Cherringham--Death on a Summer Night (12 page)

And now the horns stood up.

Somewhere church bells rang.

God,
Sarah thought,
it’s overwhelming
.

The sound
huge
. A sea of noise.

The cannon soldiers standing ready, tense for the finale, all cannons reloaded.

Jack had taken his fingers out; she followed suit.

His smile was as big as the sound.

More movement from the soldiers. Jack’s fingers went back in.

Then drums began thumping, the blasts loud.

Incredible. She almost couldn’t resist raising her arms and “conducting”this grand finale.

Instead she plugged her ears as suddenly fireworks began firing overhead, their explosions joining the overture’s end.

And the field — filled with all of Cherringham’s residents — became lit with the colours erupting from the sky, the scene magical and terrifying.

Then, the last massive fireworks exploded, colliding, sending a million stars shooting over the village like canopy, and all of Cherringham out on the field stood up cheering.

*

The applause went on for so long as if nobody wanted it to end.

But it did end.

Then one last bow from the conductor.

His gracious gesture to the orchestra to stand, bow, then specifically to the horns. Then he clapped out to the side, to the soldiers at the cannons who saluted back.

And when the conductor walked stage left from the podium, to the wings of the stage, Jack looked at Sarah.

“Here we go …”

*

Chase was mopping his brow, accepting congratulations from orchestra members and also from some of the VIPs who had come backstage.

Then she saw that Chase had spotted her, standing with Jack, well off to the side.

He kept grinning, kept pumping hands.

But Rik Chase had seen her.

*

And after a few more pats on the back and handshakes, Chase slowly walked over to Sarah.

“You ready for this?” Jack said.

The excitement of the music, the cannons, the fireworks, had faded for her.

There were only the next few moments.

Chase put on a smile. “Sarah, so good to see you here. Enjoy the concert?”

For a second she didn’t say anything.

She even felt Jack look at her, as if wondering what was going on.

When finally she said …

“I found the car.”

Chase still kept his smile on.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

She waited again, as if giving him time would let him understand what she was really saying.

“I found your car in the lake. At the bottom of the lake. Where you thought no one would ever find it.”

The smile evaporated. Chase kept sweating, whether from the heat or Sarah’s words, she didn’t know.

“I don’t know what …” he started.

“
Your
car,” she said, surprising herself with how sharp her words were. What she had seen had affected her that much.

“And in the back of the car …” she went on.

That made Chase turn away, as if this conversation and what it meant could all be avoided.

But when he turned, Chase now faced Alan Rivers, who had walked over from the other side of the stage.

A few of the orchestra members stopped their chats, looking over. Even groups of people out on the grassy field stopped and looked up.

Sarah knew that Chase understood what she was saying.

When the police went down into that lake, when they brought that car up, Sarah knew they would have the evidence of the crime Chase committed twenty-five years ago.

Alan nodded to her and Jack. It was his job now.

“Richard Chase, you are under arrest for the murder of Dinah Taylor. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence …”

Chase gave one last look back at Sarah.

But she turned away, and with a nod to Jack, the two of them left the stage.

Jack knocked again on Tim Bell’s door, still defaced with the giant spray-painted letters “Killer”, the remnants of the fire still in evidence.

He looked at Sarah, then back to the man standing a few feet behind him.

Another knock, louder. “Tim. Jack Brennan here.”

He heard steps from inside. Maybe Bell having gone from bravely walking around the village as if he didn’t have a care … to hiding here.

With the evidence due to be raised from the lake, Alan had told Jack and Sarah that Chase held nothing back in his testimony.

How it seemed like Dinah Taylor was going to throw everything away. Going out with stupid boys.

When she had so much talent, talent
he
could mentor.

Talent … he could love.

She’d turned up that night at the fair, upset, crying. That bastard Tim Bell had come on to her. Then some other dodgy bloke had brought her back, dropped her at the fair, so late, all alone …

She’d cried on his shoulder, hugged him.

But then when he opened up to her, she ridiculed his dreams.

It was
her
life, and who did he think he was, bad as her father?

And when Chase confessed his love, when he even tried to kiss her, she ridiculed him even more.

What was he thinking?

And somehow, something snapped.

His dream vanishing.

And he wouldn’t let her go. He had to stop all those words coming from her mouth, accusatory words, so dismissive, so painful.

They simply.

Had.

To be.

Stopped
.

And when it was over, only one thought. To get rid of her body. To get rid of the car.

Panicked. Lost. Frightened.

Alan had told Jack: “He even said, Jack … ‘don’t you see how I was trapped’?”

As if it was the victim’s fault.

“Bell might be home,” Jack said. “But he’s not answering.” Another quick rap. “Tim.” Then: “Guess we better—”

And the door opened.

*

Bell stood there, in the shadows.

“What do you want … what the bloody hell—”

Sarah came beside Jack.

“We found the killer, Tim. We’ve found the person who really killed Dinah.”

And though Jack couldn’t see, he thought Tim Bell might be shaking. After all those years, those wasted years in prison.

To be told,
we know now … you were innocent.

You didn’t do it.

Bell sniffed.

“And something else, Tim. Someone … else is here …”

And Jack moved aside as Dinah Taylor’s father took steps forward and Bell could see him.

“You?” Bell said. “What the hell are—”

And Jack watched, the moment so pained, as Vincent Taylor stuck out his hand.

“I was wrong, Tim Bell. You were innocent. You never hurt my Dinah. I was so … wrong.”

The hand hung there, untaken.

Bell said nothing.

But Taylor continued: “I want to say, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Bell said. More of a bark.

Slowly Dinah’s father lowered his hand.

The old man looked from Jack to Sarah.

Jack thought …
this has to be impossibly hard for him.

“I don’t blame you, Tim. Not at all. But I can do something, now can’t I? I’ve asked everyone I know to look for work for you, to find you jobs.” Then, as an afterthought … “right here, in Cherringham.”

“Yeah,” Bell said.

Non-committal.

“I will too,” Sarah added. “I get to hear about things opening up.”

Finally Jack felt like he had to speak again.

“I don’t know this village all that well, Tim. But I’m guessing … that everyone knows they owe you something. For what happened. I think … Cherringham will very much be your village now … and for as long as you want.”

“Yeah?” he said again. “Well then — good.”

And Jack wondered why Bell didn’t ask who did it. But then, after all this time … did that really matter? His innocence — that was the thing.

“You’ll read all about it, in tomorrow’s papers,” Sarah said.

“And we better go now,” Jack said.

But as he turned, hands came out of the dark doorway, one to Jack’s shoulder, the other to Sarah’s …

“Thank you. The two of you. For what you did.”

Sarah turned.

And never meaning it more — and so ready to have a much-needed nightcap with Jack somewhere, anywhere — Sarah said, “And you, Tim … are so welcome.”

END

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