Damaged Goods (32 page)

Oh my God! Lilly wanted to pirouette across the marbled floor but restrained herself to a formal smile. ‘Thank you.’

‘Officer McNally,’ said Jez, ‘could you please summarise the dramatic events of yesterday to the court.’

Jack leaned both hands against the rail of the witness box and addressed the judge directly. ‘Miss Valentine, the defendant’s solicitor, was kidnapped by a Mr Max Hardy, a man whom Miss Valentine had suspected was involved in the death of Grace Brand.’

‘Did you suspect him, Officer?’ asked Jez.

‘I certainly looked into it. He was known to the deceased and had involved her in some pretty nasty stuff.’

‘Could you enlarge on that?’ said Jez.

‘He was making pornographic films involving children in the deceased’s home. During her ordeal Miss Valentine was told by Hardy that the other person involved was a Mr William Barrows, a well-known psychiatrist, who had in fact treated the deceased when she herself was in care.’

The judge squirmed in his chair, no doubt reliving the dinners he had eaten and jokes he had shared with a paedophile.

‘I then went with Miss Valentine to Mr Barrows’ clinic,’ said Jack.

‘For what purpose?’ asked Jez.

‘To arrest him and search the premises for evidence.’

‘And did you find any evidence?’

‘We did, or at least we would have, had Mr Barrows’ wife not destroyed his entire collection of videos.’

‘Then you cannot be sure what was on them,’ said the judge.

Jack held his back straight. ‘No, but I am convinced they contained child pornography. I doubt Mrs Barrows would have felt the need to scrap hours of nature programmes.’

Lilly recalled Hermione Barrows’ reaction throughout their exchange. She had been combative towards them but without any sense of outrage. She had made no attempt to defend her husband. Nor had there been any shock, as if she’d known what sort of man her husband was. And if Hermione had known her husband was the man Kelsey had written to her about, Lilly was sure she would have alerted him to the imminent danger of discovery. In order to keep his secret he had more motive to kill Grace than anyone. The stone in the cherry was his alibi, but had anyone outside government checked it?

Lilly crept out of court as inconspicuously as a person can while simultaneously knocking over a water jug, thankfully empty and thankfully plastic. She bowed to the judge, fell into the corridor and pulled out her phone.

‘NSPCC press office.’

‘Hi,’ said Lilly. ‘My name’s Jackie McNally, features editor for
Happy Living
, a new lifestyle magazine.’

‘Like
OK
?’ asked the chirpy press assistant.

‘Exactly,’ said Lilly. ‘We launch in October with the usual stuff. Interviews with the cast of
Footballers’
Wives
, beauty tips by Posh Spice and gossip on JLo’s latest divorce.’

‘JLo’s getting divorced again?’ The assistant was incredulous.

‘Uh huh. Anyway, we’ve got space for a charity function and we thought we might use the dinner you held at the Grosvenor on the seventh. Was anyone there we might be interested in?’

‘Oh yes. The fat one from
Big Brother
, I can’t remember her name now, handed over a cheque for ten grand, and the Chancellor gave a very nice speech. We were hoping for the PM but he was busy, what with the war and everything.’

‘How about the MP who’s in the papers a lot at the moment, Hermione Barrows, were she and her husband there?’

‘They were invited, yes, and he certainly came, but if memory serves she had to leave after half an hour, some emergency meeting or other.’

Lilly flew back into court and passed a scribbled note to Jez. He looked at it and went seamlessly back to his witness.

‘Officer McNally, what did you make of Mrs Barrows’ behaviour?’

Jack paused to marshal his thoughts. ‘She seemed intent on not letting me have the videotapes.’

‘Covering up her husband’s criminal activity?’

‘Yes.’

The judge leaned towards him. ‘That’s a very serious accusation, Mr McNally.’

Jack nodded. ‘And not one I make lightly, but she made no effort to help us. When Miss Valentine pointed out what was on the tapes, she seemed to know already.’

‘I need you to think very carefully before you answer my next question,’ said Jez, and paused to let the gravity of it sink in. ‘If I told you that on the night that Grace Brand was killed, Hermione Barrows has no alibi, would you consider her to be a suspect?’

‘Yes,’ said Jack, ‘I would.’

‘I’ll be glad to get back to my patients,’ said Sheba and lit a cigarette. ‘At least you know where you are with the insane.’

She, Lilly and Jez waited in the street outside while the judge took counsel on what to do next. Bradbury had sent Jack to arrest Hermione and was ordering searches of her parliamentary office and surgery from his mobile. Someone had tipped off the press, who were out in force and following Bradbury’s every move. Lilly smiled to herself – they couldn’t possibly guess how exciting tomorrow’s headlines were going to be. Bradbury gave Lilly the thumbs-up – he might be losing one high-profile case but he was jumping feet first into another.

‘If the judge decides there’s no case to answer, what will happen to Kelsey?’ asked Jez.

‘There’ll need to be a Care Order. Someone has to take responsibility for her,’ said Lilly.

‘Leyland House will be open in a week or so,’ said Sheba.

Lilly was surprised. ‘That soon?’

‘When Paul puts his mind to something it usually happens. He’s a bit like you in that regard, Lilly,’ said Sheba.

Lilly smiled at the compliment, but her self-satisfaction proved premature.

‘There’ll be a reopening party, you should come. Just a few drinks, nothing as depraved as Jez’s chamber parties.’

She raised an eyebrow, tossed her cigarette in the road and led her brother inside by the arm.

Lilly flushed deepest crimson.

Judge Blechard-Smith took off his glasses and cleaned them thoroughly before returning them to the bridge of his nose. Lilly settled into her seat ready for the Mother of All Speeches.

The judge cleared his throat. When would these men learn to cut to the chase?

‘This case has undoubtedly been extraordinarily difficult for all concerned. I myself have swum in uncharted waters from the very start. We have all had to remind ourselves repeatedly not to judge a book by its cover, but to question, challenge and measure the evidence again and again.’

He took a sip of water so tiny it could have barely wet his tongue.

‘The prosecution brought this case in good faith, I am sure, and it is to the credit of the police that they have not simply ducked out but have continued to investigate new facts as they have arisen. However, when one of the officers in the case states that someone other than the defendant should be pursued for the crime with which she has been charged, I am forced to act, and to this end I recommend most strongly that the prosecution withdraw their case. What do you say, Mr Marshall?’

The barrister turned to Bradbury, who turned to Jack. It was like a pack of dominos collapsing.

‘My Lord,’ said Marshall, turning back, ‘the prosecution agree.’

Lilly breathed a heavy sigh of relief and tried to catch Kelsey’s eye, but she was staring intently at the judge. Lilly wondered if she had understood it was all over.

‘As for you, young lady,’ said Blechard-Smith to Kelsey. ‘You have suffered a terrible ordeal and I will not try to patronise you by pretending I can guess how you feel. I only hope that you leave here knowing British justice did not fail you. Please accept my sincere best wishes for your future endeavours.’

Kelsey stifled a yawn. ‘Yeah, yeah, tell it to a judge.’

The house was empty and cold. It seemed to have been not so much left as abandoned. A carton of milk stood open on the kitchen table and had begun its slow descent into cottage cheese. Two slices of bread stood erect in the toaster waiting for the golden tan they had never received. The bedroom and bathroom were a jumble of discarded clothes and cosmetics, jewellery strewn across the unmade bed. The overall scene was of a burglary, but as Jack McNally ran his finger through a trail of ivory face powder he knew the signs of a hasty departure when he saw one.

‘Hello,’ came a voice from the hallway. ‘Hermione, are you there?’

An attractive woman in her mid-twenties appeared in the doorway and let out a gasp when she saw the state of the room.

Jack flashed his badge. ‘Police. Do you know where she is?’

The woman’s hand went to her throat and she shook her head. ‘I’m her assistant, Nancy. She didn’t show up for an important meeting today and she’s not answering any of her phones. I got worried and came over.’

‘Have you any idea where she went?’

The woman shook her head. ‘Sorry.’

Jack sighed. Hermione was long gone, probably out of the country by now.

‘I told the others we weren’t close or anything,’ the woman was gabbling.

‘Others?’ Jack’s tone was sharp.

‘Secret service. They came this morning and took all Hermione’s papers.’

Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, careless of the silk shirts beneath him.

Nancy Donaldson hurried back to the station. As she reached into her bag for her ticket her fingers brushed against the stained brown envelope containing a photocopy of the girl’s handwritten statement. When Nancy first opened it two weeks ago she’d thought it was the ranting of some nut, but when the Brand story broke she’d put two and two together. At the time she’d retrieved it from Hermione’s drawer and made a copy, thinking she could sell it to the papers when Kelsey was convicted. She’d never once suspected that her boss was somehow involved. She supposed she should give it to the police now Hermione had run away, but Nancy’s job prospects would be a lot better if this whole saga died a death. Better to hang on to it and see what happened.

The next tube to Westminster was in three minutes, just enough time to buy two takeaway lattes, one for herself and one for the Right Honourable Member for Chichester South.

Wise or not, Lilly really needed to see her son. Not to beg him to come home but simply to fold him in her arms for just a moment.

When David answered his door, Lilly gasped. His shirt was stained with blood, all colour drained from his lips, his eyes hollow and dark.

‘What’s happened?’ she screamed. ‘Where’s Sam, is he hurt?’

David muttered something incoherent, and from inside the house came a shrill cry.

Lilly pushed past her ex-husband. ‘Sam? Sam?’

Her son came running to her and threw himself into her arms. She held him for only a second before pushing him from her to check for injuries. Only when she had spun him round twice did she see his eyes shining and his wide smile.

‘What’s happened, Sam? Tell me, please.’

‘I saw it all,’ he said, breathless with excitement. ‘I saw Cara having a baby.’

‘It just came,’ said David, who Lilly could see was in shock. ‘No time to get to the hospital, no time to call the midwife. I had to do it all myself.’

‘I helped,’ sang Sam.

‘I’m sure you did,’ said Lilly, stroking his head. ‘So what have you got, a brother or a sister?’

Sam’s mouth opened, and so did David’s. Neither spoke. Lilly shook her head in disbelief and headed up the stairs towards the crying.

The sight of Cara, crumpled and sobbing, her hair hanging in strings, should have filled Lilly with glee, but instead she helped her onto the bed and wiped her face with the nearest thing to hand, which happened to be one of David’s hand-stitched shirts. She peeped at the baby and kissed Cara’s head.

‘You have a beautiful little girl.’

Back in the kitchen, Lilly made tea.

‘Cara doesn’t do carbs,’ said David, his hands still trembling. ‘She won’t drink it with sugar.’

‘Trust me, she will today,’ said Lilly, and stirred in another heaped spoonful.

David took the cup and staggered out of the room, sloshing a brown trail in his wake.

‘Mummy,’ said Sam, his bravado vanished.

‘Yes, big man.’

‘I want to come home.’

Lilly’s heart leaped into her mouth. ‘Why’s that?’

‘It’s too quiet here and Cara only lets us eat green stuff.’

Lilly stifled a laugh.

‘Thing is,’ said Sam, one eye on the door, his voice dropping to a stage whisper, ‘I don’t want Dad to think it’s because of the baby.’

Lilly nodded solemnly and answered in hushed tones. ‘Why don’t you stay tonight so they don’t think you legged it at the first sign of trouble, and I’ll collect you in the morning.’

‘Do you think they’ll mind?’

They listened to the sound of the baby screaming.

‘To be honest, love, I don’t think they’ll notice.’

The old sofa had never been so inviting. Lilly stretched out with feline contentment, a bag of Minstrels in her hand, a glass of room-temperature Merlot on the floor beside her. Kelsey had been taken back to The Bushes by Miriam until Paul Collins could take her into his care. Sam would be home tomorrow. Everything had worked out just fine, everything except …

When she answered the door and discovered Jack slouching in the brisk evening air she imagined herself as he must see her, dressed in an ‘Axe the Poll Tax’ T-shirt she’d had since university and a pair of jogging pants that hadn’t seen the wash basket in several months.

‘Do you want wine or are you still hung over?’ she asked.

‘I’ll force it down.’

She handed him a glass and they settled down, Lilly on the sofa, Jack on a chair.

‘Hermione’s disappeared,’ he said.

Lilly nodded. Tomorrow she might care but tonight she was too tired.

‘Your instincts were right,’ he added. ‘They usually are.’

She patted the cushion next to her and he moved across the room. She put her head on his lap and he stroked her hair.

‘You know,’ said Jack, ‘I think we should go to bed.’

He looked down at Lilly and smiled. She was fast asleep.