Devil in Disguise (36 page)

‘Daniel
told Jane I’d gone away,’ said Molly, wiping her nose and feeling agitated.

‘Today
we are singing “I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face”,’ said Lilia, with a cheeky
grin. ‘Use it. Every day I teach you the same lesson. Use your pain to
commercial effect. It is money in the bank. Remember that.’

Just
then the doorbell sounded — the familiar two jaunty rings that indicated the
arrival of Geoffrey.

‘Here
he is!’ said Lilia, hurriedly closing the enamel box and stuffing it down the
side of her chair. The spoon she returned to the safety of her bra. She patted
her hair and stood up to answer the door. ‘Enjoy your rush,’ she said fondly to
Molly.

The following afternoon,
after Molly had popped one of her Judy Garland pills, she was lying on the sofa
humming ‘Lady Sings The Blues’ while Lilia gave her a toe massage. They were
both startled when the doorbell rang.

‘Maybe
I’ve won the lottery,’ said Lilia, gently returning Molly’s foot to the sofa.
‘I will go and see.’

Molly
sighed, feeling spaced-out and unwilling to move.

A
moment later Lilia returned. ‘There is a woman called Jane here to see you,’
she said, sounding unnerved. ‘I have told her you are unwell but she insisted—’

Just
then Jane pushed her way past Lilia. ’I need to speak to you—’ She stopped in
her tracks. ‘Molly? Oh, my God,
Molly!’

‘Jane?’
said Molly, only now registering that someone had entered the room. ‘What are
you doing here?’

Jane
rushed forward and embraced her. ‘Oh, Molly! I had no idea you were …’ She
trailed off, lost for words. She felt Molly’s forehead. ‘You’re all clammy. And
skinny. What’s going on here?’ She rested a hand protectively on each shoulder
and turned accusingly to Lilia. ‘She needs a doctor. Surely you can see that.’

‘Don’t
be ridiculous,’ said Lilia. ‘Who are you to come barging into my house like the
Keystone Cops? Molly is my guest and she wishes to stay here. You may leave
now.’

‘I’ll
leave,’ replied Jane, swiftly, ‘but I’m taking Molly with me.’

‘Kidnapping?’
said Lilia, derisively.

‘I’m
not here to argue about it,’ said Jane, turning back to Molly. She addressed
her as if she were a child. ‘I’m taking you to stay with me for a few days, all
right?’

‘It’s
very kind of you but I think I’ll stay here,’ said Molly, closing her eyes and
smacking her lips contentedly, like a Labrador.

. Jane
gave her a shake. ‘Molly! Wake up!’ She reached under Molly’s armpits and, with
a determined effort, pulled her now delicate frame upright. ‘Let’s go.’

Molly
swayed and held her head with both hands to stop it rocking from side to side.
‘Hang on.’

A
furious Lilia stepped into her eyeline. ‘Sit down at once!’ she said. ‘Do as I
say!’

Molly
wanted to, but she was too out of it to respond to any orders, however
threateningly they were delivered.

‘Come
with me now’, said Jane, soothing and persuasive in contrast to Lilia’s barks.
She held Molly’s hand and led her slowly towards the door.

‘Okay.
Let’s go for a ride,’ said Molly, stumbling vaguely in the right direction.

Lilia
darted in front of them and spread her arms in front of the door. ‘No!’ she
shouted shrilly. ‘I will not allow it. Molly, we have classes tomorrow. You
cannot leave!’

Jane
let go of Molly with one hand and yanked Lilia out of the way with one firm
pull. Within an instant, she had opened the door, pushed Molly through and
followed her into the hallway. Lilia recovered quickly and scuttled down the
corridor after Jane who was heading for the door, tugging a floppy Molly after
her.

‘Stop!’
said Lilia, hysterical now. ‘Molly lives here! She doesn’t want to go. Stop!’

Jane
opened the front door and, as if she were dancing with a rag doll, pulled Molly
through after her. She turned to face Lilia, her expression fierce. ‘Now back
off! I don’t know what your game is but your time with Molly is over. I’ll look
after her from now on.’

Jane
walked down the gravel path, Molly’s feet making a racket as they dragged
behind her.

‘Heathcliff!’
cried Lilia, appearing at the front door. ‘Heathcliff! See her off, boy!’

Jane
was at the gate. ‘Come on, Molly!’ she said, fumbling with her keys. ‘Just get
into the car and we’re out of here. You’re going to need some crystals and a
spiritual bath when we get home.’

‘What’s
a spiritual bath?’ Molly asked.

‘Like
an ordinary one but with herbs,’ said Jane. ‘Bay leaves, in your case, with a
spoonful of taramasalata.’

Just as
they got into Jane’s Mini, a furious barking heralded the arrival of
Heathcliff, who came racing out of the house in response to Lilia’s cries. Jane
jammed the ignition key in the lock and started the engine just as he bounded
over the gate.

Molly,
slumped in the passenger seat, was pushed back in her seat with the velocity of
Jane’s acceleration. She heard an assertive bark and even saw Heathcliff’s
profile as he leapt at the passenger window.

‘Go,
boy!’ shouted Lilia. ‘Stop them!’

The
last things Molly heard were Jane crying, ‘No!’ the screech of brakes, and
glass shattering.

When
she came to a minute later, she was still in the front seat but Jane was
leaning over her, asking if she was all right and dabbing her throbbing
forehead. Lilia was kneeling on the ground a few feet away, wailing hysterically
and calling Heathcliff’s name.

‘What
happened?’ asked Molly, groggily, blinking.

‘The
dog. He ran in front of the car,’ said Jane, crying herself now. ‘You banged
your head on the dashboard. Are you okay?’

‘Oh, my
God. Heathcliff!’ Molly pushed Jane away and staggered out of the car, which
was now stationary in the middle of the road, the doors open and the headlights
smashed.

Heathcliff
was lying a couple of yards ahead in the gutter and Lilia was cradling him in
her arms.

‘Murder!
Murder!’ She threw back her head and let out a piercing scream. Then she turned
towards Molly and Jane. ‘He’s dead!’ she shouted. ‘She killed him! She
deliberately ran him over. ‘She hugged the dog to her chest, stroking his
glossy black coat. ‘Why?’ she moaned. ‘Why kill my innocent boy? How am I to
live without him?’

Molly
went to her and knelt beside her, stricken by the sight of Heathcliff’s huge
body limp and lifeless.

Two
neighbours, a man and a woman, came out of their house to see what all the
commotion was about. ‘Are you all right, Miss Delvard?’ asked the woman, as she
approached. ‘Shall we call an ambulance?’

‘He’s
dead,’ repeated Lilia.

‘What
happened?’ asked the man. He looked round at the scene: the car, the dead dog
and Molly’s gashed forehead.

Jane
came over, wiping her eyes and sniffing. ‘It was an accident. She set the dog
on me and he threw himself under the wheels. It wasn’t my fault, it was hers!
Molly, get back in the car. I’ll take you to hospital. You’ve had a bang on the
head.’

Lilia
let go of the dog and rose to her feet. ‘You evil bitch. Do you realise what
you’ve done here? You killed my Heathcliff!’ With that she flew at Jane,
whacking her across the head with her fist. Jane reeled to the right, bent
double with shock, and Lilia grabbed hold of her hair with both hands. ‘I’ll
fucking kill you for what you’ve done.’ She held Jane’s head tight and raised
her knee, cracking it into Jane’s face several times, grunting with the effort,
then threw her to the ground and kicked her head like a football.

‘Hey!’
shouted the neighbour, rushing forward to restrain her in a bear-hug. ‘That’s
enough of that. Come on!’

Lilia
stood, breathing heavily through clenched teeth. Unable to continue her attack,
she spat at the figure on the ground.

The
woman helped Jane upright and sat her on the kerb out of reach of Lilia, who
was kicking out wildly again. Jane’s nose was pouring with blood. ‘Aah!’ she
moaned. ‘Keep her away from me!’

Molly
stood between them, not sure who to comfort first. ‘Lilia! Jane!’ she said, helplessly.
‘Stop it!’

‘Get
into the car, Molly,’ said Jane, dabbing her nose with a tissue. You can’t stay
here with this mad woman. Can’t you see she’s insane?’

Lilia
was crying loudly now, strange, tearless weeping, looking down at Heathcliff
‘Oh, my baby, my boy. How could this happen? What am I going to do now? Molly,
help me!’

Molly
stood between her old friend and her mentor, not sure which of them had the
greater call on her.

‘Molly,’
begged Jane, her eyes pleading, ‘you can’t stay here. Please come with me.

‘Molly …
Molly,’ moaned Lilia. ‘Help me…’

Molly
screwed her eyes shut, wishing all the nastiness would go away. She just wanted
it to be quiet and peaceful and everything to be all right, as it had been
before Jane arrived. She opened her eyes and walked towards Lilia, who prised
herself free of her neighbour and collapsed into Molly’s arms, burying her face
in her shoulder. ‘Come on,’ said Molly. ‘Let’s get you in.’

‘Don’t
leave me!’ wept Lilia. ‘Please don’t leave me.’

‘It’s
all right,’ said Molly. ‘I won’t leave you, don’t worry.’ She walked Lilia back
towards Kit-Kat Cottage.

Jane
called after them. ‘Molly? You’ve got to get away from her. Come with me, I’m
begging you.’

Molly
turned to her. ‘No, Jane. Go — go now and don’t come back. You’ve caused enough
trouble.’

Jane
stared at her, hurt and baffled.

‘Heathcliff!’
cried Lilia. ‘I can’t leave him.’

‘Would
you carry him into the house for us?’ Molly asked the bewildered neighbours.

‘Er,
yes, of course,’ said the man. He bent over the dog and lifted him by the front
legs. ‘I can’t manage him on my own,’ he said to the woman, who took hold of
Heathcliff’s back feet. Together they hauled him up and, with considerable
effort, shuffled towards Lilia’s home. He swung between them, like a freshly
killed stag being brought to the hunting lodge.

Left on
her own, Jane managed to get to her feet and, holding her still-bleeding nose
with one hand, walked unsteadily to her car. ‘Goodbye,’ Molly heard her call,
as she went into the bungalow with Lilia. ‘I’m always your friend if you ever
need me.’

Inside,
Molly led Lilia into the lounge and sat her on her chair.

The
neighbours were struggling down the hallway with Heathcliff ‘Could you put him
in the back bedroom?’ asked Molly. ‘Thank you so much for your help.’

Too out
of breath to speak, the couple nodded. Heathcliff was placed on the bed that
hadn’t been occupied since Joey had lain there, and the man kindly offered to
come back in the morning with a shovel to bury the poor dog in the back garden.

‘Thank
you,’ said Molly, solemnly. ‘Lilia would appreciate that. You’ve been very
kind.’

The
neighbours left and Molly went to the back door for a much-needed cigarette.
The drama of the last half-hour had quite sobered her up. She touched the
tender bruise on her forehead and felt a wave of compassion for Lilia. She had
doted on Heathcliff They had seemed to share a special understanding, and she
would be lost without him. And why was Jane being so dramatic, hunting her down
to Long Buckby and trying to get her away so urgently? Molly had been rather
stoned when Jane arrived and maybe she had looked a bit of a mess. But there
was no need for her to be so heavy-handed. No doubt her dubious psychic skills
were telling her something. Jane was always trying to rescue people, cure them,
change them, help them to see the light. Well, this time it had gone horribly
wrong. Within a few terrible minutes Heathcliff’s life had been snuffed out and
Molly had been forced to choose between her old friend and her new mentor. She
couldn’t leave Lilia now, even if she wanted to.

Molly
finished her cigarette and went to Lilia’s bedroom. Heathcliff was laid on his
side on the bed. His eyes were closed as if he was asleep, his big, pink tongue
just poking out between fleshy black lips. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly,
rubbing his chest the way he’d liked. ‘We’re going to miss you, old boy, more
than you know. God bless.’ She gave him a final stroke, covered him with a
sheet and returned to the lounge.

‘A
brandy, love?’ she asked Lilia, who was staring into space, her hands twisting
in her lap. There was no response, so Molly poured her one anyway, and one for
herself.

‘I’m
sorry, Lilia,’ she said, placing the glass in the old lady’s hand.

Lilia’s
eyes flickered. ‘Why?’ she said flatly. ‘Why did she come here and ruin
everything?’

‘I
don’t know,’ said Molly, her voice full of pain. ‘She was worried about me.’

‘If she
had taken my life it would have been easier to bear.’

‘Don’t
say that.’

‘First
Joey and now Heathcliff Everything is being taken from me.’