Three Little Maids (23 page)

Turner was lost for words as his eyes
travelled around the room swiftly. ‘He has to be, guv. They have his initials on all of them.’ He gulped on his pepper mint lump swallowed it too quickly and had a coughing fit trying to recover his breath.

Kent walked round the room slowly arms folded across his chest and studied the individual works. ‘One could say I suppose that he’s been hiding his talent under a tombstone.’ His chuckle was dry. ‘Sorry Turner. A poor joke. But does all this make him a killer? It certainly looks as if he takes his work home with him. It reminds me somewhat of Aubrey Beardsley. All these elaborate twirls and those faces. They’re unmistakable. They’re the murdered girls, all right.’

‘He‘s made them look like saints. Beautiful enough for stained glass windows. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen them for myself, guv.’

‘So he’s a talented boy, our dopey Raymond.’

‘I can make a guess that he persuaded Maureen to pose for him. She wouldn’t need much persuasion. But with the French girl and Jodie he’d hardly get their permission to draw them like that, would he? Not on such short acquaintance, guv.’

‘Unless he sketched them after he killed them, Turner.’

46

‘Did you know that Raymond Perkins had artistic talent, Viviane?’

She picked up their mugs of coffee and brought them over to the kitchen table. ‘I did hear something like that. I think Sara Welbeck mentioned it to me once. She teaches Art at his old school. She wanted to encourage him to take it up as a career and to go on to Art College. But I gather that his gran wasn’t that keen on it. She thought he ought to have a proper job. And a proper job was working at Carey’s.’

Kent chuckled. ‘Yes I can imagine she might say that.’

‘Raymond is quite in awe of his gran, you know. He most probably lets it all go in his room. At least she allows him freedom in there. Now come on, do tell. What did you actually see in his room?’

She handed over his coffee and he stirred in the sugar liberally.

‘I think you’d find the subject matter strange. But exciting and really brilliant. I wish you could see them. Mrs Perkins might let you take a peep if you ask her nicely. I don’t know whether Raymond likes people gawping at them. There are paintings of churchyards and tombstones. And the girls! He painted all three victims.’ He chuckled. ‘I’ve never seen Turner look so shaken. I must say it gave me quite a turn.’

‘Raymond’s always been a bit introverted. I think he should have been a bright pleasant lad in the normal run of things.’

‘I photographed some of the pictures. Take a look. See what you think.’

‘Heavens, Jon! You’re right. They’re breath taking. This nude drawing of Maureen especially. It’s so lifelike
- but it doesn’t make him a murderer, does it?’

‘No. But it displays how his mind works. He has a macabre turn of thought I must say.’

‘Perhaps it’s his way of mourning her loss. He was crazy over her, I take it. But you’re not kidding,’ she said studying the elaborate drawings of tombstones and family vaults. ‘It’s Gothic Art. It reminds me of Edgar Alan Poe or the Dracula films. He’s just different. He’d make a damn good book illustrator. That young man’s got more than an empty space in his head. So what does June Perkins have to say about all this?’

‘Now that surprised me too. She said he’d always decorated his room like this. Although I gathered that the pictures of the girls were new to her too. They did startle her more than a bit. She’ll probably give him a good earful over it. You notice that Maureen’s nude body is tastefully draped over a coffin.

‘Maureen mentioning that she was being painted by Mrs Welbeck, could be the incentive for that? Quite tongue in cheek. I don’t think her father would appreciate that as his boss. If he’d been allowed to see it.’

47

Viviane decided to visit Sara Welbeck. She had a good excuse when the artist phoned up inquiring if she could reserve a new book on painting with acrylics. ‘It’s not that I want to use them myself but I would like to introduce my class to them.’

‘I think I can bring over a couple of books that might you might useful. And I would like to talk to you about Raymond Perkins, if I may? He was one of your pupils, wasn’t he?’

‘Yes he was. Can you pop in just after seven? If that suits you? Unless you`re working late this evening.’

‘That’ll suit me fine.’

Roger Welbeck opened the door to her. ‘Mrs Sherlborne, Sara is expecting you. I’m just fixing the evening meal. Can I offer you some? It’s rather al fresco. Pasta - tomatoes and cheese. Sara’s completing Maureen`s portrait for the Carey’s. Obviously it will mean a great deal to them now.’

‘Thank you. I’ll be pleased to accept. If it’s no trouble.’

‘Not at all. Sara likes to have company. She’s just coming down.’

‘So what do you want me to tell you about Raymond?’ Sara Welbeck smiled at her as Roger poured out the wine into Viviane`s glass.

‘Do you think his work is good? And why hasn’t he been given the chance to take a place at the Art college?’

Sara sighed. ‘This past year I’ve been trying to get the boy to do something about it. I recognized his talents. But getting Mrs Perkins to see that he should be thinking of higher things than a job in an undertakers has been a difficult task. He needs to earn a living, she says. Not to muck about with messy paints and charcoal.’

A chuckle escaped Roger Welbeck but he didn’t interrupt. ‘And Raymond takes notice of her. Give him his due he does take the job at Carey’s seriously. The main attraction at first could have been Maureen. But he’s painstaking in anything he takes on. Are you thinking he could be a murder suspect?’ she asked unexpectedly.

‘Do you think, knowing him as well as you do, that he’s capable of murder?’

Sara thought for a moment as she sipped her wine. ‘He’s a complex character, that’s for sure. Difficult to get to know at first. He has a defensive barrier he puts up when questioned. I think he’s embarrassed by his own talents.’

‘I see...’

‘But I can tell you this much, Mrs Sherlborne, June Perkins spoke to Aiden Ludlam about Raymond’s prospects in the Art world. She showed him some of Raymond’s work. And Aiden agreed with me that the boy was talented. But he felt he should keep his feet firmly on the ground. He might not be able to cope. Aiden was responsible for getting Raymond the job with Carey’s.

‘I think Mrs Perkins was afraid that Raymond would get into trouble if he did go to Art school
and become a drop out. She has always been so strict with him. And he has always been rather young for his age. Difficult to teach at school according to his school reports. Low marks in Maths, English and the basics. But high in Art. Which didn’t impress his grandmother or prospective employers.’

Viviane listened and felt sorry for Raymond. She could understand that his grandmother didn’t appreciate him having a gift that could disrupt his life so radically. But he might have been given the chance to use it. Now his life was in jeopardy because everything pointed to him as the killer. And as the facts up built up against Raymond she hoped that he would have professional help and advice.

48

‘I would like to see Inspector Kent. Or Sergeant Turner, please. It’s important.’

‘And your name, Miss?’

‘Mrs Flitch.’

‘If you would like to wait here, Mrs Flitch, I’ll see if the Inspector’s available.’

Kathy Flitch wasn`t certain if she was doing the right thing. She had thought it over well for some time. Raymond had never seemed that bad a boy. Not wicked enough to commit murder. But it was up to the Inspector to use the information as he deemed it.

‘Mrs Flitch. Thank you for coming in to see me. I’m glad you took me up on my suggestion. I take it that you wish to supply some information on the case. So can you throw any fresh light on that Sunday night?’

‘Well, yes. But it’s not directly about what happened on that evening.’ She sat down carefully on the chair offered, the short skirt of her strawberry pink sheath dress showing off her
well-shaped legs and ankles.

‘It concerns Raymond Perkins, Inspector. I think that it is something you ought to know. It might mean nothing. But it’s been on my mind ever since you came to see me last week.’ She smiled. ‘Although I don’t like to think that I’m wasting your time.’

‘Fire away. I’ll tell you soon enough if it is of any importance or not.’

‘Six years ago, I used to live next door to the Perkins. Before my
dad died and I went to live at my present address. Raymond was about twelve going on thirteen then. And June was finding him a real handful. Rebellious and damn awkward. He was still taking off on trips to London on every opportunity to find his Mum. Never made it of course. He was-is very fond of his grandmother.’ Kent nodded. ‘I am coming to it, Inspector.’

She fidgeted with her purse in her lap. ‘If you like to smoke feel free, Mrs Flitch.’ He pushed over an ashtray and leaned back in his chair to listen.’ One week to go before it’s banned in here.’

‘Thanks.’ She took out a cigarette and lit it with her lighter. She drew in on it and relaxed visibly.’ That’s better. A bad habit. But as it’s banned soon. I’m not going to enjoy telling you this.’ She hesitated. ‘Well, I started to lose washing off the line. My undies...’

‘Your underwear, Mrs Flitch?’

Kent got an idea that he knew what she was about to say. ‘Would that be your panties by any chance?’

‘Yes. That’s right.’ She looked surprised. ‘At first I couldn’t think what was happening to them. I looked through my daughter’s things. I thought she might be dressing up in them. They were expensive. A gift from a
boyfriend.’ She blew the smoke out in swirling blue rings up in the air. ‘And they weren’t from Woollies or M & S. So I got pretty angry when I realised someone was taking them piecemeal off my clothes line.

‘So I started to keep a watch. Pretended to go shopping and came back and waited.’ She flicked the ash off her cigarette into the tray. ‘And
- I caught Raymond Perkins in the act. He was snatching a pair of my panties off the line and he had three more stuffed into his jeans pocket.’

‘Raymond Perkins. So
- what did you do about it?’

‘I gave him a clip round the ear. He admitted he’d taken the others too. And June went into the shed where he kept some of his kid’s stuff and found the rest. Cut up to ribbons and no bloody good anymore.’ She frowned and tapped the ash into the ashtray. ‘That really made me see red, Inspector. And there were some small pieces of
jewellery he’d kept in a cigar box. They were all mine. They’d gone missing too. I often take off my earrings, see, and leave them by the sink in the kitchen. Still do.’ She shrugged. ‘Well I never locked my back door not till then. They weren’t worth much. It was just dress jewellery; only worth a bob or two. He could see them through the window. I got them all back.’

‘So what did you do about it afterwards?’

‘Nothing.’ She blew more smoke rings and watched them fade with narrowed eyes.

‘You didn’t inform the police?’ She shook her head. ‘Why not? Turner was the community policeman then. He could have spoken to the lad.’

‘He was a youngster and seemed genuinely sorry. June was so upset over it. She tried to pay me back and begged me not to tell anyone. Especially you lot. She didn’t want him to have a charge of stealing on his CV when he looked for a job. So I didn’t say anything to anyone. It never happened again.’

‘So you’re telling me about it now. Why is that?’

She grimaced. ‘Well - it made me feel queer at the time. It was such a weird thing for him to do. But he was at a funny age.’ She shrugged and leant over to stub out her cigarette in the ash tray. ‘Look, Inspector. I didn’t know if he was gay. Or perhaps he had transsexual leanings.’

‘So...’

‘I tried to warn June about this. But she didn’t want to know. June puts a cement block up when she doesn’t want to hear anything bad about her precious grandson. So I gave up. Only time would tell. And he hasn’t done anything like it since not as far as I know. But he had terrible tempers when he was small. And he was steaming mad when Maureen chucked him.’

‘Thank you for coming, Mrs Flitch. I’ll bear this information in mind. You’re sure that no one else but you or Mrs Perkins knows about this youthful indiscretion?’

‘I don’t think so. My daughter might remember. From the time when I went through her things and she caught some of the heated conversation between June and myself. It was a bit fraught at first. Susan has never mentioned it since though. She was only nine at the time.

‘You know he had a thing about his mother. She was known to be free with her
favours. June would kill me if she heard me saying this. Pam went to the same school as me. We’re both local girls see. She never divulged who Raymond’s father was. She was only fifteen when she had Raymond. Much too young. But I expect you know that already. Well, I’ve got that off my chest now.’

Kent smothered a smile as she brushed some ash off the dress which showed off her twin assets admirably. ‘I don’t want to get him into any serious trouble but I thought you ought to know how he behaved then. But of course it might mean nothing at all.’