by Ann Cleeves
He talked about friendship to Michael Morgan. Michael was preoccupied and not listening properly and, self-centred bastard that he is, he thought Danny was talking about him. Until I asked him about it again this morning.
‘So Danny started to blackmail Simon?’ Holly said. Even after a week with little sleep and a bucketful of alcohol, she still looked poised and lovely. Some things in life weren’t fair.
‘He was probably more subtle than that. But Bristol’s a university that attracts wealthy folks’ kids. His girlfriend’s parents were minted. He wanted enough cash to feel that he belonged.’ Vera paused. ‘I don’t think he ever would have gone public on Simon, he probably didn’t even threaten to, but Simon couldn’t risk it. That day he borrowed Jenny’s car. He told Hannah he was going to the supermarket and he must have gone shopping on the way home. Cool customer! More like his father than his mother. I’d guess Christopher could be pretty ruthless too, and Veronica just lost it at the end. Did she suspect her son had killed the social worker? Maybe she saw some of the notes he brought home. Maybe she heard the end of a phone conversation with Danny. That was her worst nightmare, that her son was a murderer. That’s why she suddenly became best buddy with Connie Masters. She wanted information, reassurance.’
‘Can we get back to Danny Shaw?’ Charlie was struggling to get the words out without slurring. ‘Don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to need my bed pretty soon.’
‘Simon strangled him and lit the bonfire with the files from Jenny’s bag. Taking out anything that might point to him first, of course. To implicate Danny in the first murder and just generally muddy the waters.’ Vera beamed to herself and realized how drunk she must look, but she didn’t care. Muddy waters. Good image.
‘Then things got to him and he lost all that composure, started to do the “what if” thing, and that’s always dangerous. What if Jenny had gone to interview Connie for her book? Simon hadn’t even realized she was living in the village until I told him. That must have really freaked him out. What if they’d been best mates and Jenny had confided in her about the relationship? The anxiety ate away at him. First he threatened Connie by phone, then he persuaded his mother to take them to the boathouse.’ Vera looked up at them. ‘But deep down he was just jealous of the care Connie gave to her daughter. This case was always about kids and their parents. Simon Eliot was like a little lad in a tantrum, smashing what he knew he could never have.’
‘Eliot almost killed a four-year-old child because he was jealous of her?’ Ashworth was incredulous.
Vera shrugged. ‘We’ll probably never know exactly why he threw her in the water. His brother had drowned, and so had his sister’s son. Maybe there on the boathouse deck he saw it as payback time.’
‘Is that what you think this was all about?’ Charlie raised his head far enough from the table to speak.
‘Doesn’t matter what I believe, does it? The CPS has got him for two murders that he’s admitted. They probably won’t push him on the child. And Connie won’t want to go through another court case, so I imagine she’ll be happy to let it drop.’
‘Another child that’ll be terrified of water all her life,’ Holly said.
‘Aye, maybe.’ But Vera wasn’t sure about all this cause and effect. Life was less predictable and more messy than that. Best leave the theories to the shrinks and social workers. ‘Or she could turn out to be an Olympic swimmer.’
Also by Ann Cleeves
A Bird in the Hand Come Death and High Water
Murder in Paradise A Prey to Murder
A Lesson in Dying Murder in My Back Yard
A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy
Another Man’s Poison Killjoy
The Mill on the Shore Sea Fever
The Healers High Island Blues
The Baby-Snatcher The Sleeping and the Dead
Burial of Ghosts
The Vera Stanhope series
The Crow Trap Telling Tales Hidden Depths
The Shetland series
Raven Black White Nights Red Bones Blue Lightning
Acknowledgements
I’m grateful as always to the old team – Julie, Catherine, Helen, Roger, Jean, Rebecca, Sara and her associates worldwide. Thanks also to the new team – Elaine, Paul, Brenda and David – who have helped me look at my characters in a different way.
First published 2011 by Macmillan
This electronic edition published 2011 by Macmillan
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ISBN 978-0-230-75811-7 PDF
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Copyright © Ann Cleeves 2011
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