And None Shall Sleep (26 page)

The first real breakthrough came after half an hour during which she had been silent. Quite suddenly she said very quietly, ‘I watched him get into the ambulance, you know.'

‘I thought you might have done.' And Joanna at last voiced the one thought that had drawn her back to Ann Carter. ‘I suppose you had to send the letter didn't you?'

Her answer was a wry shake of the head.

‘It was the only thing that could force him to realize the connection with Rowena.'

Dumbly Ann Carter nodded. Tears streamed down her face. ‘He had to know.'

‘It took you so long to save the money up?'

Ann Carter smiled. ‘I decided the fates should choose,' she said calmly. ‘Like the National Lottery. Either I would be knocked down or Selkirk would die.' She gave a pathetic shake of her head. ‘It didn't really matter which.' Then she stared at Joanna. ‘I've got nothing left now.'

Joanna touched her shoulder briefly. ‘Let's get you a solicitor, Mrs Carter.'

Mike followed her up the corridor.

‘So the letters?'

‘Were written by the same hand but on different machines. The wording, Mike, it was the same. Forensics will never replace good human common sense,'

‘But what about the nurse? She didn't kill her, did she?'

Joanna turned to face him. ‘You must be joking,' she said.

‘Then who?'

She waited until she was safely ensconced in her office before answering. ‘O'Sullivan,' she said. ‘He was greedy enough to take the money, and hang on to it. He knew Yolande would put two and two together and realize he had let Gallini in.'

Mike sank down into the chair. ‘But why?'

‘Why what?' Relief at solving the case was making her light-hearted. ‘Why did he do it? For money. Remember the Carter family were friendly with the Frosts. They would almost certainly have visited Michael Frost in hospital. O'Sullivan was a nurse on the ward where Michael Frost was, as well as Yolande. They would have met them both.

‘When Selkirk received the letter, Ann Carter was watching outside. She must have panicked when the ambulance took him to hospital. She rang Gallini and then must have contacted O'Sullivan and enlisted his help. Unfortunately O'Sullivan was astute enough to realize somebody would piece together the fact that Gallini had had help. Cleverly he worked out that strangling Yolande would divert suspicion from him. It would make us think that Yolande had let Gallini in, not him. And we nearly fell for it. It nearly worked.'

Mike stared at her. ‘Proof,' he said and she repeated her earlier words.

‘We'll play one off against the other. There won't be any trust between them, only fear.'

She glanced at the door. Ann Carter will spill the beans,' she said confidently, ‘in the end. Once we explain the full facts about Yolande. She doesn't lack a conscience. Unlike O'Sullivan. In fact,' she said, ‘there's only one thing bothering me now. What the hell did Justin Selkirk do with all that money?'

Mike was laughing. ‘I could make an inspired guess.'

She eyed him curiously. ‘Go on.'

‘That place where he works. All that scaffolding. I bet he's lent Lou-lou some money for renovations.' As always when he spoke the woman's name he had difficulty controlling his laughter. This time he didn't bother.

The rest of the force listened to the sound of uncontrolled laughter coming from Joanna's office.

Dawn spoke for them all. ‘They must have cracked it.'

A few weeks later Joanna's plaster cast was removed. Her arm looked unfamiliar, white and wasted. She flexed her wrist stiffly.

Tomorrow she could use her bike again.

The station was deserted. Most of the officers involved in the murders had taken advantage of some warm autumn sunshine to take back the hours owed. She found Mike sitting at his desk, drinking coffee and checking a pile of statements.

‘The case is going to need a stronger prosecution than this,' he said. ‘The proof is flimsy. Basically O'Sullivan denies the lot and Ann Carter's conviction relies on her confession.'

‘We'll get there, Mike. We've unearthed Gallini's phone print-out. She used the call box at the end of the street. But to ring O'Sullivan she made the mistake of using her own telephone. When we question O'Sullivan we can use that as a lever. We know exactly what time they spoke and for how long. That should help a bit.'

‘I hope you're right, Jo.' Then he noticed her arm. ‘You've lost your plaster.'

‘And gained an arm.'

She perched on the side of his desk and gave a tentative smile. ‘She must have planned this whole business all those years ago because Selkirk had killed her daughter and had got off scot free. Love for a child,' she said diffidently. ‘It's a strong thing, isn't it?'

Mike's dark eyes watched her fidget with the pens on his desk. ‘Are we talking about Rowena Carter,' he asked flatly, ‘or Eloise Levin?' He looked beyond her towards the window. ‘Because I'm never quite sure with you.'

‘Both,' she said idly, refusing to meet his gaze. She hesitated before plunging on. ‘I never realized how strong family ties can be.'

When Mike had left she picked up the telephone. She'd seen the hotel last year on a drive near Stratford-upon-Avon and thought it looked a perfect retreat for a break – a half-timbered sixteenth-century coaching inn, boasting Egon Ronay recommended food and four-posters in every room. She dialled the number.

‘I'd like to book a double room, please, for next weekend ...'

She put down the phone with a sense of relief.

The struggle was over.