Peppercorn Street (25 page)

‘Well, in view of what you’ve told me, no one ought to touch anything,’ the female officer said. ‘We don’t want to destroy any evidence.’

‘Let’s go and sit outside on the garden bench,’ Dan said.

Winifred sat down there with a sigh ‘It’s getting me down having to fend off these – these
happenings
all the time.’

‘Well, you’re not alone today,’ Hazel said. ‘I can—’ She stopped. ‘Sounds like Dawn’s car. Let’s go round to meet her, catch her before she sees the police.’

Dawn had a man with her, balding, wearing thick glasses and very casually dressed. They both turned as the three rounded the corner of the house.

And Winifred shamed herself by bursting into tears.

Dawn was by her side in an instant, but her companion wasn’t far behind her.

He interrupted to say, ‘Look, Miss Parfitt, I know it’s embarrassing but will you please let me take a photo of you now, while you’re in tears. It’ll be brilliant evidence against those who’re harassing you.’

‘Why not?’ She couldn’t stop weeping anyway. She’d never, ever let go of her emotions like this, not since she was a tiny child, not even when her mother died.

The two police officers came to stand at the front door, looking embarrassed.

Just then a car drew up and Ms Stevenall got out. She spoke to the police as if Winifred couldn’t understand her. ‘Poor old dear. She definitely needs looking after.’

That was all it needed for Winifred to pull herself upright and glare at her. ‘How dare you patronise me like that? I don’t know what you’re doing here, but believe me, you’re neither wanted
nor
needed.’

‘Who sent you?’ Dawn asked as her companion moved back a little to take a photo of the newcomer.

Ms Stevenall rounded on him. ‘Don’t you dare take photos of me. Stop that this minute.’

‘I was photographing the whole scene, not just you.’ He looked at Winifred. ‘You did want me to make a record of this, did you not, Miss Parfitt? For the court case?’

She hadn’t a clue what he was talking about but if he’d come with Dawn, she trusted him. ‘I certainly did.’

‘I’m only trying to look after her,’ Ms Stevenall told everyone.

‘Why?’ Dawn asked.

‘Because she’s not capable of looking after herself. Her house is in a mess, she’s forgetful and her nephew has an enduring power of attorney, so he’s worried that he might have to exercise it.’

Winifred glared at her. ‘Bradley does not have an enduring power of attorney any longer.
If
that’s any business of yours, which it isn’t.’

Ms Stevenall gaped at her. ‘But … he showed me a copy of it.’

‘I had it cancelled last month.’

Stevenall pulled herself together and said scornfully, ‘A cancellation might be invalid if you’re not in a stable state of mind.’

As Dawn began to speak, Winifred raised one hand to stop her and forced herself to speak calmly. It seemed important that she stand up for herself. ‘That’s why my lawyer suggested it might be wise to see my doctor and get a letter from him stating that I was in full possession of my faculties before I cancelled it.’

There was silence, then Dan chuckled. ‘And yesterday, she was the star of the beginners’ computer class. There’s nothing wrong with our Winifred’s mind, young woman. It’s her nephew who needs help. He sounds like a conniving
devil, out to snatch his inheritance before it’s due.’

‘He should know her better than strangers do,’ Ms Stevenall insisted, but less forcefully.

‘I’m no stranger. I’m a close friend,’ he said at once. ‘And so is Hazel.’

Winifred could have hugged him. It made her feel warm inside to have such loyal friends.

Dawn offered her a mobile phone. ‘Let’s ring your lawyer now and ask him—’

‘Her!’ Winifred said.

‘… her to send someone along to show Ms Stevenall the relevant documentation.’

The social worker glared at them and turned to the journalist. ‘I hope you’ll go and look inside her house before you write up your story.’

‘I shall. I’ll do some very careful research into all aspects of it. Just one thing. You haven’t been inside yet. How did you know about the mess?’

‘Her nephew told me what it’s like all the time. But I’ll leave you to manage this, if you can, and we’ll see where that leads you. You’ll be calling me back in to help, mark my words.’ Ms Stevenall marched back to her car.

‘Let’s go and photograph the mess,’ Dawn said. ‘Oh, and by the way, this is Jim. He’s a friend of Kieran Jones down the street, and he’s an investigative journalist too. It seems there are a few suspicious things happening in our town.’

‘Well, someone’s definitely broken into my house. I’ll have to have the locks changed again.’ Winifred sighed.

One of the police officers said, ‘If you can just wait until someone comes to check things out before you touch
anything, Miss Parfitt. We don’t want to destroy any evidence, do we?’

And for the first time in her life, she corrected that to, ‘
Ms
Parfitt, if you don’t mind.’

To one side she saw Dan clapping his hands silently and grinning; to the other, Hazel and Dawn were standing close, as if on guard.

She’d get through this. No one was going to drive her from her home.

Janey had been looking forward to going to college again. She went by taxi, because she’d promised Kieran. She kept a careful eye out as they drove along the streets, but there was no sign of Gary. Well, he was like her father, not a morning person. She’d often heard the two of them cursing early morning starts at work.

When she got to the crèche she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling safe now.

Al was waiting for her outside the classroom and as they ate lunch together, she asked him rather hesitantly if he would walk her home afterwards.

‘That fellow still stalking you?’

She nodded.

‘Of course I will.’

She enjoyed his company. They never seemed to run out of conversation.

When they got back, she asked shyly, ‘Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?’

He glanced at his watch. ‘Another time I’d love it, but I’ve got a part-time job at the supermarket, so I can’t today.’

‘All right.’ She waved him goodbye and pressed the combination on the new lock before using her key. That lock made her feel so much safer.

But when she unlocked the door of her flat, it suddenly swung inwards and Gary grabbed her. He said in a very low voice, ‘If you value your daughter’s life, you won’t say a word about who I am. Now, tell your neighbour you’ve changed your mind about seeing me and send her home.’

Only then did she see Miss Fairbie sitting hunched on the sofa, looking terrified. ‘Has he hurt you?’

‘A bruise or two. I can’t believe he’s come back. Everyone knows who he is.’

Janey tried to decide what to do, but couldn’t seem to think clearly. She only knew she didn’t want anyone else hurting. ‘I – think you’d better go home.’

Gary smiled. ‘I apologise for troubling you.’

She looked at Janey, not him. ‘Will you be all right? I think we should call the police.’

She saw Gary shaking the buggy suggestively and added hastily, ‘I’ll make sure he buys you some flowers as an apology. He can be a bit rough at times, doesn’t know his own strength. I’m still angry at my father, you see. But I … um, don’t want him to worry.’

‘Well, if you’re sure …?’ She moved towards the door.

When the door had closed behind her, Janey said, ‘You’ll never get away with this.’

‘I have done already. I know her sort. She won’t talk. She has her own secrets.’

Millie chose that moment to start crying, picking up her mother’s fear.

Gary looked at the infant sourly. ‘Got a good pair of lungs on her, I’ll give her that.’

‘She needs changing and feeding. If I don’t, she’ll keep on crying.’

‘Do it quickly, then. You and me have some unfinished business and we don’t want her interrupting us. I like to take my time.’

Feeling terrified and helpless, she went to get Millie’s food and he followed her into the kitchen area.

‘Don’t get any knives out. I’ll do any cutting that’s needed.’

As if she’d let him touch Millie’s food!

She tried desperately to think how to get rid of him but he stuck so close to her, she had no chance to find any sort of weapon. The thought of him touching her in that way again made her feel physically sick.

William went to the end of the street and looked along it. No one around and next-doors’ car was gone now. Good. He hurried down to his own house and slipped round the back.

Inside, he went up to his room and packed a bag of clothes and another of things he wanted to keep, then he went out to the garage through the kitchen entrance. His father’s car was there. Maybe he should take it and ride around in comfort for a while? No, it had an anti-theft device, and even if he got round that, they had ways of identifying cars from the number plate. It’d lead the police straight to him, that car would.

The spare can of petrol was empty, which made him curse. His father had certainly let things slip recently.

He had to find a tube and siphon some petrol out of the car’s tank, so his preparations took longer than he’d expected.

Excitement rising in him now, he splashed petrol on the car upholstery, set his packed bags outside the back door and took the can of petrol upstairs. He went into the master bedroom and began to splash petrol around there. It was only right that the fire should start in his father’s room.

He splashed petrol in each bedroom to ensure that the fire would spread quickly, then looked at his watch. He was only five minutes late. His dad would forgive him that.

He took out the box of matches and struck one. It went out. Annoyed he struck another, waited till it was burning steadily then tossed it on to the petrol-soaked bed.

The bedding burst into flame with a loud whoosh and he laughed aloud, standing watching it for a minute or two, then raising one hand in a salute. ‘Vikings! Warrior’s funeral! This is for you, Dad.’

He laughed as he walked to each of the other bedrooms, flinging matches inside, pleased when they too caught alight easily. The flames were burning brightly now, crackling and roaring as they jumped from one piece of furniture to another. He stopped halfway down the stairs to watch a door frame burst into flame, relishing the sight, swelling with pride at his handiwork.

He paused in the kitchen to stuff the last few cans and packets of food into a shopping bag. The fire was roaring nicely upstairs now, though there was hardly anyone around to see it at this time of day.

He opened the back door, intending to go and set the car
alight, and walked straight into two policemen. Cursing, he struggled but they were ready for him and soon had him cuffed so tightly he couldn’t get away.

‘Where’s that damned fire engine?’ one said.

Just then the window of the master bedroom burst outwards and flames shot everywhere.

William laughed. ‘It’s too late. Too bloody late!’ He laughed as they stuffed him into the back of their car and continued to laugh as they waited for the fire brigade. He’d done a good job.

‘See how you like that, you stupid bitch!’ he yelled as they moved the car to make room for the fire engine.

Nicole thanked people for attending the funeral and invited them to join her at a local pub for a drink and nibbles, but everyone said they had to get off. Only Tracey lingered, heaven knew why.

As Nicole stood watching the relatives go, a police car drove up and a female officer got out, straightening her hat and uniform top before walking across to Tracey.

‘Mrs Gainsford?’

Tracey promptly burst into tears and the officer shot a harassed glance at Nicole.

Reluctantly she moved forward. ‘I’m Nicole Gainsford,’ she told the officer quietly. ‘Just a moment.’

She turned to Sam’s mistress. ‘It’s time for you to go. If you have anything else to say to me, you can do it through my lawyer. I’ve written his name down.’ She offered a piece of card.

‘You’ll definitely be hearing from me!’ Tracey said.
‘My baby’s not being done out of his inheritance.’

‘It’s a boy?’

‘Yes. And I’m going to call him Sam for his father. And I’m not going till I’m ready to leave.’

Paul moved forward. ‘You’ve bothered my mother enough. Go away now.’

She looked at him, pressed a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered away on her ridiculously high heels, pulling out some car keys, dropping them and letting the male police officer pick them up for her.

Nicole watched her for a moment, wondering yet again what Sam had seen in a woman like that, then turned back to the officer. ‘What did you want to see me about?’ It’d be William, of course. What else could it be? Perhaps they’d caught him. She hoped so. Maybe if he got treatment …

‘It’s bad news, I’m afraid. Your house is on fire. It was well alight before anyone notified the fire brigade and there’s nothing they can do to save it – though they did manage to push the car out of the garage, if that’s any consolation.’

She couldn’t take it in for a moment or two.

Kieran asked, ‘How did it catch fire? Does anyone know?’

The officer sighed. ‘Your son William started it. He was caught leaving the house just as the flames really got hold upstairs. He’s being held at the police station but he’s refusing to say anything. Do you want to come and see him? He’s – um, apparently been a bit violent, but he’s not eighteen yet so we need a responsible adult.’

‘My brother’s been taking designer steroids,’ Paul said. ‘I think he’s gone mad.’ He hugged his mother. ‘Don’t cry.
Please don’t cry, Mum. We’ve got somewhere to live and we’ve saved some of our things. We’ll be all right.’

‘I’m crying for William, for what he’s turned into.’ She felt Kieran’s arm go round her and leaned against him. ‘I don’t want to go to the police station yet. I don’t want to see William. I’ve just cremated my husband. All I want is to go back to my new flat and sit quietly.’

‘I’ll come with you, Mum,’ Paul said. ‘You shouldn’t be on your own.’

‘I can take you both home,’ Kieran offered, ‘then I’ll go and see what’s happening at your house, if you like.’

She felt too tired to say anything but, ‘Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’ For a moment their eyes met and they didn’t need words to communicate their feelings. But it wasn’t the time to bring them out into the open.

Kieran turned to the officers. ‘All right if I call a taxi and take her home?’

They looked at one another.

‘We’ll take you home, Mrs Gainsford. It’ll be quicker.’

Nicole got into the car, closed her eyes and leant back, surprised when someone told her they’d arrived.

Kieran came to the front door with her, but she stopped in the doorway. ‘I need to be on my own for a while, if you don’t mind. I’ll be all right. I promise.’

‘OK. I’ll call back later.’ Outside Kieran said to the officers, ‘I’d better get my car. I can’t walk very far yet and you won’t want to be ferrying me home from the fire afterwards. I live just down the street.’

‘We’ll take you to see the fire and bring you back, Mr Jones.’

They didn’t stay long. Even though the worst of the fire was out, the house was a lost cause – blackened, stinking, dripping with water. There was a car parked in the street, with the doors open, but it reeked of petrol.

‘Needs cleaning professionally before you can use it again, sir,’ one of the firemen said to him.

‘Do you know where I can get that done?’

‘Darby’s, in Swindon. Give them a ring and they’ll come and fetch it.’

‘Thanks. Mrs Gainsford is too upset to come here at the moment. She’s just had her husband’s funeral.’

‘She’s copping it hard, isn’t she? The neighbour said she doesn’t live here any more. Do you have her phone number and address?’

Kieran took out a card and crossed his own details off, scribbling Nicole’s address and phone number on the back.

On the way back, he used his mobile to arrange for the car to be picked up.

As they turned into Peppercorn Street, Kieran shouted, ‘Stop!’

‘What’s the matter?’

‘That car. It belongs to a man who’s been stalking one of my tenants.’

The driver braked sharply. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Very sure. Why?’

‘That’s a police car, a surveillance vehicle from the next district. It’s a bit of a joke because everyone knows it by sight.’

‘The guy who’s stalking her is a policeman. Could you go forward slowly but stop before you get to my block of
flats? I think he’ll be there.’ Kieran stared up and down the street, but could see no sign of Gary, which worried him even more.

‘Um – you wouldn’t happen to know this stalker’s name, would you?’

‘Gary Yarford.’

Both his companions sucked in air sharply.

‘You know him?’

‘Well, he’s the sergeant of a neighbouring district. This isn’t his patch, strictly speaking, but we work with other teams quite often. Why are you so sure he’ll be at your place, Mr Jones?’

‘He’s been stalking one of my tenants. I’ve seen him doing it.’ He thought rapidly. ‘You don’t have any plain clothes with you, do you?’ he asked the female officer. ‘A jacket or something. Only I’m not much use in a fight these days, so I thought you could walk to the flats with me, pretending you’re my girlfriend, and then we can check things out quietly.’

‘Can do.’

‘Yarford will cause trouble if he finds out you’ve been getting involved,’ the male officer warned her. ‘He’s not the sort you mess with unless you’ve got absolute proof and we only have Mr Jones’s word for this.’

‘How the hell are you going to get proof if no one will confront him?’ Kieran demanded.

The female officer had a determined look on her face. ‘I haven’t said anything at work but Yarford sexually harassed a friend of mine, so I believe it of him. I will walk into the flats with you, Mr Jones, and have a quick look round, at least.’

As the two of them walked from the street into the car park, arm in arm, his companion suddenly swung him round and said, ‘Pretend to kiss me and move so that you can see the upstairs windows.’ Surprised, he did as she asked and saw Miss Fairbie standing at her window, signalling to him and pointing to the next flat.

He saw the outline of a man briefly in the window of Janey’s flat. ‘Something’s wrong. Take a look.’ He turned slightly so that his companion could see the building.

‘I’d say there’s trouble,’ she agreed.

‘Did you see the man in the other window? No? Well, I did. Yarford must be inside. How the hell did he get in? I had all the locks changed.’

‘Walk on past or he’ll get suspicious. Act like a guy in love.’

So they walked across the car park, stopping for another brief fake kiss, then going round to the side door of his flat, where she immediately let go of him and became very businesslike.

‘Show me where to go, then ring this number on your landline. He may be tuned into the police network so I don’t want to call in directly. Tell them Sandra Collins needs backup and give them this address. Then leave it to me unless I shout to you to fetch Harry from the car.’

Kieran handed her a master key. ‘This’ll get you into Janey’s flat.’

‘Good.’ She took off her bright pink jacket and pulled out her police hat, jamming it firmly on her head.

Kieran left her climbing quietly up the stairs and went to ring the number she’d given him. The minute he mentioned Sandra’s then Yarford’s name, the person at
the other end became very attentive. After he’d explained what was going on, he was told a car was on its way. He went into the hall, not liking to leave Sandra on her own confronting a senior officer. Voices floated down to him.

He crept upstairs, hoping there wasn’t a stalemate, hoping desperately that Yarford didn’t have an excuse for being there and that Janey would have the courage to accuse him.

Janey ran out of ways to prolong Millie’s meal and nappy change. She was nearly sick with fear by now. Then someone knocked on the door of her flat and hope flared.

Gary stiffened. ‘Expecting someone?’

She hitched her shoulders. ‘Friends pop in all the time.’

‘Well, tell them to go away.’ His eyes fell on the infant. ‘Say the baby’s sick.’ He pulled Millie out of her arms. ‘I’ll hold her for you. A bit of insurance, shall we say?’

She gasped. ‘Don’t hurt her.’

The knock came again.

‘Go and answer it, damn you.’ He moved into the bedroom with the baby.

She went to the door, opening it to see a police officer there. She mouthed ‘Help!’ before she spoke. ‘Yes?’

‘We’re checking all the flats. There’s a dangerous intruder on the loose in the district, an arsonist. He’s broken into several flats.’

‘Well, he’s not here.’ She pulled a face and tried to show that someone was there and the other woman nodded. ‘I need to come in and check.’

‘My baby’s not well. She’s in the bedroom. I don’t want to disturb her.’

‘Oh, I’ll be very quick. Will you stand aside, please?’

The door to the bedroom opened and Gary came out, carrying Millie. ‘There’s no intruder here, Officer. But I commend your care.’

‘Sergeant Yarford!’

‘I’m a friend of the family, aren’t I, Janey?’

She didn’t dare contradict him, but couldn’t bring herself to say yes.

‘Even so, sir, I have to check. You know what my sergeant is like, a stickler for doing everything by the book.’

He smiled. ‘Go ahead and check.’ He sat down in an armchair, still holding the baby.

Janey stood near the door, terrified he’d hurt Millie if she said anything, terrified of not speaking out, too.

Outside in the hall, Kieran had been eavesdropping. It sounded as if the fellow was holding Millie. If he hurt that child …

He rapped on the door and entered the flat without waiting, seeing the terror on his tenant’s face at once. ‘Janey, I’ve come for— Oh, sorry. Didn’t realise you had visitors. Look, we’re due at my friends’ house in quarter of an hour. I’d expected you to be ready.’

‘She can’t go with you,’ Gary said at once. ‘She’s promised to ring her parents and that’s much more important than a social event.’

Kieran moved across the room, exaggerating his limp. ‘It’s not a social outing. It’s a part-time job offer and if she mucks them around, they’ll give the job to the next person on the list. Hand me the baby and I’ll hold her while Janey gets ready. You’ll have to come back another time.’

Even as he spoke, he reached out for the baby and for
a minute there was a tussle, then the police officer came across to them and Gary let go.

Kieran moved quickly back, holding Millie carefully, but he wasn’t going to let it go at that. ‘I know this is difficult, but if you
don’t
take Yarford in for questioning, I’ll be complaining to my friend the Commissioner.’ He gave Janey the baby.

With Millie safe in her arms, she blurted out, ‘Gary came and threatened me, said I had to … to let him … It’s rape when you don’t want to do it and he’s done it to me before.’ She burst into tears.

‘Only her word against mine,’ Yarford smiled, not looking in the least upset.

Janey cried even harder.

‘There’s my word, too,’ said a voice by the door and Miss Fairbie came in. ‘He made me let him into her flat earlier, Constable, threatened me if I didn’t do as he said. I should think my washing is still lying on the ground at the back, where I dropped it when he grabbed me.’

Yarford’s smile turned into a scowl. ‘I told you it was a joke, to surprise Janey.’

‘It was no joke. You terrified me. And her.
And
you said if I phoned the police, she’d suffer.’

‘I deny saying that, but I did make a misjudgement and if I frightened you, I apologise.’

He turned to Janey. ‘As I’ve been telling you, your father sent me. He wants me to persuade you to go home. Since you wouldn’t speak to me or let me in, I used my initiative.’

He turned to the officer. ‘Her father’s Lionel Dobson. I’ll give you his address and phone number. He’ll confirm what I’ve told you.’

‘In the meantime, sir, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to come down to the station till it’s all sorted out.’

‘You’ll have egg on your face if you insist on that. Just ring him now.’

‘No egg on my face from doing my duty, sir. If you’ll please come with me?’

‘You’ll be sorry. You’re too inexperienced to recognise a liar when you see one, and this sweet young lady is a very accomplished liar, as her father will bear out.’

When Yarford had left with the police officer, still smiling, Janey sank into a chair and tried to stop crying. ‘He’ll get away with it. You’ll see. He persuaded my father that I was lying after he raped me. He always gets away with things.’

Miss Fairbie sighed. ‘She’s right. Sods like him usually escape.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ Kieran said grimly.

‘I’m going to ask to go into a women’s refuge,’ Janey said. ‘The only thing I can do now is get right away from this part of the country. I don’t understand why he won’t leave me alone.’

‘Even if you leave, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder,’ Miss Fairbie said quietly. ‘I know because that’s what it’s like for me, why I don’t go out unless I have to.’

She looked at Kieran. ‘Don’t you have any contacts who can help you nab Yarford? You used to be quite famous for investigative journalism. Surely you can pull a few rabbits out of the hat?’