Lois Meade 03: Weeping on Wednesday (1987) (16 page)

He pulled her free of the bog, and told her to go and sit on a tree stump a few yards away. “Better take a look,” he said, and with a sinking feeling he found a strong stick and began to root around in the loose earth. The stick struck something hard almost straight away. “Rosie!” he shouted. “What? What is it?”

“You’d better go back home now.”

“Why? Have you found something?”

“Just go on back, there’s a love. I shan’t be long.” He watched until she was out of sight, then began to move the loose leaf mould with his bare hands. He continued to scrape gently, his hands covered in wet earth. Finally he sat back on his haunches and stared down. Well, he knew the remains of a black Labrador when he saw one. He eased the rotting collar round so that he could see the metal tag. “
Rick – Bell’s Farm
”. Sebastian choked, and pushed back the earth, stamping it down. He marked the spot with the stick, and chipped at the root until he could recognize it again, just in case.

R
osie and Sebastian sat at the kitchen table, silently staring at each other. They were shocked and grieving. For an hour, they had talked about Sebastian’s grisly discovery, speculated on who could have done it, and – most of all – why? The most likely explanation, Sebastian decided, was a tramp in the woods, an unhinged tramp who was scared by the sudden appearance of Anna and the dog. Tramps often carried knives for cutting up food, or opening tins, and he could have used a heavy handle to finish off poor Rick. Maybe he hadn’t meant to kill him, but just stun him to stop him barking, so that he could get away quickly.

“Get away from the frightening sight of a defenceless young girl?” countered Rosie, who was not impressed by this theory.

“But a tramp out in the woods in that wintry weather would not be a rational human being, Rosie,” Sebastian explained patiently. “Panic probably took over. Then after Anna had gone, the tramp buried Rick to cover his tracks.” He was trying hard to convince himself, as well as Rosie. He had a recurring mental picture of a neat, middle-aged woman hoofing it through the trees next day…In other words, Enid Abraham, with muddy hands.

Rosie, who could read her husband’s thoughts, said, “Well, what about that time you and Bill found Enid in the woods? She’s not a tramp, and is a perfectly rational human being. So far as we know…”

“That was another occasion entirely,” Sebastian said. “And she lives right by the woods, just like us, and would naturally go in there for a walk. We do, all the time.”

“Mm.” Rosie got up from the table. “Might as well make a cup of tea. I’ve gone off the idea of the auction. What are you going to do, anyway? I suppose we should tell the police? After all, now we know Anna wasn’t making it up, we should do something to show we believe her. Are you going to tell her you’ve found Rick?”

Sebastian was silent for a minute. “Oh, I dunno, Rosie,” he said finally. “I don’t want to alarm the girl, or make her too nervous to go out with the kids. Perhaps it would be best to keep it to ourselves for a bit, until I’ve done some thinking. I shall go back and collect him. Take him to the surgery and see if I can get a better idea of what killed him.”

“I’d be happier if you told the police.” The thought of their beloved Rick reduced to a decomposing corpse, being taken to bits – even if it was by Seb – like a laboratory specimen, set her off weeping again.

“Oh, come on, love, pull yourself together,” Sebastian said. He was only too familiar with grown men and women sobbing their hearts out in the surgery as he prepared to ease their pets into whatever animal heaven awaited them. He had always respected this raw emotion, and sometimes felt tears prick his own eyes. Dogs, particularly, were heartrending in the way they looked at their owners, trusting that they wouldn’t let them down. And, in a way, they didn’t. Sebastian often thought it would be a good thing if human beings, lingering on in great pain and with no possibility of recovery, could be ‘put to sleep’. It was a daily event in the surgery, and he’d never had a moment’s doubt.

Rosie scrubbed at her face with a tissue, and gave him a watery smile. “Seb,” she said, “I think there’s only one thing to do now.”

“What’s that then?” said Sebastian, dreading that Rosie would demand an emergency call to Tresham Police Station asking for the Chief Inspector to come out to the scene of the crime immediately. He misjudged her.

“We’ll go to the view day of the auction after all,” she said. “I saw the catalogue the other day…one of the mums had it outside the school. There was this rather nice-sounding display cabinet…just what I’m looking for. D’you think it would be all right to go…not heartless?”

Sebastian sighed with relief. “Good girl,” he said. “I’ll sort things out while you tell Anna we’re going.”

He disappeared out into the yard and Rosie turned off the kettle. She quickly tidied things away and picked up a scrap of paper from the table. About to screw it up and bin it, she saw handwriting. Ah, yes, Seb had said Enid mentioned a Labrador breeder who’d be sure to have puppies. Well, now they could go ahead, absolutely sure that Rick was not coming back. She smoothed out the paper and tucked it into the kitchen drawer, noticing with mild surprise that Enid’s script was all in spiky capitals.

§

By the time they reached the grand country house, they had about an hour before the view day closed. “Let’s go straight to the display cabinet,” said Rosie, and looked up the lot number in her catalogue.

“Oh, Seb! It’s just what I’ve been looking for!” Rosie was ecstatic, and Sebastian shushed her, saying they didn’t want everyone to spot it.

“No chance of that one going at a bargain price,” said a voice at his elbow. It was Bill Stockbridge, grinning at them and holding hands with a good-looking girl he introduced as ‘my Rebecca’.

“We’ve already marked it down,” she said. “Got just the place for it in the cottage.” She and Rosie eyed each other competitively. Their smiles had a definite edge. It was a cut-throat business buying at auction.

“Seen anything else you like?” said Sebastian, changing the subject tactfully. Bill and Rebecca had made a short list. Furniture in the cottage was still a bit sparse, and they’d spotted a sofa and a couple of bookcases they hoped to get.

“Coming tomorrow, then?” said Rosie lightly. Rebecca nodded. “My head teacher has very kindly given me time off…she’ll cover for me for the time it takes. All the lots I’m interested in are coming up before lunch.”

“Well, then,” said Rosie, “I shall see you here. I expect the dealers will push up the prices. They usually do, at quality sales like this.”

Bill and Sebastian had wandered off to look at an old bag of golf clubs. “Look at this – hickory shafts!” Bill said. He pulled one out and tried a few practice swings, narrowly missing a small woman coming suddenly round the corner.

“Enid!” Bill was mortified and apologetic. “I thought you were working this afternoon?”

“I am, just on my way,” she said. “I was just having a quick look around. I love auction sales, as I said to Mr Charrington.” She turned to smile at Sebastian, who had difficulty returning the smile. “Glad to see you took my advice,” she said. “Did Mrs Charrington find a cabinet?” Sebastian nodded mutely. All he could think of was the rotting body of his dog in a rough grave in the woods.

“Well, I must be off,” Enid said happily, looking at her watch. “Mustn’t be late, or I shall be getting New Brooms a bad name,” she added. “And that won’t do, will it, Bill?”

After she’d gone, Bill looked at Sebastian and said, “You all right, mate?”

Sebastian nodded. “Yes, I’m fine,” he said, “but I think there’s something I should tell you. Remember that day we went looking for Rick in the woods, and we didn’t find him? Well…”

§

Rebecca was subdued that evening, and in the middle of a television programme that neither of them was really watching, Bill switched off.

“All right,” he said, “come on, let’s have it. What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

“Rebecca!”

“OK then, there is something. But you’ll be cross.”

“Try me,” said Bill.

Rebecca pushed her hair back from her face and twisted it at the nape of her neck. “Well, it’s those people we met today. The Charringtons.”

“What about them?”

“Didn’t you say Enid worked for them?”

“Yes, she does. She’d been there today, as a matter of fact. Why?”

“Well, she went to Uncle Christopher the other day, filling in for Bridie Reading – is that her name? – and he told me something really odd. Seems Rosie Charrington told one of uncle’s young mums…he’s started a family service in church, and she’s a regular…”

Bill shook his head as if to clear it. “Could you stick to the point, Rebecca duckie,” he said. “Now, your uncle told you something that his young mum told him, about Enid Abraham, and it was really odd. That right?”

“No need to be so patronising, William Stockbridge! You’re only a old char, don’t forget!”

Bill began to get up, offended, and then saw her laughing and thought better of it.

“Sorry,” he said. “Go on.”

“Well, the young mum had called at the vicarage about the next family service, and Enid answered the door. Uncle had talked to the mum in the hall, which, as you know, is big enough to accommodate this entire cottage, and she had asked if he’d heard any more about that Edward Abraham who’d gone missing. Seems Rosie Charrington and some of the other mums are scared, wondering if he’d attack a child on its own, maybe. They’ve all got extra careful, apparently.”

“Really,” said Bill, with mock patience.

“And then, after she’d gone, Enid had asked to speak to him. He said it was very embarrassing, though he’s used to hearing all sorts of things. But he’s a nice old bloke, as you know, and he felt sorry for Enid. Seems she’d overheard what the mum said, and was really upset that her brother should be thought of as a child molester. Said the worst he’d ever done was get into debt and try to evade the money men.”

“What did he say?” Bill didn’t see what was odd about all this. Perfectly natural for a sister to stick up for her brother, he thought.

“He tried to cheer her up. Then the odd thing happened.” Rebecca fell silent.

“You’d make a good mystery writer,” said Bill. “Go on, for God’s sake.”

“Uncle heard a door slam at the back of the house. And then he swears he heard footsteps running down the gravel path that leads to Glebe Close behind the kitchen garden. Enid had opened all the windows while she was cleaning – one of her less appealing habits, as far as Uncle is concerned – and he could hear clearly, he says.”

“And?”

“So he asked Enid if anyone had called at the back door, and she said no. When he suggested she should go and look, she wouldn’t, said it was not necessary, it must be the draught had blown the door shut.”

“And the footsteps?”

“She laughed, and said Uncle’s hearing must be playing tricks on him. Annoyed him, actually. He hates being reminded of his age. Anyway, they didn’t say any more about it, but Uncle went out after she’d gone, and said he could swear some of the gooseberry bushes that hung over the gravel path had been broken off, little twiggy bits that stuck out.”

“Ah,” said Bill. “Now that is odd. What’s she up to, old Enid?” Time for another word with Lois, he reckoned. If Enid was upsetting the clients, that was serious.

“You don’t like her, do you, Bill?” Rebecca said, coming over to sit beside him on the floor.

He took her face in his hands. “Yum,” he said. “I like you best, my little duckie. Come on, let’s go to bed.” His conversation with Sebastian was still circling in his mind, and he hoped he wouldn’t dream of dead dogs. Still, dreaming wasn’t what he had in mind at the moment.

“If we get that long sofa at the sale,” said Rebecca, never one to miss an opportunity, “we’ll not need to go to bed, will we?” She kissed him long and sweetly, and he would at that moment have forked out for anything, three sofas if necessary.

“I
don’t see any point in living in a village if you don’t join in things,” Gran said. A taste of spring had warmed up the village for a day or two, and Lois and Gran were strolling round the garden, looking at bulbs coming up and a drift of snowdrops under the silver birch.

“The doctor planted that tree. He told me. Very proud of it, he was,” Lois said.

“I expect he was sad to leave this place.” Gran spoke quietly, remembering the tragic circumstances. “Still, I bet he was pleased you lot were moving in. It’s a good family house.”

Lois nodded. “Funny, isn’t it though, how soon Derek has put his stamp on this garden,” she said. “It always used to be neat and tidy, o’course. Mrs Rix was like that. A place for everything and everything in its place. But there was never much in the garden, if you know what I mean. Now Derek’s got loads of veg and fruit, and rows of chrysanths for us to cut in autumn, and he’s got the greenhouse going again. It’s Derek’s garden now, isn’t it.”

Gran agreed. “He’s put his roots down here,” she said, and then laughed her hearty laugh.

“Very witty,” said Lois.

“I try,” said Gran. “Anyway, Lois, as I was saying” – Lois knew what was coming, and sighed – “Maybe you should come and join the Women’s Institute with me. I’m going along tonight. They’re a new branch, and trying to recruit members. Especially young ones…”

“No thanks!” said Lois. “I’ve got a few years yet before it comes to that!”

“Just showing your ignorance,” said Gran, unmoved. “They’ve got several young women, younger than you, actually. It’s not what it used to be.”

“Jam and Jerusalem, that’s all I know,” said Lois. “But anyway, I don’t want to put you off. Sounds just up your street.”

They were outside the kitchen door now, and Lois said she would nip down to the shop for a couple of things. “I might have a wander round,” she added, “see what’s happening. They’re putting a new mobile classroom in the school…might take a look.”

Lois was interested in the village school. She’d been a parent governor of the kids school in Tresham when they lived there, and enjoyed the contact with little ones. Sometimes she looked wistfully at five-year-olds going past the gate in their scarlet and grey uniforms. But Derek soon put a stop to any thoughts in that direction.