by Anita Waller
Bobby smiled. ‘Thank you,’ she said softly. ‘She became hard. When adoption was mentioned, Tom was against it. He had been adopted and had had a wonderful life, but he felt that his birth mother had abandoned him, and he didn’t want a child coming into their lives who would feel like that in future years. It was Judy who suggested he try to find her, to find out the real truth behind why she gave him up for adoption. He eventually agreed, but then he became ill, and within four or five months he was dead.’
‘Judy has told us most of this,’ Kat said. ‘Not about her hysterectomy, we didn’t know that, but the rest we had gleaned from our chats with her. She told us they had decided not to have children.’
Bobby nodded. ‘I guessed as much. But did she tell you that Tom did apply for his adoption pack, his birth certificate, his mother’s birth certificate? And did she tell you that she saw everything that arrived? She got very clever at opening letters and resealing them. Tom went for an interview when he applied for his adoption pack, and he didn’t ask her to go with him. He didn’t want her to know he was going. He said he had a hospital appointment. He told me, because he wanted to show me his birth mother’s letter. It broke his heart.’
Kat waited. She sensed there was more.
‘Last week she told me she had approached you for help. She had used the information on the documents and had tracked down where Tom’s birth mother was living now. She had done lots of research on her and realised that she was very wealthy. She didn’t want to see the woman just by turning up on her doorstep, she thought it would look as if she knew nothing about her vast wealth if the approach came from your company. It would look more… authentic. For Judy it was a case of slowly, slowly, catchee monkey. She’s in this for the long haul, she told me. All she could talk about was how rich this Pamela Bird is, and she intended being in the will.’
Bobby picked up her cup and drank deeply. ‘So that’s why I had to come to see you. She’s duping you. I can’t believe she’s turned out like this. When we were growing up she was brilliant as a sister. There’s only a year or so between us, I’m slightly older. But she always seemed more mature, more in control. Now it seems she’s more calculating.’
Kat was at a loss. Bobby was telling her what they had all guessed; this was confirmation. It threw up many questions and no solutions.
And right at that moment, Mouse and Nan were at Pamela Bird’s house giving her the good news that she had a daughter-in-law; no son, but a daughter-in-law who was really looking forward to meeting her.
Bobby took out her card from her bag and passed it across to Kat. ‘You can call anytime, and if I can help, I will. What Judy is doing is so damn wrong, and Pamela Bird needs to know. I’ve had sleepless nights worrying about this, about who to tell, and I decided it had to be you. I can’t go to the police, she hasn’t actually done anything wrong yet and there’s no proof anyway; I can’t go to Pamela Bird because I’ve no idea where she lives, so basically you’re my one hope that something can be done about Judy. Connection is my only hope, Kat.’
17
Within seconds of getting out of the car, Pamela Bird was outside her home waiting to greet her guests. She was small, not much taller than five feet, with straight silvery hair that had clearly been well-looked after by a hairdresser with considerable skills. She wore minimal make-up, but what dominated her face were her beautiful startlingly blue eyes. Her smile reflected in them.
‘Welcome,’ she said. ‘Just leave your car where it is, I’m not expecting anyone else today.’
Mouse stepped forward with her hand outstretched. ‘Ms Bird? I’m Beth Walters and this is my colleague, Doris Lester.’
‘Please… come in, and call me Pam. I’ve never really been a Pamela,’ she laughed. ‘Occasionally maybe, when my husband bothered to inspect the credit card bill.’
Mouse grinned. She already liked this woman. She could, however, sense a tension in her. The sooner they told her their findings, the better.
Doris and Mouse followed Pam into the house. From the outside it had all the spine-tingling appearance of a large Victorian villa, and so it came as no surprise to them that the interior was totally in keeping with the exterior. The hall was magnificent, with sweeping stairs leading up to the upper levels, and Pam smiled as she saw their faces.
‘I’m very proud of this house. Oh, not of what its value is, but of what we put into it. We spent many years restoring it and my husband had all but finished when he was taken ill.’ She held out a hand to direct them. ‘Let’s go into the lounge.’
It was pale blue, accented with cream. The long velvet curtains were a darker shade of blue, and everything… toned.
Mouse stared around her. ‘Are you an interior designer?’
Pam laughed. ‘No, I have an eye for colour. I wouldn’t trust myself to do anyone else’s home, but this is mine and I was more than happy to let my imagination free on it. Please – sit down and make yourselves comfortable. Grace has made us tea and coffee.’
Mouse looked at Doris as if to say, She has a maid? But no words were exchanged. They sat side by side on a sofa, and Pam sat opposite in an armchair. Within seconds the door opened and a tall smartly dressed woman came into the room carrying a tray with crockery, cakes and biscuits.
‘I’ll get the tea and coffee pots, Pam,’ she said, and disappeared.
Seconds later she returned and placed another tray by the side of the first one on the coffee table.
‘Grace, thank you. Now will you go and get yourself a cup and saucer, I’d like you to stay.’
Grace frowned. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course I’m sure.’
Grace gave a brief nod and left the room once more.
‘Grace Earle is my right-hand woman,’ Pam explained. ‘She’s invaluable. She arrived when my husband was first taken ill just over two years ago, and has stayed. I have a condition called ME, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It’s got several names but the doctors can’t agree whether it’s real or not. Trust me, it’s real. Some days I can’t get out of bed if I’m having a particularly bad attack of it, and then other days I am as you see me today, no major pain, and normality is the order of the day. Grace takes care of the bad days.’
The door opened and Grace re-joined them. She poured drinks for all of them, handed around cake, and finally they all settled back into their respective seats.
‘So,’ Pam began. ‘My son.’
Mouse nodded. ‘I need to start from the beginning. We had a visit from a client who lost her husband a year ago. As I explained in our letter, her husband was the child you gave up for adoption. Please stop us and ask questions as we go along, you may forget them by the end.’
Pam nodded.
‘It seems,’ Mouse continued, ‘that Tom had decided to try to track you down, but was then hit with a particularly aggressive form of cancer, and from diagnosis to him dying was only about eighteen weeks. He didn’t get the chance to do much more than request his adoption pack and apply for your birth certificate. He certainly didn’t have time to begin the search, he was too ill.’
Pam’s beautiful blue eyes clouded over. ‘His adoptive parents kept the names I gave him, then?’
‘They did, and he had a wonderful childhood according to his wife and his aunt. Your selfless action in giving him up wasn’t detrimental in any way. His parents have died, but his aunt is still alive, a lovely lady who I’m sure you will meet one day.’ Mouse smiled. ‘We were a little undecided about taking on this case, because Tom had died and it all seemed a little pointless, but then we realised, after reading the letter you wrote to him when you gave him up, that you might need closure as well.’
Doris nodded in agreement. ‘There are three of us at Connection, and we all felt the same. It became more about you and less about Tom.’
‘And his wife?’ Grace asked.
A shrewd one, Mouse thought. She’s picked up on something being amiss.
‘She’s
our client, so we can’t reveal details of her. She is aware we are seeing you, and obviously she would like to meet with you, but that is why we’re here. We refused to give her anything until we had spoken to you, found out how you felt about it.’ Mouse unzipped her document case. ‘I have something for you.’ She handed over the photograph of Tom, taken just before he became ill.
The blue eyes turned to grey as tears flowed down Pam’s cheeks. Grace stood and moved to sit on the arm of Pam’s chair, placing her arms around her friend’s shoulders. They saw a man of around six feet in height, dark brown hair, and a smile that would light up any room. There was no doubt about it, she knew, that she had given birth to a handsome man.
‘He’s beautiful,’ she said softly, stroking the picture. ‘May I keep this?’
‘Of course,’ Mouse said. ‘I had a copy done of the original, as the picture belongs to his Aunt Alice.’
Pam passed the photograph up to Grace, who stood and moved back to her own chair with it. She studied it, and said, ‘He has your chin but that’s all I can see. He’s certainly very good-looking.’
‘You didn’t know his father?’ Mouse probed, keeping her voice in gentle mode.
‘N… no…’ Pam said hesitantly. ‘I have flashbacks even after all these years, and I’ve never been able to say it was so-and-so who attacked me, but sometimes I think…’
‘You know him?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. If I did, it’s way in the past now. Knowing the father won’t give me back my son. I loved him so much, my Tom.’
Doris smiled. ‘We know. We’ve read your letter. Do you remember leaving something else with Tom?’
‘Oh, I do. A small silver cross and chain. I bought it with the only money I had.’ Pam looked around her. ‘How times have changed.’
Mouse reached into her document case and took out a small blue box. She handed it to Pam.
Her eyes showed shock. ‘Is this…?’
Mouse nodded. ‘Open it. I can’t leave it with you, because again it belongs to Alice. He gave it to her when he knew he was dying, as a keepsake. It’s the only thing she has of him, apart from the documents he managed to acquire in his search for you.’
Grace leaned forward. ‘Alice has the documents, not his wife?’
Mouse was saved from answering by Pam opening the box, and this time it wasn’t just tears, it was full-blown heartbreak and sobbing. There was no consoling her, so Doris stood and poured her a second cup of tea.
‘Drink this, Pam,’ she said quietly. ‘It will help.’
There was a huge long drawing-in of breath, followed by a hiccup, and Pam began to recover. She lifted the teacup to her lips and sipped at it, still staring at the tiny silver cross and chain.
‘So many years wasted,’ she said. ‘Not knowing where he was or even who he was. They could have changed his name very easily. I’m so grateful they didn’t. it means my Tom has always been my Tom.’ She put the piece of jewellery back into the box, and stroked the lid before handing it back to Mouse. ‘Please, return this to his aunt. Alice, did you say?’
Mouse slipped the box into the document case. ‘I did. She’s lovely, cared deeply for Tom. It’s obvious with every word she says about him.’
‘And now to the big question,’ Pam said. ‘Did Tom have children? Do I have grandchildren?’
Mouse took a deep breath. ‘Tom and Judy didn’t have any children.’
Pam’s face fell. ‘Oh… I had no other children after Tom, but I would have loved grandchildren.’
‘I need to know what you want to do, Pam, but I don’t need to know today. Our client is no relation to you now, and you have every right to say no to meeting her. Take as long as you need to think this through, talk it over with Grace. Contact me when you’ve made your decision, and then I will know what information to pass on to our client.’
‘I have a question.’ Grace spoke quietly. ‘Why does his Aunt Alice have the documents Tom applied for? Why not his wife? Didn’t he want his wife to know what he was doing? Because if that is the case, why is his wife pursuing it now?’
‘Mrs Carpenter came to us saying that she wanted to have closure on Tom’s last wishes. Unfortunately, Tom isn’t around to confirm or deny that she should be involved.’
Mouse felt Grace’s eyes remain on her, and knew it was time to go. She stood and picked up her document case. ‘Thank you for seeing us, Pam, and I’ll look forward to your call.’ She handed her card to Pam. ‘Ring any time if you have questions. I’m sure there will be some, once we’ve gone. There always are.’
Pam shook both their hands and Mouse and Doris went to leave the room.
‘I’ll see them out, Pam,’ Grace said. ‘You stay and rest. I’ll make us a fresh pot of tea in a minute.’
The three of them walked outside to Mouse’s car. Doris got into the passenger seat, and Mouse turned to Grace. ‘Is Pam okay?’
‘She will be. It’s time for her painkillers, and this has been an emotional morning for her. She hasn’t asked any questions about the adoptive parents, and I know that will come once she’s had time to put her thoughts in order.’
Mouse nodded. ‘I didn’t want to overburden her, but all these questions can be answered, obviously. Get her to make a list of any queries that occur to her. We will facilitate any meeting if she decides she wants to meet her daughter-in-law.’
Grace shook Mouse’s hand. ‘Thank you for coming today. There’s one thing I do need to tell you, so that this is in the forefront of your mind when you are facilitating anything about this strange meeting – and I do believe it’s strange. Pam Bird is worth much more than this.’ She waved her hand to show the extent of the house and land. ‘So much more. And I’m not talking thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. I won’t disclose any figures, obviously, but I’ll protect this woman and what is hers with every breath in my body. You understand?’
‘I do indeed,’ Mouse said. ‘And so will Connection. You can be very sure of that.’
18
The three women sat around the kitchen table and listened to the recording of Bobby Outram’s plea for help. They listened twice, not wanting to miss anything, making notes when they felt it was necessary.
Eventually they sat back, all temporarily quiet, while they digested what they had heard.
‘She didn’t come across as an evil cow who simply wanted to pay her sister back for some slight she had suffered at her hands?’ Mouse asked Kat.
Kat grinned. ‘Trust you to think up that scenario. No, she seemed almost apologetic as she talked to me. I believe every word she said. Judy thought her sister wouldn’t blab about it, but Bobby seems to be a bit different to her sister. What do we do now? Do we give Judy her money back and tell her we can’t work for her any longer? That’s not really the answer though, is it. If we turn her down, she’ll go somewhere else, if she’s really hell bent on getting Pam’s money. Ethically, we can’t tell Pam about this while Judy is our client. We’re going around in circles. And what would we say to Pam anyway? Your new daughter-in-law who isn’t really your daughter-in-law because your son is dead, wants to take you for everything you have. So is the answer for us to go and talk to her? Tell her we’ve sussed her out, and we’re going to be telling Pam?’
Mouse looked troubled. ‘I think it’s arrived at that point. We’ll make up our invoice for the time we’ve spent on this, plus our disbursements, take that away from her advance, and give her a cheque for the difference. I don’t want anything to do with this woman. She’s bloody evil.’
‘Don’t swear, Mouse,’ Doris said absently, working through the notes she had taken. ‘We have a baby in the house.’
‘She’s up in her bedroom!’
‘Kat doesn’t swear. She’s a deacon.’
Mouse frowned. ‘Kat, do you swear?’
‘Course I bloody don’t.’
Mouse walked over to the fridge, took out the bottle of wine and topped up their glasses. ‘I rest my case.’
&nb
sp; Kat looked at the meagre amount of wine in her glass and sighed. It seemed that having a baby also turned you teetotal. ‘So, where do we go from here? See Judy? And let’s not forget the issue of little Henry. He’s Pam’s grandson; his actual DNA would prove or disprove that if it came to a court battle. And after having seen that photo of Tom, there’s no doubt in my mind that he is Tom’s son. Unfortunately, I bet Judy is able to see that too. All of this gives me an uncomfortable feeling, which I suspect is because of what we’ve been through with Leon. He would have solved it by taking people out.’
Mouse laughed. ‘I think we all know Judy is a conwoman, but I don’t see her as a murderer.’
‘But money is involved, and after what Grace told you, it seems we’re talking millions in the purse. People do stupid things for money.’ Kat sounded troubled. ‘I think we have to resolve this, but while we have Judy as a client we can do nothing. She may be planning to take Pam’s millions one way or another, but a plan isn’t a crime. She would actually have to do the deed, and we can stop that by dumping her, then telling Pam about her. We have confirmation of a kind on this recording, so let’s do the right thing and go and see Judy.’
Doris had been quiet, but she nodded. ‘I fully agree. If you two don’t need me to be there, I’ll watch the little one. Take my advice on this; wear something smart… a suit or something, it will intimidate her. And it will also show her we mean business. Make sure the invoice for her charges is accurate to the last penny and the cheque is countersigned by both of you. Let’s show her she can’t mess with Connection, not now and not ever again.’
‘Okay,’ Kat said. ‘No ponytails tomorrow, the woman won’t know what’s hit her.’
Power dressing was the order of the day; Kat and Mouse looked at each other and collapsed into gales of laughter.