A Vicky Hill Exclusive! (10 page)

Mesmerized, we watched the
Gazette
office windows light up, one by one. The police were methodically combing the building.

Topaz turned towards me, her gaze steady. ‘What do you think happened?’

Did she really not know, or was she testing me?

Dad always maintained it was best to stay as close to the truth as possible when telling a lie. I shrugged, noncommittally. ‘Looks like a break-in to me.’

‘That’s what I thought.’ Topaz paused, before adding darkly, ‘I saw him, you know.’

‘Who?’ A horrible lump stuck in my throat.

‘The American.’

‘
American?
’ I was astonished! Pierce Brosnan was a
foreigner?

I tried to keep calm. ‘Is he one of your regulars at the cafe?’

‘Oh
no
! He’s not a customer,’ she said in a mysterious voice. ‘Most definitely not.’

‘Who is he, then?’ I could hardly contain my curiosity. How strange and convenient that the very identity of the man I wanted to know was about to be unwittingly revealed by a waitress!

Topaz nodded. ‘I know who he is, all right.’

My patience was beginning to fray. ‘Well,
who
?’ I demanded. ‘Why would he want to break into the
Gazette
?’

‘Why does anyone do anything?’ She turned to stare at me again. I hadn’t noticed before how her deep green eyes reminded me of Kaa, the snake from Disney’s
Jungle Book
.

‘Topaz—’

‘The funny thing is,’ she continued wistfully, ‘I thought you were in there, too. A midnight lover’s tryst, perhaps?’

‘You must be joking.’ I was just about to add that Pierce Brosnan had to be forty, when three policemen emerged from the alley.

‘Goody!’ Topaz gave a little squeal. ‘They’ve found something.’

I felt ill. A young policeman brought up the rear, holding the floor mop aloft as if he’d discovered the Holy Grail. His colleagues surged around him, offering congratulations, along with hearty backslaps. I forced myself to keep calm. Surely, if they found my fingerprints I could easily explain them away – after all, I worked at the
Gazette
. However, my scarf and gloves were another matter. Had they found those, too?

After some initial difficulty, the coppers managed to tie the incriminating evidence onto a panda roof rack with orange baling twine. They piled into their respective cars and sped off.

‘How frightfully exciting!’ Topaz got to her feet. ‘I expect they’ll be questioning all the neighbours in the area tomorrow morning.’

Would my nightmare never end? ‘Gosh. It’s late. Really must go.’ I stood up and headed towards the front door.

Topaz darted in front and beat me to it. ‘Vicky, you still haven’t told me what
you
were doing over there in the middle of the night.’ She leant her back against the door, covering the handle with her body.

I felt more than a little alarmed. The cafe ceased to be a friendly refuge. Topaz was scantily clad in a short cotton nightdress at odds with her mob cap. Immediately, my eyes were drawn to a silver Victorian locket she wore around her neck.

Seeing the direction of my gaze, Topaz defiantly stuck out her chest. I could feel myself blush and hastily looked away. Surely she hadn’t thought I was looking at her
breasts?

‘Please tell me,
please
?’ she said coyly.

Recalling another of Dad’s favourite sayings,
‘Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,’
I forced myself to stay calm. ‘Topaz, you and I are kindred spirits . . .’ I began, taking care to cross my fingers behind my back. I wasn’t really lying. ‘I’ve not been sleeping recently. My mind is always working on stories . . . thinking up new ideas. You know how it is?’

Topaz’s expression remained blank. She didn’t say a word, just stood there with her hands on her hips. I rambled on. ‘I couldn’t sleep so I decided to come to the office and work there rather than disturb my landlady. And, wouldn’t you know it! No sooner had I got to the
front
door, the alarm went off and—’

‘You got scared,’ said Topaz, her disappointment plain.

‘That’s it!’ I was relieved. ‘Scared to death actually. Then you came outside and . . . you know the rest. Must go. Really tired.’

Topaz nodded her head slowly. ‘So, let me see. When the police question me, do I say that I saw you, or not?’

‘I’m sorry?’ I was confused. What was wrong with the stupid girl? She wore a strange expression on her face that I didn’t like one bit.

‘Of course, you saw me. Why lie?’ I said, all wide-eyed innocence. ‘I’m not hiding anything.’

‘Is that what you want me to say?’ said Topaz. ‘You really,
really
want me to?’

‘Why ever not?’ I didn’t feel so sure now. Topaz was a peculiar creature. What had she been doing up all hours of the night spying on the unsuspecting public? Was she looking for material for future blackmail?

With a sigh, Topaz opened the front door of the cafe. She stepped outside and peered up and down the High Street. ‘The coast is clear. Everyone’s gone home.’

‘Which is exactly where I am heading.’

Topaz quickly put her hand on my arm and leaned in closer. For an awful moment, I thought she was going to try to kiss me. ‘I’m looking forward to our drink tomorrow. Oh! It
is
tomorrow already.’

‘Me too,’ I said, anxious to get away and wishing I hadn’t been so forthcoming in accepting her invitation.

At last I headed for home. It had been an extraordinary night, albeit disturbing. What if Pete found out I’d taken the coroner’s report and fired me? Even worse, what if I were arrested for breaking and entering? Oh God! The repercussions could be
huge
.

When my parents fled to Spain, I had strict instructions never to call them in case Interpol traced the phone number. If I were interrogated, it would only be a matter of time until the cops found out the truth – unless I pretended to be an orphan. No one knew about my family here in Devon. An orphan, alone in the world, wasn’t such a bad idea. Of course, I’d have to think of a way to kill my parents off – a car accident would do nicely. I wasn’t superstitious. Naturally it would have happened a long time ago – somewhere they couldn’t check, like Africa.

That decided, I turned my attentions to the night’s revelations. Topaz knew who Pierce Brosnan was. Perhaps she had inside information on his relationship to Lady Trewallyn. Better still, maybe she knew why he was so interested in Dave Randall and his photographs.

It was probably a good idea to keep our drinks arrangement. Alcohol was good for loosening up inhibitions. I could ply her with cheap sherry – she looked the type – though I wondered if I could trust her. Who was Topaz Potter and how did she know so much? Why take so much interest in my American?

Glancing at my watch, I realized it was almost 3.30 a.m. but, like Christiane Amanpour, I never gave in to tiredness. It took a certain kind of person to be a successful investigative journalist.

I was on the brink of a great discovery and even beginning to look forward to the evening ahead with Topaz. But first, another busy day at the
Gazette
beckoned. I was ready.

E
ven though I expected the police to pay the
Gazette
a morning visit, the sight of the panda parked outside the office with its flashing blue lights still made me feel quite ill. A crowd of nosy bystanders had already begun to assemble in the High Street. How typical of the cops to make a mountain out of a molehill, unless Topaz had already talked and they realized they had a real crime on their hands – breaking and entering. Over at The Copper Kettle the sign on the door said
CLOSED
.

I gritted my teeth and eased my way to the
Gazette
entrance through the jostling mob where Barbara, pale and anxious, was holding the door open a crack. I only hoped if I were arrested and taken down to the station, the cops would have mercy and cover my face with a black hood.

The memory of my poor dad’s sentencing at the Old Bailey came flooding back. How he must have suffered! I was only ten at the time and not allowed to attend the trial. Mum and I watched Dad being taken away on
News at Six
. I was so excited to see him on the telly, unaware that this kind of notoriety was not something to brag about. School the following day had been particularly gruesome.

Slipping through the glass front door, Barbara slammed and locked it behind me. I forced myself to adopt a devil-may-care attitude. ‘What are those little boys in blue doing here?’

‘That rusty old alarm went off last night.’ Barbara pulled the door blind down. ‘Someone tried to break in.’

‘Anything stolen?’

‘I don’t think so.’ Barbara’s usual bright-eyed curiosity was replaced with an expression I’d seen on my mother’s face every time the police paid us a visit. Fear. Could Barbara be hiding something?

‘Vicky,’ shouted Pete. ‘Over here.’

Everyone was present. Pete, Tony, and Edward, along with two policemen who seemed to be talking to someone – obviously Annabel – seated in one of the brown leatherette chairs.

I approached the group with my chin held high. There was nothing to worry about. These men were country coppers, not hardened veterans from Scotland Yard.

My bravado evaporated the moment I realized it wasn’t Annabel in the chair. It was Topaz – and what’s more, she was wearing my
scarf
! She must have taken it when I was inside the building. I felt dizzy with the implications.

She also had my gloves, which she waved cheerfully in my direction. ‘Vicky! Come and join us!’

I gave a sick smile just as Topaz stood up and engulfed me in a huge embrace. ‘I was just telling everyone what fun we had last night. I’ve told them everything.’

There was a deathly hush, apart from a snigger, presumably from Pete, who saw sex in any situation – Topaz’s insinuation must be making his day. Why hadn’t I seen it before? Topaz must be a lesbian. Last night, or rather early this morning, she had mistakenly believed I’d been scrutinizing her breasts and not the silver locket around her neck.

Hadn’t she jumped on top of me in the cafe and stayed there far longer than necessary in her flimsy nightdress? Hadn’t she appeared to want to kiss me when we bade each other goodnight?

I found myself gawping at Topaz who, grinning like a Cheshire cat, seemed to be revelling in the attention. Why was she tormenting me? I hardly knew her, and to my knowledge, had never done her any harm. True, I had not left her a tip yesterday, but surely she couldn’t be that petty?

Thank God Annabel was not there to enjoy my embarrassment. Perhaps she had suffered another attack of diarrhoea.

‘Ms Hill?’ said the younger of the two policemen. ‘I’m Detective Constable Probes.’ I recognized him as the one who carried the mop from the alley last night. Up close he looked barely older than me. Tall, with bright red hair and a forest of freckles spattered all over his face, he was actually quite attractive. It was a pity he was a copper.

‘And I’m Detective Inspector Stalk,’ barked his partner, idly tapping his truncheon against the back of Topaz’s chair. Stalk was a bearded thug. His reputation in Gipping was legendary, as he regularly hauled innocent kids in off the streets to accuse them of ‘casing a joint’ or ‘behaving in a way that threatened society’. Nine times out of ten, the kids were released and Stalk’s dream of a promotion to Plymouth remained just that – a dream.

My heart sank. With Stalk heading the inquiry, I was as good as guilty. Then I remembered I actually
was
in fact guilty.

‘Well, now we all know who we are, I’ll be off,’ boomed Stalk. ‘DC Probes will conduct the inquiry. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.’

Thank God. Probes looked wet behind the ears. I could easily handle him.

Pete stepped forward. ‘Why don’t we all go into the nook?’ he suggested. ‘It’s bad publicity for the
Gazette
to see cops swarming around in reception.’

Topaz bounded to her feet. ‘Where’s the nook?’ she said, grabbing my hand. I shrank from her touch. ‘It sounds so cosy.’

‘You’ve got ten minutes of my time, officer,’ said Pete, who was clearly edgy, having one cigarette on the go, and another already lit. ‘Vicky and I have some business to attend to this morning.’

‘We do?’ My heart sank. Pete never included me in any of his
business
.

‘No point you hanging around, Topaz,’ Pete said. ‘I’m sure the officer wants to talk to us alone,’

‘No. I just need Ms Hill.’ Probes gave me a pleasant smile. His teeth were small and reminded me of a shark’s.

‘I’m the bloody chief reporter. I should be there.’ Pete mouthed something incomprehensible at me and wiggled his eyebrows – probably scared I’d mention his illegal arrangement with Brian.

‘Well,
I
think
I
should stay in case you have any more questions.’ Topaz flopped down on the leatherette chair and pointedly began to play with the tassels on my scarf.

Pete squeezed Topaz’s shoulder. ‘Come on, luv, if you’re needed, DC Probes knows where to find you.’