The Vow - Debbie Howells Page 0,38
poisoning – most likely from an unswept chimney.’
‘What?’ I’m taken aback. She was always so organised – and something like that is completely avoidable. But it could have been caused by a combination of factors, the removal of any one of which might have meant she’d still be alive. The consumption of too much gin, which might have meant she nodded off to sleep, combined with the chimney that hadn’t been swept. Perhaps when she lit the fire, the smoke couldn’t get out, and she hadn’t noticed because of her poor eyesight and sense of smell.
PC Page continues. ‘People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by open fires. You wonder why she didn’t have a detector. You’d have thought her daughter would have made sure of it.’
‘It does sound unlikely, but I don’t think her daughter came here that often. Most of the time, Mrs Guthrie was alone.’
PC Page frowns. ‘I keep asking myself the same question. When an old woman keeps her garden meticulously, when she cooks proper meals, how come the fireplace was so neglected? Her daughter was sure she had it swept regularly. Apparently the chimney cowl was completely blackened.’
‘Her sight wasn’t good. Maybe she forgot?’ I fall silent, thinking of the dark rooms, the windows that need cleaning. ‘I suppose it could have happened gradually, so that she didn’t notice the room filling with smoke.’ I pause. ‘Are you treating her death as suspicious?’
‘No. It was a tragic accident that could have been avoided.’ She glances at her watch. ‘I really should be going.’ As she turns to open the door, she pauses briefly. ‘Take care.’ Her voice is kind, but I flinch. They’re the same words Matt said to me the last time I spoke to him.
Jess
Tall with lightly tanned skin, a ready smile, he always asked the right questions, had an apparent shared interest in whatever he thought I’d be into. At the beginning, flattered by his attention, just for a while, I fell under his spell.
When there’d been so much sadness in my mother’s life, I wanted her to be happy. After her sister died and my father left, for years it had been just her and me. And now I was about to go away. It was the perfect time for her to meet someone.
Even when the façade slipped and I saw his other side, I kept quiet. But it nagged at me, that too dazzled by the Matt she wanted to see, my mother was blind to the shadows and hairline cracks behind the illusion she trusted. Matt’s criticism was justified, he knew better than she did. And all relationships had their blips. Giving more of herself, Matt taking every last piece of her. But it was never enough.
I wonder if that’s how it was when she and my father were together. If she’d always wanted to see the best in people, had the same child-like need to feel validated. Whether she turned away from her problems, seeing them as failures, but I was too young to remember any of it.
Whether or not there was a pattern, Matt fooled her, just long enough, for her to see a different side to him. The thoughtful Matt given to grand gestures. When he gave her the ring that belonged to his grandmother, she was blown away. ‘I can’t believe he gave me this. Isn’t it beautiful?’
Made of dull gold, it was unlike the other jewellery she wore. Too heavy for her delicate hands. I wanted so much to love it, to share her joy, but as I looked at the ring, it reflected back an aura of coldness.
‘We’re getting married on a beach.’ Her eyes were shining and I felt my heart twist as she shared her dream, of wearing a simple dress, her bare feet in the sand. ‘Matt and I have been looking at Caribbean islands. I’ve found the perfect setting, Jess. It’s a small guesthouse on a Jamaican beach, with white sand and palm trees. Matt loves it too! It’s going to be so special! You and I need to go shopping for dresses!’
It sounded magical, but her excitement seemed unnatural and I couldn’t feel it. ‘Have you decided what colour, Mum?’
‘I’m not sure … Not white, but otherwise, I’m open to ideas. I want a dress that makes me feel like a princess for the day.’ Her eyes were far away. Knowing Matt represented the fairy tale, I felt myself shiver. Fairy tales were for children, not