She saw Bradley raise his arm and she turned and rushed blindly out of the room, across the hall and into the downstairs cloakroom. Her one thought as she locked herself in and cowered behind the door while her enraged husband pounded on it, shouting like a madman, was of thankfulness that their daughter was away from home. At least, Alice had not been there to witness the day when their lives fell irretrievably apart.

  Sukey reached home half an hour later than usual. Fergus was sitting in the kitchen with a mug of tea in his hand and a school textbook open on the table in front of him. Pop music blared from the radio and she went over to the set and switched it off.

  ‘Mum!’ he protested.

  ‘You can’t concentrate on maths with that row going on,’ she scolded.

  ‘What’s put you in a bad mood?’

  ‘I’m not in a bad mood, just tired. Is that tea fresh?’

  ‘It’ll be pretty stewed. I’ll make some more.’

  ‘Bless you.’ Sukey took off her jacket, dumped it on the floor on top of her bag and dropped onto a chair. The wave of excitement at having stumbled on a possible new line of inquiry in the Maxford case had receded, leaving her with a sense of frustration at being unable to follow it up in person. She would have loved to be able to present DCI Lord with the vital piece of information which would lead to the arrest of the killer, to be commended for her observation… and later to force Jim Castle to admit that this time ‘poking her nose in’ had paid dividends. As it was, things were out of her hands. DS Radcliffe had listened attentively to what she had to say; he had made notes and thanked her, but it was impossible to tell from his manner whether he considered it of any real significance.

  Fergus handed her a mug of tea and she took it gratefully. ‘Have there been any calls?’ she asked.

  ‘Dad left a message on the answering machine. He’s staying with a colleague in Cheltenham for a while, until things settle down. He wants to know if he can see me this evening. You don’t mind, do you?’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind.’ So long as he hasn’t asked to see me, she added mentally.

  ‘I’ll give him a call in a minute. He left a number.’

  ‘That’s fine. I’m going out myself later on.’

  ‘But you said you were tired.’

  ‘I am, but this could be important.’

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘To see Leonie.’

  ‘Leo?’ He looked puzzled. ‘Whatever for?’

  ‘Something’s bugging her and she asked if she could talk to me.’

  ‘Did she say what it’s about?’

  ‘Not really. As soon as Ezra Hampton walked in she shut up.’

  ‘I’m not surprised she wouldn’t say anything in front of him. Dad told me once that he hasn’t much time for “bloody lesbians”.’

  Sukey raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ve obviously had some pretty uninhibited conversations with your father.’

  Fergus gave a self-conscious grin, but ignored the comment. ‘Didn’t Leo give you any idea at all what she wants to see you about?’ he asked.

  ‘She said that after we left her at the Manor she went back—’

  ‘Back where?’

  ‘She didn’t say, but before that she said something to suggest that she knew Myrna had been feeding her a load of porkies.’

  ‘Mum!’ Fergus exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. ‘D’you reckon she went back to the office and managed to hack into that computer?’

  ‘If only.’ The thought had already crossed Sukey’s mind, but she had dismissed it as being too much to hope for. ‘Still, I did get the impression that she’s learned something she thinks might be important, but can’t make up her mind what to do about it. I assume that’s why she wants to talk it over with me.’

  ‘Are you going to tell DCI Lord?’

  ‘Perhaps I should have mentioned it, but it’s a bit late now. I told him about the phone call – at least, I didn’t say we’d listened to it, but I gave him the caller’s number. He was quite impressed.’

  ‘What about that woman, the one that got so pissed?’

  Sukey was taken slightly aback at his casual use of the expression, but realised there was no point in objecting. Everyone said it these days and thought nothing of it. ‘Yes, I told him about that and he didn’t seem at all surprised. He more or less admitted that he suspects some of the Maxford directors have something to hide.’

  Fergus’s eyes shone. ‘That’s great, they’ll soon have to admit Dad’s been telling the truth. D’you reckon he can sue them for wrongful arrest?’

  ‘Good heavens, I’ve really no idea. The main thing is to catch whoever really did kill Myrna – and poor old Pussy Willow. I’m pretty sure it was the same person, even though the MO was different. All I hope is they get him before he goes after someone else.’

  Fergus stared at her in alarm. ‘What makes you think he’s likely to?’

  Despite the mildness of the evening and the mug of hot tea clasped in her hands, Sukey felt a sudden chill. ‘No reason, but I had a queer feeling earlier on that it wasn’t over,’ she said. ‘Just my fancy, I expect.’ She finished the tea and stood up. ‘You call Dad and make your arrangements for this evening. I’ll pop upstairs for a wash and then I’ll start getting our supper.’

  ‘OK.’

  When Sukey came downstairs again she found Fergus in the kitchen looking glum. ‘What’s up?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m not seeing Dad this evening after all.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘He’s in a funny mood. We arranged a time to meet and were having a general chat when he suddenly changed his mind and said could we make it tomorrow instead. Something about being behind with his work and having to prepare some figures for a client.’

  Sukey felt a stab of anger against her ex-husband. His habit of casually altering arrangements to suit his own convenience, without considering the effect on others, had often been a source of friction in the past. She had long since ceased to be affected by it on her own account, but she hated to see Fergus disappointed.

  ‘Never mind, you still have it to look forward to,’ she consoled him.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘I’m sorry I have to go out—’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll go round to Anita’s, we’ve both got maths revision.’

  ‘Good idea.’

  After supper, as Sukey was getting ready to set out for Dearley, Jim Castle phoned. The sound of his voice gave her a thrill of happiness.

  ‘Is it all right if I pop round?’ he asked.

  In her excitement over the events of the afternoon she had completely forgotten his promise. ‘Oh, Jim, I’m dying to see you, but could you make it later on?’ she said. ‘Say about half-past nine? I have to go out for a while.’

  ‘Do you have to? Can’t you put it off?’ He sounded faintly aggrieved.

  ‘Not really. I’ve promised to call on Leonie Filbury. I don’t want to let her down, she’s very upset—’

  ‘Leonie Filbury? What have her problems got to do with you?’

  ‘Nothing so far as I know, except that she’s got something on her mind and wants to talk it over with me.’

  ‘Is it relevant to the inquiry? Shouldn’t DCI Lord know?’ Jim’s voice became sharp, almost peremptory.

  ‘I’ve no idea what it’s about, but she made it clear she wants to speak to me in confidence. She’s in a very volatile, distressed state—’

  ‘She’s had all week to come to terms with the Maxford woman’s death.’

  ‘It isn’t only her death. I’ve a hunch she’s beginning to realise that her beloved Myrna wasn’t the lily-white angel she believed her to be.’

  ‘What? How d’you suppose that came about?’

  Sukey realised that she had strayed on to delicate ground. To reveal that she knew about Myrna’s relationship with a private investigator, but had kept the information to herself rather than reveal exactly what she had been doing in Myrna’s office, would only give rise to a further spat. It was time to prevaricate. ‘Look, Jim, I haven’t time to tell you the full story now,’ she said hurriedly. ‘You can rest assured that whatever Leonie wants to talk to me about, I’ll do my best to persuade her to tell the police if it’s relevant.’

  ‘It’s not up to you to decide whether it’s relevant or not—’ he began.

  ‘Please, Jim, give me credit. She hasn’t sworn me to secrecy, only asked me for advice. Whether she agrees to contact the police or not, I’ll write out a full report after I’ve heard what she’s got to say – does that satisfy you?’

  ‘All right,’ he said grudgingly. ‘Where does this woman live, by the way?’

  ‘In Church Piece, just off the main village street. Woodbine Cottage.’ She could tell from the way he repeated the address that he was writing it down. ‘Jim, you won’t come barging in while I’m talking to her, will you?’

  He ignored the question. ‘What time did you say you’d be there?’

  ‘We didn’t fix a definite time. I said I’d be with her some time after eight o’clock.’

  ‘Does anyone else know about this?’

  ‘Not unless Leonie’s spoken about it since. Ezra Hampton was in the office, but he couldn’t have overheard because she was speaking very quietly and he was on the phone most of the time.’

  There was a short pause before Jim said, ‘Right, I’ll see you later,’ and rang off.

  It wasn’t until much later that it occurred to Sukey that Fergus might have mentioned the arrangement to Paul.

  DCI Lord was in the act of clearing his desk when DI Castle entered his office.

  ‘Come in, Jim,’ he said. ‘You’re just the chap I wanted to see.’

  ‘Sir?’

  ‘There’s been an interesting development in the Maxford case. I thought you might be interested.’ Lord handed him a sheet of paper. ‘This fax came in earlier from the Governor of Leighton Open Prison.’

  Castle gave a soft whistle as he scanned the message. ‘Well, there’s a turn-up for the book. Two of the directors with form, eh? I wonder if Myrna knew about it.’

  ‘I’ll bet my pension she did – and used it to make them dance to her tune. The trouble is, they all insist she didn’t know, or if she did, she never referred to it. They’re still sticking to their story that she was a fair but firm employer who had only the good of the company and the welfare of her staff at heart. Just the same, Radcliffe said it was plain they were thoroughly rattled when he tackled them about it. We got warrants to search their houses and found some likely looking knives in Ashton’s kitchen.’

  ‘Ashton? He’s not mentioned here – he hasn’t got form as well, has he?’

  ‘Not that we know of, but he’s got at least two mistresses on the go. His wife’s a lush, by the way. She’d been hitting the vodka bottle pretty hard when Radcliffe’s boys got there and she made a hell of a fuss when the knives were taken away, said they were a family heirloom or some such crap. Methinks we may be getting warmer.’ Lord put the fax in a drawer, sat back and made a steeple with his fingers. The expression on his chunky features bordered on the complacent.

  ‘You reckon those three are in it together, sir?’

  ‘It’s a bit early to speculate, but it begins to look a distinct possibility. We’re going to carry on digging; I want to know whether any other Maxford employees have skeletons in their cupboards, and if so, did the lovely Myrna know about them? Now, did you want to see me about something?’

  ‘I’ve just been talking to Sukey Reynolds,’ Castle began.

  Lord gave an approving nod. ‘Everything all right between you two now?’

  ‘I think so, thank you, sir. I’m going to see her later on – I was hoping to go straight from here, but she was getting ready to go and see Leonie Filbury.’

  Lord was immediately alert again. ‘What about?’

  Jim explained, and Lord shook his head in disapproval. ‘I’m not sure I like the sound of this,’ he said, half to himself. He fingered his moustache for a few moments, frowning. Castle could almost hear the neurons buzzing in his brain. ‘Does anyone else know about this meeting?’ he asked after a moment.

  ‘I don’t think so. From what Sukey told me it seems unlikely that Leonie would have mentioned it to anyone else. Just the same, I thought you should know about it…’

  ‘Absolutely right. As a matter of fact, we’re checking on something Sukey reported to Radcliffe this afternoon. He didn’t attach a lot of importance to it at the time, and I was inclined to agree with him, but—’ Lord pushed the phone across the desk. ‘Try and get hold of her, tell her I’d like a word.’

  ‘Right, sir.’ Castle was dying to know what was passing through Lord’s mind, but he knew better than to ask further questions.

  There was no reply from Sukey’s home. ‘I’ll try her mobile,’ muttered Castle, tapping out the number as he spoke. ‘She must have switched it off,’ he exclaimed in exasperation a moment later, slamming down the handset. Lord’s evident disquiet was beginning to worry him.

  The DCI picked up the phone as soon as Castle put it down. ‘I don’t want to sound alarmist, but I think we’d better keep an eye on this. I’ll get control to send the local man round to Woodbine Cottage to check that everything’s OK. We don’t want any more… incidents.’

  The momentary hesitation increased Castle’s feeling of unease. He was almost certain Lord had been on the point of saying ‘killings’ rather than ‘incidents’, but it was clear that his senior officer had no intention at that moment of sharing his thoughts.

  The air had been still and oppressive for most of the afternoon. Thunderstorms were forecast; like an army massing for an attack, a bank of cloud was slowly rising, layer upon layer, above the western horizon. Soon after six, as if in response to a command, it began to fan out, smothering the setting sun and spreading remorselessly eastwards. Darkness was to fall early that evening.

  The inhabitants of Dearley counted themselves fortunate on having no street lamps in their village, so that on clear nights they experienced the full glory of the heavens undimmed by illumination from the ground. If they went out on foot after dark they relied on torches to light their way to church, pub, village hall or neighbour’s house, none of which was far away. It was a close-knit community in the literal as well as the figurative sense; the few detached modern dwellings that the local planning committee had allowed to be built in this jealously protected conservation area had slightly larger than average plots, but in the centre of the village the original cottages, many of which had been occupied by the same families for generations, were built in terraces with narrow alleys running between their back gardens.

  Since the murders of Myrna Maxford and Emily ‘Pussy’ Willow, a number of the more recent arrivals had expressed disquiet, suggesting that the darkness and the network of unlit paths were an open invitation to criminals. It was, they pointed out, no longer true that crime, apart from the odd theft of a sheep or opportunist break-in through a window carelessly left open, was virtually unknown in the village. There was talk of starting a Neighbourhood Watch scheme; the police had been asked to step up patrols in the area. Yet there were still those who raised their voices against such an invasion of their rural peace or who shrank from any suggestion of ‘spying on their neighbours’.

  But after tonight, the objectors would be silenced. Tonight, under cover of the gathering storm, a shadow would steal silently along one of those convenient little passageways. The shadow of a killer, intent on claiming another victim.

  Twenty-One

  By the time Sukey reached the top of Crickley Hill and joined the Birdlip bypass it was practically dark. Vehicles were travelling in a steady stream towards Gloucester, but for the moment the eastbound traffic was sparse, a mere scattering of rear lights along the road ahead, sparkling in the gloom like a thinly threaded string of scarlet beads. Quite deliberately, she kept her speed down to give herself time to think how best to play the interview with Leonie. There was no doubt that the girl was seriously troubled about something, but this evening’s invitation and the request for confidential advice had clearly been the result of a spontaneous impulse which she might already have begun to regret. She might need coaxing to make her reveal what she claimed to have discovered, or even have changed her mind altogether and refuse to say anything at all. This could turn out to be a wasted journey.

  It was unfortunate that Jim had telephoned when he did. Sukey half wished she had not told him where she was going; there had been no particular reason to do so, but equally there had been no reason to lie or be evasive. The person she was going to see was not a suspect or a key witness. Just the same, knowing Jim, he was almost certain to mention her visit to DCI Lord – might in fact have already done so. If one of Lord’s officers came banging on the door five minutes after she arrived it would probably scupper any hope of winning Leonie’s confidence. But if Leonie had, perhaps without realising it, stumbled across some information that could lead to the murderer before he had time to strike again, it was vital to get that information to the police without delay.

  The possibility of yet another killing brought a return of the sense of foreboding that had troubled Sukey earlier. She found herself accelerating, as if the need to talk to Leonie had suddenly acquired a new urgency, then slowed down again as her headlights picked out a sign indicating that her turning was only half a mile ahead. As she began to signal, she glanced in her rear-view mirror. A car was overhauling her at high speed. It pulled out, tore past and then braked sharply, swung round the corner in front of her and went racing towards Dearley with its headlights on full beam. Within seconds it had vanished.

  ‘Hooligan!’ she muttered as she followed at a more cautious pace along the narrow lane leading to the village. She had travelled only a few yards when a flashing blue light and a blast on a siren sent her diving into a field gateway to make way for a police car. It too was heading for Dearley.

 

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