by Roberta Kray
‘Can we skip the attitude, babe? I’m really not in the mood.’ Vic paused, gave her a hard stare and continued. ‘When you see Eden on Thursday, I want you to say you’ve heard Pat Lynch is out to get her husband. Tell her Tom has to get off the wing or someone’s going to have a go. Tell her that he’s in real danger. And make her listen, right? She has to persuade him to go down the block.’
‘Is that true? About Lynch, I mean?’
‘Yeah, it’s true. So make sure she does it or the next time she sees her old man will be when he’s laid out in the morgue.’
Tammy thought about it for a moment and then gave a nod. ‘Okay. I’ll try.’
Before she had time to realise what was happening, Vic leaned across, grabbed her wrist and squeezed until she yelped. ‘Trying isn’t good enough, babe. You do it, yeah? You do whatever you have to. You make it crystal clear. You scare the fuck out of her. And if he’s not in seg by Friday morning, I’d hold you fuckin’ responsible.’ He let go of her and sat back. ‘Do we understand each other?’
Tammy rubbed at her wrist, her eyes full of tears. ‘You didn’t have to do that. Fuck. What did you have to do that for?’
Vic stared at her coldly. ‘Don’t let me down.’
36
Eden’s move to the flat in Kellston was scheduled for Friday when the phone was due to be connected. With only two days to go, she was still trying to sort out everything she needed, from a supply of fifty pence coins for the gas and electricity meters, through bedding and towels, to crockery, cutlery and glasses. She had managed to buy a cheap second-hand TV and a small radio. A record player would have to wait. As all her records had gone up in smoke, she’d have nothing to play on it anyway. She mourned the loss of her music – a collection that went back to her teens – but knew she had to keep things in perspective. Unlike flesh and bone, vinyl could always be replaced.
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ Caitlin asked.
Eden looked up from the list she was ticking off. ‘Huh?’
‘You know you can stay here for as long as you want. There’s no need to rush into anything.’
‘Thanks, but I’ll have to move eventually.’
‘You don’t have to move to Kellston. What about Vera Lynch?’
Eden glanced at the copy of the Hackney Herald lying on the arm of the chair. Jimmy Letts had run with his story, but fortunately it hadn’t mentioned her or Tom by name. It had, however, revealed that Paddy Lynch’s widow lived in Kellston. ‘It’s a big place. She won’t know I’m there. My name isn’t even in the article.’
‘But what if she finds out?’
Eden gave a shrug. ‘She could find me wherever I went.’ If the truth be told, she didn’t relish the thought of being in close vicinity to any member of the Lynch family but it was too late now to start changing her plans. ‘My only other option is to try and find a tenant for the Kellston flat – which could take months – and for me to rent another property. It just seems like a waste of time when I can move straight into this one. Anyway, it needs to be decorated if we’re going to sell, so I may as well live there while I’m doing it.’
Caitlin didn’t look convinced. ‘I don’t like the thought of you being on your own, not after everything that’s happened.’
‘Well, I’m going to have to get used to it. It doesn’t look like Tom’s coming out in a hurry.’
‘Any news from Michael Castor?’
‘Nothing encouraging. I called him this morning, but there’s still no lead on Jack Minter. They’ve drawn a blank in Budapest, no trace of him. Now they’re checking out the oil companies – Tom said he used to work on the rigs – but no joy yet.’ Eden shook her head, frustrated by the lack of progress. ‘I mean, someone must know where he is. The bloke can’t have just disappeared.’
‘It’s a big world. And it’s fifteen years since Tom last saw him. The guy could be anywhere by now. If he is your armed robber, he’s going to make damn sure he isn’t found in a hurry. He could easily have changed his name again.’
Eden placed a bar of soap into the toiletries box, packing it neatly between a bottle of shampoo and some cotton wool. ‘I know. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.’ Her only hope now was that her letter might somehow reach Ann-Marie and that the woman would get back to her. She’d been to the Post Office and arranged for her mail to be redirected to the Kellston address. Now all she could do was wait.
‘Maybe you need to concentrate on whoever it is who’s accusing Tom. Doesn’t Castor have a name yet?’
‘If he does, he isn’t telling me. Mind, that’s nothing new. It’s hard work getting anything out of him.’
‘Perhaps he’s just being cautious.’
‘But I’m Tom’s wife, for God’s sake. Castor shouldn’t be keeping stuff from me.’
Caitlin nodded. ‘In an ideal world. Trouble is, wives can sometimes turn against their husbands. In a high-profile case like this, he has to try and protect his client. But you’re seeing Tom tomorrow, aren’t you? If he has heard, he’ll be able to tell you himself.’
Eden was reminded that she hadn’t rung Tammy about a lift to the jail. She’d lost her phone number in the fire and hadn’t been able to get it through Directory Enquiries. She would either have to call round early – in case Tammy presumed she wasn’t coming and set off on the bus – or put a note through her door later this evening.
Eden looked at her watch. It was half past six. She had arranged to meet Annabelle at the studio in an hour, a meeting that was bound to be less than cordial. ‘I’d better go. I don’t want to keep the delightful Ms Keep waiting.’
‘Would you like some company? I don’t mind riding shotgun.’
Eden was tempted – safety in numbers and all that – but decided against it. After dealing with Annabelle, she wanted to have a good root through the studio to see if she could find the negatives for the Budapest photographs. ‘Thanks, but I might be a while.’
‘See you later, then. Good luck.’
Eden was halfway to the door when the phone rang. Caitlin answered it and said, ‘Ah, she’s just gone out. Hang on, I’ll see if I can catch her.’ She put her hand over the mouthpiece of the receiver and said softly, ‘It’s Geoff Holmes. Shall I tell him you’ll call back later?’
But Eden was too curious to wait. She hurried over and took the phone off her. ‘Geoff, hi. How are you? Thanks for ringing. And thanks for everything you did. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.’
‘Oh, I didn’t do much. Honestly. I was just the ladder-holder. You gave us quite a fright, though. For a moment we thought… Are you all right now? Fully recovered?’
‘I’m fine. I’m good, thanks.’
‘That’s a relief. Sandra told me you were after some information about the man who got you out.’
‘Yes. I don’t even know what his name is. Or have much of a description.’
‘Well, I can’t help you with the name – there wasn’t time for introductions – but he was in his forties, about six foot, grey hair, smartly dressed. I’d say his accent was southern but not Cockney. And I’ll stick to my guess he’s spent time in the military. I’m sure he’s army or some section of the armed forces. Just the way he held himself. And he was used to organising, in control; there wasn’t any sense of panic about him. He was very calm.’
‘Right, okay. And you’ve definitely never seen him before? I was thinking he could be local.’
‘No, never.’
‘Oh,’ Eden said, disappointed. ‘I feel bad that I can’t even say thank you to him. He seems to have disappeared without a trace.’
‘I wish I could be more help, but he was there one minute and gone the next. I’ve asked a few of the neighbours but they can’t remember seeing him. By the time the fire brigade arrived, there was quite a crowd. He must have just slipped away.’
‘Never mind,’ Eden said. ‘Thanks anyway. I guess I’ll never know who he was.’ She paused and then thought of something else. ‘Sandra
mentioned… she said he told you Tom wasn’t inside.’
‘That’s right. After he brought you down from the flat. I was worried, of course, so it was quite a relief to know he wasn’t there.’
‘I don’t remember telling him that. It’s all a bit of a blur.’
‘That’s not surprising. It’s lucky the bloke was passing when he was. If he hadn’t noticed the fire and seen you at the window, then —’
‘What?’ Eden said, feeling a jolt run through her. ‘Hang on. He told you he saw me at the window? The front window, is that what you mean?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘But I —’ Eden stopped abruptly before her mouth ran away with her. There was no way the guy could have seen her there. The living room was already on fire when she opened the bedroom door. She hadn’t been able to get near the window.
‘I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. I’ve been racking my brains but I just… well, there is one other thing but I don’t imagine it’s going to help much.’
‘Go on,’ Eden said, desperate for any extra snippet of information.
‘The bloke cut his hand while he was getting you out. His right hand, the palm. I think he must have caught it on the glass from the window. It was bleeding quite badly. He might have gone to A&E. Perhaps they could help. I don’t suppose they’d give you his name, but they might pass on a message if you explained the circumstances.’
‘Okay, that’s an idea. I might give it a go.’ Eden thanked him again for everything he’d done, said her goodbyes and hung up. She turned to look at Caitlin. ‘That’s weird. Geoff says my mystery rescuer saw me at the window.’
‘What’s weird about that? You were at the window.’
‘No, not the bedroom window – the one at the front.’
‘Ah,’ Caitlin said. ‘Now that is weird.’
Eden frowned and sat down. ‘I’m not even sure what it means. He lied, right, about seeing me? Why would he do that?’
‘Maybe he didn’t lie. With all the fire and smoke, he could have thought he’d seen something he didn’t.’
‘Except he also claimed that when he found me I was conscious and told him Tom wasn’t in the flat. I’m sure that’s not true either.’
‘So he knew you were there and Tom wasn’t. Maybe he’s a cop. They could have been keeping an eye on the house.’
‘What for?’
Caitlin shrugged. ‘In case something like this happened? They may have guessed there’d be a backlash after Tom was charged.’
‘So why not tell Geoff he was a cop? And why not hang around? What’s with the big disappearing act?’
‘All good questions, but when it comes to the law, who knows what goes on in their pretty little heads.’
Eden continued to ponder on it. ‘I don’t think he was a cop. And he clearly wasn’t some random guy just passing by. And I don’t think he was the arsonist either. If he knew I was inside, why would he set fire to the place and then go to the trouble of saving me? Especially if he’s not going to stick around to play the hero.’
‘Which leaves?’
Eden sighed. ‘I don’t know.’
Caitlin glanced at her watch. ‘Shouldn’t you be on your way to see Annabelle?’
Eden leapt to her feet. ‘Oh God, yes. I’m going to be late.’
By the time Eden had driven to Covent Garden, found a place to park, fed the meter and legged it over to Henrietta Street, a disgruntled Annabelle was already waiting outside the studio. The girl glared at her.
‘You’re late!’ she snapped. ‘It’s freezing out here.’
Eden nodded, forcing a fake apologetic smile on to her lips. ‘Sorry, the traffic was awful. Anyway, I thought you had a key.’
‘Only for upstairs.’
Eden unlocked the main door and switched on the light. There was a small heap of mail for the studio on the hall table, and she picked it up hoping there would be cheques inside some of the envelopes.
‘So what’s going on?’ Annabelle asked. ‘What’s happening with Tom?’
Eden walked up the stairs. ‘I wish I knew,’ she replied, unwilling to say any more than she had to. ‘Some nonsense over a bracelet the police found in the safe. It’s all got a bit complicated.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘The whole thing is ridiculous.’
‘Daddy says if the police haven’t released him yet then he must have been charged.’
Eden didn’t reply. She walked along the landing, opened the door, flicked on the light and looked around. The breath caught in the back of her throat. There was so much of Tom here it made her heart ache. She glanced towards the studio, a part of her still expecting him to appear at any moment.
‘So has he?’ Annabelle persisted.
‘Huh?’
‘Has he been charged?’
Eden could hardly deny it. ‘Yes.’
‘I thought as much. Daddy said —’
‘To be honest, Annabelle, I really don’t care what your father says. Does he know anything about this case? Is he in possession of anything more than rumour and gossip? If not, then I suggest you keep your opinions – and his – to yourself. I’m really not interested in them.’
Annabelle glowered and her mouth took on a pouting look. ‘I was only saying.’
‘Well, don’t, okay?’ Eden went over to the desk, sat down and laid the mail beside her. ‘Have you ever even seen the bracelet?’
‘No.’
‘It was in the safe.’
‘No,’ Annabelle repeated. ‘I’ve never set eyes on the damn thing. I’ve already told the police that. I don’t know anything about it.’
Eden heard the agitation in her voice and wondered whether it was down to the fact she was lying or a more general irritation at being dragged into the inquiry in the first place. ‘What else did they ask you about?’
‘Nothing much. How long I’d worked here, what kind of a boss Tom is, that sort of thing.’
‘Did they mention Budapest?’
Annabelle hesitated, frowning before she shook her head. ‘Why would they?’
‘I just wondered.’
Annabelle pushed back the cuff of her fur coat and glanced at her watch. ‘Look, can we just get on with it? I have to be somewhere and I’m already running late.’
‘Sure.’ Eden opened a drawer and took out the cheque book. With Tom’s permission, Elspeth had arranged with the bank for her to be able to write cheques for the business while he was in jail. There were bills to be paid if she was going to keep things ticking over.
‘What exactly has he been charged with?’ Annabelle asked while she waited. ‘Or aren’t I allowed to ask?’
‘The police think the bracelet was stolen. Tom didn’t realise that of course but…’ Eden gave a shrug. ‘It could be a while before he’s released.’ She quickly wrote out the cheque and passed it to over. ‘He sends his apologies, but obviously we can’t keep you on when the business isn’t bringing in any money.’
Annabelle stared down at the cheque, pulling a face. ‘Is this it?’
Eden, who thought she’d been relatively generous considering the circumstances – and the fact the girl had never shown her anything but contempt – gave a nod. ‘If you need a reference, let me know.’
Annabelle folded the cheque and put it in her purse. ‘That won’t be necessary,’ she said. ‘I hardly think a reference from a man in jail is going to help my career prospects.’
Eden stared at her, unable to resist the dig. ‘I wasn’t aware you had any.’ She held out her hand. ‘And if I could have the key back?’
Annabelle’s mouth twisted, her eyes flashing with anger. She took out a key ring, found the right key and threw it on the desk. Then she turned on her heel and flounced out of the studio. When she was on the landing, she looked back over her shoulder and said, ‘You think you can trust him, but you can’t. He’s a liar and a cheat. The two of you deserve each other.’
Eden didn’t have time to make
a retort, even if she’d been able to think of a suitable one. Annabelle was already flying down the stairs as though she feared Eden might be in hot pursuit. The front door slammed and then there was silence.
A liar and a cheat. The words seemed to hang in the air long after they’d been spoken. Eden could almost taste them, nasty and sour. Just malice and spite. That’s all it was. Wasn’t it? Annabelle lashing out because she was angry. Leaving her with something to think about. Planting a seed of doubt in her mind.
Eden stood up and went through to the studio. There wouldn’t have been any doubt, she thought, if Tom had been straight with her, if he’d been open and honest from the start. But she didn’t believe he’d ever cheated on her. She couldn’t. If she started to suspect his fidelity, there’d be nothing left. No trust. No love. No future.