‘From what I’ve heard,’ Tory said, ‘Lace got away with it by the skin of his teeth. Anyhow, none of this is my concern.’
‘Ramona didn’t care about what happened to Gerry Lace, whether he was sentenced to life imprisonment or walked out of court a free man, but with his good name in tatters.’
‘Good name?’ Tory’s voice was edged with scorn. ‘A rapist?’
‘Ramona, or Victoria as she became, didn’t lift a finger to save him. One authenticated call, that’s all it would have taken, to confirm that she was still alive and that Lace was innocent of her murder. It wouldn’t have hurt her. But no, she preferred to let him sweat.’
Tory shrugged. ‘Frankly, I sympathise.’
‘She strikes me as extraordinarily ruthless.’ Hannah paused. ‘It wasn’t simply a question of hurting Gerald Lace. What about his wife and children? Their lives were also ruined.’
‘Shirley Lace, was that her name? Don’t tell me she didn’t know what sort of a man she’d married. And she turned a blind eye. Did she worry about the harm he did? I don’t think so. Ask that Nadine woman you mentioned. As for the children, the parents should have taken better care of them. What happened to the son wasn’t Ramona Smith’s responsibility.’
Hannah pursed her lips. ‘With her stash of money, Ramona made a new life in the south of England. Changed her appearance over time. Hair, nose, teeth, boobs. For twenty years or more, everything went well. She married a rich older man who let her do as she pleased. Even after her heart stopped, she made a wonderful recovery. For the second time, she came back from the dead.’
‘You’ve never suffered a cardiac arrest,’ Tory murmured, ‘so even a person with your vivid way of thinking will find it hard to understand the experience. It changes you, and I’m not just talking about the number of pills you’re forced to take to reduce the risk of a recurrence. To this day, for instance, I still have unpredictable lapses of memory.’
How many times, Hannah wondered, had Tory rehearsed for a moment like this, when her secret came out? Claiming memory loss as part of her strategy of self-defence. Another move in the game.
‘After her husband died, she was ready to return to her roots. She had no ties, she’d survived her own near-death experience.’
‘Why come back to Cumbria, when according to you, she’d gone to such extraordinary lengths to get away?’
‘However desperate she was to taste the good life, it must have been a wrench to leave such a lovely place. Where she used to cycle around the valleys and walk the fells.’
Tory’s lip curled. ‘She could have satisfied her curiosity on a day trip or a mini-break.’
‘It wasn’t simply curiosity that drove her, I think. Or even just the pull of the familiar. She’d spent half her life in the Lakes. In a kind of way she still belonged here.’
‘But why choose Strandbeck and the Crooked Shore, of all places?’
‘I suppose it was symbolic, moving to the place where she’d begun her new life. No need to worry about the old wives’ tale, that strangers who outstay their welcome suffer misfortune. She wasn’t a stranger.’ Hannah paused. ‘There is one thing that puzzles me.’
‘Only one?’ Tory said coolly.
‘Kingsley Melton lived in Bowness, just like the Smiths. He knew Ramona’s mother; he was one of her clients …’
‘Is that so?’
Tory’s calm was remarkable. Hard not to admire, even if there was something monstrous about it. Hannah wasn’t sure she’d met anyone quite like this woman.
‘He claims his path never crossed with Ramona’s. Presumably, he’s afraid of being suspected of her murder, but I find his denial hard to believe, don’t you?’
Tory shrugged. ‘Who knows? Perhaps Ramona caught him visiting the house just after her mother was first diagnosed with cancer. Perhaps she took out her anger and disgust on him.’
‘You think so?’
‘From what you tell me, she could be quite a devil when she was in a foul temper. Maybe she scared him off coming back again. Gave him the fright of his life. Threatened to tell his mother.’
Hannah considered. ‘Yes, that sounds plausible.’
‘One thing about poor Kingsley. He’s easy to humiliate. Easy to bend to your will.’
‘Interesting that he didn’t recognise Ramona when she came back to Strandbeck. A tribute to the success of her makeover.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I wonder if she was testing him – and herself. Perhaps it explains why she took their relationship further.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘If she could sleep with him and he still failed to recognise her, she didn’t have much to fear from anyone else.’
‘Risky, surely?’
‘Not for a born risk-taker.’
When Tory said nothing, Hannah asked, ‘Did that amuse you? His name is unusual. You must have realised who he was when you booked your appointment to view the manor.’
Tory gave her a quizzical look. ‘Kingsley is an unlikely Romeo, but I have a macabre sense of humour. I get bored very easily, you know. So horribly bored.’
‘I understand.’
‘I wonder if you do. I’m fortunate. Through my own efforts, I’ve got everything I ever dreamt of. Or so I thought until I discovered the truth about Logan.’ She shook her head. ‘Don’t tell a soul, but somehow it’s never seemed quite enough. Every now and then I wake up in a cold sweat. Not because I’m afraid my heart is going to give out on me again …’
Her voice dwindled to nothing.
‘Then why?’ Hannah asked gently.
‘Because I can never figure out an answer to the question that haunts me. Is this all there is?’
Nobody spoke for a few moments, then Tory cleared her throat. ‘Forgive me, Chief Inspector. That was rather self-indulgent. Thanks for sharing your theories. Intriguing if fanciful. I can’t say I like the sound of Ramona, and I definitely wouldn’t want her life. I’d rather be dead in a ditch. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must be going.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
‘Guilty as charged,’ Bunny Cohen said. ‘Congratulations, you played a blinder.’
Hannah smiled. Her emotions were stretched and her thoughts whirling. She still had urgent work to do, but was in desperate need of a few moments’ reflection. A few splashes of rain marked the window. The storm was coming.
‘Don’t you want to see whether the fingerprints match?’
‘Nah, if ever someone could see that the game is up, it’s Tory Reece-Taylor. Or Ramona, should we call her? Talk about nerves of steel. She hardly flinched. Mind you, after twenty-one years of looking over her shoulder, she’d had plenty of time to practise her answers.’
‘I doubt she’s ever looked over her shoulder.’ Hannah said. ‘She’s utterly focused on getting what she wants. Nothing else matters. The end justifies the means.’
‘What do you think … Hello, Maggie, you’ll never guess what …’
Maggie Eyre had burst in on them. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but you’ll want to hear this.’
‘Go on,’ Hannah said.
‘Breaking news. There’s been a major incident at Strandbeck Manor.’
‘What could be more romantic?’ Louise asked down the telephone. ‘A boat trip on a beautiful lake with two gorgeous women.’
Sitting outside Tarn Cottage, sipping a lemonade well-earned after a couple of hours of non-stop writing, Daniel grinned. His sister was incorrigible.
‘A boat trip for two. Not one with my sister in tow.’
‘You can’t have everything,’ she said. ‘Anyway, I wasn’t going to miss out. I’ve never sailed on Crummock Water.’
‘Is it really such a good idea? With a storm warning?’
‘It’s a very good idea. This is the Lake District. Rain is part of the deal. Part of the fun. And if you’re worried that it won’t dampen your baser urges, I’ll make sure you behave yourself with Alex.’
‘I swear I�
��ve no intention of misbehaving. How many times do I have to remind you, I’m not in the market for a new relationship?’
‘You can’t fool me,’ Louise said. ‘All isn’t well between you and Hannah. What’s up; is work getting in the way? You can’t go on like this forever, you know.’
‘Look, you called when I was in the middle of a synopsis,’ Daniel said. ‘I can’t talk any more now.’
‘You always were a rotten liar,’ Louise said gleefully. ‘Especially when I got the better of you in an argument. See you later.’
‘Quite a day,’ Les Bryant said.
Hannah had brought the team together again. Events were racing forward; there was so much she was desperate to do, but she owed it to people to make sure they were up to speed. After rattling through a summary of her conversation with Tory Reece-Taylor, she’d reported that colleagues in the southwest of the county were investigating at Strandbeck Manor. A horrified woman who owned one of the flats had made a shocking discovery in the grounds.
‘Yes,’ she said bleakly. ‘While Ramona was stonewalling us, her two lovers were fighting to the death at Strandbeck.’
‘So Melton turned sharp-shooter.’ Bunny whistled. ‘I knew he was crazy, but I didn’t see that coming.’
‘Do they think,’ Maggie said slowly, ‘he killed Prentice and then took his own life?’
‘Too soon to say,’ Hannah said. ‘That’s the working presumption, but maybe his death was accidental. Perhaps they had a fight, and the gun went off and he fell in at the same time. As a child, he was afraid of water. We know that from the reports of his sister’s death. Maybe he never learnt to swim.’
‘Where did he get hold of a gun?’
‘He dealt in antiques, don’t forget. There are legal loopholes. Question is, what part did Ramona play in this mayhem?’
‘How can she be involved?’ Bunny asked. ‘Surely you and I have given her the perfect alibi.’
‘Yeah, very convenient. Remember her MO with Gerald Lace. Setting the scene to incriminate him, then making herself scarce.’
‘She couldn’t control what happened after that.’
‘No, but she didn’t need to. She deliberately caused enough mayhem to wreck Lace’s life. Whatever happened. Whether he was tried for her murder or not. Whether he was found guilty or not.’
‘You think she set up a confrontation between Prentice and Melton?’ Maggie asked. ‘Stage management?’
‘I wouldn’t bet against it. When she realised Prentice was cheating on her, in more ways than one, she probably said to herself: it’s him or me. Don’t forget, he might have tried to kill her if she’d handed over her money. Once she found out the truth, he was in big trouble.’
‘How would she know that Melton was going to show up and shoot Prentice?’
‘If she knew Melton owned a gun, maybe she suspected he’d use it if provoked. Having lit the blue touchpaper, she made herself scarce and waited for an explosion.’
‘There was no guarantee that either man would harm the other.’
‘No, but perhaps she was content just to leave it to Fate. She’s reckless, it’s her hallmark.’
‘We may never know for sure,’ Les muttered.
‘We can do our best to find answers,’ Hannah said. ‘She said her car was playing up. I’ve already sent a message to make sure it’s checked. Apparently, it’s an electric BMW, less than a year old. Chances of it going wrong so soon? What if she sneaked out of the grounds and called for a taxi to pick her up on the main road? If her car was still in the car park, Melton would assume she was still on site. If he couldn’t find her …’
Bunny shivered. ‘You offered to go to the manor, but she insisted on coming here.’
Hannah nodded. ‘I thought I was so smart. But the truth is, she used us.’
Les groaned. ‘The old, old story. Never trust a helpful suspect.’
‘It’s only me,’ Alex Samaras said.
She’d wandered round the side of Tarn Cottage, as Louise had done on Sunday. A large bag was slung over her shoulders. Even in sailing gear, a black short-sleeved rash vest and shorts, she looked ridiculously attractive.
Daniel had finished writing and was lounging on the paved area behind the cottage with a paperback thriller, making the most of the weather while he had the chance. The clouds overhead were ominous and a moment earlier he’d felt a splash of rain.
He scrambled to his feet and Alex kissed him on the cheek.
‘Fantastic to see you again. I’ve brought the dinghy on a trailer. Louise came round to my place.’
‘And Louise?’
‘Waiting in the van.’
‘She tells me you’re dead set on going to Crummock Water.’
‘Dead set is right.’ Alex smiled. ‘Believe me, I’m really excited about taking the two of you there.’
‘You don’t think one of the lakes closer … ?’
‘Too busy.’ She laughed. ‘We don’t want Joe Public getting in the way.’
‘Well …’
‘Trust me, Crummock Water is perfect. You’re not getting cold feet, are you?’
‘I just thought that it will be getting dark by the time we get there, and if it’s pelting down …’
She shook her head. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve planned this carefully. You’d be surprised.’
‘I get the impression you’re full of surprises.’
Standing very close to him, she laughed again. There was a strange gleam in her big doleful eyes. He hoped she wasn’t going to embrace him. This felt all wrong.
‘You never said a truer word,’ she said.
With a single right-handed blow to his neck, she knocked him to the ground.
In the moment before he lost consciousness, he saw a strange look in her eyes. It was nothing to do with desire, everything to do with hate.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
‘There’s something else,’ Hannah said. ‘I think it could be important.’
Her tone commanded everyone’s attention.
‘I’ve been reading the witness statements for myself. Just before Tory arrived, I read what Shirley Lace had to say. A name caught my eye.’
‘Whose name?’ Bunny asked.
‘She referred to their two children. The son, Darren Jason Lace, who blew his father’s alibi and took his own life at Strandbeck. And the daughter, Sandi.’
Maggie nodded. ‘You wanted us to trace her to see if she could cast any light on her father’s involvement with Ramona. We’ve made progress. Turns out she married a Greek and went to live abroad, but she came back to Britain some time ago. Last heard of in London.’
‘Let me update you,’ Hannah said. ‘Sandi was a young girl’s nickname. Short for Alexandra. Shirley’s statement refers to her as Alexandra Rowan Lace. In later years, Sandi called herself Alexandra Rowan, probably to distance herself from the scandal about her father. She became an actor. After she married, she became known as Alex Samaras. She’s alive and well and living in Grasmere.’
Daniel began to come round as Alex Samaras dragged him, slowly and painfully, round the side of Tarn Cottage. She’d gagged and bound him with conspicuous efficiency. Tight ropes cut into his wrists and ankles. His mouth was sealed with duct tape. He could see and breathe and hear, but that was all. His neck hurt and his head throbbed. Groggy and distressed, he struggled to understand what was happening to him.
His scalp scraped against the rough ground as she hauled him along. An unmarked white van was parked in the space on the other side of the gate. Attached to the rear was a trailer bearing a large grey dinghy.
Impossible to utter a yelp of protest or pain, far less shriek for help. Not that the loudest scream would do any good. There were no neighbours, nothing but the running beck and the trees and the birds and wildlife. He’d always loved the seclusion of his cottage, but now the loneliness of Tarn Fold left him at Alex Samaras’ mercy. She could do as she pleased.
What was she playing at? That blow she’d struck …
They’d talked about Alex practising martial arts. What had she said that first evening?
You don’t want to mess with me.
Les Bryant gave Hannah a hard stare, like a barrister cross-examining a nervy witness.
‘You’re worried.’
‘Yes. I’m still processing what this means, but …’
‘But?’
‘Alex Samaras has befriended Daniel Kind and his sister Louise.’
She paused to allow the implications to sink in.
‘The children of Ben Kind,’ Les muttered. ‘The detective who arrested Gerald Lace, the man blamed for Lace’s suicide.’
‘Yes.’
‘And by extension for ruining the rest of Shirley Lace’s life, and even for Darren’s suicide.’
‘That’s right.’
‘The last people she’d want to chum up with,’ Maggie said. ‘Or so you’d think.’
‘There’s more,’ Hannah said. ‘She came back to the Lakes a few years back and worked in a pub in Oxenholme. Guess who she got to know?’
Maggie stared. ‘Ben Kind was living in Oxenholme at the time of his death.’
‘She chatted him up,’ Hannah said. ‘She’s very pretty, and I bet Ben was easily hooked. Marriage on the rocks and a nice young girl taking an interest in him … Daniel told me about meeting her. Something she said to him takes on a sinister note once you know who she is.’
‘Surely you don’t suppose … ?’ Bunny began.
‘She wasn’t working in the bar the night Ben was run over. What she told Daniel was that everyone deserved justice.’
The Crooked Shore Page 27