by Roberta Kray
‘No, it’s fine. Honestly. There’s no point in both of us missing a day’s work. Thanks for the offer, though.’ She leant in to kiss him, wishing that she didn’t have to leave, that she didn’t have to face the awfulness of Eddie’s funeral alone. But it would be even more of a trial if Joel was with her; she’d be constantly worried about bumping into Nathan Stone, or Mona turning up or some dreadful confrontation with the Gissings. ‘I’ll be home before you know it.’
‘Let me know what time the train’s due in and I’ll come and pick you up.’
‘Thanks.’ Sadie got out of the car, shut the door and headed for the platform. She turned round to wave and Joel waved back. As she watched the van leave the forecourt, she had a sudden urge to run after it, to leap into the passenger seat and beg him to take her with him to Buckingham Road. I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go to London. It was as if there was something final about the goodbye, as if her old world was crumbling around her. She felt a lump in her throat and tears sprang into her eyes.
For a while she stood staring into the empty space that had recently contained the man she loved. It was too late now. He was gone. She just had to get on with it. Pull yourself together, Sadie. Wasn’t that what her mother would say? With a heavy heart, she traipsed on to the platform, found an empty bench and sat down to wait.
Her journey to London was long but uneventful. She made a point of not talking to anyone, of keeping her gaze averted from her fellow travellers. She stuck her head in a book and kept it there – apart from the few train changes – until she reached the East End. It was only then that she put the book away and gazed out of the window.
She saw the same grey sky and the same drab houses. As the three tall concrete towers of Kellston came into view her stomach gave a lurch. That was where Eddie had died, where Mona – for her own sick reasons – had decided to end his life. The knowledge weighed heavily on her, a reminder of everything she was doing wrong. She should have had the courage to go to the police and tell them her suspicions while she still had the chance. With every day that passed, the truth receded further into the shadows. Who would believe her side of the story now? No one, she suspected; not even Joel.
It was drizzling when she left the station, a light cold rain that slid down the back of her neck. She crossed over at the traffic lights and began to walk along the road. As she passed Oaklands she gazed almost fondly at its exterior, wishing she could book in there again. It would have been nice to have somewhere familiar to lay her head that night.
After wandering up and down for a while, she decided to try a place called Greyfriars, which had a prominent B&B sign outside as well as a Vacancies notice in the front window. She went up to the door, raised her hand and was just about to press the bell when she heard a voice behind her.
‘Sadie?’
Surprised, she turned round to find Velma standing behind her. She walked back along the path, pleased to see a friendly face. ‘Hi,’ she said, smiling. ‘How are you?’
Velma, dressed in a short black leather skirt, black boots and fake fur jacket, grinned at her. ‘Hello, love. What are you doing here? Not on the run, are you? We heard about your old man. The law were round asking questions and checking out your story. I didn’t tell them nothin’, said I only saw you to say hello to.’
‘No, not on the run. Not yet, at least.’ Sadie paused and then added, ‘And in case you’re wondering, I didn’t do it.’
‘Don’t make no difference to me, one way or the other, love. There are plenty of blokes that I wouldn’t have minded… Well, let’s just say there are times I’ve been tempted.’
‘I don’t suppose Mrs Cuthbert was best pleased, having the police round.’
‘Are you kidding? The old bat loved every minute. It’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to her in years. ’Course she’d have preferred it if you were actually guilty. Makes for a better story, don’t it, having a murderer staying under your roof.’
‘That’s me,’ said Sadie wryly, ‘a constant disappointment.’
Velma glanced towards the B&B. ‘So what are you doing here? Oaklands isn’t that bad, is it?’
‘It’s Eddie’s funeral tomorrow. I just need a room for the night.’
‘So?’
‘So, last time I was here Mrs Cuthbert told me that she only rents out by the week.’
Velma slid her arm through Sadie’s and started pulling her along the road. ‘You don’t want to listen to anything the Cuthbert tells you. She makes it up as she goes along.’
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to —’
‘Leave it to me,’ Velma said confidently.
Sadie didn’t argue. Meeting up with Velma had instantly raised her spirits; she was the type of person who took you at face value and never seemed to judge. ‘Well, let me buy you a drink later. It’s the least I can do.’
‘Ta, I’d like that. We can go to the Fox. It’s not so far to stagger home.’
In the slightly musty hallway, Velma yelled along the corridor. ‘Mrs C? Are you there?’
After a few seconds, the landlady appeared, wiping her hands on a floral apron. As soon as she saw Sadie she stopped and frowned.
‘Look who’s here,’ Velma said. ‘We can squeeze her in for the night, can’t we? There’s no one in her old room.’
‘I don’t do single nights,’ Mrs Cuthbert said bluntly. ‘It’s the rule.’
Velma put her hands on her hips and raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘Oh, come on, Mrs C, don’t be like that. I’m sure you can bend the rules, just this once. I mean, didn’t Sadie pay for a full week last time she was here? And she only stayed for a few nights so I reckon you owe her.’
But Mrs Cuthbert shook her head. ‘I don’t want any trouble. This is a respectable establishment.’
‘Yeah, right,’ Velma said. ‘Everyone who stays here is white as the driven snow. And what kind of trouble is Sadie going to cause? It’s hardly her fault that her old man got done in. It’s not as though she did it. Come on, give her a break. She’s had a tough enough time already.’
Mrs Cuthbert looked from one woman to the other before her gaze finally settled on Sadie. She mulled over Velma’s words for a few seconds before finally making up her mind. ‘Just the one night then,’ she said. ‘I suppose it can’t do any harm. The room’s not locked. I’ll leave the key on the hall table for you.’
‘Thanks,’ Sadie said. ‘I appreciate it.’
‘Ta, Mrs C,’ said Velma, dragging Sadie up the stairs before the landlady could change her mind. ‘And don’t worry about a thing.’
‘That’ll be the day,’ Mrs Cuthbert muttered as she disappeared down the hall. Her slippers made a soft flip-flop sound on the worn carpet. ‘I’m too kind-hearted for my own good, that’s the problem.’
Velma waited until they were out of earshot before speaking again. ‘So how did it go with the law? Did they give you the third degree?’
Sadie shrugged. ‘They came to see me and asked about the last time I saw Eddie, but that was about it. I’ve not heard anything since.’
‘You’re off the hook then.’
‘Maybe.’
‘You don’t sound so sure.’
‘I’m not,’ Sadie admitted. ‘Until they found out who did it, I guess I’m still a suspect.’
They climbed the stairs to the second landing and went into Sadie’s room. Velma sat down on the single bed, looking thoughtful. ‘What made you decide to go to the funeral? I thought after what you said about Eddie and all…’
‘I wasn’t going to,’ Sadie said, dumping her holdall on the floor. ‘But then his dad rang me and told me when it was and… well, it didn’t feel right to say I couldn’t.’
‘But you’d rather not?’
‘Nobody likes funerals, do they? And with all the history Eddie and I had… I don’t know, it doesn’t feel right, but then not going doesn’t feel right either.’
Velma gave a nod. ‘You should be careful. Those Gissings
ain’t what you’d call the forgiving sort.’
Sadie stared at her, recalling some fairly similar words that had come from Nathan Stone. ‘No one’s going to kick off at a funeral, though, are they?’
‘I wouldn’t count on it, love. That lot aren’t renowned for their good manners.’
Sadie gave a sigh. ‘You’re not doing much for my nerves, Velma. I’m shaky enough as it is.’
‘A few drinks will soon put that right, hon. And don’t mind me: I’ve learned to always expect the worst and that way it’s rarely as bad as you think.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
‘Where do you have to go, for the service and that?’
‘It’s at St Luke’s at ten o’clock.’
‘Oh, that’s only down the road. You can walk it from here.’
Sadie opened her handbag and reached for her purse so she could get some change for the meter. As she did so, her fingers touched against the cool metal of the gun. It was probably blasphemous to take a Beretta into church but unless she could get rid of it before tomorrow that’s exactly what she’d have to do.
‘You okay?’ Velma asked. ‘I haven’t upset you, have I? Me and my big mouth. I never know when to keep quiet.’
‘No, of course not. I’m just looking for a fifty pence so we can get some heat in here.’ Sadie found a coin and crouched down by the fire. She put the coin in the slot, turned the switch and listened as the gas hissed out of the pipes. A second later the flames came on, pale blue and yellow before they gradually changed to orange. She was reminded suddenly of the flames of hell. Perhaps that was where she was heading. But she’d chosen her path and there was no turning back.
31
Sadie thought the interior of the Fox looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps she’d been here with Eddie all those years ago when he’d brought her to Kellston. There was always alcohol involved in any day out with Eddie Wise. This place was particularly nice with a clean wood floor, comfortable chairs and a blazing log fire. The pub, filled with the sound of talk and laughter, had a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.
Sadie glanced over towards the bar where Velma was waiting to be served. They’d had a few drinks already and the wine was having a soothing effect. She knew she shouldn’t drink too much or she’d be nursing a hangover tomorrow morning. Funerals were hard enough to deal with without the added pain of a thumping headache.
Earlier, she’d given Joel a call to tell him she’d arrived safely and managed to get a room at Oaklands. The line had been bad and she’d struggled to hear. The sound of his muffled voice had exaggerated the feeling of distance, a distance that was more than just the miles that lay between them. Why had she ever lied? It had created a barrier that she didn’t seem able to overcome. She wondered if Joel felt it too or if he simply put her recent distraction down to the shock of Eddie’s death.
Sadie was still mulling this over when a man walked past the table. He did a double take and came back to stare at her.
‘Sadie Wise! What the hell are you doing here?’
She looked up at the scowling face of Nathan Stone. ‘Thanks for the welcome. It’s nice to see you too.’
‘What do you expect after what you did, a bleedin’ brass band?’
‘It never hurts to be civil,’ she replied stiffly. ‘And what exactly have I done that’s upset you so much?’
‘You know what.’
Sadie shook her head. ‘If I knew I wouldn’t be asking.’
Stone made a quick scan of the surrounding tables before sitting down beside her and lowering his voice. ‘Thanks to you, lady, we’ve got a bloody war with the Gissings on our hands.’
‘And how do you figure that?’
‘How do you think? Someone saw us together down the dogs and now Wayne Gissing has got it into his head that I’m involved in Eddie’s killing. His little sister’s heartbroken and he wants someone to pay.’
Sadie stood her ground and said stubbornly, ‘So? I still don’t see how any of that’s my fault.’
Stone’s eyes took on an even colder shade of grey. ‘I’m sorry, but weren’t you the one who came to me wanting Eddie’s address?’
‘Yes, and weren’t you the one who wouldn’t hand it over unless I went with you to the dogs? I’d say if this is anyone’s fault, it’s yours. If you’d just given me the address, then there wouldn’t have been any bother. Well, not for you at least.’
The corners of Stone’s mouth twitched although whether it was in a smile or a sneer was impossible to tell. ‘Yeah, well, I didn’t know Eddie was going to end up with a knife in his chest.’
‘And you think I did?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ he said.
Sadie glared at him. ‘I didn’t have anything to do with Eddie’s murder. Why would I want him dead?’
‘I’ve no idea, but then I wasn’t married to him.’ Stone pulled a face. ‘And you never did answer my question. What exactly are you doing back in Kellston?’
‘Is that any of your business?’
‘Just wondering if you’re likely to cause me any more grief.’
‘Perhaps you should stay away from me,’ Sadie said. ‘That way you’ll be nice and safe.’
‘Bit late for that.’
‘So maybe next time you’ll think twice about forcing women into random nights out.’
Stone raised his eyebrows. ‘You can be sure of it, although I don’t recall much forcing going on. But I’ll certainly think twice about doing anyone a favour again.’
‘It’s hardly a favour when you demand something in exchange.’
Stone hissed out a breath. ‘Tell me you’re not going to the funeral.’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘You got some kind of death wish or what? Don’t you know the Gissings are going to be there?’
Velma came back with the drinks and looked at them both. ‘Not interrupting, am I?’
‘No,’ Sadie said. ‘Mr Stone was just leaving.’
Nathan Stone stood up, his face looking grim. ‘Just watch your back, Sadie. If you’ve got any sense you’ll stay well away from that funeral.’
Sadie stared as he walked off and moved through the crowd towards the bar. ‘That man,’ she muttered.
‘He likes you,’ Velma said.
Sadie reached for her drink and gave a snort. ‘Like a hole in the head.’
‘Oh, believe me, Watch your back is about as close to a term of endearment as Nathan Stone gets. He’s not what you’d call the emotional sort.’
Sadie glanced across the pub to where Stone was chatting to the red-haired woman behind the bar. Some men, she figured, were just born arrogant and he was certainly one of them. ‘It’s not my back he’s bothered about, it’s his own. He’s just worried in case I stir up more trouble.’
‘Maybe he’s right about the funeral, though. Are you sure you should go?’
‘No,’ Sadie said, ‘but it’s too late now. I told Eddie’s dad I’d be there so I can’t change my mind. Anyway, I’m only going to the service, not for drinks or anything after. There’ll be lots of people at the church. Nothing’s likely to… I mean, a church is pretty safe, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, I’m sure it will be. Just keep an eye on that Wayne Gissing.’