by Anna Jacobs
Not as good as real kisses, but still, a nice touch.
A PS said she should join him that afternoon and Henrietta had invited them to tea. Four o’clock at Pennerton House be OK?
Nodding, she beamed at the piece of paper and was foolish enough to plant a kiss on it.
By this time Russ knew his way well enough through the little wood to creep quietly through the pre-dawn greyness to a good hiding place for watching this miniature world come to life as the sun rose properly. He kept very still, camera at the ready and thoroughly enjoyed studying and filming the creatures who lived in the wild garden as they woke up. He was, he knew, picking up some delightful intimate shots of all sorts of animals, birds and insects for his new series.
As the garden settled down after the dawn chorus and first round of activities subsided a little, he found himself a comfortable spot in the shade and lay down, pulling the brim of his hat down to cover his eyes. He could feel himself falling easily asleep as he had so many times before. There was nothing like a quick nap for reviving you after a period of intense concentration and he knew he’d wake up naturally in about fifteen minutes.
As he started to wake up he heard the sound of a twig snapping and half opened his eyes under the brim of his hat, jerking fully alert as he saw a figure creeping slowly towards him with a big stick raised as if to thump him. Lance!
He lay still, trying not to betray that he was awake as he hastily looked for a way to escape. But he’d chosen a cosy spot between a huge tree trunk on one side and a fallen log on the other, and that prevented him from simply rolling aside. All he could do was grab his backpack as he started to get to his feet, hoping to deflect any blows with it.
But before he put that plan into operation, two burly men surged out of the greenery and grabbed his would-be assailant. They were holding Lance, who was struggling feebly.
He had no idea why that nasty little fellow would be attacking him when they’d barely met. Who were the two men? They weren’t with Lance. In fact, one of them was holding him with one arm behind his back to prevent him from getting away, and doing it without too much difficulty.
The other man came across to Russ and offered his hand to help him up. He braced himself to fight in case this was a sneaky way of attacking him.
But no. The man pulled him to his feet, let go and stepped back, jerking his head in Lance’s direction. ‘What does that sod have against you?’
‘I have no idea. I hardly know him – unless he’s using me to get to the owner of the big house, who is a distant relative of his and who’s helping me with this project. Maybe he thinks I’m after something from her. Who knows?’
The man turned to stare at Lance and added, ‘Or perhaps he’s simply run mad.’
‘That sounds more like it. There’s no reason whatsoever for him to attack me.’
He scowled across at Lance who had stopped struggling now and was demanding to be let go in a faint, wobbly voice.
Russ said loudly, ‘If he tried to attack me again, I’d make him sorry.’
‘You’ll have to join the queue waiting to sort him out. There are a few people angry at that worm and my boss is at the head of the line.’
The man turned and walked back across the clearing, feigning a sudden punch at Lance. He didn’t touch him but Lance collapsed like a punctured balloon and would have fallen if his captor hadn’t kept a firm hold on one arm until he was steady then said, ‘Listen carefully to what he says, you.’
The man who’d helped Russ stayed in front of Lance, jabbing a finger towards him to emphasise his words, but not actually touching him, let alone trying to hurt him.
‘My employer has decided that £100 wasn’t nearly enough for a first payment, given how much you owe him. He wants you to pay some more off within the week, Mr Lancelot Bloody Mundy. We’ve been keeping an eye on you for him. What the hell are you doing here? There isn’t a magic money tree in these woods, you know.’
When there was no response to this, his companion said, ‘When exactly can our boss expect another payment?’
But Lance didn’t answer, couldn’t because his face had suddenly frozen into a twisted gargoyle and he was sagging like a rag doll.
Russ called urgently, ‘There’s something wrong with him. Let him go.’
The man did as he asked and Lance crumpled, not attempting to break his fall and not moving after he hit the ground.
The one who’d been holding him looked down in puzzlement. ‘Is he faking it?’
His companion bent over the still figure. ‘No!’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘He’s just dropped dead on us, that’s what.’
‘Oh, hell! He can’t have done. You didn’t touch him.’
The crouching man laid two fingertips on Lance’s neck where a pulse should be. ‘He’s definitely not breathing and he has no pulse.’
Russ moved across to join them. ‘Are you sure of that?’
‘See for yourself.’
He couldn’t feel a pulse either. ‘We need to start resuscitation efforts.’
‘I don’t know how,’ one said.
‘Me neither. Do you?’
When Russ nodded, they stepped back, gesturing to him to take over.
He put Lance’s body into the correct position and tried to get his heart started. But there was something about the limpness of the body and the total lack of any sort of response that made him give up after a short time.
‘I don’t think he can be revived. He must have had a massive heart attack. Haven’t you called for an ambulance yet?’
They shook their heads. ‘We thought you were dealing with him.’
‘I can’t rouse him.’
The two strangers both looked down in puzzlement and one said slowly, ‘We didn’t do anything except hold him. Wasn’t even hard to do that. He couldn’t have fought his way out of a paper bag, that little wimp couldn’t.’
Before Russ could decide what to do next, Gavin stepped out from behind some bushes and joined them, spreading his hands wide in a common gesture of non-aggression.
‘I’ve been watching what was going on. Are you sure he’s dead?’
‘Very sure. I can’t get the slightest sign of life out of him.’
The two men glanced at each other and turned as if to leave.
Russ yelled, ‘Stop!’
They hesitated, looking over their shoulders at him.
‘It’ll be easier if we all deal with this honestly than if you try to get away. I don’t know what you intended to do with Lance, but I doubt it was to kill him and I could see that you didn’t hit him. I’m not going to lie to the police, though. I shall tell them you were here. I can describe you two and mention gambling debts and they’ll come looking for you.’
‘Give us a break. We didn’t do anything. There’s no need for us to be involved.’
‘You are involved. I know you didn’t do anything and I just said I’ll be able to testify to that. I also know that he’s not been looking well for a while, according to his family.’
One of the men sighed and shrugged, then came back. He gestured to Russ. ‘I’d rather you called the police and ambulance, if you don’t mind. The police are not my favourite people.’
Russ pulled out his phone and dialled 999, explaining the situation. ‘They’re on their way.’
Gavin stared down at Lance. ‘I watched you carefully as you tried to resuscitate him but there was never the slightest sign of a response, was there? At least the poor sod went quickly.’
Then he looked at the strangers. ‘One of you go to the main road by the same route you came into our grounds and show the police and paramedics the way when they get here. Tell them it’s a nature reserve and they’re to stick to the path and not to trample on anything.’
‘Who are you to tell us what to do?’
‘I’m the official security guard on this estate, that’s who.’ He flashed an ID card at them. ‘And I’m your best friend if you want to stay on the right
side of the law about this incident.’
Russ saw the moment when they gave in completely. Wise of them. They hadn’t done anything wrong, after all. Trying to collect debts wasn’t against the law. But he wondered what Henrietta was going to say to all this. Would she be relieved to be rid of a nuisance? Or sad that a younger relative had died so suddenly? Both perhaps.
On that thought he rang the house and explained to Elizabeth what had happened, asking her to tell Henrietta and reminding her that Simone was supposed to join them all later. They should probably let her know not to come now. He’d bring her up to date on what had happened later.
Then he waited with the other guys, fretting to lose such good filming weather until he saw a shiny black beetle busy foraging among some leaf litter and started to film that.
Around them the day grew brighter and warmer now the sun was fully up – a perfect day. It seemed particularly sad that a man should have died so abruptly when all around them nature was providing an ongoing chorus of abundant, joyful life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When Russ eventually got back to the big house, the two women were waiting for him.
‘We phoned Simone to tell her not to come and why,’ Elizabeth said.
Henrietta looked at him. ‘Tell us exactly how it happened, please. Every detail.’
So Russ went over it all again, ending, ‘I did try to revive Lance, I promise you, but he never showed the slightest sign of responding.’
She patted his hand. ‘I’m sure you did your best. Lance has been looking ill for a while. I’ve wondered about him. It may sound fanciful to a young man like you but you’ll learn as you get older and see it a few times – some people get a faded, almost translucent look around the eyes when they’re approaching death, a natural progression towards death, I mean. I’ve seen it many a time in the very old. Lance has had that look for some time even though he wasn’t all that old. It was one of the several reasons I didn’t prosecute him the last time he stole one of my silver pieces.’
She sighed and stared down for a while, then looked across at Russ. ‘I’m being very remiss as a hostess. Would you like something to eat or drink?’
‘Not really, thank you. I’d like to go and explain it properly to Simone, if you don’t mind. And be honest, I’m sure you’d rather not be entertaining guests at present.’
‘You’re right. I have to call Lance’s son and tell him. Sadly, I don’t think he’ll be desperately upset.’ She paused then added as if thinking aloud, ‘It always seems worse when a death doesn’t upset the closest relatives.’
‘It must have been hard for Kit having a father like that.’
‘It certainly was. There’s never been much love lost between the two of them. Well, Lance was more absent than present as far as his son was concerned, even before he and his wife split up, and he barely kept in touch afterwards, either. Gambling was always his first love.’
After another sigh, she added almost as if speaking to herself, ‘I did wonder if Lance really was Kit’s father. There isn’t the slightest resemblance between them, you know. Which would mean that Kit wasn’t really related to me. Not that it matters either way. I like him – and his wife. Young couples who are happy together give us all hope for the future, don’t you think?’
‘Yes, I do.’
She fell silent and Russ waited until she looked across at him again to take his leave, holding her hand in both of his for a moment, then patting it and moving away.
As he was going he saw her pick up the phone, take a deep breath and prepare to do her duty.
Kit answered his phone straight away.
He listened to Henrietta and gasped, ‘No! I can’t believe it!’ loudly when she told him the news. His workmates looked across at him with concerned expressions.
‘Who should I contact?’
‘The local police gave me a number.’ She read it out to him.
He thanked her and ended the call, then phoned his wife. ‘It seems my father dropped dead this morning.’
‘What?’
‘I have to go and identify the body, do the paperwork.’
Mags was startled at the news. ‘Do you want me to come to the police station with you, love?’
He shook his head automatically, remembered she couldn’t see him and said, ‘No. I’ll do this. But if you could come home again and be waiting for me, I’d be grateful for your support.’
‘I’ll do that, darling.’
Kit was home later than he’d expected, having had to go through the various tedious formalities prescribed by officialdom.
The officers spoke to him in hushed voices and acted as if he was deeply upset, only he wasn’t. When he made the mistake of telling them that, they looked at him as if he were a monster. Sometimes you couldn’t win.
Once he got home, Mags came running to meet him at the door. He gave her a big hug, rocking to and fro for a few moments, breathing in her perfume, thankful for her mere existence. When he pulled away he asked for a drink. ‘I need to brace myself before I call Mum.’
‘Oh my, yes. She won’t be upset either but she’ll go on and on about it.’
‘She’ll expect me to arrange a fancy funeral with all the trimmings, but I’m not doing that.’ He looked at her sideways and said, ‘After they’ve established the cause of death, I’ll get the funeral company to take care of the body without any fuss or ceremony whatsoever. I’m not going to be a hypocrite about how I feel, not even now. Anyway, he always refused point-blank to talk about his wishes concerning a funeral, said it’d be a long time before that was needed.’ He grimaced. ‘Once she realises she’ll have to arrange and pay for the funeral if she wants it done in style, Mum will stop complaining. She wouldn’t want to waste her money on him either.’
‘No one’s going to miss him, are they?’
‘No. No one that I can think of, anyway.’
‘That’s sad.’
‘It’s his own fault. He was a horrible man.’
She gave his cheek a quick kiss. ‘We’ll be the ones who have to clear out his flat, then, I suppose.’
‘I’m not even thinking of that yet.’ He went over to get a bottle of chardonnay out of the fridge, ignoring her disapproving look. ‘I’m not going to get drunk, love, just take the edge off things. And let’s order a takeaway tonight. It’s my turn to cook, but I can’t be bothered and I bet you can’t either.’
‘Good idea. Indian?’
‘Yes. A nice hot curry to take away the bad taste in my mouth.’
After she’d ordered it, Kit said suddenly, ‘I’m going to ask Fern to clear out the flat. I can’t face doing it, just can’t. She’ll let the rest of the family know what’s happened, too. She’s good at stuff like that.’
He picked up the phone, saying grimly, ‘And if she won’t do it, I’ll pay a junk dealer to go and clear it out. I am not going near his place.’
With a firm, satisfied nod at a difficult decision taken and admitted aloud, he called Fern and by the time that conversation ended, the food had been delivered.
When Russ got back to the leisure village, Simone came to her door and beckoned to him. ‘You poor thing! What a terrible day! Come into my house. I can feed you if you’re hungry.’
‘I’m not hungry, but I’d really welcome some company. It upset me to see someone die right at my feet.’
‘It’s so horribly final, isn’t it?’
‘Mmm. Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to stir up bad memories for you.’
‘It’s all right. My husband passed away four years ago and I’m used to it now. And he didn’t drop dead at my feet.’
Russ followed her inside and she put her arms round him because it felt to be the right thing to do. He held onto her for a few moments in silence, as if she’d guessed correctly and he welcomed the warmth and comfort of her embrace.
She pulled her head back to look at him but didn’t move away. ‘Was it very bad?’
‘It was brutally sudden. S
hocked us all, even the two thugs who were quite literally chasing him for payment of a gambling debt. Why he was trying to attack me I haven’t a clue. But I hardly knew Lance, so I don’t have a burden of personal sadness to carry, just general regret about anyone’s death in such circumstances.’
‘How did Henrietta take it?’
‘Quietly. She must have experienced a lot of deaths in her long life, in her job as well as in her family and friends. I think she was more accepting of Lance’s passing than anyone, had guessed he was growing weaker. Even she didn’t like him. Did anyone?’
‘I doubt it. How sad to be so alone emotionally. Now, would you like a drink?’
‘Yes, please.’ He plonked a kiss on her forehead. ‘I’m glad I’m not alone emotionally at the moment and I hope that will continue.’
She didn’t know what to say, managed a tentative smile and poured him a glass of wine. She had one herself as well, sipping it and watching him stare down into his glass for a while before taking a gulp.
When he’d finished, she asked quietly, ‘Do you want to go up to the hotel for a meal or shall I put something simple together for us, like an omelette?’
He stood thinking. ‘Will you think me heartless if I say that I’d like to be among people tonight not shut away quietly? But I still want to be with you, that most of all.’
‘You’re not the heartless type so I doubt I’d ever think it of you. We can stroll across there together after you’ve freshened up a bit. I’ll give them a ring and book a table.’
He looked down at himself in faint surprise. ‘Goodness, I am badly crumpled, aren’t I? Comes of lying and crouching in the undergrowth photographing creatures, then kneeling down trying to resuscitate Lance. I won’t be long.’
At the hotel he was quiet until she got him talking about what he had seen at dawn, and what he’d like to do tomorrow.
She almost invited him to spend the night with her, but something made her hold back. She might be starting to care about him, but she was trying not to care too deeply.
He looked at her as if he was thinking the same thing, but in the end they each went into their own house.