2 A Different Shade Of Death (5 page)

Chapter 13

“Toby!
Don’t talk to Grace like that, she’s my guest, I invited her here,” Amy said.

Toby
glared down at Grace. “What do you want? Don’t try and get any money out of Amy
just because she’s an easy touch. If you’re here on any sort of business you
can talk to me.”

Charlie
burst out, “What’s he talking about? Business? What business? Don’t tell me
Amy’s gone into business with him. She knows he’s got no business sense.”

Amy
stood up and coolly addressed Toby. “Grace is helping me with something, it’s
nothing to do with you.”

Toby
waved his arm in Grace’s direction. “Tell her to leave, we’ve got things to
discuss, papers to sign.”

Grace
stood up. “Perhaps I’d better go.”

Amy
shot Toby a cold look. She turned to Grace and said, “I’m sorry about my
brother-in-law’s behaviour. Thank you again for the books.”

Grace
started to walk away. “That’s okay, I’ve left my number, call if you need any
more help. I’ll see myself out.”

Amy
looked like she was going to say something but Toby said, “Okay, bye. Amy, have
you checked your emails today? There’s something you need to see.”

Amy
gave Grace an apologetic look. Grace nodded in acknowledgment and headed for
the door.

Charlie
seethed at her side. “That brother of mine is so arrogant! Listen to how he
talks to people.”

Grace
gave him a pointed look as she walked out of the room.

Charlie
caught the look. “What? I’m nothing like him.”

Grace
walked on a few steps. She paused outside the library door. She had an
overwhelming impulse to go inside.

Charlie
let out a shout of pain. Grace looked at him and whispered, “What is it?”

He
rubbed his chest. “Felt like my heart was giving up on me then. This death
business isn’t what I thought it would be, I thought I’d be floating around
somewhere in a sea of tranquillity. I wasn’t counting on being in pain.”

He
looked towards the closed library door. “I feel I want to go in there, I think
there’s something we need to know, something to do with my death.”

“Me
too,” Grace said quietly.

She
nearly jumped out of her skin as a voice boomed out, “One more mistake like
that, Jim, and you’re out! Lazy, that’s what you are, not used to working,
can’t take an order. Look at the mess you’ve made!”

Grace
looked down the hall. The middle aged man was still up the ladder, an older man
with a red face stood at the bottom of the ladder. Grace assumed it was the
foreman that she had heard shouting earlier. The man looked to be in his
sixties. Even from this distance Grace could see veins pulsing in his forehead.
She felt a surge of pity for Jim, stuck up the ladder.

Jim
muttered, “Sorry, boss, I’ll watch what I’m doing.”

The
foreman suddenly looked Grace’s way, his eyes still full of fury. Grace didn’t
want to be on the receiving end of his temper so she quickly walked down the
hallway and towards the front door. She had a tight smile on her face as she
walked past the two men.

She
let out a sigh of relief as she closed the front door behind her. There were a
lot of angry people in that house.

She
had her hand on the gate when a voice called out her name. She looked over her
shoulder to see Amy running down the path holding a small box.

Amy
caught up to Grace. “I’m so sorry about that scene inside! Toby is the
controlling type, just like Charlie.”

Grace
gave no attention to the snorting noise that came from Charlie’s direction.

Amy
carried on, “Ever since Charlie died he’s been trying to help me. I appreciated
his help at first, he sorted Charlie’s belongings out, but now he’s really
getting on my nerves! He thinks he should take over Charlie’s business, he
thinks I can’t handle it on my own. Just like Charlie. I’m doing fine on my
own, the business is thriving.”

Grace’s
thoughts flicked to the loan business advertised on the website. Amy must be
aware of that, or had Toby set that up?

Amy
held the box out to Grace. “There might be something in here that you could
sell in your shop. They’re just bits and pieces. The old woman, Emily, who
lived here left them behind. She said she would be back to pick them up but
she’s never been back for them. Would you like them?”

Grace
didn’t hesitate. She took the box. An idea was forming. “Thank you, that’s kind
of you. We need all the help we can get at the shop. It’s hard setting up a
business. I was considering taking out a loan. I noticed from your card that
you do loans, would you be able to help me?”

Amy
gave Grace a kind smile and said, “I don’t know anything about the loan
business. Charlie left that side of his company to Toby. If I were you I’d try
a reputable bank, I’m not sure that Toby would give you the best interest rate.
Sorry, but I have to get back inside. The foreman’s shouting at his work force
again, and I can’t leave Toby alone for a minute, he’d move in if he could!”

Amy
ran down the path and back into the house.

Grace’s
eyes narrowed as she watched her. She said to Charlie, “So, it’s Toby who’s set
up the loan business with the high interest rates. And it looks like he wants
to control Amy, perhaps move in here and take your place. Interesting.”

Charlie
looked in the same direction as Grace. “You’re thinking that Toby killed me so
that he could get his hands on my money, my home and my wife.”

Grace
turned to him. “Well, isn’t that what they call a motive? He had reason to kill
you.”

Charlie
gave Grace a sad smile. “First of all, Amy is lying. I didn’t leave any part of
my company to Toby, it all went to her. And secondly, Toby is gay.”

“Oh,”
Grace said. She thought for a moment. “So why is Amy lying. What is she
hiding?”

Chapter 14

Grace
looked down at the box. She could see some ornaments, some photographs, a few
pens. Not really worth taking back to the shop.

She
said to Charlie, “Do you know Emily Heath’s new address?”

“I
do, she gave it to me so I could forward any post. Why?”

“I
think it’s time we paid her a visit. I want to know why she left this house,
it’s been in her family since it was built. There’s something fishy going on.”

“What’s
this got to do with my death?”

“I
don’t know yet, I just know that I have to talk to Emily.”

Charlie
told Grace the address. It was within walking distance.

Twenty
minutes later Grace and Charlie were walking up the path of a modern looking
bungalow. An elderly lady was bending over some flower pots near the front
door. She straightened up as she heard Grace’s footsteps, a smile ready on her
face.

“Hello
there,” she said. She nodded towards the box in Grace’s hands. “Are you
collecting or delivering? If you’re collecting I’m afraid I haven’t much to
give you.”

Grace
returned the woman’s smile. “Are you Emily Heath?”

“I
certainly am.” She took off one gardening glove and extended her hand to Grace.
“And you are?”

Grace
took Emily’s hand. “I’m Grace Abrahams. I run an antiques shop in the town with
my brother. Well, not just antiques, a bit of everything these days. Anyway,  I
had some business with Amy Ford, the woman who lives there now.”

Emily’s
smile dropped slightly. “Yes, I know Amy Ford.”

Grace
raised the box. “She said these belonged to you but you never came back to the
house to collect them. Would you like them back?”

Emily
peered inside the box. “To be honest, I’d forgotten all about them. I try to
avoid walking past Heathville. Too many bad memories. Thanks so much for
bringing them round. I think I’ve been to your antique shop, it was a few years
ago. I spoke to a kind man there, he found me the most beautiful pearl necklace.
You have the same look about you, was it your father I spoke to?”

Grace
nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak.

Emily
studied her for a moment, then she seemed to remember something. She put her
hand on Grace’s arm. “I heard about what happened to your parents, so sorry my
love. Death doesn’t get any easier, does it? No matter how much time has passed
since you lost a loved one the grief can still jump up and bite you on the
bum!”

Grace
let out a snort of laughter. “I haven’t heard it put that way before.”

Emily
gave her a brisk nod. “You need a cup of tea and so do I. Come inside, no
arguments.”

Grace
didn’t argue, a cup of tea sounded perfect.

Charlie
sighed at her side. “Do I really have to listen to you two whinging on about
lost ones?”

Grace
felt an urge to stick her tongue out at him. He really was annoying. For a
second she wished she could be more like Pearl, she’d tell Charlie exactly
where to go.

Emily
led Grace into the bungalow. It was clean and bright inside. The furniture was
cheap and cheerful, Grace had some similar items in her house.

Emily
looked back at Grace. “Not at all like Heathville, is it? Totally the opposite.
I love living here. Sit yourself down in the front room, I’ll stick the kettle
on.”

Grace
did so. The furniture in the front room was new too. There were a few framed photographs
on the wall. A series of photographs showed the same boy as he aged. Grace
smiled, her parents had similar photos of her and Frankie. Grinning toddlers,
first day at school, smiles with teeth missing, that awkward teenage stage.

Emily
came into the room. She noticed where Grace was looking. Pride filled her face.
“That’s my son. I don’t know how I would have managed without him. And my
boyfriend was a great support too. Oh! Don’t look so surprised. I’m not too old
to have a boyfriend. Wait until you hear this, I met him online!”

Grace’s
face must have been a picture because Emily burst out laughing. “I know! I
couldn’t even switch a computer on a few years ago and now look at me, I have an
Internet boyfriend! He’s working nearby, he’ll be popping in for his lunch
soon.”

Emily
sat down on a chair opposite Grace. “I never thought I’d be this happy after
losing Heathville.  I had to sell it, for my son’s sake. It was the gambling
you see.”

Grace
said, “Gambling? Did your son have a problem?”

Emily
nodded and gave her a wry smile. “He certainly did have a problem, a problem
with me and my gambling.”

Chapter 15

“Your
gambling?” Grace said, trying not to sound too shocked.

Emily
gave a sad nod. “My gambling. I can see that you’re surprised. It isn’t a
problem I’ve had all my life, nothing like that, it only started recently. I’m
sure you don’t want to hear about my problems. That kettle should have boiled
by now.”

She
stood up. Grace said, “I’d like to know about your problems, if you don’t mind
telling me. When my parents died I kept my feelings to myself, I made things
worse for myself by bottling things up.”

“Yes,
I suppose it’s better to talk about things. Let me get the tea, won’t be a
minute.”

Emily
left the room. Charlie sat down next to Grace, his impatience was obvious. “Why
do you need to have another cup of tea? You’ve just had one. You’re not doing
much to find out who my murderer was, I thought you were trying to help me?”

“I
am trying to help but Emily obviously wants to talk and I’m happy to listen to
her. We still need to find out why she sold Heathville.”

Grace
stood up and walked around the small room. She looked closer at the photos of
Emily’s son. He looked familiar. What was it about him? Ah! Of course, he had a
look of Benjamin Heath.

Emily
returned to the room carrying a tray. She said, “You won’t find any grown up
photos of him, he hated having his photo taken! He preferred being hidden away
on his computer, spent far too much time on it. I was always having a go at
him, telling him to get out more. What can you do? You can only help your
children so much. Do you take milk and sugar?”

“Just
milk, thanks.” Grace returned to the sofa.

Once
tea had been sorted out Emily said, “I’ll start at the beginning with my story.
I hate stories where you just get the ending and have to work everything out
yourself, don’t you?”

Grace
nodded.

Emily
began, “You probably know that my relative, Benjamin Heath, built Heathville? I
think it’s common knowledge round here. He was a mill owner and did very well
out of the industrial age, he was very good at adapting to all the new changes.
He was a clever man.”

Grace
thought of the man that she had seen in her vision. That Benjamin Heath had
seemed confused and not sure of himself.

“The
Heaths have lived in Heathville since it was built. When I got married Father
insisted on me living there too. I wanted to leave but he said I wouldn’t get
an allowance if I did. My husband was in awe of Father and would do anything he
asked. The decision was made for me and we stayed at Heathville. My husband
even changed his name to Heath so that I could keep the family name. I didn’t
know how weak willed he was until after we were married.”

Emily
gave a bitter laugh. “Things were much harder for women in those days, we
didn’t have the freedom that you have now. I should have left my husband and
that house and to hell with the consequences.”

“Why
didn’t you like living there? It’s a beautiful house,” Grace asked.

“It’s
like a museum, nothing was new. Father didn’t want to buy anything new, he
didn’t like spending money, kept it all in the bank. My husband ended up being
the same, he followed Father round like a puppy. They were always having secret
get togethers, going into the library for business meetings. When my son came
along I felt happier but then as he got older he started to follow Father and
my husband around. He was like a miniature version of them. I felt like I was
living in a prison.”

Grace
reached over and took the cup of tea from Emily’s shaking hands. She put it
down on the tray.

Emily
gave her a smile of thanks. “I was so angry with them all, the way they used to
speak to me! I made secret plans to escape, I put aside as much money as I could.
I counted down the days until I had enough to leave but then ... then ...”

She
looked down at her skirt. Grace saw a tear land on the skirt. She came round to
Emily’s chair and hunkered down. She put her arm around the older woman’s
shoulders. “You don’t have to tell me any more, it’s okay.”

Emily
sniffed and looked up. “No, I need to say it. Father and my husband died within
a week of each other. At Heathville, in the library. One week apart and they
both died in the same area, just near the bookcases on the left.”

Grace
looked over at Charlie. He was listening intently.

Emily
looked directly at Grace and said, “This sounds awful but I was glad, so glad
that both of them were dead. Isn’t that awful?”

Grace
shook her head. “No,  just because someone dies it doesn’t make them a better
person, you can’t change how they were in life. If you don’t mind me asking,
how did they die?”

Emily
frowned. “The doctor said it was some sort of poisoning. They wouldn’t give me
the full details, probably thought I was too feeble to deal with the truth. The
police came round and questioned the staff, they must have thought someone had
slipped something in their food. There’s something strange about that house,
I’m sure it’s haunted.”

Grace
didn’t say anything, she looked at Charlie. He was looking at the carpet, a
faraway look on his face.

Emily
tapped Grace on her hand and said, “You sit back down, I haven’t told you the
full story yet. I want to tell you how I lost the family fortune!”