Sunday's Child (26 page)

He answered the doorbell and let in the two police officers. DS Johnson, he knew as he'd been to the hospital several times. The other officer, tall with dark hair, he didn't know.

Hattie appeared at his side. She smiled and moved to the other officer, hugging him. ”Nate. Fancy seeing you here.”

Nate hugged her back. “Hey, Hattie. How are you doing? I hear you've been pretty sick.”

“Yeah, I'm better now. It's nice not to have to eat hospital food.”

“I bet.”

She turned to Cal. “Cal, this is DS Nate Holmes from Headley Cross. He's also an elder from my church.”

Cal shook his hand.

She turned back to Nate. “Why are you here?”

“This ties into a case in Headley Cross I was working on.”

“Oh.” Hattie took a deep breath. “Hello, Sgt. Johnson.”

“Miss Steele. Can we talk?”

“Sure.”

Cal started back to the den, but Hattie grabbed his arm. He looked at her, worried by the fear in her eyes. “Love?”

“No more secrets, Cal. Come with me. I need you.”

“Sure.” He held her hand and went into the lounge with her. He sat on the couch.

Hattie sat as close to him as she could and didn't let go of his hand. She shook and swallowed hard, a sure sign she was uncomfortable and overly anxious. He'd keep an eye on her and if it got too much, he'd call a halt to this interview.

DS Johnson looked at her. “We arrested both your brother and Markus Kerr yesterday.”

“Arrested?” she whispered. Her hand tightened on Cal's, turning his fingers white. “You found them?”

“We've known where your brother was for some time.”

“Why wasn't I told he was all right?”

“Steve was in protective custody. We couldn't tell anyone. As for Markus, we got a tip off and followed it. They've been charged with kidnapping, fraud and theft. Markus has also been charged with murder and attempted murder.”

“I don't understand. Murder?”

“Hattie, I'm sorry. Penny's dead,” Nate said gently.

“What? She can't be…”

Cal put his other arm around her, holding her firmly. He could feel her whole body trembling.

“The lodge had been shut for the past two weeks. Yesterday it was destroyed in an explosion. Early indications are that it was gas—probably where it has been left turned on somewhere in the building. The firefighters found her body in the basement. She'd been there some time by the looks of it.”

Hattie swallowed hard and the color drained from her face. “I'm going to be sick…” She got to her feet and bolted from the room.

Cal gave her a few minutes then got up. “I'll be right back.” He headed out to the downstairs bathroom. Huge sobs came from within. He tapped on the door. “Hattie, love, it's me. Let me in.”

She opened the door and he gathered her into his arms, holding her securely. “Why…?”

“I'm so sorry, love. I wish I knew.” Her knees buckled and he gathered her into his arms. “I've got you.” He carried her back through to the lounge and sat on the couch with her, his arm protectively around her.

“Sorry…” she whispered.

“It's OK,” Nate said gently. “It's never easy news to give or receive.”

Hattie shook her head. “Was she…how did she?”

“She was shot. It would have been quick, she wouldn't have known anything.”

“It's my fault.”

Nate frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“Because I told Steve that it was Penny who brought in the accountant.” She sucked in a deep breath. “If I hadn't left and quit working there because he kept cancelling my holidays and not paying me, she wouldn't have tried to get the money for me.”

“It's not your fault.” Nate's voice took on a firm tone. “They'd been under investigation for a while. It was only a matter of time before we caught them.” He paused. “They have been laundering money through the guest house for years.”

Hattie looked at him and then at Cal. “That's why I wasn't paid,” she whispered.

He ran his fingers over her arm as he hugged her.

Nate carried on speaking. “When Penny got the accountant in to try to pay you, he audited the accounts and raised the alarm.”

Hattie paled so fast, Cal feared she'd pass out. “Hattie?”

“I'm OK,” she whispered. She shook in his arms and he pulled her closer.

He kissed the top of her head. “Just take your time, love,” he said. “I'm sure the officers will go at your pace here.” He shot them a warning glance. “She's only been out of hospital three days. This is her first day out of bed. If need be we can do this another time.”

Hattie took a deep breath. “Steve wanted me to marry Markus. He kept going on and on about the money and needing it back. I didn't understand why the money was so important. Why don't I remember anything?” She paused. “I remember bits and pieces, but nothing concrete.”

“There was a vast amount of rohypnol in your bloodstream when you got to the hospital. Which is why you don't remember.”

“Oh... Maybe he was waiting for me to accept being married to him before he did anything. Or just hoped I'd drown and solve the problem that way.” She pushed a hand through her hair. “If he couldn't shut me up by marrying me, he'd shut me up by killing me. A wife can't be made to testify against her husband, right?”

Nate nodded. “She can give evidence voluntarily, but we can't subpoena her to testify, no.”

“So why didn't he…?” she broke off, not wanting to think it, never mind say it.

Cal looked at her. “Least he had some morals then. Or he just wanted you to remember it.”

Nate shook his head. “Steve stopped him. He agreed to the kidnapping, but it was simply to get what he assumed was the laundered money back from your account. He wasn't going to let Markus touch you without your consent—which you were in no position to give after Markus drugged you. Steve even put you in the car, so you couldn't be traced to the house. But from Steve's testimony, Markus shot him. When Cal turned up and confronted Markus, Steve had a change of heart and tried to call this all off. However Markus had already rigged the boat you were in to sink.”

Hattie shivered. “How could he even go that far?”

DS Johnson resumed the questions. “Is there anything you can remember? Anything at all, no matter how small?”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “No. It explains a lot. Why there always seemed to be a lot of money around, but stuff never got done. Or why he never let me see the accounts.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Is there anything left of the lodge?”

“It was completely destroyed. I'm afraid the insurance won't be valid as the building was bought using illegally gained funds.”

The rest of the color drained from her face. “So, the money sitting in my account, that he was so desperate to get back…? Is that laundered as well? Am I under suspicion too?”

“No,” Nate said. “There are two sets of accounts. The money from the paying guests and then the other. Penny only knew of the one account and paid you from that. And gave back your original deposit.”

“So it's from legitimate guests?”

Nate nodded. “Yes. Literally the seven years wages he owed you.” He shrugged. “It was even in the books as Hattie's wages. He just hadn't paid it to you.”

Cal could see and feel the relief filling her as Hattie slumped against him. He hugged her securely. “So she can keep it?”

“Yes. And if she wants to press charges over not being paid…”

Hattie shook her head. “No. What's going to happen to Steve and Markus now?”

“They've been remanded in custody until trial.” Nate looked at her. “For what it's worth, Steve isn't being charged with attempted murder or Penny's death. Both he and Markus agree he had no part in that. When Steve regained consciousness in the hospital, he reported what had transpired, but by that point Cal had found the remains of the boat and called in the coastguard and police.”

“I don't remember much after dinner. When I woke up on the boat, the water was already coming in. There were holes in the pump room. The radio was gone, except a few wires. I found a box of flares. Lit a couple then there was a huge explosion. I thought I was dead.”

Cal hugged her tightly. “I'm glad you're not.”

“Me too.”

“You're safe now,” Nate told her. “They've been refused bail and won't be getting out any time soon. Are you prepared to testify in court if needed?”

“Yeah.”

The two officers stood. “If there is anything else you remember, let us know.”

Cal saw them out and then went back into the lounge. Hattie sat curled up on the sofa, crying. He sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Her whole body shook with the force of her sobs.

Finally, she calmed down enough to speak. “How could my own brother do something like this?”

“I wish I knew, love. “

“Everything was a lie.”

“Not everything,” he said, rubbing her back gently. As she raised her face to him, he smiled, wiping away her tears with his thumb. “He still loved you enough to protect you from Markus.”

She shook her head. “He went along with it. He didn't care about what I wanted, he never did. Just the money. I don't want any of it. Despite what the police said about it being legitimate funds, I don't want it.”

“What will you do with it?”

“Give it away. I was going to do that anyway, at least some of it…” She broke off and smiled wryly. “Maybe a third to the church, a third to the fund for Trevor and the rest to the fundraiser, if that's OK with you.”

“Whatever you want to do with it, love, is fine with me.”

She leaned against him. “How can you still love me after all that he's done?”

“Because you are not your brother and even he isn't beyond saving. Just keep praying for him. We can do that now if you like.”

“I would,” she whispered.

 

 

 

 

28

 

Hattie spent the week of the fundraiser, happily running back and forth between Aunt Laurie's house and the lifeboat station where all the various fundraising events were taking place. The coffee morning had been a fabulous success, as were her apple cakes. She'd ended up taking orders for more. Maybe Cal was right and she should open a patisserie, or at least find a job in one.

Raffle tickets were also selling like hot cakes. She half wished she'd gone with the auction and raised more, although not everyone was flush with money and this way even the pensioners could feel they were doing their part.

As promised, the footballers had turned up and posed for photos as well as playing a charity match against the lifeboat crews. To the crowd's amusement, the match had to be halted for a couple of hours as the lifeboat was called to a shout. A stranded horse which had thrown its rider, then panicked and swam out to sea.

The crowd was able to watch the rescue as the lifeboat crew tried to lasso the horse several times, before finally catching it and gently towing it back to shore. Once the boat was cleaned and refueled, the football match continued.

The visitors eventually won sixteen goals to nil—which was probably a good thing as they were donating a hundred pounds for every goal they scored.

Later that afternoon, Hattie glanced around the dining room of the Grand Hotel, sited on the sea front, opposite the lifeboat station where she was holding the final event, the grand dinner and raffle. “Does it look all right?”

Cal glanced around. “It looks amazing.”

“Are you sure?” She turned around looking at the tables with their flowers and place settings. “Does it need more balloons?”

“Any more balloons and it'll blow away in the breeze. Don't worry.”

“What if no one comes?” She gnawed her bottom lip, unable to shift the feeling that the evening was going to be a complete disaster.

“Hattie, you invited everyone who bought a raffle ticket to a free dinner. They'll come.”

She nodded. “I'll just go and check on the food.”

“No, you won't. You've done enough. You and I are going to go for a walk and get some air.” He took her hand, pulling her from the building. “I haven't spent time with you for ages.”

“Yeah, you have.”

“Not alone. We've done nothing but fundraising or planning the fundraising for the last few weeks. And before that you were in the hospital.”

She pulled her jacket around her. It was dark now and the wind was starting to get up. “Do you think they'll repair the bridge or rebuild it?”

“I think the plan is to rebuild the missing section. They'll build new base columns so it'll be a few feet to one side or the other of the original one.”

“At least we're not totally cut off. We have the road bridge.” She looked at him.

He nodded. “And the floating bridge. We're fortunate that was still around.”

She grinned. “I can't believe you haven't been on it yet. It's fun.”

“You have a strange definition of fun, woman.”

“Seriously, it is. It runs on cables and huge chains and gets pulled from one side of the water to the other.”

“I know how it works.” He rolled his eyes. “I also know how old it is.”

“Then you know how safe it is. Over a hundred-years-old and never had an accident. You can't say that about anything else. It doesn't seem possible that it's November. The time seems to have flown by. And every day I love you more. I didn't think that was possible.” She changed the subject.

He nodded. “Aye, time flies when you're in love. It'll soon be Christmas and I haven't even started shopping yet.”

“Soon be our wedding,” she said. “And I haven't even shopped for a dress yet.”