by Dawn Brookes
Carlos debated whether to bring her attention to its mangled state. He wouldn’t be able to keep it from her for long, but how much more could she or her mother take right now?
‘Why don’t we get that tea to your mother? Sophie and Gary need to go up to Yorkshire soon, so it’s probably best if your mum comes home, if you feel she’s up to it.’
‘If not, we can stay at a pub in Eyam. I’ve booked a room just in case. Did the doctor say he was coming back today? I can’t remember.’
‘No. We were to call if she doesn’t improve. He wondered if she might need to go to hospital.’
Caroline stiffened. Flintlike eyes bored into Carlos’s.
‘My mother is not going into a psychiatric hospital again. I won’t allow it.’
Carlos didn’t think she’d have much choice if Meg didn’t improve, but he was willing to go along with Caroline for now.
‘Let’s see how she is.’
Caroline left the car on the driveway, smirking. ‘Harold Sissons would have hated that.’
They returned to Sophie and Gary’s in silence, Carlos trying to work out what had happened to the bike and who he’d disturbed hiding in the garage. A vagrant? He doubted it, or Caroline would have seen something when she took the car out. The car, though ten years old, had been in perfect condition, from what he’d managed to make out. A blue Vauxhall Astra that had probably not seen much use since it had been bought.
‘Does your mum drive?’
‘Not unless she took lessons after I left home. She never mentioned it if she did.’
‘Was the garage locked when you took the car out?’
‘I think so. I can’t remember. Why?’
‘No reason. Are you expecting to speak to the police today? I thought I heard the chief inspector arranging to see you.’
‘The sergeant called first thing, said they would be in touch tomorrow. The chief inspector’s busy today, she said.’
Carlos was pleased.
Once back at Sophie’s, he made tea while Caroline tapped into her mobile phone. Sophie had left a teapot out. He could hear voices coming from upstairs, and singing.
Weird.
Caroline lifted her head from the phone. ‘It’s that song again,’ she said, staring in disbelief at the door.
‘What song?’
‘Mum was singing it this morning. I need to go.’ Caroline marched from the room, leaving Carlos putting a cup and saucer on a tray. Sophie had picked up on the fact Meg used a cup and saucer from Friday’s visit and was doing her best to make Meg feel calm. He lifted the tray, noticing Caroline had left her mobile on the breakfast bar. He reached out to pick it up and saw a new message had come through.
‘Don’t tell them. Whatever you do.’ The sender’s name was Aiden.
Now what’s that all about? Don’t tell who what? Secrets seemed to abound in this family. He just hoped Caroline’s alibi would hold firm.
The singing continued as he reached the top of the stairs, becoming louder as he approached the room where Meg had slept. The door was wide open and Meg was sitting up in bed, belting out a ballad in exquisite fashion while Caroline gawped. Sophie and Gary nodded approval, holding hands.
‘She won’t stop until she’s finished,’ whispered Caroline.
When the song ended, Meg came out of a trance and noticed people in the room. She appeared unsure of herself again.
‘What happened?’
Sophie and Gary, who had been clapping, stopped.
‘Nothing, Mum. Look, here’s some tea.’
Caroline took the tray from Carlos and he left them to it. His sister and brother-in-law also made a discreet exit.
‘She’s got a gorgeous voice,’ said Sophie.
‘What happened?’
‘Gary had just dressed when we heard singing coming from Meg’s room. We went to see if you and Caroline were in there, but instead, found Meg performing as if she were on stage. She didn’t seem to see us at all. Caroline arrived and tried to say something, but Meg carried on as if she wasn’t there. We suggested we let her finish, then you came in. Do you think we should call the doctor again?’
Sophie stared up at Gary. Carlos intervened.
‘No. You two do what you have to do. Caroline has agreed to take her mother home or to a pub B&B. If she needs a doctor, Caroline and I will deal with it.’ He didn’t mention the bike or the near-miss next door, but Gary noticed.
‘Carlos, you’re limping.’
‘I tripped next door, round the back. I was trying to find Caroline, but she’d taken Harold’s car and gone to buy tea leaves.’
‘That’s why she was so long.’
‘Yes. Now go on. You should get up and down today if you leave soon.’
‘Erm… we’ve decided to stay the night,’ said Gary. ‘We’ll drive back down in the morning. I’ll drop Sophie and go straight to work. Do you mind?’
‘Not at all. It will do you good, and I’m sure your parents will be pleased to see you for longer. Don’t worry, the house will be back to normal by the time you get home. Lady and I will manage.’
‘I’ve left mince in the fridge, or there’s a frozen lasagne in the freezer. Help yourself to anything while we’re gone.’
Carlos thought it would be better for them to be out of the way, particularly as he wanted to call Fiona about the mangled bike and try to interview Meg and Caroline at some point. He intended to find out what the person in the garage had been up to as well, so there was plenty to keep him busy.
‘Thanks, I’ll do a ragu with the mince. Lady and I will take a leisurely stroll this afternoon.’
‘As if you’re going to have time for that,’ quipped Sophie.
‘You know me. Forever the optimist.’
Caroline joined them downstairs. ‘Mother’s getting dressed, she’ll wash at home.’
‘Will you both be staying there tonight?’ asked Sophie.
‘We’ll have to see how she is later. I expect you’ll want to ask some more questions.’ She held Carlos’s gaze.
‘If your mum’s up to it.
‘Right. I need to go.’ She walked briskly into the kitchen, retrieved the mobile and left without saying another word.
18
With the house empty, Carlos called Fiona. She answered almost immediately, sounding breathless.
‘How’s it going up there?’
‘Interesting. Steve’s hooked up with some wealthy woman with OCD.’
‘I never knew there was so much OCD in the world. We ex-army bods are bad enough, but ours pales into insignificance compared to the Sissons’s house. You sound breathless, are you okay?’
‘Just come out to get some fresh air. Conversation dried up about an hour ago. We ended up waiting for whoever had anything to say to speak next.’
‘That’s not like you,’ Carlos laughed. ‘You can always keep a conversation going.’
‘Yeah, but this one I’m more likely to turn into an interrogation. I want to know where the money’s coming from and if it’s legit, but Jen – that’s the girlfriend – needs to be out of the way before I can quiz my brother, and she’s sticking to him like glue.’
‘Maybe he’s just landed on his feet.’
‘And maybe cows have joined the pigs flying. I don’t mean to sound cynical, and Steve seems happy, but this is real money, Carlos. I just hope he’s not dealing again.’
‘Does he look like he’s using?’
‘No, not at all. He’s well-dressed, healthy, putting on the pounds – he looks great.’
Carlos paused, not knowing what to say. He remembered the state Steve had been in when Fiona bailed him out of trouble the last time, and it wasn’t pretty. He hoped rather than believed that her brother had turned his life around.
‘I’m sure you’ll get the chance to ask.’
‘I just wish he’d warned me. We arrived at this suburban mansion of sorts when I was expecting a poky flat. Anyway, how’s things down there? I spoke to Caroline briefl
y this morning to let her know we wouldn’t be interviewing them today. She didn’t give anything away other than she was busy buying tea leaves – I’m surrounded by odd people at the minute. Is Meg talking yet?’
‘Not really. She’s singing and going in and out of reality from what I can tell. I’m no psychiatrist, but I’d say she’s manic.’
‘Did you say she’s singing? I lost you for a minute.’
‘Yep. That’s what I said. Caroline’s taken her back next door to see if being in familiar surroundings helps. If not, she’ll call the doctor again. It could be side effects from the sedation.’
‘Or she’s still in shock.’
‘That too. I wanted to talk to you about something else.’
‘Go ahead. I’ve just arrived at a park of some sort; I’ll find a bench.’
Carlos relayed the morning’s events, including finding the bike in the garage, along with someone hiding inside and running away, followed by him almost being knocked over by Harold’s car.
‘Wow! All before breakfast, Carlos. You are having a time of it.’
He laughed, ‘Yours hardly sounds harmonious either.’
‘Touché.’
‘I wonder if forensics should check the garage,’ he said finally.
‘What are you thinking?’ asked Fiona.
‘Well, Caroline told me Matthew had the bike for his birthday and went everywhere on it – a present from his grandparents – and from the looks of it, the bike was involved in an accident.’
‘You think Harold ran the boy over?’
‘Maybe. I’m not jumping to conclusions, but that could have been what happened. There’s a blind spot when you come into that drive. That’s why I almost got run over by Caroline.’
‘So, it could have been an accident. If so, why did Harold cover it up?’
‘I’m not getting ahead of myself. First, we need to know if there was a road traffic accident around that time, then we need to investigate whether it was actually an accident or not. It might have nothing to do with the case. Caroline wasn’t home often, so the boy could have been in an accident she didn’t know about some time before that fateful weekend.’
‘I can run a check for reported RTAs in the months prior to his disappearance. I’ll do that in the morning. I’ll call the boss and ask if he’s willing to send forensics out on a Sunday, otherwise it’ll be tomorrow. You’d better warn Caroline.’
Carlos’s heart sank. ‘I know. I didn’t want to add to their pain. If I can get any sense out of Meg, I’ll ask her if Matthew was involved in any accidents around that time. It’s something a mother would remember.’
‘Good idea. Do that before I ring Masters. There’s no need to rattle his cage until we have more information. I’ll still check on RTA reports in the morning. I’ve phoned Aiden Winslow and arranged to meet him privately tomorrow morning. The grandparents are taking the kids into town to get some last-minute Christmas presents.’
Carlos remembered the text message. ‘This might be nothing, but I happened to see a message from Aiden on Caroline’s phone. It said not to tell them anything. I don’t know who the “them” is he was referring to.’
‘Mm. I’ll keep that in mind. It could be something to do with not telling the kids or his parents about what’s been happening.’
‘Good thinking. Makes sense. What a Christmas they’re having.’
‘Not to mention your poor sister and her husband.’
‘Sophie’s taking it hard. She likes Meg, but Gary’s in a state and stressed out with work, so it’s not the easiest time for them. By nature, she’d want to help as much as she could, but Gary’s sensitive. They’ve gone up to Yorkshire for an overnight to see his parents.’
‘Poor Carlos. All alone in a strange village with bodies everywhere and two crazy women next door. Definitely no holiday for you.’
Carlos laughed. ‘Not to mention the mysterious stranger in the garage and the colonel from the community centre.’
‘It could be the vicar. It’s always the vicar…’
They bantered for a while before Carlos brought the conversation to a close.
‘I’d better go next door and see if Meg’s up to talking.’
‘And I’d better go back to my brother’s – or rather, his girlfriend’s – to try to find out what he’s got himself mixed up in. Let me know later if I need to break up the boss’s illicit liaison. I might just call him at home,’ she cackled.
‘Not if you want to keep your job! I’ll text or call you later.’
Carlos put the phone in his jeans pocket, grabbed a quick coffee and left Lady sleeping on Sophie’s rug in the lounge: a fluffy cream faux-fur effort that was looking decidedly muddy.
‘Looks like you’re going to cost me a new rug,’ he said, stroking her head. She wagged her tail in her sleep and opened one eye. ‘You stay there, girl. I’ll be back soon.’ Lady watched him leave, but didn’t move, seemingly pleased to get some rest after the excitement of the past few days.
Caroline let him in and explained that Meg had slept most of the time since returning home, but was now awake and able to speak.
‘Try not to mention last night,’ Caroline suggested.
Meg lifted her head as Carlos came in, a weak smile greeting him.
‘Hello Mrs… erm… Meg. Good to see you looking a little better.’
‘We were just going to have tea. Would you like some?’ asked Caroline.
‘Tea would be lovely,’ he replied.
‘Do sit down,’ suggested Meg. Carlos remembered Sophie telling him about Harold’s chair, so he sat in the one Meg had used yesterday afternoon. Meg was on the settee with her feet on a footstool.
Once Caroline and her mother had performed the tea ritual, Carlos felt he could begin.
‘Do you remember I said yesterday that I would need to ask you both some questions if I was to find out who might have killed Harold?’
Meg’s eyes shot nervously around as if expecting her husband to turn up and find her doing some forbidden activity.
‘It’s all right, Mother. He’s dead, remember.’
Meg relaxed, taking a sip of tea.
‘Would you be able to tell me about the day your husband went missing, Meg?’
Meg seemed uncertain, but with a little nod of encouragement from Caroline, she began.
‘They didn’t believe me. I told them he was missing and they laughed.’
Caroline bristled, opening her mouth to speak, but Carlos shook his head.
‘Was that the police?’
‘I called them an hour after Harold didn’t come home for his dinner. I knew something had happened. He’s never late.’
‘What happened before he went missing? Do you know where he was that day?’ Carlos didn’t want to get into a conversation about police incompetency until he heard Meg’s recollections.
‘It was a Thursday. Harold goes to the community centre on a Thursday. The historical society meet and there’s always a talk. I enjoy history. I read his notes while he has his evening bath. He has a bath on Thursday evenings.’
Carlos noted she still spoke as if Harold was alive. ‘Why didn’t you go with him to the meeting? Was it men only?’ He knew it wasn’t from his visit to the community centre, but wanted to dig into the unusual relationship without seeming threatening.
Meg lowered her head. ‘Harold doesn’t like me going out, except when we go shopping together. We shop on a Monday. I sometimes go into the village on other days when we run out of things. That’s when I phone Caroline.’
‘Was there anything different about Harold on that day? Did he change his routine at all?’
‘He usually comes straight home from the centre and I get dinner ready for five o’clock. That’s when we eat.’
‘And did he come home that afternoon before he went missing?’
Meg seemed unsure. She scratched her head, trying to remember.
‘I don’t think so.’ She glanced at Caroline for suppor
t.
‘I wasn’t here, Mum, so I don’t know. You told the police he didn’t come home that day.’
‘There you are, then. He didn’t come home that day. As I told the police, he disappeared.’
Carlos suppressed his irritation at Caroline’s intervention and moved on.
‘Can you remember anything happening on the Thursday morning before your husband went to the community centre?’
‘He went to the library at ten, the school at eleven and came home for lunch at twelve-thirty.’
‘Is that what he usually did or what he actually did that day?’ asked Carlos.
‘He always does those things on a Thursday morning.’
Carlos couldn’t be certain Meg’s recollection aligned with the reality of the day in question or whether she was assuming Harold had kept to his usual routine.
‘Why did he go to the school?’
‘He’s a school governor. I think he meets the head on Thursday mornings, but I’m not certain.’
‘Did Harold have any close friends?’
Confusion crossed Meg’s face and Carlos, aware that the window of opportunity might close soon, pressed.
‘Meg?’
‘I don’t know his friends. We know a few people in the village, we’ve lived here for decades, but Harold keeps himself to himself. I don’t go out much. The vicar’s wife visits on a Wednesday afternoon while Harold plays bridge.’
‘This is really helpful, Meg. Just one more question. Does your husband own a spade?’
Meg’s head shot up, eyes pleading with Caroline to help.
‘Is that what killed him?’ Caroline asked.
‘They believe he was hit with a spade, yes.’ Carlos didn’t take his eyes off Meg, and she in turn didn’t take hers off Caroline.
‘He would have had a spade. He’s a keen gardener, as you probably noticed when you were round the back this morning. Mother, where does he keep the spade?’
Meg’s bottom lip trembled. ‘In the shed at the bottom of the garden. Why would someone hit him with his own spade?’
‘My thoughts exactly, Mother. I think she’s had enough, Carlos. Mother, why don’t you go for a lie down and I’ll try to answer any further questions?’