Leigh Russell, page 24
But she had the impression Daisy was likely to become more recalcitrant the more they questioned her.
54
The search for Carol continued all through the night without success. There was no record of her at any railway station or bus depot, no cab driver had driven her away from York, and no police car patrolling the streets had caught so much as a glimpse of her walking anywhere in the city. As far as they could tell, she hadn’t left York, but she seemed to have vanished without trace. Geraldine checked on the reports regularly, even though she would be alerted as soon as there was any sighting of the missing woman. Naomi had a team checking on social media, but Carol appeared to have no presence there. None of her former classmates had seen her since they had left school, and she hadn’t gone to university. Geraldine went to speak to Nigel again to see if he could shed any light on what had happened. Geraldine learned that, before her marriage, Carol had worked for several years at an accountancy firm, which was where she and Nigel had met. He had taken her on as a bookkeeper and within six months they were married. Nigel’s mother had still been alive at the time and according to him she had welcomed Carol into the family, while his father had been more circumspect.
‘So your father was against the marriage?’
‘No,’ Nigel said. ‘He wasn’t against it. He just wasn’t as excited about it as my mother was. I think she had always been hoping for a big wedding and she was disappointed when we didn’t want that. A quiet ceremony and then Carol and I went home for tea by ourselves.’
‘Did you have a honeymoon?’
‘No. We both thought it would be a waste of money.’
Geraldine wondered if that had been Nigel’s idea, and whether Carol had really agreed with him, or if there had been another reason for the low-key wedding. But she was keen to pursue the idea that Martin had disapproved of Carol. If there had been any antagonism between them, there might even be a chance that Carol had plotted with Dorothy to kill him. It seemed unlikely, but anything was possible. Returning to her desk, she looked up details of the wedding. It was an understatement to say Martin and Ann had not been excited about Nigel and Carol’s wedding; they hadn’t attended. The certificate had been witnessed in the registry office by two of Nigel’s colleagues. Geraldine wondered whether Martin and Ann had fallen out with their future daughter-in-law, or whether there had been a good reason for them to object to the marriage. Perhaps they had known something about Carol that the investigating team had not yet come across. She shared her suspicions with Ariadne and Naomi.
‘If there was something going on,’ she concluded, ‘we ought to look into Carol as a possible driving force behind these murders. We shouldn’t overlook the fact that she stood to gain if Nigel inherited a fortune.’
They all agreed it would be worth looking into Carol’s history. When, after an hour of searching, they had found nothing, they wondered if their suspicions were justified. Carol had no presence on social media, and they could find no record of where she had worked before her arrival at Nigel’s firm. This could well have been due to careless record keeping by previous employers but, whether deliberately or not, Carol’s past had been effectively concealed. The only information they uncovered was that she had a repeat prescription for a common sleeping pill. This probably had no relevance to the case but, all the same, Geraldine made a note of it. Sleeping pills had uses other than to help a patient struggling with insomnia.
Discussing their frustrating findings, they agreed to tell Dorothy that if it had been Carol’s idea to have Martin killed, this would mitigate Dorothy’s own sentence. Dorothy had not yet been moved from the police station, so Geraldine made her way to the cell where she was being held.
‘Long time since we’ve seen you down here,’ the custody sergeant greeted Geraldine. A burly man with an even temper, he was well suited to his post. Whatever abuse or complaint was thrown at him, he treated every exchange with unwavering good temper. All of Geraldine’s colleagues were trained to cope with violent members of the public, but she knew few officers who could handle relentless verbal assaults with such equanimity.
‘I’m here to have a word with Dorothy McIntosh,’ she said.
‘Ah yes, Dorothy,’ the sergeant replied. ‘Full of the joys of spring, that one. If I had a packet of chips for every time she’s grizzled and griped, I’d be one happy man.’
‘And overweight, I dare say,’ Geraldine smiled.
‘Oh bless you, that ship sailed a long time ago,’ he said, patting his ample belly with a grin. ‘I blame the wife. Her pies would turn an anorexic into a glutton. Still, I’d rather be guzzling than grizzling, eh?’ He laughed.
The sergeant accompanied her to the cell where Dorothy was being housed temporarily. Dorothy glanced up dully as the door swung open, but she didn’t move when Geraldine walked in. No longer neat, her hair fluttered around her full-cheeked face in a messy mop, and she looked unwashed. Having registered who had joined her in her cell, she lowered her head and remained seated on her bunk, staring down at the floor as though she was still alone.
Geraldine went straight to the point. ‘What can you tell me about Martin’s daughter-in-law?’
‘Who?’
Dorothy looked so dazed, Geraldine wondered whether she had understood the question, or remembered anything about Martin’s daughter-in-law.
‘Martin’s daughter-in-law, Carol,’ she added.
‘Carol?’
‘Yes, Carol Reed, Martin’s daughter-in-law.’
‘What about her?’
‘What can you tell me about her?’
Dorothy looked at her with a sly expression. ‘What do you want to know?’
‘I want to know what you can tell me about her.’
‘Get me out of here and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.’
‘Answer my question and then we’ll see.’ Observing Dorothy’s expression grow distant again, Geraldine added, ‘Tell me what you know about her and I’ll get you a cup of tea.’
Dorothy nodded and licked her dry lips with the tip of a moist pink tongue in anticipation.
‘Go on then,’ she muttered. ‘What do you want me to say?’
‘Tell me about Carol. Everything you know.’
‘She’s married to Nigel, Martin’s son,’ she recited as if by rote. ‘They’ve been married for about three years, maybe longer. I don’t know exactly. That is, I might have known, but I can’t remember.’ She looked around with a flash of resentment. ‘It’s hard to remember anything when you’re stuck in here and time stops and starts but mainly it stops.’
Geraldine frowned. ‘We’re talking about Carol Reed. What else do you know about her?’
‘I only met her a couple of times when she came into the office with Nigel. They looked well suited, both equally gloomy. Martin told me his son had always been miserable, right from the day he was born. He was a fractious baby and I guess his wife was the same. They were a dismal couple all right. I don’t suppose anyone ever laughed in their home.’
‘How well did you know her?’
‘Are you still on about Carol?’
‘Yes.’
‘I wouldn’t say I knew her at all, really. I met her in the office a couple of times and that was it. I wasn’t invited to the wedding. Martin said it was a wretched affair, just a quick trip to the registry office with no other guests. I suppose Martin and his wife went along, and I suppose their daughter was there, and afterwards nothing. No party, no celebration, not even a sociable cup of tea for the immediate family. They just went home. It sounded like a real damp squib. I did wonder if Martin made it out to be a smaller affair than it really was to make me feel better about not being invited. That would have been typical of him.’ She sighed and her eyes glimmered with tears. ‘He was always kind to me. But I wasn’t put out about not being invited to the wedding. It wasn’t like I was family or anything. And I had no time for Nigel.’ She stifled a sob. ‘I miss Martin.’
Geraldine found it hard to sympathise with her.
‘You need to tell me the truth. Were you working with Carol when you killed Martin?’
‘What? No! I told you I didn’t even know her. What is all this? I’ve confessed to my crime. Now leave me alone.’
‘Where is Carol now?’ Geraldine pressed her.
‘How should I know? How would you expect me to know anything about what’s going on out there, while I’m stuck in here? Now, I’ve told you everything I know and you promised me a cup of tea. They’re starving me in here. It’s not even civilised the way they treat me. Wait, wait! What about my tea?’
With Dorothy’s cries following her, Geraldine left the custody suite and returned to her desk to write up her notes. Even though Dorothy was a convicted killer, she believed her when she said she knew nothing of Carol’s whereabouts. As for her tea, she could expect no special treatment from the police. She would have to wait for her provisions just like everyone else – and none of the others currently being held in the custody suite had been accused of murder.
55
Early on Monday morning, Daisy was disturbed by the lights coming on outside. She got up to make a cup of tea and was gazing gloomily out of her kitchen window, waiting for the kettle to boil. The drizzle that had been falling overnight had cleared up and a winter sun was barely visible, rising behind a thick bank of cloud. Cursing her neighbour who insisted on installing security devices everywhere, she fetched her coat from the hall and pulled on her wellington boots before stepping outside to chase the foxes out of the back garden.
‘Who do you think is going to want to break in here?’ she had asked Bella who lived downstairs.
‘It’s all right for you,’ her neighbour had replied. ‘You’re upstairs and you can hear if someone’s coming. You’d have time to call the police if there was an intruder, but if they break in through a downstairs window, I won’t know anything about it until I see them right inside my apartment. I wouldn’t even hear them coming. I don’t sleep in my hearing aids. I wouldn’t feel safe without taking at least some precautions, and the police recommend Ring cameras and motion-activated security lights, so that’s what we’ve got. Of course, if you know better than the police about burglar deterrents, do tell me.’
‘It’s not intruders, it’s foxes,’ Daisy grumbled. ‘They set those lights off all the bloody time and it never scares them away.’
Out in the shared back garden, there was a small patch of lawn in need of attention, bordered by a few spindly trees and some scrubby bushes. Drawing in a deep breath, Daisy stood still, looking around for a moment. There was something deeply depressing about the darkness and the damp cold air. She shivered and was on the point of returning indoors when she noticed the door of the dilapidated shed was ajar.
Grumbling under her breath, she made a mental note to complain to her downstairs neighbour for leaving the shed door open. The tools kept in there were hardly worth anything, being antiquated and rusty, but her neighbour occasionally brought out the discoloured old lawnmower and pushed it up and down. It was probably time to buy a new one, but it still worked and just about kept the grass under control, so there was no point in throwing money away on a replacement. And as long as the mower was in working order, someone might consider it worth nicking. Plus, forgetting for a moment the low risk of theft, foxes or other creatures might decide to take shelter in the shed if the door wasn’t secure. Daisy had once found a dead robin that had been accidentally shut in there, so she insisted Bella keep the door locked, but the stupid cow never listened to her.
Daisy tucked her trouser bottoms into her boots and tramped across the wet grass to close the door properly. Reaching the shed, she noticed the flimsy padlock on the door was broken. Something else she would have to harangue her neighbour about. Glancing warily inside, she was startled to see the outline of a figure crouching on the muddy floor.
‘Hey!’ Daisy yelled in surprise. ‘What the hell are you doing in there?’
The figure shifted and in the shadows Daisy made out the shape of a woman. Taking a step closer, she was even more astonished when the figure turned its face towards her and, in the early morning light, she saw that the woman huddled on the filthy floor of the shed was her sister-in-law, Carol.
Daisy repeated her challenge, more stridently this time. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing? Come out of there at once!’
‘I need somewhere to hide,’ Carol replied in a tremulous voice. ‘Somewhere the police won’t look for me. I came here last night, hoping you might help me but you didn’t answer the door. I don’t think they’ll look for me here.’
Unable to contain her astonishment, Daisy muttered that she must have been asleep when Carol rang the bell, or watching television. ‘I don’t understand what you’re doing here. And I don’t know why you think the police would be interested in you anyway,’ she added crossly. She was tempted to add that she couldn’t imagine why anyone would be interested in her sister-in-law. ‘You can’t stay there. You need to leave. Now. I can’t help you. Even if I could, why would I?’ she added under her breath.
Using the handle of the lawnmower for support, Carol pulled herself to her feet with an effort and shook her head. ‘Listen, you don’t understand. You have to help me. I have to stay hidden. It’s not safe for me out there.’ She clutched at the handle of the rusty mower and stood quivering in the shed. ‘You have to help me.’ She sounded frantic.
Daisy grunted. She had always thought her sister-in-law was deranged. It made no sense that a young woman would agree to marry her brother, of all people.
‘Why can’t Nigel help you?’ Daisy replied coldly.
‘If I went anywhere near Nigel, the police would pick me up straightaway.’
‘Why are the police looking for you?’ Daisy asked, curiosity overcoming her irritation.
Carol shook her head again. ‘I don’t know. I can’t say. They think – they seem to think I’ve done something dreadful.’
‘And have you?’ Daisy asked. Watching Carol’s discomfort, she was beginning to enjoy herself. ‘Oh, Carol, what have you done?’
‘Nothing! I swear I haven’t done anything.’
‘Then you have nothing to be afraid of.’ Daisy grinned, registering Carol’s desperation with intense satisfaction.
Carol whimpered. ‘No, no, you don’t understand. It’s all a mistake. I’ve done nothing wrong.’
‘Well, if you’ve done nothing wrong, no one will be able to prove anything against you, will they?’ Daisy leaned against the doorframe of the shed, watching Carol. ‘What do they think you’ve done?’
‘They think I killed Serena,’ Carol said in a low voice. ‘Even Nigel thinks I did it. So, you see, I can’t go to him. You have to help me hide, just until I can make arrangements to get away. Will you help me?’
Daisy contemplated her sister-in-law thoughtfully. ‘I suppose you’d better come inside,’ she said at last. ‘You can’t stay out here. You’ll freeze to death. Besides, my neighbour might come out here and spot you and then all hell will break loose.’
With a groan of relief, Carol shuffled stiffly out of the shed. Shivering, she followed Daisy across the grass, which was still damp from the earlier rain, and into the house. Once indoors, they hurriedly removed their outer clothes and wet shoes and Daisy offered to make tea. Carol seized on the suggestion with the eagerness of one who had been waiting for a cup of tea for hours, as perhaps she had. While Daisy was busily occupied making the tea, Carol went to the toilet. As soon as she left the room, Daisy took out her phone. Hitting the emergency button, she hung on impatiently for an answer, watching the kitchen door as she waited. Before she had time to give her location or even ask for help, she heard footsteps approach and barely had time to pull the fridge open before Carol walked into the kitchen.
‘I need to pop to the shop,’ Daisy said. ‘We’re out of milk. I won’t be long. Do you need anything?’
Carol shook her head energetically.
‘Well, if you’re sure. You wait here. You’ll be perfectly safe.’ Daisy paused, all smiles. ‘In fact, why don’t you stay here until you get yourself sorted? It’s – it’s lonely living here by myself and I’d appreciate some company, at least for a day or two.’ She paused, wondering if she was sounding too eager. ‘Now, I’ll just pop out for that milk.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Carol said, moving to stand in front of the kitchen door.
Daisy frowned. ‘What are you doing? I need to get some milk. For the tea.’
‘No, you don’t. I can see you’ve got nearly a whole bottle of milk in there.’
Daisy glanced over her shoulder and cursed herself for not shutting the door properly and leaving it to swing open silently behind her.
‘Oh yes, but I wanted to get some biscuits,’ she faltered.
‘Why did you say milk then?’
To Daisy’s shock, Carol pulled out a knife. Brandishing it in front of her, she glared at Daisy who stumbled backwards. Carol snapped at her to go in the living room and sit down.
‘I don’t understand,’ Daisy stammered. ‘What’s got into you?’
Muttering that she needed time to think, Carol repeated her command that Daisy go in the other room and sit down. Not only was Carol manifestly deranged, she was also potentially violent – not a safe combination. Daisy considered her options. Her most pressing need was to get away from there as quickly as possible. She wondered fleetingly whether Nigel knew his wife was insane, but this was no time for speculation. She was being threatened at knife point in her own home and she had to act quickly. Anger seemed to course through her at this outrageous invasion of her privacy. Howling with rage, she rushed at her crazy sister-in-law. Taken by surprise, Carol fell back a step, allowing Daisy to barge past her into the hall. If her front door hadn’t been bolted, Daisy might have stood a chance. As her fingers clutched frenziedly at the bolt, she heard, rather than felt, a rending. For a second, she was too stunned to react. Then a jolt of pain struck her and she staggered and nearly fell.
