Okay sweetheart, if that’s what you want. We’ll just be in the next room,” said George. He put a gentle hand on his wife’s shoulder and steered her to the door.

  “Sorry about them,” said Katie when they’d gone.

  “They’re only being protective,” replied Brodie, wishing his own dad had been more like George Marsh. His brother and sister might have stood more of a chance if he had.

  “Sit down,” she said, gesturing to the couch. “Would you like a drink?”

  Brodie was parched but he was afraid that if they delayed any longer they’d never get to hear her story, which he was burning to hear. “No thanks,” he replied, knowing Cass would be in perfect accord with his decision.

  Katie sat opposite them and stared at her hands. For a moment he thought she wasn’t going to talk, until she raised her head.

  “I always knew Sarah had a mean streak. She was really aggressive and even though she was small people were afraid of her, she had a huge temper. Most of the time it was just talk. She’d threaten people but she’d never go through with her threats. That was until Patrick came along.”

  “The boy who liked you?” said Cass.

  Katie nodded. “Sarah went crazy over him. I don’t think she particularly liked him, it was just that he was good looking and he never showed any interest in her. She always wanted what I had, she used to take my stuff home without asking but Mum and Dad always made sure I got it back. Her parents were nice, they knew what she was like, although they never did anything to change her.

  Patrick resisted all her attempts to seduce him, he could see right through her, so he ignored her, which only made her madder. At me. One day she came to visit, she was nice, said she was sorry for how she’d been about Patrick. I thought we were friends again. Then she turned. She started screaming and shouting at me and pulling my hair. She hit me and I fell down and banged my head. I think I was concussed because I couldn’t get back up again, my legs wouldn’t work and I couldn’t talk properly. All I could do was lie there as she pulled this huge knife out of the carrier bag she’d brought with her. She’d wrapped it in a tea towel so it wouldn’t show. I was laid on the floor injured but she didn’t help me. She waved the knife in front of my face and said whores should always get what they deserved.” Tears filled Katie’s eyes and she pulled off her glasses and wiped them away. Brodie thought how pretty she was without them. “Mum always made me wear skirts, she said girls shouldn’t wear trousers. Sarah pulled up my skirt and pulled down my knickers and threatened to shove the knife up inside me.”

  Brodie and Cass were too professional to let out appalled gasps, even though they felt it inside.

  “When I wet myself with fear she just laughed,” said Katie. “I’m not ashamed of that part.”

  “You shouldn’t be Katie,” said Cass gently. “You must have been terrified.”

  “I was because I knew she could do it. She said Patrick wouldn’t want me if I was all cut up and ruined down there. I really thought she was going to do it, for a second. Then she put the knife away and left, laughing.

  I was too scared to move, I just lay on the floor crying until Mum came home. She found me and demanded to know what had happened, so I told her. She went mad and went straight to Elspeth’s house. Sarah was staying there then. Sarah denied it but Mum wouldn’t let up. When she threatened to call the police Elspeth called Sarah’s parents, who came straight over. Sarah put on a front, said I was the mad one, that I wouldn’t leave her alone. Her parents believed her, like they always did. I suppose they found it hard to believe any boy would fancy me over their daughter. She’d never been punished for anything in her life so she knew she’d get away with it again, and she did. Her mum and dad promised my parents they wouldn’t let Sarah near me again.”

  “Was that it?” frowned Brodie.

  “They tried to…give me money,” said Katie, embarrassed. “I wasn’t going to take it, I didn’t want a penny from them but Dad said they had to pay for my therapy. I had bad dreams for months after it happened and I…I was scared of being near a boy, afraid that it would feel like that, you know, with the knife.”

  Cass’s heart went out to her. “It doesn’t,” she said, patting her hand.

  Brodie’s thoughts immediately flew back to that one wonderful night he’d shared with Cass and he shifted in his seat as the familiar tingle started down below. The last thing he wanted to do when this poor woman was pouring her heart out was get an erection.

  “I know that now,” said Katie shyly. “The therapist really helped me but I still have the dreams now and then.”

  “What happened to Patrick?” said Cass.

  “He met another girl who he eventually married. He moved away and we lost touch.”

  “Did you ever see Sarah again?” said Brodie.

  “From a distance a few times. I saw her across the street, glaring at the house but she didn’t come near, she was too afraid of my mum going to the police and of everyone hearing about what she’d done. I think she was more afraid of that than the police, appearances are everything to her.”

  “Have you seen her recently?” said Cass.

  “No, why should I? She’s not going to come round here, is she?” said Katie, looking panicky.

  “Of course not,” soothed Cass. “You don’t need to ever see her again.”

  Katie relaxed. “Thank God for that. She would have done it you know, with the knife if she’d wanted to. She was capable.”

  “We don’t doubt what you say,” said Cass with a gentle smile. “Thank you for talking to us, it couldn’t have been easy.”

  “It was easier than I thought it would be. It helped actually. What will you do with this information?”

  “I can promise we won’t tell Sarah we were here,” said Brodie. “You’ve given us a lot of useful background about her.”

  “She’s a nasty, horrible, two-faced witch,” said Katie. “She acts all sweet and butter-wouldn’t-melt but underneath she’s all…spiky. She destroyed my confidence, I was never the same again. Look at me, nearly thirty and still living with my mum and dad. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve been great but sometimes I feel so smothered.” The bitter look vanished, replaced by a shy smile. “Sometimes I wonder what happened to Patrick Wiley, I would like to know if he got into computer programming like he always wanted to.”


  The door burst open and an anxious Sally stood there, wringing her hands. “Are you okay love?”

  “Fine,” replied Katie, looking tired. “We’re done here.”

  “Thank you for talking to us,” said Cass. “It’ll remain between us, we promise.”

  “It better had because if it doesn’t she will come back for me.”

  “You might find Sarah’s changed,” said Brodie. “She’s a wife and mother now.”

  “People like her don’t change,” said Sally.

  Cass and Brodie decided not to argue, it would be pointless. “Thank you for your time, we’ll get out of your hair now,” he said.

  They left the house and wandered back down the road to their car. Elspeth was in her garden yelling abuse at the man next door, who seemed to be trying to complain about her cats fouling his garden. The man released a shriek and raced back indoors when she hurled the evil black cat she cradled in her arms at him. Nimbly the cat landed on all fours and gleefully pelted after the man as he raced for his front door. He just managed to get inside and shut the door before it reached him, which Brodie thought was fortunate for him.

  “Nice try Maleficent, maybe next time,” cackled Elspeth. She held out her arms and the cat vaulted back over the hedge where it slunk around her legs, rubbing her face against her mistress’s calves.

  “Trouble Elspeth?” said Brodie.

  “Nothing me and Maleficent can’t handle, eh sweetie?” she said, bending to pet the cat. “He’ll think twice about complaining when you use his garden as a toilet, won’t he?” she cooed to the cat.

  “That’s a lethal weapon you’ve got there,” commented Brodie.

  “She’s better than any Rottweiler or Doberman. Woe betide any burglar who tries to break in.”

  Brodie glanced down at the evil, green-eyed thing, which had sat down beside her owner and was staring at him, not blinking. Did cats blink? He wasn’t sure but it didn’t look natural.

  “Have you spoken to Katie Marsh?” said Elspeth.

  “We have,” he replied.

  “It caused a huge uproar. Richard was very worried.”

  “He believed Katie then?”

  “Course not, full of tales she was. She even thought Patrick Wiley, who was the best looking boy on the street, fancied her. Can you imagine any boy preferring that frump over Sarah? She might be a madam but she’s a beautiful madam. Richard and Joy still did a deal with the mother though to keep her quiet, they didn’t want the Marsh’s spreading their lies and ruining their good name.”

  “Did you believe Katie?”

  “Not sure. Richard was adamant she was innocent but I’m more willing to believe Sarah has a bad side. I don’t think she went as far as the Marsh’s claimed, I think she just wanted to put the frighteners up Katie because she’d had a gutful of her. Katie was always hanging round, not giving her any peace, it was pathetic really. Sarah used to get so embarrassed. Finally Katie got the message and stayed away from her after that but sometimes she hung around outside their house, staring up at Sarah’s room. I think there was a bit of a girl crush going on.”

  “Did you ever see Katie outside the house?” said Brodie.

  “I didn’t but Sarah did and Joy backed her up. To be fair Katie had to walk past her house to get to school so make of that what you will. Sarah said she was obsessed with her and it was some sort of twisted revenge to get back at her. Katie always was a funny girl. She still is.”

  Brodie was tempted to point out that at least Katie Marsh didn’t throw cats at her neighbours but was too worried about the evil green eyed specimen being hurled at him.

  “Is that you off then?” she called when they headed towards Brodie’s car.

  “Yes it is,” he called back.

  “Don’t go taking my cat with you.”

  Brodie looked down and almost jumped to see Maleficent standing next to him, gazing up at him with those wicked eyes.

  “Maleficent, come back here.”

  With one last haughty look the cat turned its back on Brodie and flicked up its tail, giving him an unpleasant view of its puckered arsehole. She vaulted over the hedge back into her garden and into Elspeth’s arms, who stood at the gate stroking her while they climbed back into the car.

  “Jesus, that cat gives me the fear,” said Brodie.

  “Normally I’d take the piss out of you for a comment like that but in this case I agree,” muttered Cass, wiping cat hair from her trousers.

  “Don’t do that, I don’t want fur all over my car,” objected Brodie.

  “Why not? It can’t make it any worse,” she said, indicating the discarded food wrappers and drinks bottles in the passenger footwell. “Is this the character you were talking about or just the source of the smell?”

  “If you don’t like it you can walk,” he said, starting the engine.

  “I’ve grown immune to it. At least, I hope so. I might get a tetanus shot when I get home.”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  Gingerly she picked up a chocolate wrapper between thumb and forefinger. “They stopped making these two years ago.”

  “In that case it’s not litter, it’s vintage.”

  “Nice try,” she grimaced, letting it drop back into the footwell. “So, who did you believe?”

  “Katie Marsh when we were talking to her, then I believed Elspeth.”

  “You believe crazy cat lady over poor Katie?”

  “I believe she was told all that by Sarah and her parents. Doesn’t mean it was true and anyone would prefer to believe their own niece was the victim of an obsessive stalker rather than think she was a psycho.”

  “Is Sarah a psycho?” said Cass.

  “She doesn’t give that impression. If Katie was needy and clingy she might have snapped one day and wanted to give her a good fright like Elspeth said but I don’t think she would have gone through with it. Katie might be some sort of fantasist. I mean, can you imagine any teenage boy fancying her over Sarah?”

  “What a stupid thing to say.”

  “Why?”

  “Just because a woman doesn’t look like Angelina Jolie doesn’t mean she’s a write off. Patrick might have seen something in her. Sarah’s a vain, shallow, narcissist.”

  “You really don’t like her.”

  “I’m not her biggest fan.”

  “Do you think she’s capable of jamming a knife into a woman’s…front bottom?”

  “Did I hear right? Did big bad Brodie MacBride just use the term front bottom?” she smiled.

  “I’m trying to be polite, you’re always on at me for my bad manners.”

  “You could have said vagina. I’m not a child.”

  Brodie was at a loss when Cass came out with that word. At least he didn’t blush. “You’re not Sarah’s biggest fan but do you think she’s capable of that?”

  “Who knows? Don’t let her pretty little helpless exterior fool you.”

  “I’m not. I’ve just spent more time with her than you have. She can’t even swear properly. It hardly fits in with the image Elspeth gave of her. One thing you learn when you hang around with a dodgy crowd is bad language.”

  “And Elspeth was bitter about Sarah not wanting to spend time with her anymore. Hardly surprising when she throws cats at people and won’t let visitors sit down.”

  “She took to you,” he said with his lopsided smile.

  “Because I stood up to her but we can’t believe everything she said, she’s obviously not all there.”

  “I wish we could speak to Sarah’s parents.”

  “Sorry Boss, they’re halfway around the world with the grandkids.”

  “That’s a bloody shame.”

  “What now?” she said enthusiastically as he started the engine, which coughed and whined.

  “Let’s go and ask Sarah about what really happened to Katie Marsh.”

  “We promised Katie we wouldn’t tell her we spoke to her.”

  “I haven’t forgotten but we didn’t make
Elspeth any such promise.”

  “True and I think Elspeth can take care of herself. But aren’t we skirting round the real issue? What has this got to do with the Creegans?”

  “Probably nothing but if Sarah Creegan isn’t who we think she is then it might have a bearing on the case.”

  “Perhaps. It can’t hurt to ask and I’m really looking forward to seeing her face when you ask her if she tried to stick a knife up her friend’s front bottom.”

  “Cass, you’ve got an evil smile on your face.”

  “This should be really entertaining,” she grinned.

  CHAPTER 12

  Brodie was expecting Sarah to open her front door, so he was astonished when Mark opened it instead.

  “Didn’t expect to see me here, did you?” he smiled, leaning against the doorframe.

  “She’s taken you back then?” said Brodie.

  “She’s forgiven me. We’re too good together.”

  “Mind if we come in and see her?”

  “There’s no need now I’m back.”

  “I want to know she’s okay.”

  Mark’s eyes flicked to Cass. “Who’s this?”

  “My colleague, Cass Carlisle.”

  “Alright, come on in then. I know you won’t be satisfied until you’ve seen her. Sarah, we’ve got company,” he called through the house as Cass and Brodie stepped inside.

  She appeared in the hallway looking calm and relaxed, her blue eyes clear and bright. “Hello.”

  “Are you alright?” said Brodie.

  “He seems to think I’ve done something to you,” said Mark with a smile.

  “As you can see I’m perfectly fine.” She wrapped her arms around Mark’s waist. “We made up. I’ve forgiven him for not telling me about his past and I don’t believe he’s The Carver.”

  “Sarah told me all about your nasty little suspicions,” said Mark. “Serial killer indeed, what a load of crap.”

  “The police didn’t think it was so ridiculous. They interviewed you about the killings.”

  “Only because of the similarity to the original killings in Camden, which were nothing to do with me either I hasten to add. The police realised that and they haven’t bothered me since.”