Shroud of Silence (8 page)

A doctor who’d been summoned hastily to the scene now gave it as his confident opinion that the body had been in the water for some hours. Almost certainly all night.

The coroner found no reason to suspect foul play, and the possibility that Brian had taken his own life was firmly ruled out. Without doubt, it was an accidental death. A dark night, water on either side of the narrow road.... It would have been easy enough for a man to miss his footing, trip and fall stunned into the pond.

As Bill had told me, the coroner in his kindly discretion had drawn a veil over Brian’s alcoholic state.

I wondered what sort of discretion had prompted Bill to skip telling me that he had found the body. He’d not appeared reticent when talking about Brian’s death. In fact, he’d been almost flippant, until he’d touched on Brian’s weakness for women. My comeback that I knew about it already had seemed to scare him off.

My spotty friend came wandering over. “Have you found what you wanted, miss?”

“Yes, thank you. Would you still have a spare copy of this one—October twelfth?”

“Could be. We’ve got back numbers from the Ark onwards. I’ll just have a look.”

I was in luck. I walked out into the morning sunshine a few minutes later with the relevant cutting carefully folded and put away in my handbag.

A clock in the window of a bank opposite showed eleven-five. My search had taken me well over an hour.

There was still time for a quick look round Chichester before returning to pick up Jane. I was supposed to be spending a couple of hours shopping here, so I ought to have a rough idea of the general layout.

I had taken scarcely a dozen steps towards the Market Cross when a voice called from behind.

“Miss Bennett!”

I swung round. Drew Barrington was hurrying to catch me up. He was smiling in a friendly way, a pleasant change for him.

“I thought I might possibly run into you. I had to bring the Land Rover in to collect a load of fish food from the railway station.”

Foolishly, and for no reason at all, I found I’d lost my tongue.

He edged me to the side of the crowded pavement. “You’re not going back just yet, are you?”

“Well ... I’ll have to soon, to pick up Jane from school.”

He checked with his watch quickly, “There’s time for some coffee first. Won’t you join me?”

“I’d like to.”

Bypassing the shoppers, he guided me expertly through a couple of back streets and into the rear entrance of a hotel. In no time at all we were at a quiet table in a Tudored-over lounge, the coffee ordered. Then, while we waited, there was an awkward silence.

 Suddenly Drew shot at me, “I realize you didn’t at all approve of the muddle about getting Jane to school this morning.”

I wasn’t going to dissemble on that subject. “You see, Mr. Barrington, no child likes to feel a nuisance. And in Jane’s case it’s vital that she shouldn’t get such an idea about herself. Her handicap already gives her a sense of inferiority and insecurity, without it being made ten times worse.” I looked at him guardedly. “I’m sorry if that sounded like a lecture.”

“Not at all.” He paused while the waiter brought the coffee tray. “You’re quite right to be critical. We were all at fault, and I’ll certainly see it doesn’t happen again.”

I picked up the coffeepot. “Black?”

“Oh, just a little cream.”

As I poured, I asked him, “Would it help if I took Jane to school each day while I’m here?”

“But we couldn’t expect you to do that.”

“I’d like it. And I’d get a fine chance of talking to her in a natural sort of way.”

He frowned and said gloomily, “That’s what I should be doing, of course.”

“What?”

“I mean, talking to my daughter in a natural sort of way,” He took his cup of coffee absently and went on holding it in midair. “I don’t seem to be able to get near Jane somehow. It’s as if there’s a barrier between us. The trouble is, I get so mighty little spare time these days.”

I knew it would sound a bit righteous, but it had to be said. “I think you ought to
make
the time to be with your daughter, Mr. Barrington.”

He looked at me sharply, obviously surprised that I should be so outspoken. But I saw that he was not displeased. He suddenly became aware that he was still holding the cup in the air. Confused, he put it down on the table too quickly and coffee slopped over into the saucer.

“It’s this stammering of hers that makes everything so difficult.”

I shook my head slowly. “That’s putting the cart before the horse.”

He looked utterly cast down. I decided I’d been critical enough for the moment. It was time to make a constructive suggestion.

“Why don’t you buy Jane a dog?”

“A dog? I’d be happy to, of course. Is that a recognized part of your ... er ... treatment?”

I laughed. “I just think it would do Jane good to have a pet, that’s all. I think it does any child good.”

He considered for a moment “I’m sure you’re right. I’ll get one now, and take it home with me.”

“No, don’t do that.” I knew I was laying down the law again, but I couldn’t help it. “Take Jane with you and let her choose. Make it an outing together.”

He had the humorously crestfallen air of a schoolboy reprimanded. “I can see I’ve got a lot to learn. You’ll have to be patient with me.”

I caught sight of a clock on the wall above his head. “Oh heavens, look at the time! I’ll have to get moving.”

He stood up at once, sorting out cash and leaving it on the tray, “Where did you put the car?”

“Er ... in the carpark.”

“Yes, but which one? There are several, you know.”

“Well ... it was the one near North Street. Or was it East Street?”

He actually laughed out loud. “I was beginning to be afraid you were quite infallible. Come on, Kim. We’ll try the most likely places first, and then work our way through.”

All the way back I was debating whether that ‘Kim’ had been deliberate, or just an unconscious slip of the tongue. I decided it was deliberate. I wanted to believe he had known what he was saying.

When Jane and I got back to Mildenhall soon after twelve - thirty, Verity was waiting for us, hopping mad with impatience to use the car.

“You took your time, I must say,” she remarked sourly. She revved the little engine hard and crashed gears up the steep zigzag drive.

When I discovered that Felix, and Corinne too, would also be out for lunch, I gave three silent cheers. One for each of the absent Harpers.

In fact, the whole atmosphere of the house was incredibly lightened. We sat in an informal group around one end of the long table - Drew, Tansy, Jane and I.

Drew had brought his good humor home with him. At one point he had Jane in fits with an impersonation of two trout having a fishy conversation. Tansy and I were laughing too, maybe just to see Drew shelving his cares for once.

But I was almost as astonished as Jane when Drew suddenly asked her, “How would you like us to go and buy you a puppy this afternoon?”‘

The child’s eyes widened and went on growing bigger till I thought they’d stretch beyond her face. She asked explosively. “Do you m-m-mean for m-m-m-m...”

She fought the difficult word, and at last it emerged. “My very own?”

“Yes, your very own,” he assured her. “I know a place near Liphook where they’ve got lots to choose from.”

Since Jane was at school each morning, I’d counted on having the afternoons clear to work with her. Fun work, making a game of it. But I didn’t mind skipping today. Getting a puppy was even better.

“What time are you thinking of going?” I asked Drew. There might still be a chance to fit in half-an-hour with Jane before they set off.

“Actually, right after lunch. Is that all right for you?”

He saw my hesitation. “I’d like you to come too Kim, if you will.”

The sky stayed blue until we were on the way. By then the gathering clouds and a few odd drops of rain hardly damped our spirits, I was sure it did Jane a lot of good to be with her father in such happy, relaxed circumstances.

The choice of puppies was bewildering. We saw black Labradors and tiny King Charles spaniels; a matching pair of Dalmatians and poodles of every colour. But Jane was in no doubt at all. She pointed to a quick-eyed urchin of a terrier, white with blobs of black and brown, and ears flopping in every perky direction. He splayed his front legs wide and angled his head at us.

“I want that one,” she announced clearly.

“But he’s no good,” said the kennel man. He lifted the ecstatic lump and held him up for us to see. “Bit of a mistake, this one. No breeding at all, if you know what I mean.”

“B-b-b-but I w-w-w-want him,” Jane persisted weakly. Now she was stammering badly, imagining the adult ranks closing against her.

A show of support was needed. I took the puppy from the man’s hands and passed it over to Jane.

“Careful with him, darling. Remember he’s only a baby.”

She cradled the dog as if it were made of fragile glass. He snuggled his chin against her shoulder, his ears pinned back in sharp delight.

I laughed. “He looks like a little badger.”

“Badger,” said Jane without hesitation. “Hello, Badger.”

Drew was smiling too. “How much?” he enquired, taking out his wallet.

“I can’t ask more than a few pounds for that little runt,” the man muttered, disgruntled at being deprived of a more profitable sale.

Jane was in seventh heaven. Going home she wouldn’t sit up with us in the front of the Land Rover, but climbed into the back and settled on a rug, hugging her new treasure. We could hear her crooning baby talk to it.

Drew turned to me and smiled cheerfully. “Who would have believed it? I’ve never seen her so ... so natural before.”

All at once the job I’d taken on seemed that much less difficult. My mind ran away with happily confident plans about the next few steps.

“What were you doing in the newspaper office this morning, Kim?”

Drew’s question rocked me with its sheer unexpectedness, and I gaped at him.

So he’d seen me coming out. I had no evasive story ready-made, and for the moment I was as tongue-tied as Jane could ever be.

He apologized quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“No, it’s not that.”

On
an impulse I decided to grab this chance of some straight talking. Jane was safely oblivious, lost in a doggy daze.

“As a matter of fact I went there to look up the report of the inquest on Brian Hearne’s death,” I. said bluntly, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to meet Drew’s eye.

His voice had gone down twenty degrees. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Miserably, I said, “You see, I thought it might help
me
to understand. I can’t help feeling that there’s some connection between his death and … and the reason for my being here.”

“But that’s not possible,” Drew snapped. He was silent for pretty well a full minute, and then he said slowly and carefully, “You mean you think it was the shock about Brian that caused the trouble?”

“Oh, I don’t mean directly. She was far too young for that sort of effect, I’m sure.”

“Then what?”

Throwing a cautious ear back to Jane and the puppy, I heard mock growls and gleeful giggles. Clearly, she had no attention to spare for us.

I took a deep breath. “I feel there must be a tie-up somewhere. Ever since his name was first mentioned by Felix, I’ve been aware of an extraordinary tension at Mildenhall. You all avoid the subject like the plague. Such a strength of bitter feeling is bound to react badly on a child.”

He came back at me scornfully. “Would you expect us to make a tragedy like that a matter of everyday chitchat? Of course we avoid talking about it, if only for his mother’s sake.”

“But it happened two years ago,” I protested, sticking grimly to my guns. “Surely by now you should be able to mention him without such emotional tension.”

Drew’s handling of the Land Rover seemed to be slipping. Twice he brushed the grass verge as we took bends in the lane. At last he spoke again.

“What you say might be true in ordinary circumstances. But you must have seen that my Aunt Tansy is not altogether ...”

“And is that the only reason you all act as you do?”

Again I had to wait for an answer.

“What other reason could there be?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Barrington. I don’t know.” To myself, I added,
But I’ll find out, you can be sure of that.

From then on the atmosphere between us was hideous. He dropped Jane and me at the front door of Mildenhall, and drove straight on down to the trout farm.

But by evening he’d had second thoughts. He caught me alone in the hall sometime before dinner, and delivered a carefully measured half-apology.

“I’m sorry to have been so abrupt this afternoon, Miss Bennett. But I do assure you that you’re on the wrong tack.”

Despite his return to formality, I managed to break down my set expression into a sort of smile.

“I’m sorry if you think I’ve been interfering too much. I hope you understand that I’m only trying to do my job. Before I can really do much to help Jane, I’ve got to pin down the fundamental cause of her trouble.”

I don’t know what he might have said to that. Felix’s voice broke in on us as he came running lightly down the stairs.

“What are you two up to? Whispering sweet nothings?”

Drew flushed with annoyance and walked away. I felt like doing the same, but somehow I thought that would be conceding too easy a victory to Felix. Instead, I said stiffly, “I’m afraid I don’t appreciate your rather peculiar sense of humor.”

My reproof did nothing to alter his smile. “Go easy, Kim. Don’t be like that.”

“You can hardly expect ...”

He clipped in, softly, “Maybe I act this way because I’m jealous. Have you thought of that angle, my sweet?”

“Oh, don’t be absurd.”

But all the same I could understand how successful he must be with women. If I hadn’t witnessed his baiting tactics, cruelly stirring up trouble within the family, maybe I’d have softened towards him just a bit. After all, flattery must get a man
somewhere
with any woman, unless she’s fully case-hardened to resist it.