Dead Woman's Shoes: 1 (Lexy Lomax Mysteries) (26 page)

Since last night? Lexy searched his face. “Was I in an accident?”

“Sort of. You fell and hit your head.”

“Where?”

He frowned. “Round the back of an old barn. At a farm out on Mellowsham Heath. Back end of nowhere.”

Lexy gazed at him. “What was I doing out there?”

He looked carefully across to the open door, then bent towards her. “Don’t you remember? You were following Sheri-Anne Davis.”

Lexy squinted. “Yellow Mini?”

“That’s the one. Remember following her cross country through the heath? Big, dark conifer plantation in the distance?”

She screwed up her face. “I kind of remember following her car along some twisty lanes. Were you bloody following me again?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“Didn’t trust you. I knew you were holding something back.”

“Holding something back from what?”

He gave an irritated exclamation. “Our investigation. Avril Todd’s murder. You remember that, I hope?”

Lexy stared at him.

“You do, don’t you?” He was starting to look alarmed.

She grinned. “Yeah. I remember.”

He gave her a weary look.

“But if you were following me last night,” Lexy said slowly, “didn’t
you
see anything?”

“I missed all the action – again. Lost you about a mile from the farm. I had to drive around for at least ten minutes trying to find you. It was just a lucky guess I checked up on the place, and saw your car parked in that copse of trees. I didn’t see Sheri-Anne’s car – she must have gone by the time I got there.”

“Not very good at following people, are you?”

His eyes narrowed. “I am normally. Trying to keep up with you is proving unusually difficult.”

Lexy suddenly winced. “Ah, my head – it’s killing me.”

Milo pressed a button above Lexy’s headboard and almost immediately a dark-skinned male nurse appeared in the doorway of the little side ward. “I see you’ve woken her up.”

“No – she came round of her own accord,” he replied coolly.

“Well, you’re not to start making her answer a lot of questions.”

“Naturally.”

“Yeah, right. You’re a policeman. That’s what you lot do, ask questions.”

“Speaking of questions, has anybody got a painkiller?” groaned Lexy.

The nurse studied the notes clipped to the bottom of her bed. “I’ll go and get you some paracetamol.” He whisked away.

“I was thinking more elephant tranquilliser. Did you actually tell him you were a policeman?”

“Yes.”

“You just left out the bit about being suspended?”

“Your memory’s not that bad, then.”

“It is.” She made a face. “I don’t remember getting out of the car at all, but I must have done if you found me by this barn. One moment I was driving along with Kinky and then...” She broke off, staring at the detective in sudden horror.

“Kinky – where is he?” She struggled to sit up.

He held her down. “It’s OK. Take it easy. He was in your car. He tried to kill me when I opened it, but when he saw the state of you he consented to come to the hospital with us in my car.”

“Didn’t you call an ambulance?”

Milo shook his head. “I brought you here myself. Quicker.”

“Where’s Kinky now? At your place?”

“No. I took him down to the vet’s. Guy Ellenger. He said he’d look after him.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.” An image swam into Lexy’s mind of Guy Ellenger’s face, with his melting toffee eyes and perfect teeth. Setting up an alibi for himself on the phone. Pushing his dad down the stairs. Lexy felt her heart give a sudden violent pump. She saw herself creeping up the path towards the barn. There had been two cars.

“Here’s the doctor.” Milo withdrew, moving to the window.

Lexy gave an exclamation of frustration.

A sleek, middle-aged consultant sporting an inappropriately jolly bow-tie breezed in self-importantly, followed by a gaggle of medical students who grouped themselves tightly around her bed.

The consultant plucked her notes from the bottom of the bed and scanned them rapidly.

“Ah, yes – concussion. Any memory loss?”

“Yeah,” said Lexy. “I can’t remember what I did yesterday evening.”

“Neither can I,” mouthed one of the male medical students. Lexy smiled faintly.

“It’s all right – it will come back,” the consultant predicted. “Feeling OK otherwise?”

“Just a bit of a headache.” Like World War II was a bit of a squabble.

He beamed. “Very good, then.” He turned to leave.

“Er... when can I go?”

“Tomorrow,” he threw over his shoulder, “if you’re sensible today and do as the nurses tell you.”

“Tomorrow?” Lexy turned back in anguish to Milo when the throng had left. “I can’t wait until tomorrow. I’ve got to get out of here today.”

“What’s the hurry? Remembered something, have you?”

She couldn’t meet Milo’s eyes. She didn’t remember the make or colour of the other car that had been at the barn. But she remembered
why
she was following Sheri-Anne. And she remembered what she’d seen in the barn – exactly what she’d expected.

“It’s just that I need to get Kinky.”

“He’s with a vet. He’ll be all right.”

Guy Ellenger’s face rippled into view again. Lexy tried to push herself up. Milo held her arm down, regarding her with his usual impenetrable expression.

“Don’t be stupid. You’ve got quite a dent in your head, you know.”

Lexy eyed him. “So... er... you found me unconscious behind this barn?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Guess you saved my life?”

He nodded.

“Thanks,” she said gruffly.

They sat in silence for a moment, Milo studying a poster on the wall, Lexy studying his profile.

“Do you ever smile?” she asked.

He regarded her impassively. “I smiled when you woke up.”

“I missed it. Do it again.”

“I’m out of practice.”

“Why?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“I do. I want to know why you act so weird.”

“Weird?”

“Look.” Lexy gritted her teeth against the pain in her head. “I just need to know one thing in particular, OK?”

He nodded warily. “OK.”

“Do you recognise me?”

“Eh?”

“You heard. Do you recognise me?”

“You’re not that badly hurt.”

Lexy made a gesture of impatience. “I mean from the show.”

“The show?”

She rolled her eyes, even though it hurt. “I
knew
you recognised me.” She was aware of her voice gaining volume. “Right from the start, when we met at the vet’s.”

The policeman went very still. They stared at one another.

His voice suddenly cut in, quiet and conversational. “My wife died six months ago. She was a police sergeant, killed on duty. I was there. I tried to resuscitate her but I couldn’t. When I saw you at the vet’s on Thursday, just for a split second I thought she’d come back. That’s all. Don’t feel sorry for me,” he went on quickly, seeing the change in Lexy’s expression. “I’m getting over it. Although we still haven’t tracked down the killer. But I’m working on that.”

They were silent for a while. Lexy lay back, stunned. Far from recognising a girl who briefly used to provide the eye candy on an early evening DIY show, Milo thought his dead wife had come back. The wife he’d tried to resuscitate. No wonder he tried so hard to bring Avril Todd back to life. Lexy suddenly found herself wondering if Milo had given
her
mouth-to-mouth outside the barn. She felt a warm flush spread across her cheeks.

“Are you all right?” Milo enquired.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She tried to push herself up again. A nurse came in, told her to lie still, took her blood pressure and hurried off to the next patient.

“Do I really look like your wife?” Lexy asked.

“The more I see of you,” Milo said, soberly, “the less you look like her. Especially in the turban. Anyway, what show?”

“Doesn’t matter. I was barking up the wrong tree.” That was for sure.

“You have a visitor.” The nurse’s rich Caribbean voice cut in from the doorway. “I told him five minutes only.”

Lexy focused dazedly on a huge bunch of pink flowers flouncing towards her, clutched by a well-manicured hand with a gold and diamond ring on the pinkie.

“You
poor
little lamb! I ran into Hope in the village – not literally of course – and
she
said Guy had told her you were in hospital.”

“Hello, Edward,” said Lexy weakly. “This is DI Milo, from Lowestoft CID.” Well, in a manner of speaking.

“Edward de Glenville,” said Edward, thrusting his hand at Milo. He turned to Lexy. “Is this your exceedingly grim policeman? He looks all right to me.”

Lexy tried not to look at Milo, who had stiffened.

“Well – what happened?” Edward demanded. “You weren’t whacked over the head by Avril’s phantom killer, were you?”

“No, I fell and got concussion,” Lexy said.

“What? In Clopwolde?” Edward looked so outraged that Lexy almost laughed. “That bloody council really need to get their act together about the high street paving stones. Nearly went flying myself the other day.”

He groped in a large leather satchel. “I brought you some highbrow reading matter.” He stacked them on the bed. A copy each of
Hello
and
OK!
, a pile of lurid fashion magazines and a
Daily Mail
.

He smiled at DI Milo. “I always get the
Daily Mail
, just to annoy them.”

“Annoy who?”

“The general readership, sweetcakes.”

Lexy had to turn away to hide her broadening smile.

“I’m in the process of asking Ms Lomax a few questions,” said DI Milo levelly.

“Don’t worry. I can see I’m not wanted.” Edward gave Lexy an outrageously suggestive look. “Just wanted to check she was all right. Bye-bye for now, sweetie. Be brave.”

“Thanks for the flowers and... Edward – you couldn’t do me a favour?”

“Just name it.”

“Check on Kinky for me? He’s at the vet’s house. Kittiwake. It’s in ...”

“Gorse Rise. Next to the Caradocs’ vision in white,” Edward finished for her. “I’ll do it as soon as I can. When are they letting you out?”

“Tomorrow,” said Lexy.

“When you get your discharge papers I want you to call me up and I’ll come and get you.” He delved in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, scribbling on it. Here’s the number.”

“Thanks. I owe you one. Two.”

“Forget it. See you on the morrow.” He leaned over and dropped a kiss on Lexy’s cheek, then turned to DI Milo. “Be gentle with her, Mr Policeman.”

Lexy gave him a wilted wave, and turned back to Milo.

“Sorry about...”

“Is he the one who was getting poison pen letters from Avril Todd?” Milo gazed after Edward. “The one who’s father died in a fall?”

“That’s him. Only one Edward de Glenville in Clopwolde.” Lexy glanced wryly at the huge bouquet. “He did have an alibi for Friday night, in case you forgot,” she added, seeing Milo’s humourless countenance. “He was in Lowestoft police station.”

He nodded. “While we’re on the subject, did you have any luck checking alibis before this... incident at the barn? Roderick Todd’s checked out – he was definitely in a hotel in Lincoln at the time of the murder.”

“Oh, yes – I was going to call you,” Lexy said. “I found out from Hope Ellenger’s neighbours that she went out on Friday evening at half-seven, and she didn’t come back until midnight.”

Milo sat up. “That’s very interesting. So she wasn’t home alone, like she said?” He pulled out a notebook – not his police one, Lexy noticed.

She shook her head. “But if she was our murderer, she’d have needed to get over to the field, and in position, as it were, in pretty good time.”

“And?”

“She doesn’t drive. She only just started learning.”

“Ah.”

“I also looked into that matter of the story about the time difference noticed by the old ducks in Avril’s road,” Lexy went on. “You know, when one saw her coming up the hill at seven-fifteen, and the other at seven-thirty.

“And?”

“It remains a mystery. The second woman was just as adamant as the first that her clock was always right.”

“Told you.” He checked his watch, stood up. “Right, I’m off.”

Lexy turned her head painfully to watch him go. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to take Floppy for another visit to the vet’s. See if I can get talking to Ms Ellenger.” He slipped something out of his pocket and indicated the telephone on the bedside cabinet next to her. “I got you a phone card, in case you want to call anyone. Here’s my number. Oh – and here are your car keys. I left it parked outside your place. I’ll see you later. Try to get some rest.”

The door snapped closed before Lexy could say ‘thanks’.

She sank back into her pillow, trying to think above the dull throb of pain in her head. The wall clock said eleven-fifteen. If she was going to follow up this business at the barn, she needed to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. She shifted, tried to push herself up, then lay down again quickly as the door opened. A nurse came in and checked her bandage.

“Do you want one of these?” She passed Lexy one of the magazines Edward had left on the end of the bed. Lexy tried to read while the nurse busied herself over at the sink. Her headache made the words blur, but she also found she wasn’t as interested in fashion as she had been last week. Last week when she had been Alexandra Warwick-Holmes. It felt like years ago. Certainly felt like she’d aged years in the last few days. She dropped the magazine back on the bed, feeling her eyelids flutter.

An insistent racket brought Lexy out of her sleep. The phone on her bedside table was ringing. She reached out and put it to her ear.

“Hello?” she mumbled.

“Lexy? Is that you?” She thought she recognised the voice, but she could hardly hear it.

“Speak up,” she said.

“I can’t, sweetie. I’m hiding.”

“Edward?”

“Listen – I’m in Guy Ellenger’s garden. Behind the ceanothus.”

“Ceanothus?”

“It’s a shrub. I’m in his shrubbery.”

“Is there any point asking why?” Lexy found herself unaccountably whispering too.