Authors: Jo Bannister
Changelings (25 page)
âHe didn't get cholera from the cold remedy,' grunted Shapiro, âhe didn't even get food poisoning from it. He picked himself some suitable mushrooms,
put some in the opened bottle and had the rest for his tea. Then he waited to get sick and called the ambulance.'
put some in the opened bottle and had the rest for his tea. Then he waited to get sick and called the ambulance.'
A squeal of protest from the tyres and they were on to Cambridge Road. All that would stop Scobie now were the flashing lights of a level crossing; probably.
âAnd all the time we've been looking for him he's been in hospital, sipping rehydration salts and nibbling digestive biscuits!' exclaimed Liz.
âWhich explains the delay,' shrugged Shapiro. âThe days where nothing was happening. He couldn't come looking for his money any sooner, he was sick. He set it all up â the yoghurt, the school, Sheila's contribution and the ransom note on the area car. “Get it and wait.” Of course we'd have to wait: he was going to be sick for the next few days. It's the classic way to avoid suspicion: convince everyone that you're a victim.'
âThe second note, the one posted in Cambridge on Friday,' said Liz. âHe must have written that as soon as he could sit up and sent someone out with it. Cambridge, for God's sake: we
knew
who was in Cambridge. We should have wrapped this up then.'
knew
who was in Cambridge. We should have wrapped this up then.'
âMartin Wingrave,' said Shapiro disgustedly. âMartin bloody Wingrave!'
Without looking at him Donovan asked Payne, âWhere's your mobile phone?'
There was no reply. Donovan turned on his heel, his eyes like coals. âWhere? I know you have one â Sarah called you on it. If you want Elphie to be safe, use it now. Call Queen's Street. They'll be here in fifteen minutes.'
Payne's voice was so low Donovan genuinely couldn't hear him. âWhat?'
âI said, I left it in the Land Rover!'
Donovan let his eyes fall shut. âAnd I don't suppose you can fix the land line from inside the house, can you?'
âWe cut it back up the road. We thought you might try one of the other houses.'
âYou were
that
determined to keep me here?'
that
determined to keep me here?'
âUntil we were sure you were no threat to us,' said Dr Chapel, âdamn right we were.'
âYou people are crazy,' said Donovan thickly. âI'm a police officer. You can't really believe you can make me turn a blind eye to this?'
âNo,' said Chapel.
âThen what do you hope to achieve? Maybe you
can keep me a prisoner here â for a week, for a month even. But sooner or later either I give you the slip or you get tired of feeding me and let me go. Either way, when I leave here you're going to have to face the music. You
know
that.'
can keep me a prisoner here â for a week, for a month even. But sooner or later either I give you the slip or you get tired of feeding me and let me go. Either way, when I leave here you're going to have to face the music. You
know
that.'
Chapel was nodding. âYes, that's pretty much how we read it too.'
âThen â ?' And then he understood. The anger, the confusion drained out of his face, leaving it smooth. âAh.'
Even after all that had happened, finally it came as a shock. He'd been threatened before; attempts had been made on his life before. But there was something peculiarly sickening about being threatened in a place where, and by people among whom, he had once felt safe. The old man had saved his life; Sarah and her son had cared for him. But he'd been too curious, taken too much interest in their affairs, and now they would only be safe when Donovan was dead.
When they'd taken him from the boat it had been a calculated risk. They'd known that if they made no effort to help him they'd be asked to explain why not, and it seemed safer to bring him here, get him well and send him, suitably grateful, on his way. The phone was cut and
Tara
was moved to control his access to the outside world until he was fit to leave.
Tara
was moved to control his access to the outside world until he was fit to leave.
But before that he'd become interested in the Turner family history. Mere habit had led him to ask questions that rang alarm bells the length of East Beckham. Once he knew there was a mystery here â that a pattern of deceit involving everyone in the village had been woven around the events of fourteen
years ago â and realized that a suspicious death was the only thing important enough to warrant that, they could never let him go.
years ago â and realized that a suspicious death was the only thing important enough to warrant that, they could never let him go.
And still the habit of inquiry was grained so deeply that he had to know why they needed him dead. âThis isn't because of a fourteen-year-old fraud, is it? Because a dozen families in East Beckham agreed to take advantage of a nasty accident to secure their future. Sure, you lied about it; but that isn't why the whole damn village is waiting on the front step to beat my head in. They're ready to do murder because they did it once before. Simon Turner didn't turn that tractor over. You killed him.'
He got no immediate response. He took the silence as consent. âHe threatened your way of life, so you killed him. You bust him up so badly the only story that would do was that a tractor landed on him.' His gaze raked round them, still more bitter than afraid. âI'm right, aren't I?'
Sarah Turner said, âNo!' and Dr Chapel said, âYes.'
She stared at him; he shrugged carelessly. âIn all the relevant particulars. You weren't told everything, dear. You and Jonathan were going to have to lie about whose body it was â it seemed unwise to let you in on all the facts.'
Jonathan Payne looked as if he was watching the man grow horns; as if no suspicion of this had ever crossed his mind. âYou killed him? Simon? You
killed
him?'
killed
him?'
âIn a way,' said the doctor obliquely, âit
was
an accident. At least, it wasn't premeditated. It was a fight that got out of hand. Some of the younger men wanted
to have it out with him â persuade him, bully him, call it what you like, into selling the Mill to our co-operative. He wouldn't listen; they tried to make him listen; it came to blows. When it finished Simon was badly injured.'
was
an accident. At least, it wasn't premeditated. It was a fight that got out of hand. Some of the younger men wanted
to have it out with him â persuade him, bully him, call it what you like, into selling the Mill to our co-operative. He wouldn't listen; they tried to make him listen; it came to blows. When it finished Simon was badly injured.'
âNot dead?' whispered Sarah.
âNo. But he had head injuries he might not have recovered from.'
âDidn't get the chance, though, did he?' sneered Donovan. âBecause they did what people in this village had got in the habit of doing: they brought the problem to you.'
Chapel nodded calmly. âOf course they did. I'm the doctor.'
âYou were Simon's doctor too. Much good it did him.'
Chapel shrugged. âA decision had to be made. If Simon lived, five decent lads were going to go to prison and their families would lose their homes. And there was no certainty that he'd recover, that he wouldn't die anyway, just too late to do anybody any good. A judgement had to be made. I decided the greatest good would best be served by withholding treatment.'
âYou let him die,' said Donovan baldly.
âThat's fair comment,' nodded Chapel.
âWho knew about this?' asked Payne.
âWell â everybody, really. No, not everybody â it had to be kept a secret, we didn't want the children growing up and leaving East Beckham with it. We didn't want some tearful woman unburdening herself over the phone to her mother. But I called in the five
lads responsible, and their fathers, and I told them what I was prepared to do â
if
I could count on their absolute support. Not just then, while their blood was up, but all the years thereafter. I could save them all, but I wasn't going to put my head on a block to do it. They swore to me they'd keep the secret safe. And give them their due, they did. They made sure that all those who knew what had happened also knew the consequences for everyone if anyone had an attack of conscience.'
lads responsible, and their fathers, and I told them what I was prepared to do â
if
I could count on their absolute support. Not just then, while their blood was up, but all the years thereafter. I could save them all, but I wasn't going to put my head on a block to do it. They swore to me they'd keep the secret safe. And give them their due, they did. They made sure that all those who knew what had happened also knew the consequences for everyone if anyone had an attack of conscience.'
Donovan felt his jaw tighten as he listened. Simon Turner was still alive while they were debating the matter. He might still have been saved. But it was more expedient to let him die. It wasn't enough that they'd beaten him to bloody sherds: now they took him into the fields and dropped a tractor on him.
âAny way you cut it,' he grated, âthat boy was murdered. His life meant less to you than the trouble of moving house.
Chapel frowned. âThat's unworthy of you, sergeant. What was at stake here was the survival of a community. The mere accident of birth put one man, one rather greedy man, in a position to end a way of life three centuries old. We tried to reason with him, we tried to buy him off. He wasn't interested. He was a vindictive young man: he was never happy here, now he had the chance to wipe the place off the map.'
âThat didn't give you the right to murder him!'
âPerhaps not. But it gave us a reason.'
Donovan fought to keep his voice under control. âAnd now you're going to do it again.'
âI'm afraid so.'
âAnd again?'
âIf necessary.'
It was surreal. They could have been talking about scrapping a piece of machinery or replacing a leaky shed. About sacrificing a crop of bulbs to prevent a pest from spreading. Now he understood that too. They'd been talking about killing him that evening round the dinner table. The only one who wasn't aware of the fact was him.
He barked a little snort of irony. âOh, it will be. There's never a last time. Ask any serial killer: it gets easier. The first time you kill it's the most important thing in the world to you. You end up doing it because it's easier than arguing.'
Incredibly, Chapel managed to look offended. âYoung man, you don't know us well enough to judge us.'
That did it. Donovan started to laugh. It was the absolute absurdity of it. He'd faced gangland bosses and homicidal maniacs; he'd faced guns and knives and fire and worse. And he was going to die at the behest of a retired family doctor and at the hands of a bunch of Morris Dancers. The situation was too ridiculous for tears, so he laughed until he started to cough. His damaged lungs spasmed and slivers of pain slipped under his ribs. He put one hand on the wall to steady himself, clasped the other hard against his side. His knees started to go and he slid down on to the hall chair, fighting for breath.
Sarah hurried to help him. He waved her away. âFundamental error,' he gritted. âI guess it's different with flowers but the first thing you learn on a farm
is, Never make friends with anything you're going to eat.'
is, Never make friends with anything you're going to eat.'
She recoiled in anguish. âCal â I never thought this was going to happen. If I'd thoughtâ'
âWhat? You'd have left me on the boat? You should have done, at least I had a chance there. Maybe I'd have beaten the pneumonia. Maybe someone else would have found me. Only then they'd have wanted to know why you hadn't tried to help, and you couldn't cope with people asking questions. I was dead from the moment Elphie found me. You weren't taking care of me, you were just managing my death. Making sure I couldn't do you more harm dead than alive.'
He'd made her cry again. Payne moved to his mother's side, put an arm about her. âDon't blame her,' he said quietly. âYou've every right to be angry, but not with her. She thought it would be all right. She didn't know how high the stakes were.'
âI don't think you do, either.'
âNo,' agreed Payne. âMaybe it suited us to be deaf and blind, but neither of us knew that Simon was murdered. I thought the worst that could happen was that the fraud would come out, I'd go to prison and we'd lose the Mill. I never guessed how far they were prepared to go.'
Donovan shook his head. âThat's not what I meant. After me they'll kill Elphie.'
It shouldn't have come as such a shock. If they hadn't feared for the child, why ask him to take her away? But they still weren't able to confront the monster they'd helped to create. Sarah's hands flew to her mouth as if to catch the little choked denial in her
throat. Hollow with fear, Payne's eyes flicked between the policeman and the child as if Donovan were the one threatening her.
throat. Hollow with fear, Payne's eyes flicked between the policeman and the child as if Donovan were the one threatening her.
Elphie's little pointed chin dropped and her eyes saucered, and she clung to Donovan's hand as if she'd never let him go. He knew he'd frightened her. He couldn't help it. He wasn't making this up: he knew how events would proceed. If they got away with killing him, soon their eyes would turn to her.
âDon't be ridiculous,' snorted Dr Chapel. âElphie's one of us. She's safe here. This is the only place she can be entirely safe.'
Donovan didn't believe him. âAfter I'm dead, she's the main threat to your security. You can count on one another to keep the secret â you all know what the consequences would be if anyone let it slip. But you can't count on Elphie, and you never will be able to. She talks to people. There's no guile with her â she couldn't lie to save her life. If the police come back here looking for me, and they ask Elphie what she knows, she'll tell them. She won't think she's avenging me, she'll just think it's interesting and they'd want to know. She's going to betray you all. You'll never be safe as long as she's alive.'
His eyes swivelled from Chapel to Payne. âRight now I'm the only thing stopping them from killing her. There's no point while I'm the problem; but they won't risk leaving her alive once I'm gone.'
âDamn you!' cried Jonathan Payne in agony. âThat's my
daughter
you're talking about!'
daughter
you're talking about!'
âShe's living proof of what happened here.'
âDon't listen to him,' Chapel warned gruffly. âHe's
trying to save his own neck. Nobody's going to hurt Elphie. Yes, we killed Simon. It's the only reason any of us is here today. And now we have to deal with another threat. That should buy us another fourteen years; or forty. He's supposed to be dead already: when he turns up in the canal nobody'll suspect us. They'll think they know what happened. That'll be the end of it. I promise.'
trying to save his own neck. Nobody's going to hurt Elphie. Yes, we killed Simon. It's the only reason any of us is here today. And now we have to deal with another threat. That should buy us another fourteen years; or forty. He's supposed to be dead already: when he turns up in the canal nobody'll suspect us. They'll think they know what happened. That'll be the end of it. I promise.'
âBelieve him,' suggested Donovan negligently. âBet your daughter's life on it.'
Payne was standing beside the front door. It was shut: now he reached out and quietly locked it. âGo,' he said softly. âGo now. Take Elphie and get away. Take the Land Rover if you can reach it' â he proffered the keys â âotherwise I don't know what to suggest. I'll hold them here as long as I can.'
Chapel looked up at him, no match physically, infinitely tougher psychologically. âIf you do this,' he said in a low voice, âI won't be able to help you. I won't be able to help any of you.'
Payne looked at him as if seeing him clearly for the first time. How small he was, how vicious. âDo you know something, Doctor? I think my family might do better without your help.'
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