Her Deadly Secret

by Chris Curran

  He kneeled on the bed and took both her hands in his. ‘Tell me his name, Hannah, please.’

  An enormous breath as she closed her eyes, head tilted back. ‘You won’t tell Loretta or any of them?’

  ‘Not unless you say so.’

  She let the breath out, eyes moving behind their veined lids. ‘His name was Oliver Weatherall. I think Alice Pritchard fancied him. That’s why she was so nasty to me.’

  Still without his shoes he went to the window, watching a driving school car as it jerked and shuddered through a three-point turn. ‘Oliver Weatherall?’

  ‘See, I’ve told you his name and it hasn’t helped. He wasn’t on that list the police showed me, so Lily couldn’t have traced him. You won’t tell anyone, will you, Joe? It would be too cruel to let him know about her now.’

  He came back to her, kneeling by her side of the bed and taking her hands again. ‘He might know already, love. See, I looked the Pritchards up and went down to Bexhill.’ Her eyes stretched wide, her breath coming faster. ‘I spotted the daughter, Alice’s sister, Rosemary. I didn’t speak to her but I found out her married name. She’s called Weatherall, Hannah, and she’s married to an Oliver Weatherall. Surely that’s got to be him.’

  Hannah looked at Joe, her fist clenched to her mouth.

  He said, ‘Raj is downstairs. We should tell him.’

  But she shook her head and touched his hand. ‘Don’t say anything yet, please, Joe. Just let me think for a bit.’

  Loretta

  After the interview with Hannah, the team had a meeting which led nowhere much. Davis and Philips were convinced she had killed her daughter. ‘We know she’s capable of violent rages and has told us a series of lies,’ Davis said. ‘She’s admitted to killing the girl from Hastings, Alice Pritchard. And although she was so young, she was calm enough to get rid of the murder weapon that time. And we have no weapon here.’

  ‘But she loved Lily. I’m sure of that.’

  ‘And I don’t think she meant to kill her. Just as she didn’t intend to murder Alice. But Lily looks to have been close to finding out who her mother really was. The next step could have been to discover that she had changed her name because of the murder. Hannah couldn’t allow her to do that.’

  Loretta shook her head, but knew there was nothing she could say. Philips nodded and said they needed to keep watching Hannah and digging into all the evidence. ‘Either we’ll get a big break or she’ll break and tell us everything.’

  Afterwards, Loretta phoned Raj at Hannah and Joe’s to let him know what had been said and told him she’d be over in the evening. Then she piled into the paperwork trying to get as much done before she had to be at Dex’s school, where he was to meet and apologize to Errol, the boy he had hurt.

  Mrs Taylor kept the boys standing next to each other as the adults sat. Willard was very calm and she was glad to have him there. She had expected to feel angry with the other lad, Errol, for bullying Dex; but in the end, she was sorry for him, and especially for his mother having to face this on her own. Loretta recognized them from years ago, outside the school gates of the primary. Errol and Dex had been friends then.

  Errol’s mother spent more time apologizing than either of the boys and Loretta hoped she wasn’t intimidated by the fact that there were two of them with Dex. Of course, the combination of a police officer and a social worker probably seemed like a nightmare to her. She said Errol had been led astray by bad company. How often had Loretta heard that down at the nick? But then she’d been thinking it herself about Dex. Willard made soothing noises, which was just as well because Loretta seemed to be struck dumb.

  Mrs Taylor gave the boys a bit of a lecture aimed, Loretta thought, as much at the parents as the kids. The teacher, Mr Henderson, pontificated for a few minutes before the Head stepped in. She said it was time for the whole thing to be resolved and asked Dex if he was sorry for what he’d done. With a glance at Will he said, ‘Yes.’

  ‘And will you apologize to Errol?’

  Dex turned to the other boy. ‘I’m very sorry I hurt you.’ His voice was lumpy, and Loretta swallowed and blinked. She wanted so much to hug him.

  The boy’s mother said, ‘Errol?’

  And he held out his hand to Dex, and when Dex shook it, he said a very gracious, ‘’Pology accepted.’

  And that was it. Mrs Taylor smiled and said she hoped they could put the whole incident behind them. Her relief was obvious – one more problem sorted even if only a minor one.

  Afterwards, the boys stood awkwardly next to each other while the parents said their goodbyes but, as they headed for separate cars, Errol turned back and bumped fists with Dex, ‘Cheers, Dex, see ya,’ and Dex gave a languid series of nods, ‘Cool, man.’

  Loretta looked at Willard. He shook his head and shrugged – kids, who could work them out?

  They all went back to the house. Pearl had cooked and, as they sat at the kitchen table, Dex lowered his head to speak into his plate.

  ‘Sorry, Mum, sorry, Dad. I promise I’ll keep outta trouble in future.’

  She was glad she was sitting next to him because that made it easier to catch him off guard and grab him in a huge hug. She swallowed down tears as she did so.

  The tears weren’t just because she was relieved things were sorted with Dex; at least, for now. They were because she felt uncomfortable in her own home. Will seemed so at ease here with the kids. It was as if she were the visitor, not him. And she hated herself for being so aware of the clock ticking and the way her thoughts kept straying back to Hannah and Joe.

  She asked Will if he could stay. ‘I don’t know how long I’ll be.’

  Pearl was obviously disappointed when she said she had to go and followed her to the door. ‘Don’t forget it’s the prize-giving tomorrow. You will be there, won’t you?’

  ‘Of course I will. Have I ever missed one?’ Pearl was always up for something and, until this year, Dex had been too. Loretta had booked the whole day off months ago. Hadn’t expected to be involved in a case like this, though. She didn’t want to think about how anxious she would feel for not visiting Hannah and Joe.

  Pearl leaned in to kiss her, whispering, ‘We’ve not heard much from Sandra while Dad’s been here and I don’t think Dad has either.’

  Loretta shook her head. ‘Pearl …’

  Her daughter grinned. ‘Just saying, that’s all.’

  At the car door, Loretta called: ‘Yeah, well, do me a favour, will you? Don’t say or even think about it.’ The way the kids were always so hopeful didn’t make things easier. She could never be anything but friends with Will now. And awkward ones at that.

  Raj had rung her earlier to say he’d got nothing new from Hannah or Joe, but everything was calm. So, on her way over there she took a detour and stopped at the country park where she used to bring Pearl and Dex to feed the ducks. It was after seven in the evening, but still brilliantly sunny and she needed some fresh air and a few moments to think. She walked down to the lake and sat on one of the benches watching the water birds.

  Years ago, it must have been just after Pearl started school, she remembered coming here with Dex. He was a sturdy little boy in his blue anorak and favourite silver trainers and she held his plump hand as they stood on the bank. They watched a pair of swans and their five or six cygnets gliding by. Near a tree-covered island, a family of geese bustled in and out of the water. Suddenly the male swan – could it be the same one, she had no idea how long swans lived – attacked the gaggle of goslings.

  She couldn’t stop Dex watching as the adult geese flapped frantic wings, trying to fend off the great white bird, and the tiny goslings slid and slipped, trying to scramble from the water and up the muddy bank of the island. Dex cried for her to do something, but she could only watch as the swan held each bundle of grey feathers under the surface till it stopped struggling.

  So much for a bit of R&R. She couldn’t get away from thoughts of violence even here.

  Her phone ra
ng – Clara, from The Children.

  ‘Hi, Clara, everything all right?’

  It was clear she was anxious not to be overheard. ‘Yes, I’m fine, thank you. It’s just that there’s something I should have told you earlier. Something I think is important.’ Loretta smiled. At least Jerome hadn’t intimidated Clara completely. ‘You see, when she first came to us, I helped Hannah put all her stuff in the testament box. And she told me her real name was Natalie Grant. Said her mother was against her having the baby and might try to make her get rid of it, so that’s why she was using another name.’

  ‘Thank you, Clara, you’ve done the right thing in telling me, but we know all this.’

  ‘Yes, but I’ve remembered that a few months ago someone came here asking about a Natalie Grant.’

  This was significant. ‘Really, who was it?’

  ‘It was Natalie’s mother. Said she wanted to see Natalie and the grandchild.’

  ‘And you told her about Hannah and where to find her?’

  ‘Oh, no, I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t have been right, but …’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, it’s possible there could be other people here who know Hannah’s real name.’

  ‘And you’re worried her mother could have found Hannah through them?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Rosie

  Rosie had faced Oliver with it after he put Fay to bed. He must have realized she wanted to say something he wouldn’t like, maybe even guessed what it was, because he took longer than usual over the bedtime ritual and then went straight into his office.

  She called to him, heart thumping. ‘Oliver, can you come here for a minute?’

  It was a while before he appeared, going into the living room and switching on the TV. Reluctant to sit on the sofa beside him Rosie pulled up a footstool and perched herself in front. It was a mistake, she felt tiny, a mousy Jane Eyre looking up at Mr Rochester. If she was wrong, would he forgive her?

  ‘Turn that off, will you? I want to say something.’

  He was still looking at the TV. ‘Just let me watch this first.’

  ‘Oliver, this is important.’ He didn’t look at her, but she could tell she had his attention. ‘I had lunch with Mum today and she told me something about Natalie Grant. The girl who wrote to Dad.’

  His silence and his absolute stillness told her everything.

  ‘She was your girlfriend, wasn’t she, and she ran away because she was having your baby?’ What she’d expected she didn’t know, but not this. He stayed silent, his face like stone, staring at the screen. ‘Oliver, speak to me, please.’

  A quick glance at her and then he closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the sofa cushions with a huge quavering breath. ‘I’m sorry, Rosie, but you’ve got to believe me. I didn’t have a clue until you told me about it on the boat. About those fucking letters and that you’d talked to Natalie’s mother. I hadn’t seen or heard from Natalie since way before she disappeared. How was I to know she had a baby?’ His voice was thick.

  A burst of laughter from the TV, still burbling on. She reached for the remote control and switched it off. ‘You had no idea she was pregnant?’

  He shook his head. ‘Of course not. I only went out with her for a couple of weeks.’ He reached for Rosie’s hand and held it to his cheek. ‘I feel terrible, Rosie, but we can’t be sure of any of it. Even if she was pregnant I might not have been the father, and if I was it doesn’t affect us. You’re the one I love. The one I’ve been married to all these years, and Fay is the only child I want.’

  ‘Is this why you haven’t wanted to talk about the situation with my mum and dad?’

  ‘I suppose I thought if I didn’t talk, or even think, about it, then I didn’t have to acknowledge the possibility. She obviously didn’t want me involved and, without those letters, and you going to see her mum, I would never have known.’

  Rosie sat up straight. ‘But if she hadn’t been pregnant she wouldn’t have gone to our house that day. And Alice might still be alive.’

  He turned away, his voice thick. ‘Don’t, Rosie. Please don’t.’

  But she couldn’t stop. ‘You knew her. Do you think she might have killed Alice?’

  ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what to think anymore. God, what a mess.’ He scratched at his scalp, making his hair stand up in spikes, then rubbed his hand roughly over his face as if trying to wake from a bad dream.

  She moved to sit beside him on the sofa and they sat for a long time, her head on his chest while he stroked her hair. They were going to have to be so careful with each other from now on. She hadn’t told him about her worries that there might be a connection with the Swindon murder. This wasn’t the time. And please God let that time never come.

  As the room grew colder she shook him. ‘Come on, let’s go up.’

  In bed, he turned away from her and they pretended to sleep but, in the middle of the night, he reached for her and said, ‘I love you so much, Rosie, and I love Fay. I’m so sorry about all of this.’

  ‘I know. And I know you couldn’t have realized about the baby, but I need you to tell me if you think Natalie might have killed Alice.’

  ‘I’ve been lying here thinking about that. Alice was always asking me round to your house, but I didn’t like most of the kids she hung out with and I knew my parents wouldn’t approve. But one day, my mate, Stephen, persuaded me to go. When we got there this girl was coming through the gate in tears.’

  ‘Natalie? After Alice had a go at her I bet.’

  ‘Yes. And Stephen said to ignore her because she was just some poor kid your dad had taken pity on, but I stopped to talk to her and that’s when it started. I liked her, but I didn’t want to get involved. So, it didn’t last long. Not long enough for us to really get to know each other. I thought she was sweet and she seemed very gentle, but she definitely didn’t like Alice.’

  He pulled Rosie close. ‘I would never have thought her capable of violence, but I just don’t know.’ He kissed her over and over, mumbling apologies.

  After a while they made love and her face was wet with tears, whether his, her own or a mixture of both she wasn’t sure.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Joe

  Raj had been in and out all day, but Hannah hadn’t said a word to him about Oliver Weatherall. Loretta had promised to pop in during the evening so, when Hannah asked Joe to take her for a drive, he guessed she needed to talk privately. It wasn’t until they were in the car that she told him where she wanted to go – to where Lily died.

  It was the last place he would have chosen, but at least they’d be together this time and she wouldn’t be able to hurt herself. He parked at the edge of the wood and they sat listening to the engine still running and to their own breathing. ‘Are you sure you want to stop here, love?’ he said. ‘We could drive on somewhere else and have a walk.’

  She touched his hand where it rested on the gearstick. It felt odd because all her bandages were gone, or maybe it was because it had been so long since she’d last reached for him. Her hand was as light and dry as a scrap of torn paper. ‘Come on,’ she said. She waited for him as he locked up then took his hand again, leading him into the trees.

  They hadn’t brought flowers this time, and the first lot had been destroyed by all the trampling around after Hannah tried to kill herself. How the hell could she face coming here?

  As they walked together through the murmuring twilight she squeezed his hand. ‘I’m so sorry I wasn’t honest with you right from the start. At The Children of Light they said I was a new person, the past didn’t matter once we’d confessed everything, and I wanted to believe that.’ Her voice was almost lost among the whispering of the leaves.

  ‘It wasn’t your fault what happened to Lily,’ he said. ‘But you’ve got to help them find who did it.’

  A burst of fluttering made them look up. A couple of birds were squabbling in a tree and one flew out, turned in the air, and shot back among the
leaves in a gust of rustling and squawking.

  Hannah raised her voice. ‘I should have told them everything when Lily disappeared. They might have found out who did it by now. I really thought it was some random psychopath sent as my punishment. I’d almost been expecting it all these years, because Lily made me so happy and I knew I didn’t deserve it. After it happened, after she was killed, I think I was half-mad for a while.’

  ‘And now? What do you think now?’ He knew he had to be careful with her, but it was so difficult.

  She didn’t answer, just walked on, scuffing her shoes through the litter of broken leaves and twigs.

  ‘Hannah love, I know how I feel just thinking that someone might have got away with killing Lily. But if I was blamed for it too, my god, I can’t even imagine how angry I’d be.’

  She stopped and turned to him, taking his other hand. ‘Do you mean you think it’s Mr Pritchard?’

  He nodded.

  ‘But you don’t know him,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe he could kill anyone.’ She’d lost so much weight that her skin was stretched tight over her nose. Her freckles like inky splashes on paper.

  He forced himself to speak gently, although he wanted to scream at her to wake up and think of Lily, their lovely girl. ‘Of course he could, anyone could. Maybe Lily traced him, thinking he was her dad, and confronted him.’

  ‘But he wasn’t and he knew that.’ She looked up into the canopy of leaves, their shadows flickering over her face. He could see her thoughts whirring.

  Don’t rush her. ‘He was just out of jail. Who knows what seeing Lily might have done to him. Those letters you wrote, did you tell him you killed Alice?’

  ‘No, but …’

  ‘He could have guessed. He’d spent all those years locked up and then he sees your daughter. Finds out you’ve got a daughter, when his is dead.’

  He’d practised this in his head, but it didn’t sound right now he was saying it. When he stopped, he could hear his own breathing, very loud.

  Hannah looked down at their hands still clasped together. ‘What can I do?’