The Celibate Mouse (13 page)

She couldn’t string the evening out any longer. There was only one other couple in the restaurant and the staff were getting restless. Marli got up from the table, gathered up her purse and listened to her father joke with the manager as he paid the bill.

They didn’t speak much on the way back to the farm. David seethed with anger over the conspiracy which he was sure he’d uncovered. Marli, revelling in the comfortable rapport between herself and her dad, quivered with suppressed excitement. Mum needed to know what they’d discovered and she longed to squeeze Susan as hard as she could, to show how much she loved her. She’d always known granny preferred dad–Harry– to mum. Fancy a mother loving your daughter’s husband more than your own child. Surely ... no, granny was too old to be
‘in love’!

Her mind twisted away from the thought. Sarah McQuorqudale was sixty-five, but she’d always been ancient as far as Brit and Marli were concerned. All she knew was, granny didn’t like mum’s job and didn’t approve of anything that Marli did. But she loved Brit to pieces. Pain arced through her. She didn’t love her grandmother, but the knowledge that the old woman preferred Brit, still hurt.

As the car started up the long driveway, the sound of high-pitched hysterical barking racketed in the night air. Something was very wrong. David jammed his foot hard on the accelerator. The car roared toward the house, sending gravel flying, bottoming out as they rocketed over a culvert.

He slammed the vehicle to a halt at the bottom of the steps. Breaking glass and a heavy thud were followed by a muffled scream. David took the distance from the ground to the verandah in one leap and tore around the side of the house. Heedless of danger, Marli ran up the steps and followed, to pull up short at the side recess in the verandah.

The still form of her mother was just visible in the shadows, sprawled face-down on the floorboards.

Marli hurled herself to her knees, fumbling for a pulse.

CHAPTER 19

A Suitable Arrangement

Marli

Wednesday: late evening.

T
he dogs kept up their desperate barking.

‘Shut up!’ Marli screamed. Her fingers caught in her mother’s hair as she fumbled for a pulse in Susan’s throat. Gritty pieces of glass pierced the fabric of her jeans.

‘Shut up! I can’t do this, mum ... mummy, please ...no!’
she heard herself sobbing. From the back of the house, the dogs continued to bark hysterically. Then her father bounded up the side steps and crunched across the glass to turn Susan over. He also felt for a pulse in her neck. ‘Get a light on out here!’ he shouted, ‘and let the dogs out, for Christ’s sake!’ The music in the background rose.

A croaked, ‘No’ vibrated against his probing fingers, stopping him in his tracks. He peered down. Susan’s eyes opened and she brought her hands up to her throat.

‘Wha ... where ... no ... ambulance. ’Her hair smelled of flowers.

‘Don’t try to speak! We’ve got to get you inside. Get her some water while you’re out there!’ He dragged his mobile phone out of its pouch.

‘No...ambulance ...’ her mother croaked. David frowned, and put it away.

Marli hovered, undecided. ‘And tea?’

‘Whatever. Now get going! And turn that music off!’ her father snapped, as he slid his arms under Susan’s back and knees, preparing to carry her inside.

Marli flicked the switch; pieces of wine glass glittered in the light. She raced to turn the stereo off then ran to the laundry, where she waded through the frantic bodies to the back door. The dogs beat her to it, leaping up against the timber, pushing against the door as she tried to open it. She couldn’t hear herself think over the pounding of her heart and the yelping.

‘Shut up! Just shut up!’
she shrieked, tears pouring down her cheeks. She wrestled the door open and was knocked sideways as they tore into the garden. Sobbing with relief, she slammed it shut and shot the chain across and leaned against it for a moment, breathing heavily. Then she grabbed a tea bag, dropped it into a cup and held it under the instant hot water machine. Her hands trembled as she poured a glass of water, retrieved milk from the fridge, got the sugar out and made her mother sweetened tea.

Back in the lounge room, tears poured anew as she looked at her mother lying on the sofa. Shards of glass twinkled in her hair; ugly red marks circled her throat. The top buttons of her blouse had been torn off in the struggle; her hair flopped around her white face. David helped her to sit up and propped cushions behind her back.

‘I’ll call an ambulance,’ he announced, reaching for his mobile again. ‘You might have internal injuries to your throat. And don’t try to talk.’

‘No!’ Susan’s eyes widened, her face working in protest. Marli placed the glass of water and mug of tea on the coffee table and then plopped onto the sofa beside her mother’s legs.

‘Mum, he could have killed you. Dad’s right. We have to get you checked out.’

Eyes wide with shock and anger, Susan’s hand shot out and grabbed hers. ‘Marli,’ she rasped, ‘we have to keep ... him guessing ... no, Dav ... David ... let’s ...talk first.’ She held her throat and coughed carefully.

David’s face was granite. He grasped Susan’s chin. ‘Let me see?’ The red marks stood out, where large finger-bruises were forming already. He pushed her hair back with gentle fingers and ran his hand over her head. ‘You’ve got a lump forming, but the skin’s not broken. You might have concussion.’

She turned her face away from his hand. ‘I’m sure it’s ... not ... too bad ... it’s throbbing a bit but I’ll be okay. It’s easing... off already. I’ll tell...you...if I feel...sick or... drowsy.’ She swallowed painfully, and reached for the glass, but her hands shook so much she couldn’t grasp it. Before Marli could lean forward to help, David picked it up and tilted it for her mother to sip.

‘What about a brandy?’ His eyes flashed a question at Marli.

She nodded and rose, but Susan grimaced, gingerly shaking her head. Marli wanted to cry; she’d never seen her mum look so vulnerable, not even in the terrible days after Danny Grey had been shot and Harry left them.

‘No. Thank you.’

‘I thought–’ Marli stopped.

‘So did I,’ her father agreed. ‘How are you now, Susan?’

Susan nodded. ‘Just a little ... but... it’s getting better.’

Her voice sounded as though she’d been at a party with a hundred chain smokers. ‘How ... could I ... allow ... myself ... ?’

Marli felt perspiration break over her body, as it slowly dawned on her that a few minutes ago, the person whom she loved most in the world could have been brutally murdered.

‘It didn’t happen, so get over it!’ she told herself sternly, reaching for the travel rug lying on the chair next to the lounge.

‘Susan, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t know someone was out there ready to attack you,’ said David.

‘I should ... have realised there might be... a possibility.’ She ran careful fingers over her throat. David looked the obvious question.

‘We saw someone watching the house through a telescope from the mountain on Monday afternoon. Mum and I saw the sun flash on his telescope and mum got the binoculars,’ Marli explained, trying to be helpful, as she tucked the rug around her mother.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Maguire snapped, sharing his anger between them. ‘You should know better than to keep something like that to yourself, Susan. You
are
still a police officer.’

Susan waved her hands in dismissal. ‘It ... could have ... been a farmer looking for cattle.’ She coughed and took another sip of tea. ‘We only saw a figure. Not even... whether it was male or –‘

Marli broke in again. ‘Did you see him properly ... Da–David?’

The corners of his mouth twitched as he made eye contact with Susan. ‘Dad’ will do nicely, if you like.’ He placed the glass back on the coffee table and offered the mug of tea to Susan who shook her head.

A blush crept up from Marli’s neck, flooding her face. ‘It just feels right somehow,’ she said, shyly. But her sister would go apeshit.
Stuff you Brit. Like, piss off!

‘It is right, darling.’ Susan’s voice sounded stronger. She hitched herself higher on the cushions, attempting to swing her legs off the sofa. David reached out, laid his hand on her thigh and held her back. Their eyes met. Something– an awareness–arced between them, then her mother put a hand to her throat. The marks were almost indistinguishable from the rosy flush which suffused her face.

Marli caught the glance and looked away. Deep inside, excitement twirled with embarrassment at catching her parents, at their age, fancying each other. On the other hand, perhaps they might ... no, don’t even think about it. The notion of them actually doing anything ... like, yuk.

The moment over, David offered her mother the glass of water, which she accepted, concentrating on holding the vessel with both hands. His eyes roamed around the room, coming to rest on the piles of boxes scattered on the table and the piano. He frowned, stood up and walked over to them, gazing intently at the photos fanned out and piled in years taken.

‘Whose are these?’

‘Edna Robinsons.’

Marli took over the explanation. ‘Mum told Mrs Winslow she’d catalogue them.’

Susan sucked in a painful breath, set her cup aside, lay back into the cushions and pulled the rug higher. David moved a few photos around and then turned to her, eyes gleaming. ‘You mean you have the
entire
collection of the Robinson family here?’

Susan nodded. ‘I think so. They go back ... for years.’

He almost leapt back into the chair beside the sofa. Marli leaned forward, listening with wide-eyed intent.

‘Keep this to yourself, Marli, okay? We believe both Jack Harlow and Edna’s murders are linked to a conspiracy someone wants to keep hidden.’ He went on to expand on the CIB theory, including Adam Winslow’s recollection of the family meeting at Sir Arthur’s birthday party and the apparent dissension between some of the members. Then he filled them in on the details of John Glenwood’s attack and Nola Glenwood’s statement about John’s reason for going to town.

‘We believe it had to be in connection to Jack’s murder. The answer could be somewhere in those.’ He said waved his hand at the table. ‘What are you planning to do with these? Have you seen anything interesting?’

‘I’m still getting them in order.’

Outside, the dogs slumped into hairy heaps, looking like sacks of grain dumped willy-nilly on the lawn, exhausted from their fruitless chase through the garden.

‘All right, I agree.’ Susan drew in a deep breath, exhaled slowly. ‘I think there’s something in what ... you say. But I haven’t ... found anything yet.’ Her voice sounded like that of a frail, old woman.

‘But if you do, you’ll tell me. Right?’ He reached across to squeeze her arm. ‘And now, do you think you can tell me what happened? Out there?’

‘Not sure ... yes. Yes, I can.’ David whipped out his notebook and glanced at Marli. ‘Could you get some more tea for your mother, please? And coffee for us, Marli? If you want some, that is.’

‘Not for me thank you, Marli,’ her mother intervened, ‘I’ve haven’t finished my tea.’

Reluctantly, Marli got to her feet. She didn’t want to miss out on anything interesting but, totally under her father’s spell, headed obediently to the kitchen. She left the door open to the hall and listened to her mother’s slow and husky voice.

‘I was working on the photos for an hour or so, after you left. It was just before ten when I went outside and sat on the verandah.’ She pointed to the sliding doors leading outside. ‘I sat there for, oh, about fifteen minutes, having a glass of wine.’ She paused, frowning.

‘What made you come back inside? Did you hear something?’

‘No. I didn’t feel anything untoward, but he...must have used the music to sneak up to the house. I stood up to come inside, the dogs growled–no, snarled–just as I turned to come inside. He slammed into me and tried to strangle me. I fought, but he got the drop on me.’ Her voice broke.

‘It’s okay now.’

Marli arrived in the doorway, carrying a tray with two coffee mugs, eyes wide as she looked at her mother leaning against her father, his arm encircling her shoulders. David grabbed a handful of tissues from a box on the table, which he thrust into Susan’s hands. The diversion of making room for the tray and Susan trumpeting into the tissues allowed them all time to regain their composure. When she was settled again, he continued. ‘How much can you remember about him?’

Susan sipped her tea and stared into the distance, eyes narrowing as she went back to the terrifying moment when she thought she would die. ‘He was tall, probably a good 198cm. He breathed from above me, if you know what I mean?’

David nodded. ‘I’d go with that. I didn’t get a good look at him though. He legged it up the slope like a mountain goat. No hope of catching the bastard.’

‘He
was
very fit. He slammed–’ she coughed and cleared her throat before continuing. ‘–his body into my back and it was all muscle. His hands were like a vice.’ Her voice wavered, momentarily. ‘He wore gloves, those thin surgical ones. We struggled for a few moments but it felt like forever. That was when you came.’ She glanced at David and then closed her eyes. ‘He had no smell. I remember that. There was nothing, no aftershave, no personal smell. He’d washed himself and wore clean clothes?’

David scribbled in the notebook. ‘So it wasn’t a random attack. Anything else?’

She was silent for a moment. ‘Yes. I think so. Nothing about his clothes... oh, he was wearing a tracksuit. Thick material. I grabbed his trousers and tried to roll him off me.’ She sat up, almost spilling her tea.

David reached over and took the cup from her.

‘Anything else? What about his hair?’

‘No. I didn’t get a chance to touch it, but I’m sure he was wearing either a mask or a balaclava. I caught a glimpse of either eyes or eye sockets.’

‘And of course you couldn’t tell whether he was clean-shaven or bearded?’

‘No, he was behind me, but he has to be the one who almost came into the ward the day I went to the hospital. Thought Edna told me more than she actually did, or perhaps someone else did. Then told him what she was saying to me. Why else would
I
get ... attacked? ‘She coughed. ‘But I only had an impression of someone standing in the doorway and then vanishing. ’

Marli thought if she had been in her mum’s position, she’d not be able to remember a thing. Nausea swirled in her stomach. How could her father calmly sit there and write it all down like mum was nobody special? She had to be sort of special to him though, didn’t she? After all, they’d had her and Brit, no matter what happened when they were married.

Then Susan spoke, her voice rough with pain. ‘I’m angry with myself. Over the years I’ve been–exasperated –with women who’ve been attacked and who can’t seem to give an account of their attacker, or didn’t appear to want to and here I am, the senior sergeant, trained in self defence who couldn’t even save herself.’ Tears glittered in Susan’s eyes. ‘Some cop I turned out to be. First Danny and now–’

‘Sh, sh. I understand,’ David comforted. They sat in silence for a few minutes, each deep in their own thoughts. The only sound was the ticking clock over the fireplace. The thick strawbale walls gave an illusion of safety.

Marli jumped when he spoke again. ‘Are you going to Edna Robinson’s funeral, Susan?’

She started. ‘Er, yes. Daniella Winslow asked, well almost begged me to, because of my so-called association with Edna. Why?’

‘You know why. I need you to suss out the clan. Would you do that for me?’

‘Aren’t you going?’

‘I’ll attend the service. But they’ll talk to you because they don’t know you’re a police officer and you’ll go to the wake.’

‘Well, they don’t know yet,’ Susan commented dryly as she sat up, swung her feet to the floor and stood for a moment, testing her balance. Marli prepared to grab her mother if she was unsteady. David closed his notebook and went to her side.