Undermined

by Ripley Hayes

  The paramedics loaded Barbara onto a stretcher. Daniel checked which hospital they were going to and rang Vanessa, hearing the panic in her voice as he told her what had happened.

  “Tell me where you are and I’ll come and take you to the hospital,” he said, promising blue lights when she protested that she could drive herself.

  Daniel remembered that he had promised to rest his leg. So much for that. He quailed at the thought of talking to Kent, and debated ringing Bethan instead, but he didn’t get the chance. Kent rang him.

  “Following the ambulance sir, we’ll be there in a few minutes and I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.” The answer was not the one that Daniel had been hoping for.

  “I’m five minutes behind you.”

  Daniel spent the rest of the journey trying to keep Vanessa calm. The great thing about a marked police car is that nobody stops you parking right outside A&E, and they were in time to see a clearly conscious Barbara being wheeled in. Vanessa ran to her mother and held her hand as they were whisked through the doors and straight into the treatment area. Daniel introduced himself to the receptionist and was invited to wait. A minute or two later Kent joined him.

  “What the hell happened?”

  Daniel had to tell Kent that he didn’t know. Kent tried the receptionist again, but got nowhere.

  “They say they’ll call us. Stay there and don’t move.” Kent disappeared outside and came back with a cardboard tray with two coffees and two paper wrapped sandwiches.

  “Coffee’s probably cold, but it’ll be better than machine stuff.”

  “Thanks.”

  They started to eat in silence, but the anger Daniel was expecting from Kent was absent.

  The A&E waiting room was quiet, as quiet as such places get. A middle aged couple reading on their kindles, a guy in working clothes holding a pad against a head wound and a pair of very thin women who went back and forth to the receptionist, becoming more and more belligerent, until Daniel thought that they were going to have to intervene. But then the door opened and the two women were escorted through to the medical area, the fractious voices fading as they moved away.

  Kent finished his sandwich and crumpled the paper.

  “You had to arrest her. I still don’t think she did it, but you had no choice. She told too many lies.”

  “But you said it, sir, it’s all circumstantial.”

  “I think you’re right about everything except who killed Suzanne and Roy. I think Barbara did visit Suzanne to warn her off. I’m sure she visited Marian - Bethan is having another go at getting Marian to tell us what happened. But I’m certain she didn’t kill them. I don’t think you believe it either Daniel.”

  “Then she’s been over here putting her affairs in order, just like she told us. And I interrogated her and put her in a cell and now she’s here.” Daniel’s throat was too tight for him to continue eating, and the last of the heat had gone from the coffee. His leg ached.

  This is down to me. Always think I know best.

  He stared at the floor, beige Marley tiles, shiny from the daily buffing, but gouged by heels and chair legs, covered in scuff marks. His head was beginning to spin.

  “Daniel. Stop it and eat something.” He felt Kent’s arm round his shoulders, lifting him up. “This is not your fault, and maidenly swooning doesn’t help.”

  “Sorry.” Daniel reached for the sandwich and took a bite. The self flagellation from his cock-up didn’t stop, but I don’t need to make it worse by being a drama queen. He thought it would have been easier to deal with if Kent had been angry with him.

  Kent’s phone rang. “Hi Bethan, what’ve you got?” Daniel heard his sergeant’s voice, and then “he’s with me, not somewhere I can put it on loudspeaker. You should have rung him directly, but you can tell him now.” There was a muffled apology from Bethan, before Kent handed the phone over. Daniel wanted to say I thought you were my friend and it didn’t take you long to switch sides but he didn’t give in to the temptation. Self pity wasn’t attractive, and anyway, he thought, Kent had stuck up for him.

  “Sorry Boss,” Bethan said, “My bad. I should have rung you not him. I’ve been talking to Marian Edwards. She confirmed that Barbara did come to visit. She also gives Barbara an alibi for Suzanne’s murder - they were having dinner in the Slater’s Arms with dozens of witnesses, so why Barbara didn’t mention it is anyone’s guess.”

  Before Daniel could reply Kent touched his arm and stood up. They were being beckoned by a nurse from the door to the medical suite.

  “Gotta go,” he said and ended the call.

  The nurse led them to an empty cubicle and a few minutes later a middle aged man with a stethoscope and an ID lanyard came in, pulling the curtain back with a rattle.

  “I don’t know what you were thinking of arresting a dying woman for murder,” he said, in a voice clearly intended to carry, “but locking her up without medical attention was little short of criminal. I will be making an official complaint.”

  “That’s your prerogative,” said Kent. He spoke quietly, not responding to the doctor’s anger. “How is Mrs Edwards?”

  The doctor sat down on one of the orange plastic chairs and looked up at them. From this angle, they could see the bags under his eyes and the way his shoulders drooped with tiredness.

  “She won’t be going home,” he said. “We’re hoping to transfer her to a hospice today. She’ll probably rally a bit, but she’s not going to be well enough to go back to Spain. Her daughter is with her and wants to speak to you. Wait here.” The doctor got up with obvious effort and Daniel heard him walk away, back to where the nurses crowded round computer screens, clicking on the keyboards and talking in low voices. A tear formed in the corner of Daniel’s eye and no amount of deep breaths could stop its progress down his cheek. He reached for a tissue from the box next to the the bed.

  Kent took it off him and wiped the tear away.

  “You didn’t do this Daniel.”

  “I think I did sir.”

  Then Kent had his arms round Daniel, holding him tightly. “You did your job. There is no way you could have known. Barbara told too many lies.”

  Daniel took a shaky breath, and allowed himself to lean on Kent drawing strength from the contact.

  “You wouldn’t have arrested her.”

  “Says who? I spoke to the Custody Officer before I left. Barbara was only alone for ten minutes, if that, because you told them to keep an eye on her and take her something to eat and drink.”

  Behind Daniel a voice said “knock knock”. He pulled away from Kent and turned round. Vanessa stood in front of them.

  “Sorry to disturb you both,” she said with a small smile, “perhaps one of you could buy me some coffee and a bun - I forgot to bring my purse.”

  “It doesn’t look like Mum will be seeing her grandchild after all,” said Vanessa. Vanessa’s baby bump had scored them a table in the hospital’s coffee shop, though they’d had to clear plates and paper before they could put their own things down. The automatic doors swished open and closed, letting in draughts of cold air, and a loudspeaker recited names for hospital transport and taxis. The only cheerful voices were those of the women behind the counter, calling every customer their lovely, switching effortlessly between English and Welsh. Daniel wondered if they would have switched to Spanish if Vanessa had been to the counter.

  He started to apologise for everything that had happened, his heart aching for Vanessa and for Barbara. Vanessa dismissed him with a wave.

  “That isn’t important. Mum told lots of lies to everyone - including me - and you made a mistake. But if you don’t find out who really killed my Dad and that woman, people are going to think no smoke without fire.“

  Vanessa took a deep breath and a drink of her coffee.

  “Look. She hasn’t got long, and they’ve given her morphine so she’s going to be asleep a lot. I want to be able to tell her that you’ve sorted it out. Before, well you know.”
r />   “We’ll do everything we can, as quick as we can,” said Kent, “and we’ll stay in touch.”

  “It’s bad enough that my baby’s grandfather was a bigamist. I don’t want people saying that their grandmother was a murderer.”

  Daniel thought that if he had to go round Cwmcoed and tell every resident that Barbara was innocent then he would.

  But it would be better to find who really did it, and then prove it.

  Under the table, he felt Kent’s hand reach for his.

  Daniel and Kent had another coffee after Vanessa went back to sit with her mother. Daniel thought that there wasn’t enough coffee in the world to lift the tiredness from his bones. The long drive this morning, the responsibility he felt for Barbara and Vanessa, the loss of the easy trust he’d always had with Bethan, and whatever was going on with Kent. He wanted to fold his arms on the tiny plastic table, rest his head in them and sleep. He must have started to drift, because Kent’s voice echoed in his consciousness as if it was waking him up.

  “We need to go back to Cwmcoed.”

  “You don’t need me.” To make another cock-up.

  “Daniel. Enough. My decision, and I want you there. You have to collect your car anyway.”

  “OK. When?”

  “I’d like the chance to get some more information, the data from Roy’s phone, dot the i’s and cross the t’s, so back to your office, then something to eat and maybe even a nap and aim to be in Cwmcoed first thing. The roads will be quieter at night.”

  Daniel thought that the nap bit sounded good, but miles to go and all that. He shook himself awake and drank the rest of his coffee.

  “You’re thinking Gavin?”

  Kent nodded, “Marian and Barbara could have done it together, whatever Vanessa says. We should check the alibi at least. But someone tried to run you over in a stolen car, and that has to have been Gavin. We need to talk to him.”

  “You don’t think it’s worth sending someone round to pick him up now?”

  “In an ideal world Daniel, yes. But my world is not ideal, so I’d rather go myself, with someone I know has my back. Especially to Cwmcoed.”

  Kent had his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his eyes fixed on the coffee machine over Daniel’s shoulder. At the same time, Kent’s thigh was resting against his. I need your support it seemed to say.

  “Then your plan it is Maldwyn,” Daniel said.

  Chapter 8

  The Cwmcoed gossip network had trouble with Gavin’s movements. He’d been seen at his mother’s house on the day of the murder, and seen at work in further down the valley at the same time. Someone like him could be seen on CCTV at the hospital car park where the white car had been stolen, but it was only like him and not conclusive. Some people said Gavin and his mother got on well and pointed out that she’d moved to be closer to him. Others said the opposite. All that Daniel could deduce was that no one knew Gavin, even to the extent of not knowing what kind of car he drove. Which given the way everyone knew each other’s business in Cwmcoed said Gavin was going out of his way to be elusive.

  His employer said he was a good mechanic, reliable and skilled, but too quick to take offence, “so he hasn’t really got any mates. Thinks everyone’s talking about him behind his back. I told him, Gav, we’ve got better things to talk about than you, and I thought he was going to swing for me. Funny bloke. Moved down from north Wales.” As if the last two things were related.

  He’d been arrested more than once, but never charged, not even cautioned. One of the arrests was in Melin Tywyll, for fighting outside a pub. No charges, but someone in this building would know something, so Daniel went to find out.

  “It’s not what you do, it’s who you know,” Daniel’s oppo in the uniformed branch was cynical. “My officer was tamping. We’d got him on CCTV, clear as a bell. Chucked out of the Horseshoes for threatening this bloke and then he waited outside and lamped him. He threatened my officers with the same, the Custody Officer and anyone else within shouting range. All someone else’s fault of course. Everyone was out to get him.”

  “So why wasn’t he charged?”

  “Friends in high places. Mother’s the Chief Constable’s cousin or aunty or something.”

  “You didn’t push it?”

  “As much as I could. He did a lot of damage to the bloke he attacked. But then he moved away and it got dropped.”

  When Daniel got back to CID it was empty, except for Kent.

  “So Daniel, are you going to take me home, or do I have to doss down in a cell?”

  Daniel did what he always did and blushed. Then he pulled Kent down the stairs and gave him directions to his house.

  Daniel would be the first to admit that his home was a work in progress. It was watertight. It had a wood burner and lots of insulation. The kitchen and bathroom were finished. His living room had an old futon sofa, a couple of camping chairs and a coffee table that Megan had rescued from a skip. He’d insulated and boarded the floor, and he’d stripped most of the wood chip wallpaper from the walls. Megan said that he couldn’t have a stove without a rug in front of it, so she’d given him a ‘sheepskin’ that was so obviously fake that he laughed every time he looked at it. Whoever had designed the rug had never seen a sheep. His mother had made him a brightly coloured blanket for the back of his sofa, and every time his parents came to visit, they brought Spanish plates and bowls which cheered up the deep windowsills. Examples of Megan’s twins’ artworks were stuck to the walls around the fireplace. On winter nights, he’d lie on the sofa in front of the fire, ignoring the bare floorboards, and the blown plaster on the walls, the kitchen door propped up against the wall waiting for him to paint and rehang it, and all the other jobs he ought to do, and would definitely get round to. Soon.

  Daniel could get the wood burner churning out heat within minutes. He put a couple of lamps on, which he knew left the worst of the mess in shadow, put a match to the fire and went into the kitchen for beer. He got back to find Kent stretched out on the sofa, gazing at the fire and smiling.

  “I like this place,” he said, “and there’s room for both of us on here.”

  Daniel handed Kent a beer and sat down. The window in the stove was bright yellow with flames, so Daniel reached over to close the vents and keep the heat in the room. Kent took a drink and sighed.

  “God, that’s good. Now all I need is a gorgeous man. Oh, wait, there is a gorgeous man, but he said he wasn’t interested.”

  In answer, Daniel put his beer down, and reached over to slip his hands round the back of Kent’s neck and pull him in for a kiss.

  Kent tasted of beer and Daniel loved it. Kent might be big enough to block out the sun, but his kisses were tender in the best way. There was just space for the two of them to lie face to face on the sofa, kissing and looking into each other’s eyes like teenagers. Daniel had to remind himself that Kent couldn’t wait to leave Wales, but just because there was no future didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the present. As the fire started to warm the room Kent sat up and took off his sweater and shirt.

  “Keep going,” said Daniel.

  “I will if you will.”

  “It’s still chilly, and I’m not as furry as you.”

  But he took his clothes off anyway and his shiver as Kent pulled him back onto the sofa wasn’t all about being cold.

  The drive back to south Wales started far too early. They planned to go first to Suzanne Price’s house, and if Gavin wasn’t there, then to his flat. Either way, they wanted to catch him unawares and half asleep.

  Daniel wanted to say something about whatever it was between him and Kent, because it felt like something but it couldn’t be. Kent was just out of a relationship, and he wanted to move back to London. So Daniel sat back in his seat and tried to think about the case. Or anything except Kent. And how he’d rolled his sleeves up in the warm car and the way his tight shirt showed his muscled shoulders and hid the nipple ring that Daniel knew was there. When Kent unexpectedly t
ouched his thigh he felt a wave of heat.

  “Tell me about the tattoos,” Kent said, “why trees?”

  That wasn’t a question Daniel had been expecting, but they had a long journey, so why not? Better to talk about trees than spend the time fantasising about things that weren’t going to happen.

  “I like trees. Trees will save us if we let them.” Daniel explained about his house having a lot of land, and how, when he didn’t immediately clear the scrub and brambles and turn it back to fields, people called him a tree hugger. How he tried not to interfere, just let the land regenerate itself. “But I could talk about trees all night.”

  “All night is what we’ve got. Talk to me about trees. I like to hear about people’s passions. I like it that you aren’t just the job.”

  So Daniel talked about his trees, and about his bit of land, and the creatures who lived there, and Kent asked intelligent questions until Daniel was seduced all over again.

  “So what are your passions Maldwyn?” he asked as they drove back into Wales, “what do you do when you aren’t working?”

  Kent smiled. “The exact opposite of you I think. I want to see as much of the world as I can.”

  Their conversation was comfortable Daniel thought. That made it sound dull, like a pair of well worn slippers, but the opposite was true. Being able to talk so easily, being interested in what the other person has to say, enjoying finding things in common and laughing at disagreements, making friends, was intoxicating. Which was something else Daniel wasn’t going to think about. They were going to arrest Gavin Price, interview him, and if the evidence still pointed that way, persuade the CPS to charge him with murder. Then he would go back to his life in Melin Tywyll and Kent would move somewhere else.

  Just stop thinking about it.

  There were no lights in any of the houses on Bute Street. The moon was headed to the horizon, but full dawn was still a way off. It was cold after the warmth of the car, and their breath turned to vapour. A few stars glittered in the black sky, matching the frost stars on the road. They closed the car doors as quietly as they could and rang the doorbell of number 10. No answer. They rang again, and banged on the door, still no answer. Daniel shone his torch through the letterbox.