Three Little Maids (17 page)

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The girl was licking a 99 ice cream cornet and holding on tightly to Raymond Perkins’s arm. She had some chocolate flake around her mouth she licked it away with her tongue, and looked sublimely happy. And felt it for the first time in ages. She sighed with sheer pleasure and delight. And she owed it all to the kind woman she’d met cleaning in the chapel. Raymond’s grandmother, June Perkins. She had been really desperate when she walked in through the open chapel door. Hoping she might get a
hand-out.

They had a charity box in the corner by the entrance door. And that big man who came out of the back practically accused her of trying to steal it. But Mrs Perkins and Mr. Welbeck had put her in touch with the woman who ran the church hostel. She licked her ice cream and sighed happily again. Raymond looked down at her, squeezed her arm and smiled. He had a lovely smile.

It was heaven to sleep in a bed with pillows and sheets. And she’d got booked in for another night in the hostel. She would have to be making tracks there after the fireworks finished. And she wouldn’t go to sleep hungry. Raymond had treated her to cod and chips at the chippy and a can of Coke.

She’d felt a bit weird at first when he’d told her where he worked. At Carey’s. In a funeral parlour of all weird places. And then went into details of what he did with the bodies. He took a pride in making those dead people look good, he said. Told her how he’d made up their faces. She stopped him from telling her anymore. It sounded too gruesome. But for once, she’d met a boy who seemed decent. He didn’t seem like a boy out for what he could get.

He was kind and generous. He’d bought her a pretty silk scarf because she liked it off of a fancy good stall down the old town. It was in her favourite colours; gold, aqua blue and turquoise. She felt so good she told herself she would ring Mum in the morning.

She looked upwards and watched the fireworks. The vivid splash of green, gold and silver colours sparkled brilliantly in the night sky. It reminded her of the good times when her
dad had lighted the bonfire and fireworks in the garden for her at home. It had all changed for her when her parents had divorced and Mum married Larry. That’s when everything fell apart. Larry complained because she was speaking on the phone to Dad. ‘All the time,’ he said. She ignored him he was her stepfather. And he didn’t like her dressing like she did; ‘The girl looks like a tart,’ Larry said to her mum.

She wore the silver nose ring just to spite him. And he’d exploded when he saw the stud in her tongue. Made her stay in her room
; ‘Till you learn to behave,’ he’d said. And Mum supported him. That’s when she took off at the first opportunity.

It was crowded now. Everyone wanted to get a better view of the fireworks as they whizzed and whirled higher in the sky. People pushed in around them, stepped on her toes. Ouch! Cigarette smoke wafted into her face. She finished her cornet. Licked her fingers and felt sick. She’d had candy floss before the fish and chips. She hadn’t eaten much the day before. Mrs Perkins had given her some pie and mash for tea. Her purse was empty
, she had no idea what she would have to eat tomorrow.

‘Shan’t be half a mo, yeah. I’ve to find the gents.’ Raymond grinned down at her. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll see you back okay to the hostel. Don’t you get lost now. Stay where you are. You’ll be quite safe.’ He kissed her swiftly on the cheek

‘I’ve got to get to the hostel soon, Ray,’ she protested. ‘They close up at eleven tonight, don’t forget. I’m frightened. I don’t like to be on my own…’

‘I shan’t be long. I won’t let you down. And that’s a promise, yeah.’

She watched him push his way through the crowds. With his fair hair and those gorgeous dark lashes and bedroom eyes, he looked like a character out of a Billie King novel. Her favourite reads at home.

She gnawed her under lip, wondered whether she should take off before he came back. She didn’t want to get too involved. Although he had been good to
her and made her feel like a girl instead of a homeless dropout. She blinked back a tear and rubbed her eyes quickly with the back of a sticky hand. His grandmother had been so kind, letting her have showers and inviting her home for meals.

But now that she was left on her own, she started to think of those two dead girls. How could she know if she was safe with Raymond? What he’d told her about himself hadn’t been that reassuring especially when he’d admitted knowing both of those murdered girls. She shivered despite the sticky warmth of the evening. And hugged her thin
, bare arms around herself. Would he see her safely to the hostel? Could she honestly trust him?

She decided not to risk it. She wasn’t certain of the direction of the park gates. But she wasn’t going to wait here any longer for him.

*

Turner had spotted Raymond from afar with a girl hanging on his arm. Turner had taken Carole and his children to see the fireworks. Carole decided to make the most of having his company even though she rea
lised he was still officially on duty. And she was watching out for accidents in the crowds. Already the ambulance had taken away one elderly pensioner who’d fainted in the heat and a kiddy with a broken arm.

Turner was looking out for any young girls out on their own or separated from their friends. The girl that Raymond was with didn’t seem his usual type, Turner thought. Looked a bit of a hippie with a ring through her nose. Now he’d had a closer look. Pretty but much too thin though. He frowned, feeling the hairs rise on the back of his neck. He was sure he knew her from somewhere. He’d tell Sherwood to keep an eye on them. She was around
somewhere and on duty with several other constables on the fringe of the crowd.

Kent was accompanied by someone too, he noticed with a broad smile. His landlady, Mrs Sherlborne
, from the local library. Birds of a feather, her husband had been a policeman. Turner approved of her. A nice woman and a good looker too. Turner fancied redheads. She’d got herself well together since the sudden unexpected death of her husband Bill. Turner recalled when he’d popped into the station when they were visiting family down here.

According to Jack Crosby, Bill was going to put in for a transfer to Harcombe for his wife’s sake. Her Dad was the Police Surgeon there at the time. He’d had more than enough of the Met, Bill said. Shortly afterwards his death was announced. It came as a shock to everyone who
knew him. He’d never had a serious day’s illness in his life. A nice way to go but not when it left two teenagers and a young wife to cope without him.

‘I must say, Viviane, that Harcombe really pulls out all the stops for entertainment,’ Jon Kent said as they watched the fireworks from the vantage point of a high grassy bank that they’d scrambled
up. ‘It must cost a tidy quid or two to put all this on. Plus the Carnival procession this afternoon.

‘It’s well on par with the Notting Hill Carnival I would say. It must attract the holiday makers down here in droves. They don’t seem to be put off by the murders. And at least the weather hasn’t let us down yet.’ He smiled at Viviane as her upturned face was lighted by a golden star burst in the sky. She looked like a pretty youngster having a whale of a time.

She laughed. ‘This is all in a line of duty for you, isn’t it? You’re working, aren’t you? I can see that you have put practically all the force on alert around the park. You’re afraid that there could be another victim?’

‘Not necessarily.’ He grinned ruefully. ‘And asking you out this evening is not part of my duty. It’s entirely my pleasure, Viviane.’

She smiled back at him as she felt a sudden thrill go through her and her heart miss a beat.

‘But we can’t risk being careless. We’ve got to look out for any girl coming here alone or separated from family and friends in the crowds here. Putting themselves at risk. Perhaps looking for the chance of picking up a boy. Because we’re still in the dark as to finding the motive for these killings. More than likely the killer is here. And the suspects all have alibis.’ He shook his head. ‘There has to be something that we’re missing. Only I don’t know what.’

She heard the anxious note in his voice. He was not leaving anything to chance. And she was glad she was out with him. He was good company. She was wondering whether she could read more into this evening spent with him than there was. He must know that she wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t asked her out.

She knew how difficult it was to do things on her own. Other than joining evening classes, learning some new hobby. Like DIY. She grimaced at the thought. Her children were following their own pursuits now. And weren’t aware that she badly missed being a woman again. Holding a man’s arm, going to the theatre or cinema or restaurant with someone who wanted to be with her.

She felt that he was observing her closely. Was he reading her thoughts? She said quickly, ‘I’m hungry. Do you fancy something?’

He chuckled. ‘Snap! Let’s follow our noses. I smell onions. There’s a hot dog stall over there. Let’s hope they have something left. They’ll have done a good trade by now. Did you say that Simon`s around somewhere?’

‘Yes. He’s got a girlfriend with him, I think. I didn’t push him for details. I didn’t want to embarrass him by being an over protective mum.’

He chuckled. ‘I’m sure you’re never that. I expect the Carey’s wished that they had been. They never checked up on what Maureen did on the evenings she spent with Susan Flitch. But who am I to
judge? I haven’t any children, and not likely to have now.’ His warm smile took some of the edge from what sounded like regret in his voice.

They found the source of the onions at last and bought hot dogs. She turned away when he was settling up and caught sight of a familiar face she knew. And gasped. It was the girl from the sea front again.

‘What’s wrong? Is there anything the matter? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.’ He chuckled.

‘No-o.’ She laughed. ‘I suppose you’ve warned the public to be on the lookout for
thieves? Pickpockets?’

‘What do you think? This crowd around us must have some good pickings for anyone with light fingers. Why? You’ve got your purse safe, haven’t you?’

‘Yes. I just saw someone I recognized in the crowd. A girl I met up with the other day. She’d picked up someone’s purse I think. I might be wrong though I could have misjudged her.’ She told Kent about the incident on the sea front.

‘She looked like one of the unwashed homeless. Can’t be more than fifteen. If that.’ She hesitated then said, ‘She’d made the acquaintance of Raymond Perkins when I saw her again. That was yesterday... I think. They looked quite chummy. But she’s on her own here. Oh
- -she’s gone now. It looked as if she was in a hurry too. Had somewhere else to go. What makes kids take off?’

‘Raymond Perkins
, you say she was with? That young lad certainly gets around with the girls. What’s his fatal attraction? I wonder. Formaldehyde?’

She nudged him playfully. ‘That’s unkind!’

He grinned. ‘Sorry, that wasn’t in good taste. Didn’t take him long to get over Maureen Carey, did it? I wouldn’t say that he’s a very good picker with this latest one if she’s like you say.’

Viviane put her mouth round the spicy sausage and onion roll, chewed for a minute and said, ‘No, I wouldn’t either. But I think I know her from
somewhere...’

‘Oh look at that! ‘ The sky was lighted up suddenly with the sparkling message. ‘THANK YOU FOR COMING TO HARCOMBE ON SEA…’

‘Time to leave, I think. There will be a mad scramble and crush to get out. Let’s go out the second park gate instead of the main one, Jon.’

‘Where’s that?’

‘It’s a small side one which leads out onto the Lower Park road. We’ll get out much quicker. While everyone’s storming through the main gate to get to their cars.’

‘Okay. You lead the way. I’ll just call up Turner, Carter and the rest of the merry crew on my cell. It’s five to eleven. Better call it a day.’ He sighed. ‘Turner! Anything to report, man?’

‘I saw Raymond Perkins earlier, sir,’ Turner said. ‘With another young girl on his arm. Thought you might like to know it. Sherwood and the others are leaving now. No trouble so far.’

‘Good. Tomorrow’s another day. Goodnight Turner. Give my best to Mrs Turner and your children. Hope they enjoyed it. Sorry you couldn’t relax altogether this evening.’

‘No sweat. Goodnight, guv.’

Viviane led Kent onto a small wooden bridge over a stream and a winding gravel path which took them to the park gate. Kent closed it behind them carefully. ‘Does this get locked when the main gate does?’

She laughed and shrugged. ‘Can’t say, probably not. It could get overlooked on a busy evening like this. It’s a big park. This is only first part of it. Where all the shows and entertainment are held. There’s the large main gate by the Head Keeper’s cottage. And then there’s another road to cross over between the two parts and another gate leading to the second part which has tennis courts, bowling greens and large green houses.

‘And then there’s the last and third part where there’s a
swannery and most of our swans.’ She chuckled as she caught the impressed grimace he made. ‘And there’s still another smaller part on the other side of the road. It all takes a lot of looking after and there are only so many gardeners and keepers on the park team. So if a small gate is forgotten...’