Murder in Time (27 page)

‘Richard Prentice? The name doesn't ring a bell. Why should he have it in for Thomas?'

‘Ah, well. He doesn't. He's got it in for me, because I've been enquiring into the doctor's death.'

‘And what did he have to do with that?'

‘Nothing. As far as I know. At least … no, that's what I've got to think a bit more about. Dick Prentice was at the party at the doctor's house that evening, and I believe he was the one who started the train of events which ended with murder.' Ellie wasn't going to bring Vera into this unless she had to.

‘You mean, because of the gatecrashers?'

‘It bothered me that the gang had chosen to gatecrash that particular party. I mean, why choose that house and that night out of all the houses in Ealing? But now, it's obvious. Someone who'd been invited to the party had his eye on a particular girl who wouldn't give him the time of day. He decided to buy a date-rape drug to take with him. Apparently, everyone at that school knew where drugs were to be found, though none of those I've interviewed were taking them. At least, that's what they've told me.'

‘You think that this Dick Prentice went to buy the drug, and in doing so let slip that he was going to a party at a doctor's house?'

‘Someone, somewhere told me that the gatecrashers claimed to have been invited to the party. Did Dick Prentice pay for the drug with an invitation to attend the party? Whether he did actually invite them or not, I think he gave them the information that the party was in a doctor's house. So, he's the link, yes.'

‘He made use of the drug?'

‘Yes, but not on the girl he'd had his eye on at first.'

Lesley paced the room. ‘Was this before or after the gatecrashers arrived?'

‘After. The guests fled in different directions. Some took refuge in a shed in the garden. While they were there, the girl he fancied was offered the drugged drink. She passed it on to someone else, who took it in all innocence.'

‘Did it take effect? Did she pass out … and what happened then? You mean … Don't tell me she was raped! Is that what you're trying to say? Why weren't the police informed?'

Oh dear. Ellie hadn't wanted to talk about the drug at all. Now look what she'd done!

She said, with care, ‘It took a while before the police were contacted and arrived. They found that the hosts had been assaulted and knocked out, and that a gang of gatecrashers were wrecking the house looking for drugs or anything they could sell to buy drugs with. It took time to clear that mess up, to send the injured parties off to hospital, to take statements from the host and the DJ, and to try to round up the interlopers. By which time, what happened in the garden was well and truly over and everyone involved had gone. Including the victim of the rape, the rapists and the witnesses to the event. None of them wanted to talk about what happened then, and they've kept quiet about it all these years … until now.'

‘Why now?'

Ellie realized she was making a right mess of this. But, remembering Abdi's threats, she took a deep breath and went on. ‘One of the rapists is a high-born man of African descent. He's found he can't have any more children, so wants to pay off –' Ellie hesitated – ‘his victim and adopt the boy he sired on that night. He—'

‘Mikey,' said Lesley, clapping her hands. ‘Vera and Mikey. He was conceived that night, when she was raped? She should have reported what happened.'

‘She was too ashamed. Her parents were unhelpful. There was a misunderstanding between her and her then boyfriend. She tried to get Mikey's father to help her. He refused. She's brought up the boy by herself. She doesn't want to report it even now, and she won't unless Mikey's father tries to make out she killed the doctor.'

‘What! But … she couldn't have done so, could she?'

‘No. I've spoken to several people who witnessed the rape and its aftermath. She was out of it. She got out of the garden through a gate at the bottom and staggered home in a terrible state. Upon which her father beat her up. He's dead now and can't confirm the time she reached home, but I believe her.'

‘Witnesses? Give me names.'

‘Unless Vera is pushed into charging the man with rape, she won't testify. You can't mount a case without her cooperation, so I won't give you any more names.'

Lesley made a noise like a scalded cat. ‘Wait a minute. Dick Prentice was one? He provided the drug, and it was used. I can get him for that alone—'

‘Not unless Vera testifies.'

Lesley slapped her forehead. ‘There must be some way I can get him. Ah. The false accusation against Thomas. Has he admitted it?'

‘Sort of. But Maureen will talk if you lean on her. I'm giving you his name because he was behind everything that happened before midnight, say, on the night of the murder. When I started asking questions about the rape, I suppose he got scared the truth would come out and, instead of admitting it, he attacked me through Thomas.'

‘Dick Prentice bought the drug.
He
gave the gang the information about the party.
He
gave the drug to someone who passed it to Vera. Did he rape her, as well?'

Ellie nodded.

‘But he didn't cause the doctor to be murdered? Or did he?'

‘Unfortunately, no. It would be helpful if he had, but he'd long gone by then, and I don't see any reason why he should have done that.'

Lesley threw up her hands. ‘I get really upset when rape victims won't testify. Don't they realize that if a man has done it once, he might well do it again to some other poor creature? You said there were witnesses? Will they testify?'

‘No, they won't, unless Vera is forced into making the rape public … which she profoundly hopes she won't have to do.'

‘I can put the fear of God into Dick Prentice, though. I can visit him in his workplace at the Town Hall, so that everyone will know he's being investigated. But first, I'll speak to Maureen, perhaps take her down to the station. I can charge her for making false statements … No, I can't, can I? She didn't sign anything. I can have her for wasting police time. I'll get her to talk, and then I'll have him … for the same thing. And I'll be oh so careful, and I promise to spread alarm and despondency and blacken his name without so much as hinting—'

‘Take care. He has at least one powerful ally.'

‘Who?'

Ellie put on her most innocent face. ‘Did I say something?'

Lesley started. ‘Ah. Yes, that's the way to handle it. Drop a hint, and then backtrack. Sow suspicion and deny you'd been thinking along those lines. As for her, if she's got as much as an unpaid parking ticket—'

‘In a way, I feel sorry for her. She believed what Dick Prentice told her. She thought she was doing him a favour when she went to the police with her accusations. She isn't the real villain of the piece.'

Lesley's eyes narrowed. ‘Are you trying to tell me that Dick Prentice isn't really the villain of the piece, either?'

‘Oh, no. He's a nasty piece of work and deserves to be prosecuted for this and that, especially the rape. All I'm saying is that he's been working for the council for ages, and presumably does a good job for them. If he's kept his nose clean all this time, won't the courts go easy on him?'

‘But Ellie: we have to have punishment for those who commit crimes.'

‘I know that. I've been thinking a lot about what punishment might be appropriate for men who have committed one terrible deed and regretted it ever since. If they are of an introspective turn of mind, would their fear of exposure be sufficient punishment in itself? Dick Prentice seems to me to be a weak sort of creature, who might well have lived with fear. Of course –' and here she smiled – ‘if you could have a look to see if he's done it again …?'

‘Ah,' said Lesley. ‘Definitely. I'll do that. What about the others? Mikey's father, for instance?'

‘I don't suppose he thought anything of helping himself to a white girl who'd passed out at a party. He still can't get his head round the fact that Mikey doesn't want anything to do with him, and that Vera won't play the game his way. It's against everything he's been brought up to believe about men being top dog and women second-class citizens. As for children, in his culture they behave or get punished. If you tried to charge him with rape – and I rather hope it won't come to that for Vera's sake – you'd have to lift his passport or he'd be out of the country in five minutes. Even if you did lift it, he'd still find a way to leave the country. Sorry, but that's the way he is. Money and power have made him arrogant beyond belief.'

‘He's committed a crime though. He's subject to the law!'

‘Sure. I'm going to get him another way. He's already offered to pay Vera off. A derisory sum, in my opinion, but there you are. A substantial fine might hurt his pocket and make him think twice about doing it again.' Plus, Ellie thought, the damage Mikey's done to his house is considerable. And here, she smiled.

Lesley subsided into a chair. ‘How many people were involved in the rape?'

‘No more information. Unless and until Vera's hand is forced.'

Lesley made a noise like a scalded cat again. ‘All right. Well, what about the murder?'

‘I don't know. I need to do some more digging. At least I'm starting from the knowledge that it wasn't Vera, and I think the police would agree it wasn't someone from the gang.'

‘That's so. I looked up the case.'

‘How was the doctor killed?'

‘Blunt-force trauma to the back of his head. The pathologist thinks there was some kind of fight, or tussle. The doctor was pushed backwards and hit his head on something as he fell. Probably part of his own car. They found blood and hairs on the offside headlight. His skull wasn't as thick as some. A blow which might have stunned another man, killed him.'

‘It might have been manslaughter, then?'

‘It might.'

‘Had he been drinking?'

‘Not enough to register. He'd been at some function or other at the golf club but had only had one glass of wine. Apparently, he was scared of being had up for drink driving. His wife didn't drive. The police did try to find the culprit, you know. They tried very hard indeed, but …' A gesture of frustration. ‘I do see that it must have been difficult for the family to accept the fact that we couldn't find the murderer.'

She consulted her watch, stood up, and stretched. ‘You know, I'm not inclined to wait till Monday morning to have a go at this Maureen. It's not too late to find someone on duty at the Town Hall who can give me her surname and address. I think I'll pop round there now and see what I can do to rattle her cage.'

E
llie tried to do some paperwork while keeping an eye on Evan. She had put a thick rug down on the floor for him to lie on and laid out his toys around him. Only, he wouldn't stay put. He didn't seem to understand how to crawl, although now and again he got his legs under him and made valiant efforts to huff and puff himself forward. Then came the breakthrough. While lying on his back, he discovered that throwing his arms over in one direction turned him on to his side … and then on to his tummy. Eureka!

Ellie applauded. She turned back to her work, only to be woken by Evan's cry of alarm.

She looked down. He was no longer on the rug. Where was he? He'd rolled right over to a low chair and got himself stuck under it. And yelled for help. She picked him up, soothed him, and set him back on to the middle of the rug.

He gave her a delighted grin. Waited till she was back on the computer, and set off again. This time he ended up against the wainscoting. And yelled for rescue. Ellie abandoned her work and watched him.

She mourned the demise of the old-fashioned play cot, in which you could put a baby and know that he would be safe from becoming trapped under a chair or from rolling into the edge of the door. Diana didn't believe in confining her son in any way. But then, Diana didn't have to look after him during the day.

Diana didn't know about the dummy, either. This was currently resting in Ellie's pocket, wrapped in a bit of cling-film to keep it clean.

The doorbell rang. Ellie scooped Evan up and made for the hall. Evan had been aiming for freedom when he'd been so rudely interrupted, and he resented being picked up without warning. He twisted and wriggled and yelled.

It was Dan's cousin Sam at the door, looking diffident. ‘Is this a bad time?'

‘No, no. Come in.' She returned Evan to his rug, and since he appeared to be settling in for a good roar, handed him his dummy. Instant peace.

Sam eyed the dummy. ‘My wife didn't agree with those.'

‘Neither do I. But sanity dictates.'

A wintry smile. ‘I must admit, that's how I felt about them, too. Though my children are way past all that now.'

Ellie indicated that he take a seat. ‘You've been thinking about what I said?'

‘“Look for the lady.” It wasn't him.'

‘I know. I worked it out; it must have been her. Your aunt.'

‘How did you come to that conclusion?'

‘I heard so much about Daphne, your sister, and how she was the spitting image of your aunt. I thought that if so, aunt and niece probably treated their men the same way.'

‘Don't get me wrong. My little sister has had a tough time. She married Dan far too young.'

‘She was pregnant.' Ellie didn't make it a question.

Sam fidgeted. ‘I didn't count.'

‘I expect your aunt did.'

‘My aunt was all for the marriage. She'd always dreamed of our two families getting closer together.'

‘It didn't worry her that Dan and Daphne were first cousins?'