Dangerous Secrets

by Chrissie Loveday

  She phoned Ryan.

  ‘I’m concerned about the insurance. Is there some sort of policy there? And do I need to call them before I clear up?’

  ‘Hi sis. I’ve no idea about any of it. I’ll look in the files in Dad’s office, if I can. Leave it with me. I expect there’s someone here who deals with all that stuff. I’ll call you back later. Is it very bad?’

  ‘Oh yes. It’s as if some madman went berserk here. Maybe several madmen. Evidently what I suspected might be piss was ginger ale so that at least is something. I can cope with ginger better than bodily fluids. I doubt much is salvageable. I wondered whether to order a skip or if we use sacks and boxes we can take it to the tip ourselves. I’m staying at the hotel again, by the way. I’ll book a room for you too. Give me call when you know something.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Julia wandered round the rooms, wondering where or how to make a start. She gave up and decided to go and buy some basics. She may have joked about the lack of tea but she was beginning to need a coffee. She’d have to walk back to the hotel to collect her car but it seemed the best plan. She’d buy the very least she could and her credit card was valid till Monday, Ryan had said. She made a list. She looked in the kitchen cupboard and opened the coffee tin. She dropped it with a scream. There was a dead mouse lying amidst the grounds. She looked at other things and found that most things, even cans of food had been damaged by holes made in them. It was vindictive, vicious, and destructive.

  She felt like crying again. Who could hate them so much, to do all this? Was it something personal? Someone getting back at their father for some dodgy deal? Rubbish, she told herself. What would anyone who hated her father be doing here in Cornwall? And how would they know he had any connection at all with this cottage? Whatever, whoever, it was going to mean starting again from scratch. She phoned her brother again to update him on her latest discovery.

  ‘Poor you. It’s all so horrid. I spoke to the insurance company who say no previous claim has yet been made so we can go ahead and replace stuff. As Dad has been a major client for many years, they will waive the usual demand for an assessor.’

  ‘Gosh, that’s great.’

  ‘There is some bad news, however. Dad has instructed them to cancel the policy from the end of the month. It will be down to us in future. I suggest you replace just what you need for now and we’ll sort the rest out tomorrow.’

  The list grew. She looked in the small freezer which the thieves had left behind. It was empty and seemed undamaged. Probably the contents were lying rotting somewhere under the heap of clothing and debris. It seemed that nothing in the entire place could ever be used again. This was something much more than common thieves taking stuff to sell. How could they get away with it? And why had nobody seen anything? There must have been a sizeable van used and it must have been parked in full sight of anyone passing. Whoever was responsible for this amount of damage must have been here for quite some time.

  But there weren’t many people living in the road. With the Smythes’ place empty and the next two houses were not yet let for the season, the area was pretty much deserted. Surely Bryce would be concerned that such vandalism could have an effect on his own lets? Who would want to risk spending a holiday in a crime-ridden area like this one had become? Unless he wasn’t targeting his own places, but then he had claimed that they too had been robbed.

  Ryan arrived late in the evening. Dinner service was over in the hotel so they went along to the local fish and chip shop. As Julia had already eaten, she sat at the table, pinching the odd chip from his plate.

  ‘So, what progress have you made?’ he asked as he munched.

  ‘I made a list. Several lists. Not much more.’

  ‘I see. I spoke briefly on the phone to Dad. He seemed unconcerned and suggested it was another indication that we should sell up and move back to The Gates. Well, that’s to say you should. I’m already stuck there.’

  ‘You don’t think all this could be anything to do with him do you? Someone getting back at him with some axe to grind?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Not all the way down here. Besides, it’s our mother’s own place. Or was. People don’t necessarily connect them. He rarely spent much time here, except when we were very little. He’s always favoured more exotic places for his holidays.’

  ‘Maybe. I’m sorry but I haven’t done anything at Crofters. All just too much.’

  ‘We’ll sort it tomorrow. You can’t go on living at the hotel indefinitely.’

  ‘Bryce has offered me a room at his place.’

  ‘Good Heavens. You surely won’t take him up on it?’

  ‘I might have to. Wait till you see the cottage. It’s probably going to take weeks to sort out and replace every single thing we might need.’

  ‘It sounds grim. Much more than losing a few electrical goods. It’s as if someone’s trying to drive us out.’

  ‘You know, that’s exactly what I wondered for a moment. But there’s the doubt over Betty Smythe’s death too. Annie was certainly driven out and Bryce snapped up their place in a hurry. I don’t know what he paid for it but I suspect it might not have been the highest price she might have got. Bryce is keen enough to buy our place too. Could he really have something to do with all this?’

  ‘It would seem a bit too obvious. But you know him better than I do. I wasn’t really sure about him when we first met him. Something odd about him.’

  ‘He’s OK actually. I think. Acquired money, rather than growing up with it. Anyone who says “choose what you like from the menu” … well, as if I’d choose something I didn’t like. But, he’s done all right for himself and I seriously doubt he’d want to have anything to do with this shambles. Anyway, when I start working for him I can prod around and see if I can find anything.’

  ‘Actually, if he were up to no good he’d hardly have offered to employ you.’

  ‘True. You done with your meal? Let’s go back to the hotel. I feel shattered. Not that I’ve done much today.’

  ‘Emotional strain, dear girl.’

  ‘You sound like our esteemed father.’

  To say Ryan was shocked at the sight of the cottage was an understatement. He went pale and his mouth set in a hard line. He wandered from room to room, and began to look slightly sick.

  ‘We probably do need a skip to deal with all of this. I doubt we can salvage anything. I don’t much fancy it if we did. I’m going to take some pictures, just in case the insurance company question anything. They only just stopped short of hacking the plaster off the walls. And the police say they can’t find any clues? Ridiculous. There must be some indication … some DNA at least somewhere amongst this lot.’

  ‘They were careful. Wore gloves and possibly some sort of boiler suits or something. Not so much as a stray hair, they say. Well there might be but because nobody actually suffered injury over it, the cost of analysing every sample is just too much. By the time they’ve eliminated our stuff anything else would have to be identified separately. There must be traces of other people who stayed here in the past too. Oh, and they want our fingerprints by the way.’

  ‘We took pictures of everything we replaced last time. Surely they’ll be traceable at some point?’

  ‘Depends who buys any of it. I’ll get some rubbish sacks and can dump stuff in them. Have to make a start somewhere.’

  ‘There are some boxes in the outhouse. We can put the broken china and stuff so the sacks don’t rip.’

  ‘You’re a star, Ryan. So calm and just what I needed.’

  ‘Thanks, sis. Must admit though, I don’t exactly feel calm. I’m seething with anger at the waste of it all. So many of our precious memories have been destroyed. I’m not sure I even want to stay here anymore. And I’m very concerned about you being here on your own. Perhaps you really should consider Bryce’s offer for a while.’

  ‘They’re not going to frighten me off. I’m determined. I’ll get a dog if needs be. Something large and fero
cious.’

  It made them both smile and broke the tension a little.

  They began the thankless task of sorting through the debris. A row of boxes containing broken china and glass were lined up outside and several sacks of damaged clothing, bed linen, and other textiles followed. A few things seemed usable and they put them in the washing machine thankfully also left by the vandals. All seemed in order until it reached the spin cycle. At this point there was a loud bang and the power went off. A slow trickle of water crept out of the machine.

  ‘Oh no. Looks like there’s something wrong with that too. Maybe they damaged that too and we didn’t notice. Oh this gets worse and worse. What’s left? A couple of pots and pans. The cooker and just a few items of crockery. Where do we start?’ Julia looked helplessly at her brother.

  ‘We can order mattresses over the phone. Then I suggest we go to that cheap shop in the village and buy some basic crockery, sheets, and stuff. What else do you need? Kettle, toaster and coffee-maker for starters?’

  ‘I suppose.’

  ‘And we’ll get a cleaning company to come in and do the carpets and wash down the walls. They’ll bring equipment to do it.’

  ‘I spoke to Bryce yesterday and his cleaners could come in on Sunday.’

  ‘OK. We can manage with the basics as far as shopping goes.’

  ‘Be like camping all over again.’ She tried to sound cheerful but it wasn’t easy.

  ‘A dog isn’t such a bad idea, either. Still, that can come later. I suggest we go into town now and get what we need in the way of shopping. I doubt there’ll be any more visitations for a while. I suppose you could do with a telly too. Keep you amused on long dark evenings.’

  ‘No point. It’ll only disappear again. We’ll have to see about getting the washer fixed though.’

  It was a depressing trip, repeating the same purchases over again without actually trying to replace precious things they’d known for most of their lives. They left everything in the car for the night. They arranged for someone to call to repair the washing machine and Bryce’s cleaners agreed to spend Sunday at the cottage, cleaning as much as they could. Ryan and Julia would spend the day carting the rubbish to the council tip.

  They spent the evening at the pub. The landlord chatted to them about the latest break-in.

  ‘Don’t know what’s happening to this place. Going downhill rapidly. What with the poor old twins and now this lot.’

  ‘Anything new on Betty’s demise?’ Ryan asked.

  ‘Not that we’ve heard. Nasty business all round. There’ll be an inquest sometime I expect.’

  Ryan’s phone rang. He answered it and looked upset.

  ‘I’d better take it. It’s Dad and he’s fuming about something.’ He went outside. ‘Sorry Dad, what is it?’

  ‘Where the hell are you? I’ve got Jeremy and his daughter here for dinner, as arranged. The dinner’s being kept warm by a very grumpy Mrs Jenkins and there’s still no sign of you.’

  ‘I’m sorry Dad. I told you I was coming to Cornwall. I phoned you. About the break in?’

  ‘You didn’t say you were wasting time actually driving there. I assumed you were dealing with it sensibly from here. I’d instructed the insurance to pay up whatever it cost.’

  ‘Julia is very upset. I couldn’t leave her to cope alone. The damage is horrendous. They’ve done a proper job on the place.’

  ‘You really do take the bloody biscuit. Time you both grew up a bit. Get rid of the place and get yourselves back home where you belong. It’s too late for tonight but I’m warning you, the next time I organise something you’d better make sure you’re here for it. You know what will happen otherwise.’

  ‘Dad, you’ve got to stop …’ His words were wasted. His father had hung up. When would he ever be free again? He recounted the call to his sister and the relaxed mood was broken. Tension returned so they went back to the hotel for an early night.

  ‘It will be a busy day tomorrow. We’ll have to unload the shopping somewhere and then dump the rubbish. Then, if we’ve time, you need more food shopping, especially if you’re starting work on Monday.’

  ‘Heavens, yes. I was forgetting that my freedom days are over.’

  Chapter Ten

  A team of three cleaners turned up on the Sunday morning. Gwen had persuaded her brother Terry to join them and work the carpet cleaning machine. Demelza was her regular partner and the pair were used to working together. The young woman was as far from the Demelza of anyone’s imagination, as it was possible to be. She was a large, unprepossessing lump of a person whose idea of fashion was a tight T-shirt and leggings which did nothing to hide her large breasts and over-plump thighs. Terry was a somewhat scruffy twenty-something who looked as if he’d never worked hard in his life. He seemed to have some sort of fascination for his sister’s friend, especially her large breasts, and flirted unashamedly with her. Gwen was the organiser of the trio and soon set them jobs while she filled a bucket with hot soapy water and disinfectant. She produced a range of cleaning cloths and announced she was going to give the cupboards and shelves a good going over. She was a small sparrow of a woman in her twenties who, unlike her younger brother, was clearly good at her work and would stand no nonsense from the other two.

  ‘Somebody did a right job on this place, di’n’t they?’ Gwen said looking at the stains on walls and carpets. ‘Do the p’lice know who did it yet?’

  ‘Not yet. They’re checking fingerprints and other samples they’ve taken.’ The latter was a lie but it was no use letting anyone know there’d been no evidence left behind.

  ‘I’ll go and start loading the rubbish,’ Ryan said, satisfied that the cottage clean-up was in capable hands.

  ‘Nice looking bloke, your brother. Is he single?’ Gwen watched him through the window.

  ‘Oh yes. Quite single. I suppose he is quite good-looking. You don’t think about it when it’s your own brother, do you?’

  ‘I dunno. Terry’s not the best in the looks department but he’s a lovely chap. Salt of the earth. He’s potty about Demelza but she thinks he’s too young for her. They’re the same age actually but he’s a bit slow. Reading and that. Only came wiv us ’cos she’s working Sunday when they usually hang out.’ She was busily scrubbing the kitchen cupboards as she spoke and Julia thought it likely she would carry chatting on all morning given half the chance.

  ‘I see. Well, I’d better go and help Ryan.’

  ‘Think he’d like a date sometime?’ Gwen asked hopefully.

  ‘I’m afraid he’s going back home this evening. He lives and works back in Buckinghamshire.’

  ‘Is that far away? I’ve got my own car. Bit ancient but if it isn’t too far, maybe we could have a drink together sometime? Would you ask him?’

  ‘It’s about five or six hours away, so don’t hold out your hopes.’ Julia smiled at the woman and left her to her work.

  ‘Guess what?’ she said to Ryan as they drove their load to the tip in the next village. ‘Gwen fancies you. Wants a date and I’m supposed to organise it for her. Says she’ll meet you for a drink one evening.’ Her mouth curved into a smile as she saw the alarm on his face.

  ‘A drink?’

  ‘Hmm. She wasn’t sure if Buckinghamshire was close enough to drive there for an evening.’

  ‘Don’t you dare start matchmaking, thank you very much. You’re the one person in the world I can rely on.’

  ‘Course you can. You know you can talk to me about anything, don’t you? Anything that worries you. I keep thinking you need to offload stuff. I get the feeling there’s so much you’re not telling me.’

  ‘Maybe I can talk about things more, one day. Not yet though. I still need time to sort my head out.’

  ‘Why do I keep getting the feeling Dad has some hold over you?’

  Ryan jumped so hard, the car swerved violently.

  ‘Watch it, love. You’ll put us in the ditch.’

  ‘Sorry. But you don’t know what you’
re talking about. I went back to work for him because I like the lifestyle he can give us. I can’t exist without decent money.’

  ‘Whatever. But, pardon me, if I don’t quite believe you. You’ve never been that mercenary.’

  ‘Just shows you don’t know everything about me. Is this the turning?’

  ‘Think so. Steady though. The potholes are positively feet deep in places.’

  There was a queue of cars waiting to go in and the whole thing took far longer than they’d anticipated.

  ‘Oh joy, and there’s still at least another load to come.’ Ryan sighed. ‘Have to do it all today. I must go back this evening. Face the wrath of the old man.’

  ‘Hopefully, I’ll be able to empty the stuff out of my car once the cupboards are cleaned. I can dump more stuff later if necessary. It’s full of my clothes and still parked outside the hotel. I might even be able to move back to the cottage tomorrow. If the carpets are dry.’

  ‘We still need to do your food shopping. I’m starving too. Hours since breakfast. Shall we stop for something to eat?’

  ‘I’m out of cash,’ Julia replied. ‘And my credit card’s about to die isn’t it?’

  ‘I’ll pay. And I’d better find somewhere to draw some more cash for you. You probably won’t get paid for ages. There is Mum’s legacy you can use.’

  ‘That’s for the cottage expenses. I can’t use that. Is Dad trying to starve me into submission, to make me go back?’

  ‘He certainly wants you home, for whatever his reasons.’

  ‘To keep control of me and to get a free housekeeper.’

  ‘I doubt you’d be a free housekeeper if your past shopping record is anything to go by. Anyway, I don’t suppose it’ll be long before he moves someone else in.’

  ‘You can’t mean that? He wouldn’t, surely? He’d be just as tied as when Mum was alive. Sneaking off when the fancy took him to have some sort of affair with someone else. He’s a serial philanderer.’