THE JAGGED LINE

by Carolyn Mahony

  When Harry and Beth arrived at the day centre, having called first to warn Ken Lazard they were coming, they were surprised to see not only Ken, but his wife and both the Wilkins there as well.

  ‘It sort of affects us all,’ Ken offered by way of explanation as he spread out the chairs in his office.

  ‘Well …’ Harry looked around at the assembled group. ‘There’s not a lot to report, except to say that you guys have been eliminated from our enquiries now. We’ve caught the people who killed Paul Copeland and his murder was part of a much bigger chain of events that I’m afraid I can’t comment on at the moment. I’m sure you’ll follow the story in the papers as it unravels.’

  ‘You can bet on that,’ Ken said with a relieved grin. ‘I knew I hadn’t done it, of course, but it’s not a position I ever want to be in again, being under suspicion like that.’

  ‘We can really forget about it all, now?’ Maggie looked at Harry and he nodded. Tears welled in her eyes. ‘It was a worry. I don’t know how me and the kids would’ve managed if Ken had been arrested.’

  ‘I’m sorry we had to put you through it.’

  Harry stood up to take his leave and Beth followed suit.

  ‘What about the other matter?’ Kath Wilkins suddenly said. ‘You know Gary Lytton?’

  Her anxiety was palpable, despite her effort to conceal it and Harry’s eyes traced the small group. There was no doubt from what they’d uncovered that Gary Lytton had it coming from someone, but if there had been a plan afoot that day to do him in, he found it hard to believe that the Lazards or Wilkins were the instigators.

  ‘As far as I’m aware that case will remain closed,’ he said. ‘It’s not relevant to our investigation any longer and we didn’t unearth anything new, so I doubt the Met will reopen it.’

  He looked from one to the other – Ken with a protective hand on Maggie’s shoulder, Kath sitting next to her husband in his wheelchair, her hand resting lightly on his knee – and noted the relief in their eyes.

  There was no doubting the love and commitment displayed in this room – despite the fact that Ken and Kath were sleeping with each other. Did Maggie and Phil suspect anything? It wouldn’t have surprised him if they did. Maybe they had their own private conversations … and maybe they’d decided it was easier keeping things ‘in the family’ – rather than risking their partners seeking consolation outside.

  The complicated lives we lead, he thought, as he and Beth took their leave.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  ‘Oh darling, your poor face, but at least the bruising’s coming out now.’

  Kirsty looked in the hall mirror at her mauve cheek and blackening eye, adding to the miscellany of scratches and bruises she already had, and was just glad it wasn’t any worse. She’d been kept under observation in hospital for twenty-four hours once the police and ambulance had arrived, but although she felt like she’d been used as a punchbag, she’d been assured that no permanent damage had been done and there were no broken bones.

  She grimaced at her mother. ‘Not a pretty sight, is it?’

  ‘Well, I’m certainly not going to grumble about it when I think how you could have ended up. I feel sick at the thought. When Robbie rang to say you’d gone missing …’

  ‘Don’t go there, Mum. I’m trying not to think about it.’

  But it was proving harder than she could have imagined. She prided herself on being tough – accepting that shit happened and you got on with it. It shook her to realise how nearly being killed had significantly derailed her.

  ‘Did you and Robbie settle things last night?’ Her mother’s voice was hesitant.

  ‘Sort of.’

  ‘He didn’t look very happy when he left. I wish you’d stayed up a bit longer and told me what was going on.’

  Kirsty sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I was knackered and just wanted to get to bed.’ She hesitated. ‘I told him we need to change the way things are done even if it means the business doesn’t make so much money. There’s a fine line between legal and illegal, and he and Dad overstepped it. They’re lucky so far that our reputation hasn’t been ruined as a result, but we can’t carry on like that. It could make things awkward for you with Tony and Margot – though that’s probably the least of their worries at the moment with all this stuff that’s coming out about Simon.’

  ‘Oh dear. I just can’t believe that Simon could do those things…’

  Kirsty kept her mouth firmly shut, realising that she could believe it only too well – and it put a completely different slant on what had happened all those years ago.

  She hadn’t filled her mother in on what he’d done to her – the videos and everything – but she would. It was all going to come out anyway. She thought back to her younger self – possessed by raging hormones and an all-consuming crush on her elder brother’s friend. What had started out as a harmless, alcohol-fuelled, tentative flirtation, had suddenly turned into a situation she couldn’t control, and she’d been shocked and frightened by the unleashed passion of Simon’s response. She’d finally managed to stop him, but only after her desperate insistence that it was illegal for her to have sex. He hadn’t liked it, and it had revealed a side to his personality that had cured her crush overnight. It was why she’d found it so utterly incomprehensible that she could have slept with him.

  ‘Mum, don’t think about that now, though I’m sure Tony and Margot will need you as much as you need them over the next few months. But you must realise that the business has to change. God knows what will come out in all this, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder because I’m worried about being investigated. I think all this business has shaken Rob. Now’s the best time to get him onside.’

  ‘I never really understood it all – you know your father, he never talked business with me. But I suppose you’re right.’

  ‘I know I am.’ Kirsty grabbed her jacket off the banister. ‘Just make sure you stick up for me if Rob starts having a go.’

  ‘I’m the last one he’s likely to talk to at the moment. He’s still not happy about me having Dan here that day.’

  ‘Give him some space. I know Dan’s a friend, but maybe don’t overmention him at the moment? Rob will come round in his own time.’

  ‘Before you go … I saw the solicitor yesterday about Dad’s will.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘I don’t understand why, but he’s left £125,000 to Anne. Why would he do that? You don’t think…?’

  Kirsty’s jaw dropped. He’d done the right thing … in the end, he’d done the right thing. A smile spread slowly across her face. Looking at her mother’s expression, though, she was quick to realise that Sylvia was suspecting a far less charitable reason for his actions.

  ‘Mum, if you’re about to suggest that there was something going on between Dad and Aunty Anne? Don’t be ridiculous. Of course there wasn’t.’

  ‘Well, why else would he do it?’

  Kirsty hesitated. Did her mother need to know the extent of her husband’s dishonesty? On the other hand, there’d been far too many deceptions and untruths and her mother wasn’t that naive. Better to start with a clean slate, and better that she heard it from the daughter who’d loved him.

  ‘Because it’s money he owed her. He got more for Grandma’s land than he told us – it’s the reason we argued. Obviously when he got to thinking about it, he felt guilty and decided to put things right – and I’m glad he did. Anne doesn’t need to know that, though, does she? She’ll just think he’s being kind.’

  Her mother shook her head. ‘I sometimes feel I didn’t know your father at all. He was such a complex man.’

  Kirsty sighed. ‘Yes he was – but I feel I’ve sort of come to terms with that now. He was also the best dad I could have had. That’s how I’m going to remember him.’

  She looked at her watch. ‘I’d better be off, or I’ll be late.’

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Round to Luke’s. He�
�s got the morning off because he’s seeing the police again later.’

  ‘Ah.’

  Her mother still looked anxious but she managed a drawn smile at that piece of news. ‘Are you and he back on then?’

  Kirsty’s mind flew back to that moment two nights ago, when Luke had saved her from Bulldog, his words indelibly imprinted on her brain. I’ll have you for what you tried to do to my…

  Had he been going to say fiancée? Or even girlfriend? Was there a small chink of hope there?

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘We’ve got some talking to do. I’m not sure how it’ll go.’

  Outside his flat, she took a deep, steadying breath – it might not be the fresh, clean air of the countryside that was swishing its way through her system, but it was good enough for her. It grounded her, made her appreciate how good it was to be alive, even if she was breathing in toxic traffic fumes. A man belted past her, out of breath as he ran for the bus, cursing when it drew away before he got there; across the road a small child wailed incessantly as its mother pushed it along in its buggy. Small things that made up her normality. And she clung to them as she rang the doorbell.

  ‘How are you?’ he asked, leading the way into his flat.

  She followed him in and sank onto his settee. ‘Exhausted. How about you?’

  He sat down next to her. ‘The same. I was at the police station for two hours yesterday going through everything, and I’ve a horrible feeling that they’ll question me more deeply about the immigrants today, before I give my formal statement.’

  ‘What will you say?’

  ‘The truth. That nothing was revealed about who they were or where they came from, and that one of them saved my life.’

  ‘At least he didn’t kill the guy.’

  ‘Thank God.’

  ‘Will you tell them about him heading off to Leicester?’

  There was only the slightest of hesitations. ‘No.’

  ‘I’m sorry to have involved you in this, Luke.’

  ‘You were only doing what anyone would have done for their father.’

  ‘That’s generous of you.’

  Luke smiled. ‘Well, I admit, some people might not have been quite so proactive about it as you were, but I’d want you batting for me if ever I was in trouble, that’s for sure. Your dad would be proud of you.’

  Kirsty swallowed the lump in her throat, and changed the subject quickly. ‘Sorry I didn’t call last night like I said I would. I wasn’t in a very good place.’

  He looked at her keenly. ‘You’re okay, though?’

  She nodded. ‘Yes, but I think we need to talk.’

  ‘You realise from what the police are saying that Simon drugged you that night?’ He was looking at her intently.

  ‘That’s the one good piece of information to come out of all this. And it would explain so much as to why I didn’t remember anything.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Kirsty. For some of the things I said.’

  ‘They were totally justified. At the time I agreed with you. I was disgusted with myself.’

  He took hold of her hand. ‘Is it too late for us?’

  She looked at him searchingly. ‘I don’t know. What are you thinking?’

  ‘I’m thinking you’ve been through the mill and I haven’t been much use to you. But when that guy dragged you off and I thought I’d lost you–’

  Kirsty nodded. ‘I know – me, too. When I heard that shot…’

  Luke’s grip on her hand tightened. ‘How about we give things another try? Take it slowly – see if we can find our way back?’

  She nodded. ‘I’d like that,’ she said simply.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Outside Claire’s flat, Harry sat in his car for several minutes. The house wasn’t as big as his grandmother’s and it was a semi rather than detached, but the rural setting knocked the socks off where he lived in Enfield and it gave him a sense of space in which to gather himself.

  ‘Come about four,’ she’d told him. ‘I’m not due out again until six.’

  He hadn’t given any thought as to how he was going to start this conversation, but he couldn’t put it off any longer. He climbed out of his car and walked down her front path.

  Her face was unsmiling as she opened the door, and neither of them said much as she made a couple of coffees and took them through to the lounge.

  Once they were seated, him in a chair, her on the settee, she looked at him.

  ‘How are the arrangements coming on?’

  ‘Fine. We should have the date fixed by this afternoon. Mum’s waiting to hear back from the crematorium. You’re welcome to come if you’d like to?’

  ‘Thanks. I haven’t spoken to you since it happened. Was … everything alright at the end? Like she wanted?’

  Harry nodded.

  ‘Good. I’m glad I saw her that evening. Even though she was so weak, we had a lovely chat. It’s a nice memory to hold.’

  Harry took a deep breath. ‘There’s something I need to ask you…’

  God, this was impossible. ‘Did she ask you again to … you know … with the tablets?’

  There – he’d said it.

  She blinked. ‘I thought we’d agreed not to talk about that again? What’s the point?’

  ‘The point is because I think … maybe … someone helped her … gave her the tablets to take. And I don’t know how I feel about that.’

  ‘I see, and it wasn’t you?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Not that I’d want you to admit it anyway.’

  When he just continued staring at her, comprehension dawned in her eyes. ‘You think it was me?’

  ‘I don’t know what to think.’ He was aware his handle was beginning to slip.

  ‘I see. Have you told the police?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Will you?’

  ‘How can I when it was what she wanted? And then there’d be the whole performance of a post-mortem, and upset for my parents.’

  ‘Is that why you’ve been avoiding my calls?’

  He didn’t answer.

  She was staring at him hard. ‘So regardless of whether I did it or not, I’ve been tried, judged and found guilty?’

  ‘I’m asking you, Claire, if you did it. Because if you did, I don’t know how I feel about that.’

  ‘I’d have thought part of you might be feeling pretty relieved, knowing that was what she wanted. And if it wasn’t me, you’re taking quite a risk sharing this information. What’s to stop me going to the authorities and reporting it?’

  Anger. He could see the glitter of it in her eyes despite the fact she was trying to keep a tap on it.

  ‘I don’t think you’d do that.’

  A pause before she emitted a long sigh. ‘As it happens, in these circumstances you’re right, I wouldn’t.’

  ‘So?’

  She continued staring at him for a long moment, before saying, ‘I thought maybe we had something going between us, you and I, and I totally understood where your grandma was coming from. If you’d asked me to help you, I might even have considered it. But do you honestly think I’d have taken it on myself to do something like that without telling you?’

  He was a policeman. Normally he had a good line on whether someone was telling the truth or not, but he found with Claire he just couldn’t be sure. His feelings were compromised. He needed to hear the words from her mouth.

  ‘I guess the sad thing is we don’t know each other well enough for me to answer that question. I need to hear you say whether you did it or not.’

  ‘You’re right, we don’t know each other at all.’ Her eyes were calculating. ‘This could all be a double bluff on your part to try and shift the blame from you onto me. I’ve only got your word for it that you didn’t do it.’

  She saw his shocked expression and shook her head as she rose from her seat. The expression on her face was set. ‘I think you should go, Harry. Now.’

  ‘Claire–’

  She turned aw
ay from him and walked into the hall. ‘Don’t say any more. There’s no point. I look at you and I know I can trust you. I know you didn’t do it, because if you had you’d admit it. But the difference is, you can’t see that in me. You don’t trust me in the same way. And do you know how that makes me feel?’

  On the doorstep, Harry turned for one more try. ‘Look–’

  But she was already closing the door in his face.

  And as he walked down the path, though he hated himself for thinking it, it struck him that she still hadn’t actually denied it.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  When Harry put his head around his mother’s bedroom door, she was sitting on the bed staring vacantly into space. She was dressed in black with her hair tucked neatly under the little black hat she wore, and she looked as if her mind was a million miles away.

  ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

  She nodded but didn’t look at him. ‘Just thinking about Mum.’

  ‘The car’s going to be here in ten minutes. They just rang to confirm it.’

  ‘They’re late,’ she said, frowning.

  ‘It’ll be fine, we allowed a fifteen-minute window if you remember?’

  She looked up to where he was hovering in the doorway, as if reluctant to take the final steps that would place him firmly in the room.

  ‘Come in and shut the door, will you? There’s something I need to say. I’m worried about you and this decision you’ve made to hand in your notice.’

  Harry suppressed a sigh, anticipating one of her homilies.

  ‘Mum–’

  ‘What will you do? It doesn’t feel right, us going back to Egypt and you here unemployed. Gran made me promise I’d be more involved in your life. I feel I’m already letting her down.’

  ‘When did she say that?’ Harry smiled at the thought of his grandmother issuing her last instructions.

  ‘The day she died. I told you we talked. I like to think we laid some stuff to rest.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And I think you and I need to do the same.’

  ‘Mum–’