Murder My Neighbour (23 page)

Vera sniffed and stood up. ‘Oh well, this won't get the baby his supper, will it? What you must think of me, carrying on like this! You'd like your bed changed, right? And the bathroom cleaned.' Still talking, Vera went into the bathroom and came back with the radio. ‘You had an accident? Thomas said you'd had a fall . . . over the radio? What a shame.' She clicked the switch several times. ‘It's quite dead. What shall I do with it?'

Ellie suppressed a shudder. She wanted to say, ‘Throw it away,' but decided against it for some reason. ‘Put it in the bottom of the wardrobe for now.' She struggled into her dressing gown and made it to the chair by the window. What was the time? Perhaps she could manage some more food soon? She told herself not to think about who would have to make it; Mia or Rose. They'd have to sort that out between themselves. Perhaps Thomas would do it?

‘Vera, Thomas tells me you've got a new partner today. What's happened to Pet?'

‘Holiday time, innit?' Vera set about changing the bed. ‘Didn't give us much notice this time. Some cousin of her husband's wants them to house-sit, down on the Isle of Wight. Jammy whatsits. Wish I had a cousin in the country who wanted me to house-sit. Lovely weather, too. When we go out for the day, it's raining, likely as not.'

The doorbell rang downstairs. Ellie had heard it ringing every now and then that morning but had managed to ignore it.

Vera floated a clean sheet on to the bed. ‘That'll be another bouquet for you no doubt, and Fritz said he'd be popping round sometime. Said you have something of his you were keeping for him.'

Ellie suppressed a grin. Yes, Fritz should be grateful to her for concealing evidence on his behalf. She wondered what form his gratitude might take. A basket of vegetables taken from the Pryce garden, perhaps?

Vera shook up pillows and placed them on the bed. ‘There was one huge bouquet came, but Thomas told the florist to take it to the church or something. From your daughter?' Curiosity leaked out of her eyes.

‘Possibly,' said Ellie, trying to be non-committal. ‘Who else called, do you know?'

‘Dunno. Thomas said as how he was guarding the fort, and no one else was to answer the door or the phone. He got Rose to lock the back door, too. He don't do things by halves, do he?'

No, he didn't. Ellie relaxed, closing her eyes. Vera whipped around the room, almost without sound. Vera was very good. Better than Pet . . .

Ellie dozed off again . . . and woke out of another nightmare, dragged herself up out of the howling wind and the water closing around her as Diana lifted the radio above her head . . .

She was sweating, crying, fearful, her heartbeat far too fast. She wiped her eyes, made herself breathe deeply. Look, you're at home in bed, no one else in the room.

The house was quiet around her. She relaxed, yawned, and stretched. She felt her strength returning. She was also hungry.

She found her watch and discovered it was past three o'clock. Hadn't anyone thought to bring her some lunch? There was no sight of a tempting snack in her room. Had they all forgotten her?

FOURTEEN

E
very movement was a drag, but she pulled on the minimum of clothing – it was a warm day so she could manage with fresh undies and a light grey cotton frock. She brushed her hair, didn't bother with make-up. Had she lost weight? Possibly. Good.

She found it necessary to hold on to the banister as she went down the stairs into the hall. She could smell freshly-made coffee and wondered peevishly why they hadn't thought to bring her some.

Everyone was in the kitchen. Rose and Mia, Thomas. Vera and her new sidekick were picking up their bags, ready to depart. They chorused, ‘Bye, Rose. Bye, Mia. Bye, Thomas. See you next week.'

And Fritz. Of course. This was the time of day when Fritz would normally have popped into the Pryce garden to attend to his vegetables, but he couldn't go round there with the police on the spot, could he?

Thomas hastened to pull out a stool for her. ‘My dear, are you sure you ought to be up?'

‘I'm fine.' Though she wasn't, really. But getting there. ‘I could do with a bite to eat and some tea perhaps.'

‘Coming up,' said Rose, smiling away. ‘Tuna sandwich on brown bread, salad on the side?'

Mia scowled at Rose. ‘I wanted to take something up for her half an hour ago.'

‘And I said, “Wait till she wakes.”' That was Thomas. ‘Ellie, why don't you go to sit in the other room and we'll bring it in to you?'

Ellie nodded and made her way to her sunny sitting room. Fritz followed her, as she'd known he would. She sank into the big high-backed chair by the fireplace, and he stood before her, brown hands clenching and unclenching, looking around him. Not caring to sit unless she told him to do so.

‘Sit down, Fritz. I've got your things in my handbag. I'll get them for you in a minute.'

He nodded, didn't take a seat. ‘I wanted to say “thank you” for helping me out. I owe you, big time. They'd have had me for breaking and entering, if they'd found that screwdriver, and if they'd known about the lighter . . .' He shrugged, spaniel eyes on hers.

Oh dear. She'd made a friend for life. ‘Think nothing of it. I didn't discover them till I got back home. Besides, I know you didn't kill her.'

‘She fell down the stairs, you think? That housecoat of hers was on the long side.'

‘It could be. But if it was an accident, then why did someone put her in the freezer?'

‘I been thinking about that. Only reason would be to delay discovery; so it wouldn't be that nasty stepdaughter of hers, who'd want the body found straight away so that she could inherit, right?'

‘I don't think Edwina Pryce had a clue where her stepmother had gone and was worried sick about her.'

He shifted his feet. ‘She might still have pushed the old dear down the stairs, which is what it looks like. But she's a poor, weak sort of creature and could never have picked the missus up, her being well built and all, to put her in the freezer. My money's on that pesky window cleaner, Jack. I reckon he popped back that last day on some excuse, putting on more padlocks maybe, and asked her for a “present” or maybe found her with her jewel box in her hand and snatched it, making her tumble. He panicked, put the body in the freezer, padlocked the doors and bingo, off he went.'

Ellie was tiring fast, but could still see the flaw in that argument. ‘Taking her car off for sale somewhere, you think? What about his own transport? He must have a van or a car to carry his ladders and other equipment around with him. I suppose he might have left it round the corner somewhere while he took her car away, and then come back for his own. But if so, why didn't he put her in her car or his van and take her off somewhere to bury her? None of this makes sense to me. Fritz; you should tell the police what you've told me, and if they think the window cleaner's involved, they'll search for him.'

A sideways look. He had no intention of approaching the police about anything. ‘That your handbag over there?' He nodded towards where it was sitting on the settee. ‘Shall I . . . ?'

‘Help yourself.' Which he did, taking only what was his.

Preparing to go, he twisted his hands. ‘I brought you an orchid, left it in the kitchen. One of my customers has a big greenhouse, big as this room maybe. I grow orchids for him, and he won't be missing it. Thought you might like it. Semi-shade, water not too often, right? It'll do nicely on that table near the window.'

He left Ellie trying not to giggle and wondering how many other customers let him use part of their gardens or greenhouses to grow his own plants. Well, that wasn't her concern, was it?

Thomas brought her a tray of luscious looking food. She ate most of it and felt better. He sat nearby, watching her every mouthful.

‘Diana called. She brought a bouquet of flowers. I told her to take it to the hospital and sent her away.'

Ellie nodded, sipped tea.

‘The police came round. I said you weren't up to seeing them.'

She nodded. She wasn't.

‘Diana said . . .' His eyes dropped from hers. ‘She's got a black eye.' Was there something else on his mind? Well, if there was, it could wait.

Ellie pushed her tray away. ‘I think I'll have another little nap. All this detecting is tiring.' And having a near death experience was even more so.

She transferred to Thomas's big La-Z-boy and relaxed.

She woke again in the twilight, feeling much, much better. She flexed her arms and stretched. Yawned. Felt almost well enough to tackle a domestic problem . . . Well, only if it were a very small domestic problem, like deciding what she wanted to eat for supper.

She'd been conscious, vaguely, of the door and telephone ringing from time to time. Thomas must have muted the bell on the phone, but nothing could be done about the doorbell. She stretched once more, heard the doorbell ring out again. And again.

Thomas put his head round the door. ‘You have a visitor from Hoopers Estate Agency. Most insistent. I said I'd ask if you were up to seeing him for five minutes.'

Mr Abel? This ought to be interesting.

It wasn't Mr Abel. It was a slightly built, dark-skinned youth with beautiful eyes and springy black hair.

‘Nirav?' she said as he came into the room, nervous, looking around him.

He nodded. She indicated that he should sit down. He did so, on the edge of the chair. ‘I need . . .' He stopped. Blushed. He was very young still.

She decided to help him out. ‘Why have you come to see me?'

‘He gave me the sack today. Said I hadn't done my job properly, had failed to look after his interests. But I had. I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen.'

‘Mr Hooper, you mean? A man of hasty temper.'

He nodded. ‘I need to work, because . . .' He stopped, but she could complete that sentence for herself. He needed to work not only for himself but also to look after his girlfriend. He settled himself more firmly in the chair. ‘I thought you might have a job for me.'

Did he want her to find him a job in Stewart's office? Really? He was an optimist, wasn't he, when he'd betrayed his previous employer's trust by moving into Disneyland?

Well, there were extenuating circumstances, and she supposed a job might be possible, but first she must clear up a little mystery. ‘When you were with Hoopers, you were responsible for seeing that the Pryce house was cleared, the meters read and the services turned off?'

He nodded. ‘I did all that, to the very letter of the law.'

‘Don't let's talk about the law here, or we'll be discussing how trespass comes into it.'

He winced.

‘You expected to see Mrs Pryce on that last day, but she didn't turn up. She left you a message of some sort?'

He was eager to explain. ‘On the answerphone. It is my job to listen to the messages first thing in the morning and make a note of what needs to be done. She said she'd decided to leave very early on her last day so that she'd be settled in her new home by teatime. She wanted us to see to sending off her last bits of furniture, and then we were to close up the house for her and get it cleaned. Which is what I did.'

‘Hold on a minute. Did you recognize her voice? Had you ever met her?'

A wide-eyed stare. ‘No, of course not. Mr Hooper made all the arrangements.'

‘It was an old woman's voice?'

‘Yes, of course.' A shrug. He didn't understand what she was getting at.

‘Do you keep the answerphone messages?'

‘No. Why should we?'

So anyone could have left that message on the answerphone on behalf of Mrs Pryce. Or perhaps it had indeed been the lady? ‘Go on. You were sent to her house to see to the last load of furniture being cleared out and to read the meters, but you didn't check that the gardener had turned off the water properly. The tap was stiff, and he had to leave it. You didn't report that, did you?'

He shifted his feet. ‘I didn't know he'd not done it properly until, well, later. I asked him to do it, and he said he had.'

But, thought Ellie, you didn't check, did you? She said, ‘So after the weekend you went back with a cleaning team. Now, for them to be able to work, you turned the electricity back on?'

‘Just for the day. The client would pay.'

‘And the water?'

‘The team had orders only to sweep and vacuum throughout, which they did. You must understand that there was a lot to be done. I trusted the gardener had done what I'd asked him to do. Mr Hooper says I should have checked and got a plumber in if the mains water couldn't be turned off, that I deserve to lose my job. But I've worked well for him all this time, and I don't think—'

‘Does he know you were dossing down there?'

Silence.

Ellie sighed. She thought Nirav had given ample grounds for his dismissal. ‘Well, let's leave that for the moment. When did the window cleaner put padlocks on the outside doors?'

‘The day she left. Friday.'

‘Was that before or after the car disappeared?'

‘The car? Mrs Pryce took the car before we arrived on Friday.'

‘I see. And did Jack, the window cleaner, give you the keys to the padlocks when he'd fitted them, or did he hang them up in the kitchen somewhere?'

‘He gave me two, and I handed them in to the agency with the other keys for the house.'

Ellie counted on her fingers. How many padlocks had there been originally? Garage outer door, one each to get in and out of the covered yard, one for the door from the yard into the garage, and one for the tool shed at the end. Had there been another door from the yard? She couldn't remember. Well, make it five, minimum.