Kennedy 01 - Into the Shadows (18 page)

‘Did Tanya know about it?’

‘Yes,’ he lied. ‘Why shouldn’t she? It was all a silly mistake.’

‘Anyway, she’s happy now. Another baby on the way’

‘So you said.’

‘People talk, you know. If I tell people you’re thirtyfive and still not married, they think there’s something wrong with you. Most reckon you must be gay. That’s all the rage these days.’

She clearly expected some comment from him, but he refused to give her the satisfaction.

‘That chap you lived with ‘

“I shared a flat with other men after uni,’ he said heavily.

‘People do. It doesn’t mean they’re gay’

‘Oh, we know you’re not that.’

Andy refused to rise to her bait.

‘You’re not, are you?’

‘No, Mother, I’m not gay. I’m busy, I have lots of good friends, some male and some female. I simply haven’t yet met a woman I’d want to spend the rest of my days with.’

He was tempted to invent a girlfriend. He could tell her about Jill Kennedy, and how he’d taken her out to lunch, but it wasn’t worth it. Far better to eat as quickly as possible and then drive her home.

Christmas was only three weeks away, and he’d have to suffer this agony again then, but after that, with any luck, he wouldn’t need to endure her company until Mother’s Day in March.

Bob Murphy arrived on the dot of ten o’clock on Saturday morning, just as he’d said he would, and Jill couldn’t have been more pleased to see him. Last night, her bedroom window had been rattling in the wind again. In the end, she’d given up and slept in the spare room. Not that she’d slept much. Her mind had been too full.

Michael’s aunt, his late mother’s sister, had come to the vicarage as soon as she’d heard the news, to take care of Michael.

Eve was a lovely woman with five children of her own.

All were older than Michael, though, and all had left home, and Jill thought she saw Michael as someone to mother. She forgot he was eighteen and an adult. For all that, she was a delightful, kind, warm-hearted person. As executor of her sister’s will, written many years earlier when Michael was still a child, it was, she’d said, her duty to take care of Michael. Jill had assured Michael he was welcome at the cottage any time he liked, and he’d chosen to spend most of his spare time with her until the future was more settled. He’d done that without hurting Eve’s feelings, too.

This morning, he had a friendly word with Bob, and then went back inside to his music and his solitude.

‘How’s he doing?’ Bob asked.

‘Amazingly well,’ Jill said truthfully. ‘He has his moments, of course, but he’s coping.’

‘It’s a dreadful thing. Bad enough to lose your parents in an accident or something, but this must be even worse.

I mean, to have both parents - murdered.’

“I know.’

‘It doesn’t sink in, does it?’

That was the essence of it; the horror simply didn’t sink in. It was one reason Michael was coping so well, it hadn’t sunk in, and one reason the local residents were managing to go about their daily business.

‘They say trouble comes in threes,’ Bob murmured. ‘It makes you wonder what’s coming next.’

Funnily enough, exactly the same thought had occurred to Jill. Perhaps that was simply because they were all on edge, all trying to make sense of life.

‘Still,’ he went on grimly, ‘we should be safe enough.

There are more police than residents in Kelton at the moment.’ He stepped back to look up at the cottage’s roof.

‘Now then, what are you needing here? Ridge tiles replacing?

Guttering renewed?’

‘Yes.’

‘There are a few slipped tiles and a couple of cracked ones that need sorting out. What’s the back like?’

They walked round to the back of the cottage and the list of priority jobs grew alarmingly.

‘I’d like all the windows replaced as soon as possible,’

Jill told him, ‘but one, that one there -‘ She pointed to her bedroom window. ‘It’s driving me mad. It rattles in the wind and keeps me awake.’

‘I’ll have a look at that while I’m here, if you like. I might be able to do a temporary job.’

‘Would you? I’d be grateful.’ She looked at the other windows.

‘They all need replacing soon, though, don’t they?’

‘They do, yes. Don’t look like that,’ Bob added with a rare smile. ‘I’ll work out the cost before we start work.’

‘I’ll probably need a lottery win. I’m having some plans drawn up for the extension,’ she went on, ‘but there’s no hurry for that. I would like the roof making good as soon as possible, though.’

‘No problem.’

‘Come inside, Bob,’ she suggested, ‘and I’ll show you the sort of new front door I want.’

They discussed the options for Jill’s cottage, and Bob almost made her faint by telling her how much her front door would cost.

‘How long have you been in business?’ she asked.

He smiled. ‘Long enough to know what I’m doing.’

‘Oh, I didn’t mean ‘

“I know you didn’t. Only joking. It’ll be ten years now.

I did my apprenticeship as a bricklayer, and then started out on my own. It was just me and a van. I like to keep it small, and I still only employ four others. They’re all good, hardworking chaps. You’ve met Len, my roofing man.

He’ll do your roof.’

They could hear the sound of Michael’s music coming from upstairs.

‘Len did the roof at the vicarage last year,’ Bob remarked, as if Michael’s music had reminded him of more unpleasant things.

‘That must have been a big job. It’s a huge house.’

‘It is, but I like plenty of space.’

‘So do I until it comes to cleaning.’

Rabble wandered into the kitchen and immediately went to investigate their visitor.

‘How old is she?’

‘Sixteen,’ Jill told him, ‘and revelling in all the fuss she gets from Michael. I’ve got three about the place. You’ll see them, or Len will, when you start work, but I don’t think they’ll be a nuisance.’

‘Don’t worry about that. Len’s got a zoo. Two dogs, a cat and a cockatiel at the last count.’

‘What a combination!’

‘A nightmare on a narrowboat.’

Jill still hadn’t visited Len and Daisy’s narrowboat.

She must.

‘There’s a stray cat keeps coming round to my place,’

Bob said. ‘Quite a young thing. She calls by, has some food, and then goes off for a couple of days. I’ve had cats before and I’d quite like another. We’ll have to see if she moves in on a more permanent basis.’

This was probably the longest conversation Jill had had with Bob. He really was a man of few words.

‘Right, I’ll have a look at that window for you.’

‘Thanks.’

She took him upstairs and showed him the problem.

‘The frame’s loose, but it’ll be OK for a bit,’ he told her.

‘The opening light is causing all the problems, and I should be able to tighten up the catch and the hinges.

Hang on a minute, and I’ll get a screwdriver …’

Ten minutes later, her window had been fixed

temporarily.

‘It’s not perfect,’ Bob warned her, ‘but you should notice an improvement.’

‘Thanks.’

‘No trouble. I’ll have a look at this lot, and drop in some prices so you can see what you think. If they’re OK, give me a ring and we’ll get round to starting work.’

He noticed her newspaper opened at the racing pages and his eyebrows rose as he spotted horses’ names ringed.

‘Don’t tell me you like a flutter on the horses.’

‘Occasionally,’ she admitted. ‘You?’

‘I’ve been known to dabble,’ he replied, grinning. He frowned at a horse she’d circled. ‘Nemesis? I’d thought of backing that, but ‘

“I know, the going will be too heavy’

‘Yeah, that’s what I thought. Are you going to back it?’

“I might.’

‘Mm. It might be worth an each-way bet. Don’t put too much on it, or you’ll never afford to pay me. Right, I’d better be off …’

Jill watched him drive away, and felt vaguely cheered. It would be good to get the cottage sorted out. Then, hopefully, she could settle down and enjoy her new life in Kelton Bridge. She couldn’t settle to anything now, though.

What with worries about Anne Levington, Valentine’s persona to try and unravel, the shocking death of Jonathan Trueman to come to terms with .

And just as Bob had said, the village held its breath as it waited for something else to happen.

Bob hadn’t exaggerated too much when he’d said there were more police than residents in the village, but they hadn’t found the murder weapon. They were still searching the locality for it, as well as carrying out house-to house enquiries. It was a long, painstaking job.

Jill had thought Jonathan must have killed Alice. Now, she wasn’t so sure. But why would anyone want to kill Alice and Jonathan? Two more harmless people it would be impossible to meet.

Had Jonathan killed his wife? Had the same man or woman murdered husband and wife? Was it possible that Kelton Bridge had seen two killers? Surely not. It was odd to kill one person with a knife, and kill them very cleanly, and then kill another with a gun. The two murders had been completely different. Alice had suffered one swift cut to the throat and would have died almost immediately.

Jonathan, on the other hand, before receiving the fatal shots to his head, had been shot twice in the leg. The killer had wanted him to suffer. Why?

Perhaps she’d try to forget it all for a while. Michael might fancy a walk in the fresh air. Probably not, though.

He was as comfortable seeing people as they were seeing him. No one knew what to say to him and, if they did say something, he didn’t know how to respond.

Time might be a good healer, but it was a painfully slow one.

She sat down with her newspaper and studied the day’s runners. Brixnmortar appealed to her. She smiled to herself. What was the point of studying form when she behaved like a complete ignoramus and backed a horse with a name that appealed? On the other hand, Nice as Pie had fought off the opposition and romped home with energy to spare.

Later that afternoon, Jill had a phone call from her sister.

‘Steve’s away this weekend and his mum’s volunteered to have the kids so I thought I’d come and have a night with you.’

‘Really? Oh, that’s fantastic!’ Jill felt the sudden unexpected sting of tears. A visit from her sister was exactly what she needed right now.

‘Can you cope with a girls’ night in?’ Prue asked “I can think of nothing I’d like better.’ And it was true.

Jill loved her sister dearly, even if they did have nothing in common. Prue was mother to Charlotte, Zoe and Bethany - and that was it. Life revolved around her kids.

Jill spent the next two hours cleaning and generally setting the cottage to rights. It was amazing, she thought, how one person could get a place in such a mess.

At just after seven that evening, Prue entered the cottage like a whirlwind. Bottles of wine clanked as she put carrier bags on the floor and Jill glimpsed a huge box of Thornton’s chocolates. Oh, yes, this was going to be a real girls’ night in.

‘This place is the back of beyond,’ Prue said, giving her a hug. “I got lost twice.’

Prue had only visited the cottage once before, and she’d got lost then.

‘But isn’t it gorgeous?’ Jill said.

‘Well, yes, but what happened to civilization?’

‘This is civilized enough for me.’ Jill had never understood how Prue could live on River View, how she’d never longed for escape. She hadn’t, though. Despite their mother’s pushing, Prue had left school at sixteen, walked straight into the local salon to train as a hairdresser, set her eyes on Steve, a lorry driver, married him and started breeding.

‘Civilized? Two people have been murdered here within the last month. That’s one a fortnight.’ Prue pulled a face.

“I know you reckon River View’s rough, but better that than a village like this. All the residents are inbred in these back-of-beyond places. You take a look at their feet, and I’ll bet they’ve got six toes.’

Jill burst out laughing. ‘It is so good to see you, Prue.

You talk complete rubbish, and I love it. Right - glass of wine after your journey? How’s Steve and those gorgeous nieces of mine?’

‘They’re fine, thanks, and yes, a glass of wine would be welcome.’ Prue picked up the carrier bags and followed her into the kitchen. ‘Steve’s working all the hours God sent so no change there, and the kids couldn’t wait to be rid of me. It’s a treat to get away, though. I’ll just go and freshen up …’

Smiling to herself, Jill took their wine into the sitting room. It was wonderful to see her sister, but she guessed it would be just as good to wave goodbye to her.

‘Nothing interesting in your bathroom, I see,’ Prue complained as she joined her.

‘Such as?’

‘Oh, aftershave, razor, that sort of thing.’

Jill rolled her eyes.

‘You’re not turning into a hermit, are you, Jill? Ever since you and Max split - well, you’re like one of these frumpy old ‘

‘Thanks very much!’

‘You know what I mean. How’s that estate agent chap, by the way?’

“I assume Andy’s very well. We had lunch a couple of weeks ago and he was fine then.’

‘Lunch?’ Prue’s interest was grabbed. ‘And?’

‘And nothing.’ Jill knew that a vivid description of an afternoon’s wanton, abandoned passion would earn her a few Brownie points, but she resisted. ‘He does nothing for me.’

‘But you said he was nice. Good job, and good-looking, you said.’

‘Yes, he has a good job and he’s pleasing on the eye.

There’s more to life than that, though.’

Prue, clearly unable to think of anything more, shook her head in a despairing way. ‘What about Max? I assume you’re still giving him the cold shoulder?’

They’d been through this before, too. The way Prue spoke, it was obligatory for a man to have an affair. Jill would like to see her face if Steve had one. Second thoughts, she wouldn’t. It was too painful to wish on her worst enemy.

‘Actually, I’ve seen quite a bit of him lately,’ she said.

‘I’m back at work, temporarily, on the serial killer case.’