An Unwanted Inheritance, page 9
‘How’s your dad?’ Caroline asked. ‘We’ve not seen him for a while, have we, Max?’
‘Oh, he’s fine,’ replied Ellie. ‘I saw Nath too, although it was a while back now. He called in on Dad when I was there.’
‘And . . . ?’ asked Caroline.
‘He was good. He didn’t stay long, just came to pick something up. He was telling Lucy how he used to beat you at draughts, Max.’
‘That’s not how I remember it,’ said Max with a grin.
‘I wish he’d find a new girlfriend,’ continued Ellie wistfully.
‘One that stays around, you mean,’ said James, making eye contact with each of them as if he had just made a highly significant point. Caroline was very fond of James, but sometimes he could be a bit insensitive.
‘Don’t be mean,’ snapped Ellie, giving James an irritated look. ‘I’d just like him to have someone so that he isn’t on his own. I worry about him, that’s all.’
‘I don’t know why,’ said Max. ‘He’s fine – a perfectly self-contained little unit. Always has been.’
‘But is he?’ Ellie said, the effects of the quickly consumed wine starting to show in her speech and volume levels. ‘Is he really? I mean, what do we actually know about how he’s doing? When was the last time any of us went to his house, for example?’
She looked around the group, eyebrows raised. It was true. Caroline couldn’t remember when she had been. It was probably when he had first moved in and even then they had shown up without an invitation.
‘He’s a single bloke. Why would he want us lot traipsing through his house? I certainly wouldn’t,’ said Max. ‘And it’s not like we don’t see him. He’s always popping in on Dad, and I think he sees Mum too. He’s just busy. We forget what it’s like because we have kids and our worlds all revolve around them, but Nath has only got himself to please.’
Caroline thought Ellie looked less than convinced, but maybe Max was right. And they were so often out anyway. Who was to say that his timing wasn’t just a bit off and he called in when they were all somewhere else?
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, the new restaurant being declared a definite hit by them all, and soon it was time to ask for the bill. When it arrived, James swept it up and began to peruse it, running his eye down the column of figures.
‘Result!’ he said, and then in a quieter voice, ‘They’ve missed off those second two bottles of wine. Quick! Let’s get it paid and get out of here before they notice.’
‘They probably haven’t got their systems running quite right yet,’ said Max.
‘Let’s see,’ said Caroline, taking the bill from James and casting her eye over it. He was right. It only showed the first two bottles. ‘We should tell them,’ said Caroline. ‘That poor waitress will probably have the money taken out of her wages when they work out what happened. That hardly seems fair. And we did drink the wine.’ Well, some of us did, she thought. Her glass was still three-quarters full, and Max had barely had anything from the second bottle of red.
She looked at Ellie, who seemed to be weighing up the pros and cons.
‘Caro’s right,’ she said, after a slightly longer time than Caroline thought the decision merited. ‘Let’s just tell them and pay it.’
James, however, was having none of it. ‘Rubbish. It’s their stupid mistake. If they can’t even keep a track of what they’ve sold then what do they expect? You can bet your bottom dollar they wouldn’t be showing similar scruples if it had been the other way around and they’d overcharged us.’
‘Just go and tell them, Max,’ said Caroline privately to her husband. ‘It won’t take them two minutes to redo the bill.’
James shook his head, but when Max stood up and wandered towards the bar area with the incorrect bill in his hand, he didn’t object and just looked as if the ‘free’ wine had been easy come, easy go.
The bill was corrected, less a few pounds as a gesture to their honesty, and then paid. Caroline was pleased. She had enjoyed her evening and now she could eat there another time without her conscience pricking her. Nobody mentioned it again, and when the two couples parted it was with the usual bonhomie. Ellie walked a little unsteadily as they left, laughing loudly at something Max said and then complaining as the chill night air made her shiver. James put his arm tightly around her to warm her up, although Caroline noticed that he didn’t give up his coat as Max would have done for her.
She and Max set off towards the taxi rank to get a cab home. The wine thing was still rankling with her.
‘You thought I was right, didn’t you?’ she asked Max. ‘About the wine, I mean.’
‘Yeah, probably,’ he said through a huge yawn. ‘I can see James’s point about it being their own fault, but we did drink the stuff.’
‘Well, they did,’ corrected Caroline. ‘Ellie was really going for it tonight. I wonder if she’d had a bad day. I might ring her tomorrow.’
Max shook his head at her affectionately. ‘Might! Caro, is there ever a day goes by when you don’t speak to Ellie?’
‘No,’ laughed Caroline. ‘I suppose not.’
Back at their house they put the babysitter into the taxi they had just vacated and began to shut things down for the night, and soon they were in bed. Max fell asleep quickly as he always did, but Caroline lay awake for a while. The issue with the bill was still bothering her. She wondered whether her refusal to just accept the restaurant’s mistake when the others were so happy to let it go in some way separated her from them. They had all been untroubled by the idea of taking something for nothing, but for her it had been unthinkable. It was simply the wrong thing to do.
Caroline prided herself on her honesty. In a confusing world, it was the one pole star that she could always navigate by. Her personal code was clear, her ethos unshakeable. It wasn’t that she thought the rest of them were dishonest. She knew that honesty came in many hues between the absolutes of black and white, and she imagined that even honest people generally found a shade of grey that suited them to fit the circumstances.
But that approach wasn’t for Caroline. There were no grey areas for her. Something was either right or it wasn’t. It was always cut and dried, one way or the other. And, whilst she wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, there was another factor that helped her to stick unwaveringly to her convictions. She had refused to steal the wine not just because the waitress might have to cough up for her mistake, or because Caroline wanted to eat in the restaurant again with a clean conscience. She had paid for it because the mere thought of the shame and humiliation of being caught in dishonesty haunted her. Even now, all these years later and as she lay safely in her own bed, just the thought of the mortification of public exposure was making her cheeks burn and her palms sweat.
She had been ten when everything had changed for her. Up until then, life had been very ordinary. She’d lived in a small town with her parents. Her mum was a primary school teacher and her dad worked in an office doing something with insurance. Caroline had taken it for granted, never really appreciating how secure her life was because she had never known anything else.
But it had all fallen apart in a matter of months. Accusations had been made and had stuck to her dad like feathers to tar and then, by association, to her. Caroline had learnt the hard way how fragile a reputation could be and ever since then, she had striven to ensure there could be no opportunity for hers to be tarnished ever again.
15
THE DAY BEFORE
Max sat on the sofa in his dad’s house and ran his hands through his hair. He couldn’t quite take it in.
His dad was dead.
Max had seen him just last weekend and he had been completely fine, nothing wrong with him at all. And now he was dead. How could that be? It made no sense.
He wished Caroline was here. She would know what to do. Or Ellie, or even Nathan. But it was just him and the paramedics and the police.
They had told him to wait whilst they assessed the situation and so Max, compliant as a child, was waiting. Should he be doing something, asking questions, making sure that everything was being dealt with properly? But he didn’t know what to ask, or what ought to be done. He didn’t know anything except that his dad was dead.
Overhead he could hear the footsteps as strangers moved about his dad’s house, making the floorboards creak. They were talking to one another in low voices and Max couldn’t make out any of the words.
He checked his phone again but there were no new messages. They would all be driving here, the gathering of the Frost clan. He wished Caroline would hurry.
Someone was moving slowly down the stairs, heavy-footed and careful not to miss a step. Max sat up a little and looked at the door expectantly. Moments later it opened and the two police officers, a man and a woman, sidled into the room, both looking as if they would rather be anywhere else. It was the woman who spoke.
‘Mr Frost,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry for your loss, but we need to ask a few questions. It’s just routine in a case like this when there’s been an unexpected death. May we sit down?’
Max nodded and gestured at the sofa opposite. The policewoman sat lightly on the edge whilst the second one loitered near the door. Max watched as he took in the framed family photographs, all lined up on the sideboard, with a professional eye. He wondered what the other man saw when he looked at them. A normal, happy family.
‘So, can you tell me what happened?’ the woman asked.
Max brought his attention back to her and tried to concentrate, to get his thoughts in order.
‘I came round to pick up a tent,’ he said. ‘The kids, my kids wanted to camp out, but our tent is too big. Dad has, had . . .’ Max stumbled over the change in tense. ‘A little two-man job and he said they could use it. I rang the doorbell and let myself in.’
‘Is that normal?’ the policewoman asked, and Max nodded.
‘Yeah. We all have keys, me and my brother and sister. I shouted out for Dad as I came in. I knew he was here because the car was on the drive and the alarm wasn’t set. He always sets the alarm when he goes out. But there was no sign of him. So I looked round down here and then, when he wasn’t here, I went upstairs. And then . . .’ Max heard his voice crack and he took a gulp of air. ‘And then I found him on the bed. He was lying there with his eyes closed, like he was just taking a nap. But I knew he was dead. He was grey and . . .’
Max dropped his head into his hands. He needed Caroline.
‘I’m sorry,’ said the policewoman. ‘I know how distressing this must be for you. And did you touch him at all? Did you move anything?’
Max shook his head. ‘No, I just rang 999,’ he said. ‘Do you know what happened?’
‘Not yet. The paramedics are with him now and they might have an idea, but there will need to be a post-mortem. It’s standard procedure. Now, I appreciate this might be difficult, but I’m afraid I have to ask. Did your father have any particular concerns at all? Anything that he might have been worried about?’
Max picked up on her message straight away. ‘You think this was suicide?’ he said.
‘We’re just following procedure,’ she replied gently. ‘We have to ask.’
Max shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think so. But Dad wasn’t like that anyway. He loved life. He would never . . .’ Again he fought to keep control.
‘Okay,’ said the woman. ‘There are no indications that he took his own life, but we just need to make sure. In any event, the post-mortem will probably be able to rule that out.’
‘I can tell you now it’s definitely not suicide,’ Max said adamantly. ‘Definitely.’
The front door opened and they all turned to see who had come in. It was Ellie.
‘Oh God, Max. I got here as quickly as I could. Are you okay? How horrible for you to find him. You poor thing.’ Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn’t seem to notice.
Max stood up and threw his arms around her and they stood there for a moment just holding one another.
‘And this is . . . ?’ asked the policewoman.
‘I’m Ellie. His sister. He’s . . . was my dad too.’
‘We’re so sorry for your loss,’ said the policewoman again. ‘I was just asking Max some questions.’
‘They think he might have committed suicide,’ said Max.
‘No. We’re just eliminating the possibility,’ began the policewoman, but Ellie spoke over her.
‘Dad would never do that,’ she said. ‘He just wouldn’t.’
‘That’s what I said.’
‘Well, there are no signs that that’s what happened, but you appreciate we have to ask.’
Max nodded.
‘So, do we know what it was yet?’ asked Ellie.
Max shook his head. ‘A heart attack maybe. I don’t know.’
‘Did your father have any underlying health issues?’
‘Not that I knew. He was as fit as a flea. Ate well, didn’t drink too much, played loads of golf.’
Ellie started to sob. ‘He was so young,’ she said through her tears. ‘He had so much life in front of him. Oh, my poor girls. They are going to be devastated. They love their grandad.’
Max put his arms around her again. He felt better when he was comforting Ellie. That was in the natural order of things, him looking after his little sister. It felt right, more right than any of the rest of it.
There was movement from upstairs and the policewoman signalled to her colleague with her eyes. He closed the door to the lounge so they couldn’t see what was happening, but Max knew they must be bringing Dad downstairs to put in the ambulance. He was grateful to the policeman. He had enough images in his mind already. He didn’t need that one on top.
‘What happens now?’ he asked.
‘Your father will be taken to the hospital. They will do the post-mortem and let you have the results. Then, assuming everything’s in order, the coroner will release the body to you for the funeral.’
Assuming everything is in order? Did they think they’d murdered him? Max checked himself. No one was suggesting any such thing. It was just a formality.
There was a light tap on the lounge door and one of the paramedics came in. She was a tiny little thing and Max wondered how she had managed to get his dad down the stairs.
‘Hi,’ she said with a sympathetic smile. ‘We’re going now. We’ll take him to the mortuary at the infirmary. Here are the details.’
She offered Max a white business card and he stood up and took it from her.
‘They will be in touch,’ she added.
‘Do you have any idea what . . .’ Max was going to say killed him, but the words stuck in his throat.
‘The coroner will know for sure, but we think it looks like a cerebral aneurysm.’
‘A what?’ asked Ellie.
‘It’s a blood clot in the brain,’ replied Max. ‘That’s right, isn’t it?’ he asked the paramedic.
She nodded. ‘Obviously we can’t know for sure until we’ve had the post-mortem result, but that would be our best guess.’
Max saw the policewoman send a warning to the paramedic with her eyes. Speculation was probably not allowed, but Max was grateful. He needed something to latch on to and this would do until they knew for sure.
‘Anyway, we’ll be going now. I’m so sorry,’ she said once again and then slipped out of the room. Moments later they heard the ambulance start up and drive away.
The policewoman stood up. ‘We’ll be going too. If you have any queries please contact the station.’ She too handed him a business card. ‘You can expect to hear from the coroner’s office over the next day or so, and you might like to get in touch with a funeral director. They can explain the process to you in more detail.’
Max and Ellie both stood and watched as the policewoman and her colleague headed for the door. It felt all wrong to be in his dad’s house with these strangers and for there to be no sign of his dad.
‘We can see ourselves out,’ the policewoman said. ‘And once again, we’re sorry for your loss.’
Max heard the front door open and then close.
‘I didn’t offer them any tea,’ he said, as if that could possibly matter now.
16
They gathered at Ellie’s house. It seemed the obvious place. They had the space, whereas Max and Caroline’s house was a little bit cramped for everyone. They might have stayed at his dad’s place, but it didn’t feel right. Max didn’t believe in ghosts, but being in Tony’s house without Tony felt like an intrusion.
Ellie was calmer than he would have expected, taking charge of things after the police had left, making sure that the doors of their father’s house were all locked and the alarm set. Then she went ahead, anxious to go and break the bad tidings to her girls, whilst he just sat in his car, not yet feeling ready to drive.
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but by the time he made it to Ellie’s house her eyes were redder than they had been and her face had the puffy look it had always taken on when she had been upset as a child. Ellie had never been one to cry discreetly.
She came to the door when he knocked and ushered Olivia and Lucy out of the way to let him in. Olivia was sobbing, the volume increasing the longer she felt ignored. Lucy was quiet and looked more bewildered than upset. Max knew how she felt.
He followed his sister into the kitchen, not really aware of what he was saying to his nieces, and then James appeared. He offered Max his hand and, when Max took it, launched into a brief hug.
‘I’m so sorry, Max,’ he said when the two men pulled apart. ‘Tony was a great bloke, one of the best. It’s a real shocker.’
Max nodded. It was true. The death of a parent was something you always knew would happen eventually, but the thought that it might be so soon had never crossed Max’s mind.
‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ said Ellie. She was busying about the room, picking things up and putting them away, her hands constantly moving.
