A Woman Unknown Page 0,40
knelt in the centre aisle of the greenhouse. She whispered the ‘De profundis’, for her mother.
She would spend the night here.
She slept, and dreamed of men: of a husband who was no husband at all; of her brother, who arrived too late; of a dad she did not know but who would drink and hit out. When he tumbled down the cellar steps, it was a blessing, and in answer to a prayer made by her mother to St Rita.
In her dream, the three men perched on clouds, posing as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Her mammy’s voice echoed through the greenhouse. Am I still on this earth?
Deirdre slept soundly in the nursing home greenhouse, on the sacking that smelled of earth, mould and eternity, quite unaware of how many people very much wanted to talk with her.
After my brief meeting with Marcus and Sergeant Wilson, I drove home rather fast, and somewhat recklessly, which is not like me at all. Perhaps Marcus did not need my help. Perhaps Wilson really was very good at interviewing women, and I should not have let his attitude annoy me.
I had found out so much, and yet so little. The collusion of Archie the waiter in the matter of Runcie’s proof of adultery for the purpose of his divorce; the reasons for Anthony Hartigan’s first visit home; the connection between Deirdre and Anthony; Philippa’s suspicions of Caroline Windham; Caroline’s suspicions of Philippa and her secretary, Gideon King; the nagging feeling I had about the incident at the shoot – the near-miss. And that person who seemed to pop up everywhere, Len Diamond, with his camera on Leeds Bridge; whispering insinuations to Cyril Fitzpatrick; showing off his insider knowledge to me at the racecourse; being jostled by Gideon King, in the grandstand after Diamond attempted to photograph the Runcies and Caroline.
In not asking for my help on the case, Marcus must have uncovered so much more. I wished I knew what.
When I turned into my street, I caught sight of an upright, slender figure wearing stout shoes and a gabardine raincoat. As I drew level, I saw that it was Philippa Runcie, and waved. She waved back and called, ‘I’ll catch you up.’
I would normally have gone up to the garage, but stopped at my gate and got out, waiting for Philippa.
As she drew level, she looked behind her. ‘I wouldn’t put it past Gideon to follow me. But I don’t think he saw me leave.’
‘Why would Gideon follow you?’
‘I told you. He’s so protective. I had to come out for air. I feel I’m going mad in that house.’
‘Would you like to come in?’
‘I’d rather walk, if you don’t mind coming with me. I want to talk to you.’
‘I could do with a walk myself. I’ll just put my satchel in the house and change my shoes.’
Five minutes later, we were walking up my road, past the big house whose stable I use as a garage. The wood beyond was quiet at this time of evening, with only the distant bark of a dog. Some leaves had fallen early and crunched underfoot.
Philippa thrust her hands into her pockets. For a person who said she wanted to talk, she seemed reluctant to begin. We followed the path through the wood. Suddenly, she said, ‘While you were changing your shoes, I put an envelope on top of your filing cabinet.’
‘Oh?’
‘I wrote you a letter, in case you weren’t in.’
‘What does it say, or do you want me to wait and read it?’
A squirrel raced across our path and up a tree.
‘It’s a letter and a cheque, a retainer. When we were talking in the maze, I told you I want to find out who killed Everett. I meant it. Will you help me?’
‘I’ll help in any way I can.’
‘Not help. I shouldn’t have said help. I mean investigate, properly.’
‘But Scotland Yard is on the case, and were from the first moment.’
‘Huh! I know that the chief inspector is a friend of yours, but if you’d heard the questions his sergeant asked me today, you would be appalled. Meanwhile the perpetrator is out there and I do not feel safe.’
‘What makes you think the police are on the wrong track?’
‘Their line of questioning. The sergeant did not say this in so many words, but he thinks my family have ordered Everett’s murder, to save money, and to protect my honour.’
I guessed that this was because of the arrival at the hotel of Anthony Hartigan.