Remember Me

by A K Lakelett

  When Greene gets up to leave, he turns to her and asks if she knew Eric had had a vasectomy.

  ‘No, really? He had one? I had no idea. Does Estelle know? I thought they wanted to have children.’ Maggie raises her eyebrows.

  They chat a bit longer, and Greene drives back to Faukon Abbey. He smiles and shakes his head; he feels relieved; she is not a suspect any longer. He still has to confirm that it all checks out, but he believes her. Her story was just too strange to have been invented. Who knew law firms were such snake pits? The sun is shining, there’s barely any traffic. Greene can’t stop himself from smiling.

  DC Terry Ford

  Terry curses quietly when he finds Selena Harris’ prescription medicines as well as a couple of bottles of ordinary painkillers and some vitamins in a drawer in the bedside table. He sweeps quickly through the rest of the flat but doesn’t find any other pills or medications. He bags and tags what he finds and drives to Dr. Slater.

  Back in the office, he continues checking up on Harris and finds out that she had been headmistress at a very exclusive girls’ school in London. He calls the school and talks with the new headmistress there. She tells him that Ms. Harris retired a bit more than a year ago due to ill health. She had been there as a teacher first and then as a headmistress for the past twenty years. She was apparently well-liked and was well-respected as a teacher. The current headmistress wanted to know when the funeral was, as she certainly wanted to attend.

  The headmistress also told Ford that as far as she knew, Ms. Harris didn’t have any close relatives; her parents had died a long time ago, and she had never married or had any children of her own. The only relative they had in their files was a niece, one Joyce Lane, who lived in Kent. She gave Ford Ms. Lane’s address and phone number. When Ford called the number, he found it disconnected.

  Terry contacts his counterpart and old friend DC Jenna Baker who is with the Kent Police and asks her to contact Joyce Lane in Canterbury about her aunt’s demise. He gives her the address. Ford tells Jenna about Harris and asks if Ms. Lane could pay them a visit as soon as she comes to Faukon Abbey.

  After a call from Greene about a mobile found in Harris’s chair, Ford runs downstairs and talks to PC Collins. Ford shows him the picture of the dead woman he had snapped with his phone during the post-mortem.

  ‘Is this the woman who you saw and who reported finding the man in Tersel Woods?

  ‘Yeah, well could be, hard to tell, she looks a bit different there. The witness had heavy green-rimmed glasses and a scarf over her head, but yeah. She does look a lot like the witness in Tersel Woods. What happened to her?’

  ‘She is dead.’

  When he gets back upstairs, Ford calls Greene.

  ‘Yes sir, it seems Selena Harris was the witness to Eric Warner’s death, or at least the mobile phone we found in her flat was the one used to report it. PC Collins wasn’t 100-percent sure about it.’

  ‘Maybe she killed Warner?’ Greene says.

  ‘That is possible, but why would she do it? And how?’

  ‘No more info from Slater about what could have killed Warner?’

  ‘No, sir.’

  ACT 3 – Pandora’s Box

  Action

  The murderer reads the news about the dead woman. A little sad smile plays at the corners of her mouth as she admires the jagged cliffs sprayed by the last rays of the setting sun.

  She folds her laptop and leaves the restaurant to make a phone call.

  Action

  Evie - 1994

  Late at night, the moon shines through a small window. White curtains frame the window. The room is pretty, with pale blue wallpaper with winged white unicorns among puffy white clouds. A bookshelf stands against a wall, filled with dolls and toys. A small white desk and chair sits under the window, with coloring books on top, and a few pencils in different colors. A bright rag rug covers the somewhat dented grey linoleum floor. Against the other wall, a white bed with a pale blue blanket and yellow sheets. The room feels peaceful, no other light than the moon shining in. In the bed lies a little girl of about five (if you asked her she would proudly say ‘five years and three months’) with golden curly hair, an upturned nose and blue eyes. She is a bit plump with rosy skin, asleep, long eyelashes fluttering on her cheeks. A small teddy bear snuggles under her arm.

  A man comes in, wearing red checked pajamas pants and a dark brown t-shirt. He’s rather handsome, with brown hair, a Roman nose, thin eyebrows and a smile in his face. He has a dimple on the left side. He sits down carefully on her bed.

  Hello my lovely, he kisses her cheek

  She stirs awake, he strokes her chin, her legs

  …..

  Oh, Daddy it hurts, Evie lets out a cry

  Shush, shush, let your mother sleep

  Oh your skin is so smooth and soft; I could kiss it all day.

  …..

  A final grunt, ooohhh,

  he lets out a final sigh

  his breathing returns to normal.

  I love you so much

  you are my special girl

  he mumbles to her

  kisses her hair.

  It only hurts a while, you’ll enjoy it soon, he says and kisses her cheek.

  She never did. The hurt never stopped, her mother slept and the nightly visits continued. Evie cries herself to sleep.

  Chorus

  Saturday 7th of June

  DI Peter Greene and DC Terry Ford

  The memorial service for Eric Warner is held in Faukon Abbey, in St. Katherine’s Church. Both Greene and Ford attend; they take seats at the back of the church. The service is fairly short. Robert Hughes gives the eulogy. It’s attended by surprisingly few people, less than fifty, Greene guesses.

  They see Estelle dressed in a grey and black striped dress, her hair tied back with a black scarf. She is quietly weeping. At her side is an older woman, with grey short hair, dressed in deep dark green – they assume she is her mother, Elsie Thomas. On Estelle’s other side are the two lawyers, one in dark blue, the other in a grey suit. Greene recognizes both of them from his trip to London. There is also a group of local business leaders, most likely due to Warner’s connection to the golf course.

  They also see Maggie, dressed in a fitted dark brown pantsuit with a white silk blouse, and Lizzie, wearing a pair of black pants and a t-shirt. and a long silver-colored cardigan. On Maggie’s side is a man who is clearly related. Greene assumes he’s Maggie’s twin brother, Trevor Boxton.

  After the service, Robert Hughes states that everybody is invited to Elm House for a celebration of Eric’s life.

  The officers drive there after everybody else. On the front steps they find Pratt wearing a black dress and white apron. She is asking everybody to walk around the house to the back, where refreshments are being served. On the back lawn, there are half a dozen tables under a canopy. On the veranda by the closed French windows, there is a small table with a picture of Eric Warren in a silver frame and a book which some guests sign. On the other side, a table with trays of canapes and bottles of wine and soft drinks on ice. A waiter stands behind and serves drinks.

  Peter sees Maggie standing on her own in the far corner of the patio, sipping orange juice. He approaches her, but a man appears at her side. She smiles at Peter, and introduces the man as her twin brother Trevor. Trevor shakes Peter’s hand and tells him not to talk with his sister without him being present.

  The same thing happens with Estelle as soon as Peter gets close to her, Robert Hughes appears at her side telling her that she shouldn’t say anything. He asks Greene to leave her alone. While Estelle looks at them with an odd smile playing on her lips, Robert asks both officers to leave. Greene and Ford take their leave.

  Jimmy Carter, The Abbey Chronicle

  Jimmy isn’t welcome at the gathering at Elm House either. As soon as he parks his car and walks towards the veranda, Robert Hughes appears and tells him to leave. ‘I’m sorry but this is for family and friends only, no pre
ss allowed.’

  Jimmy leaves and drives to his office to file his article about the funeral. He includes the picture of Eric he had previously received from Estelle, and adds one of Robert Hughes and Estelle he had taken at the graveside.

  Sunday 8th of June

  The Abbey Chronicle, page 8

  Eric Warner laid to rest

  Eric Warner was laid to rest in a poignant ceremony at St. Katherine’s Church here in Faukon Abbey on Saturday. The service was attended by both his wife Estelle and ex-wife Margaret, as well as his only child, his daughter Elizabeth. They were supported by Eric Warner’s many friends who had ventured down from London. The Faukon Abbey golf course management team attended as well. Robert Hughes, a friend and a former colleague, gave a moving eulogy sharing what kind of man Eric Warner had been; warm and always there for his friends, and how he used to play a mean game of squash. He will be sorely missed.

  After the memorial service, attendants were served refreshments at Elm House on Mulberry Hill. Eric Warner’s body was cremated, according to his wishes.

  Monday 9th of June

  DI Peter Greene and DC Terry Ford

  Greene calls George Gillen first thing in the morning and asks for Eric Warner’s will to be faxed to the detectives. The fax arrives an hour later, with a note that it has not been through the probate court and is not official until it does.

  The content of the will is much the same as Greene had already heard when he was in London. Peter calls Maggie a little after noon, ostensibly to hear her comments on the will, but in reality he just wants to hear her voice.

  ‘Hello Maggie, DI Greene here, do you have a moment? I just wanted to hear about Eric’s will. Could you tell me what happened when the will was read, please?’

  ‘Oh hi, Peter, that was a show for sure! We all sat at the table in the gloomy dining room. What was she thinking of getting it painted in all that dark color? Anyway, Estelle sits on one side of the huge oak table, with Robert Hughes, Trevor, Lizzie and I on the other, George Gillen at the end. George has a big manila envelope in his hand and out of it, he takes another envelope. Very dramatic, I was nearly expecting a drumroll,’ Maggie laughs and continues. ‘He then opens the envelope and takes out a few sheets of paper, reading out loud, “This is the last will and testament of Eric Warner.” Estelle immediately starts crying, or wailing would be better word for it, and we all have to wait until she had gulped some cognac and calmed down. She made such a show of it. If I could believe she actually loved him, I would have felt sorry for her. But I don’t – they deserved each other.’ Maggie lets out a sigh.

  ‘When things were somewhat calmer, George says that Lizzie gets the flat in Exeter, I get 10,000 pounds, and Estelle gets the house in Faukon Abbey and the rest of the money. Pratt, who was not present, and the school the girls went to in London, get 1000 pounds each, and that was it. Lizzie is tickled pink – Estelle not so much. She seemed first to be stunned when the will was read, and she kept asking George if that was it. He said yes, and then she started shouting about how Lizzie and I had conspired against her.

  ‘It was very tedious, and Lizzie and I left. Robert Hughes apparently managed to calm her down. Trevor called me later in the evening and said Estelle had planned to contest the will, but according to Trevor and Robert Hughes, she doesn’t have a chance.’

  ‘When do you expect it all to be done? I’m sure Lizzie is keen on getting the flat? What does she want to do with it?’

  ‘Don’t know yet, Trevor said it is probably going to take another month before it all settles, provided that Estelle doesn’t contest it. If she does, then who knows? And you’re right about Lizzie being keen on the flat. I think she wants to sell it. She hasn’t discussed it with me though.’

  ‘Why would Estelle contest the will?’

  ‘I think she assumed she’d get it all, and she definitely wanted the flat. Not sure why, but I think she was planning to make money out of both the flat and the house.’

  ‘I see. Did Eric own the flat outright? No mortgage on it?’

  ‘That’s right. No mortgage on the flat – the house is a different matter though. I’m sorry but I wasn’t listening to that part. I’m sure Trevor or Robert Hughes can tell you all about Eric’s financial situation. Frankly, all I was thinking while George was reading it was how much I wanted to get out of there. It took a lot of effort; first the funeral and then the gathering at the house, meeting with all those people I used to know, being in the same room with Estelle and then the reading of the will. It was so very strange. I mean, I had seen Eric alive, albeit angry, something like two months ago, when we’d had that fight in Exeter, and now I was sitting there listening to provisions of his will being read. It felt surreal. I didn’t love him, hadn’t loved him for a long time, but still. Sometimes I think back to when we were still married and how I had hoped he’d drop dead because of the way he behaved, but I didn’t believe he’d actually die. I… Oh gosh, I don’t think I should have said that should I?’

  ‘Unless you killed him, I don’t think you have to worry about that. Did you?’

  ‘No, I didn’t kill him. You know I didn’t.’

  Greene thanks her and hangs up.

  Ford gets a call from his friend in Kent’s police, Jenna Baker. She had been to see Ms. Lane, who according to the neighbors does live at the address Ford had provided. Joyce Lane had left for a two-week holiday in Greece on the previous Monday and would be back on the sixteenth.

  Jimmy Carter, The Abbey Chronicle

  Jimmy had called Estelle that morning and asked if she’d like to meet. He wanted to know about the will. Estelle tells him to come over.

  As it is nice and sunny, Estelle insists that they sit outside. Pratt is cleaning the house and vacuuming, Estelle says, adding that she gets a headache from the noise. Estelle brings up a tray of nibbles, presumably left over from the memorial, and asks Jimmy to carry a bottle of white wine and two glasses. Jimmy pours the wine and as soon as they sit down on the veranda, Estelle fires off a rant about how awful it all was, getting the will read and finding out that she as the wife isn’t actually getting it all. Her rightful share was stolen from her as far as she was concerned. Estelle keeps downing the wine and keeps telling Jimmy over and over again how Maggie and Lizzie conspired against her, how she’ll contest the will. Lizzie gets the flat instead of her. After listening for nearly an hour to Estelle, Jimmy stands up. The bottle of wine is just about empty, and most of the nibbles are still untouched, as is Jimmy’s glass.

  ‘I am so sorry to hear all about it. It seems so very unfair. Alas, I have to drive back to the office now.’

  ‘Do you really have to go?’

  ‘I do, unfortunately. I have to go to the golf course and find out what is going on with that expansion, whether they have any plans even to continue with it.’

  As soon as he says it, Estelle launches into another tirade. Apparently she’s been fielding calls left and right from all those nasty people who only care about their wretched golf course.

  ‘They keep calling me and asking me to come over there. All they want is my money. They don’t care about me, they don’t care that Eric is dead; all they care about is the damn golf course! Some of them even accosted me during Eric’s memorial. The gall of those people. They come to my house, after the funeral of my husband, and they have the nerve to come to me and ask what my plans are for the golf course! Like it was at the top of my list of things to do, after just having buried my beloved husband! My God, what kind of people do you have around here? Putting on a fancy suit makes you a vulture?’

  ‘Holy malooney, that does sound dreadful, a total lack of manners for sure. Can’t blame you for being upset about it.’ Jimmy looks at his watch. ‘I am sorry, but I really do have to go now. Kings will kill me if I don’t show up soon.’

  Estelle giggles, ‘How can he kill you if you’re not there?’

  Jimmy laughs too.

  ‘Thanks for the food and wine. I’ll let yo
u know if I find out anything more about the golf course. What are you going to do now? Are you going to stay here or sell the place and move to the Scillies? Have you decided yet?’

  Estelle swirls the remaining wine in her glass and looks suddenly downcast.

  ‘I don’t know yet, I am now all on my own, I have nobody.’ Her eyes start to glisten, and a tear falls down on her cheek. ‘I don’t know, I have nothing,’ she says quietly.

  ‘I am so sorry. But this place must be worth a pretty penny, especially since you now have it all in top shape, so if you sell this one, you’ll be sure to have enough money to move back to London and be with your friends there.’ Jimmy tries to sound cheerful.

  ‘I guess so – I don’t know, I don’t know. Now go.’ Estelle turns away, the glass in her hand, her eyes focused on the swirling motion of the wine.

  Jimmy walks out to his car and drives back to his office.

  ***

  Back in his office he gets chewed out by Mike for not having anything about the golf course. Nor has he written anything about the unsolved murders. Doesn’t Jimmy know that it is the duty of the press to keep all the public informed, not just certain females with big eyes?