A Village Feud Page 18

  ‘Beth! Get the shopping. We’re leaving. Now!’ Caroline didn’t know if she was moving to prevent Beth using the knife or to get away from this dreadful man. But Beth didn’t obey her. She sat stony-faced and deeply angry, staring at Andy. Her grip on the knife tightened a fraction, just enough for him to see she meant business.

  Andy merely slurped down the rest of his coffee, smirked at Beth and headed towards the exit.

  ‘Put that knife in my bag this instant.’ Beth hesitated for a moment and then dropped it casually into her mother’s handbag.

  On their way out Caroline and Beth were recognized by the person in charge at the cafe´ that morning. ‘Caroline!’

  ‘Beatrice!’

  ‘And Beth! what a lovely surprise. How nice to see you out, Beth. The Dean was asking only yesterday if I knew how you were progressing. I see you’re making great strides, he will be pleased when I tell him.’ Her sweet, kindly face broke into a huge smile.

  Caroline, broken with horror by Beth’s appalling behaviour, managed to say, ‘Beatrice, you see the man leaving right now in that navy anorak? We’ve had to leave because he was pestering us. We even moved table and he followed us. You’d best keep your eye on him.’

  ‘Thank you for letting me know. We get all sorts in here. They’re all welcome so long as they behave themselves. Sorry about that. Are you both all right?’ She laid a kindly hand on Beth’s arm.

  Caroline replied, ‘Don’t worry, we’re fine, just thought you ought to be aware. Be seeing you.’

  She looked at Beth as they left the cafe´ and saw her with different eyes. She’d grown up these last months and today, at this moment, looked the young woman she would one day be. Her heart sank. Beth’s long ash-blonde hair, fair complexion and lovely bright blue eyes she’d inherited from her mother would shortly be a stunning combination. ‘Darling, never, ever do you carry a knife with you. I can’t believe you did that.’

  Beth’s reply was harsh. ‘It had the right effect though. He wasn’t listening to you at all. He was enjoying me pouring the coffee over him.’

  Her voice, flat and hard, shocked Caroline as much as her actions did. Where had the real Beth gone?

  Beth was filled with revulsion. Home seemed the safest place to be. ‘Mummy, I want to go home. Right now. Come on.’

  ‘Very well. This is the quickest way.’

  ‘We’re not in that car park, are we?’

  Caroline stopped and thought. ‘Oh no, of course we’re not. We’re in the new one. I must be going mental. But why on earth did you bring that knife with you? What were you thinking of?’

  ‘To defend myself. And you. There’s no one going to spoil my life ever again. Not … one … single … person. And if a knife makes me safe a knife I shall use, and I mean it.’

  There was that strange voice again that didn’t seem to be Beth’s. Caroline answered, ‘You know full well that’s totally against what we stand for. Absolutely. You must never take that knife, or any other for that matter, out of the house again. Do you hear me?’

  Beth looked at her and ignored what she’d said. But then they reached their car and Andy was standing beside his with eyes only for Beth. Caroline’s skin crawled and she felt sick with fear and disgust.

  They drove home in silence until Beth said right out of the blue, ‘One night when I couldn’t sleep I saw him get in his car and drive away. He came back about an hour later. I couldn’t see what he was doing before he set off, but I did think he’d put something in his car boot before he left. Afterwards I thought I’d dreamed it perhaps. But when I think about it now, I’m sure I didn’t. It did seem odd. I remember it was the night you’d fallen asleep on my bed and I slept in your bed.’

  Caroline scrabbled about in her head to remember when that was. ‘Can you remember when?’

  ‘No. All those nights when I couldn’t sleep for screaming ran one into the other.’

  ‘They’ve almost stopped now, haven’t they?’

  ‘Thanks to Dottie. I don’t know what it is about her but she does help me.’

  ‘How does she do that, when I can’t?’

  ‘There’s something so comforting and understanding about her, and she calls a spade a spade.’

  Hardly able to speak the words, Caroline blurted out, ‘Have you told her what your worries are?’

  Beth placed a gentle hand on Caroline’s knee, ‘No, but she did ask me if I’d been raped. Which I hadn’t.’

  The car swerved slightly as she took in what Beth had said. After she’d regained control Caroline said, ‘I wanted to ask but emotions got in the way and wouldn’t let me. I certainly knew I must, but the words wouldn’t come out. I couldn’t bear, you know, asking. I suppose I couldn’t face what the answer might be, which was utterly stupid of me because it would have been vital for me to know. Tests and such. Don’t think that all men are like that, they’re not. You only have to look round our village to count up loads of decent men, loving and kind like your dad. He’s a great man to be married to.’

  ‘I know he is. But that Andy Moorhouse wants locking up. Here we are. Shall we put the car away?’

  ‘Yes, you open the door.’

  Andy saw them opening up the garage doors as he arrived home. Not having the privilege of his own garage he only had to manoeuvre his onto his now flattened garden and lock it up. He got inside his house before Caroline and Beth, and stood in his kitchen thinking about Beth.

  Ever since Jenny he’d relished the idea of women cowering because of him. Women longing for him to dominate them, women submitting to his anger, grovelling just like Jenny did. It gave him such power, the kind he’d never had over anyone, man, woman nor child, in all his life. He wiped the sweat from his top lip and the ecstasy from his mind. Fancy that little bitch carrying a knife. God! She was a handful and not half. His pulse raced at the prospect.

  The mother was no fool though. She wouldn’t tolerate someone like him thinking about her precious daughter in that way. Huh! But what did she know about life, the real, hardbitten knife-edge kind of life he’d led? She’d have spent her whole life being cosseted and cared for, protected and loved by everyone who met her, and that was something he had never had; real, deep, lasting love. Not that he was desiring deep lasting love from Beth. No, it was about domination, sexual satisfaction and submission. Andy’s mind roved over Beth’s good looks. She was a beauty with her flawless complexion, startling blue eyes and slender young figure, almost a woman but not quite yet. The sweat broke out again; face it, she was gorgeous. He recollected the look on her face when she’d poured the coffee over him, the passion surging within her, the disgust and the barely veiled hatred, too, which thrilled him. And then the knife! He was right, she was feisty and not half.

  Across the kitchen he saw the chocolates he’d bought for Jenny before … before he’d throttled her. He could give them to Beth as an apology, and why not? Give him a chance to see her, perhaps make another move forward in gaining her confidence. He dwelt on the idea for a few minutes, dwelt on the thought of touching her, stroking that blonde hair … The phone interrupted his thoughts.

  ‘Andy Moorhouse speaking.’

  He listened and found to his horror that it was the head of his department speaking.

  Nine o’clock sharp tomorrow morning with his case files for a department audit. See you.

  He put the phone down and felt his world fall apart. This was the summons he’d been dreading would happen one day, perhaps next month, or the next, or the next. But not right here and now. The fake references, the hours spent away from the office, the colleagues who shunned him. His carefully constructed empire was toppling down on his head, remorselessly.

  Should he run before the final showdown?

  Might be a good idea after Jenny.

  He’d miss his chance with Beth.

  Leave the house he owned?

  He glanced at the chocolates again. He didn’t have to face the music in the office. If he did a disappearing act,
they couldn’t get at him if they didn’t know where he was. The chocolates. Just a glimpse of her before he left.

  That damned telephone call had ruined his pursuit of her. Another day, a few weeks, and all that lovely promise of beauty could have been his to control. He washed his face, combed his hair, threw some aftershave on, and opened the front door to find Inspector Gould and his sergeant – triggered by Caroline’s call about his night-time escapade and the episode in the Abbey Coffee Shop – each holding out their identification, just about to ring the bell.

  ‘Fortunate that, Mr Moorhouse. Very fortunate. Need a word. We’ll come in.’

  Gould and his burly sergeant were in the hall in an instant, staring at the box of chocolates in his hand.

  ‘Going somewhere, Mr Moorhouse?’

  The sergeant asked, ‘Nice chocolates those. Taking them to a friend, are we, Mr Moorhouse?’

  Andy couldn’t speak. Thoughts raced through his head. He couldn’t speak for thinking. Why were they here? They’d finished with him, he thought. Why were they ringing his doorbell? More clues? Had they found Jenny?

  Trouble was they didn’t speak. Just stood there like vast lumps of dumb, unmoving stone, staring at the box of chocolates.

  Eventually he broke the silence. ‘Well, officers, what can I do for you? I was just going out. Hope it’s not important.’

  ‘We want you at the station. Questions to ask that’s all.’

  ‘What about? I’ve helped you all I can with the store vandalism. I’ve got to take these.’ His mind became obsessed with his mission to see Beth.

  ‘On foot? Then we’ll accompany you, and then we’ll go to the station. You’re willing to come?’

  ‘Of course. I’ll help in any way I can. Must deliver these.’

  They edged him out of the door after checking he had his key. If it hadn’t been for his obsession about delivering the chocolates to Beth he’d have realized he was confirming their suspicions.

  He strode purposefully to the Rectory door, and rattled the knocker.

  It was Alex who came to the door. ‘Good afternoon. How may I help?’

  ‘Is Beth in?’

  ‘Yes, but she’s busy and can’t come to the door.’

  He thrust the box at Alex. ‘Give her these. From Andy, with my apologies.’ He stepped away from the door and the police officers hustled him away.

  As they stuffed him into their car, carefully parked out of sight at the top of Shepherds Hill, the sergeant said, ‘So we were right. You were stalking Beth Harris.’

  The rapid walk to the car had woken Andy up. ‘That is absolutely ridiculous. Of course I haven’t been stalking her. They live next door and we happened to go into the Abbey Coffee Shop today at the same time and shared a table. What’s wrong with that?’

  But they didn’t answer and left him to sweat all the way to Culworth.

  Now there was no Store for meet people in, it was slowly becoming common practice to gather by the bus stop even when there wasn’t a bus due. They would sit on the seat to wait, in the hope that someone they knew would miraculously appear. That day there were three people waiting: Greta Jones, just finished work for the day; Sheila Bissett, waiting for the bus to Little Derehams and wishing she was still living in Turnham Malpas; and one of the weekenders, Joyce, who was spending extra time in her weekend home.

  They all three watched the police hurrying someone into their car and when it drove past, heading to Culworth, Sheila was able to see who was in the car.

  Sue gasped with horror. ‘My God! See that? That was Andy Moorhouse.’

  ‘It wasn’t!’

  ‘It was. Believe me.’

  Greta Jones tapped the side of her nose. ‘Always knew he was a wrong ’un.’

  Joyce the weekender wanted to know who they were talking about. So they had an in-depth discussion about Andy and his Jenny and how she’d dumped him and gone to Australia.

  ‘Left us right in the lurch with the Beauty Evening at the Women’s Institute meeting, she did. Not like her to do something like that. Always kept her appointments did Jenny. A very nice girl with a lovely smile.’

  Greta nodded approvingly. ‘I’ve always had my suspicions about that Australia business. She never said nothing, did she, about a brother in Australia before she went. Then she’s supposed to have flu, then she’s supposed to have set off to Australia in the middle of it. I ask yer, it just doesn’t add up. I reckon he did her in.’

  Joyce made a mental note to tell the staff where she worked this whole new tale from the idyllic place she called her country retreat. They always loved her tales about the village.

  Sheila gasped, eyes wide with amazement as she looked at Greta, ‘You don’t really think so, do you?’

  ‘Oh, yes, I do. He’s always struck me as being a nasty beggar. Look at that trouble with the tainted food he claims he’s bought from the Store. Working there, I know full well that Jimbo wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen. He’s mustard on food hygiene, believe me, I know.’

  A thought occurred to Sheila. ‘I wonder where she is now?’

  Greta rolled her eyes. ‘A sight lot nearer Turnham Malpas than Australia, I should imagine.’ She drew closer to the two of them and whispered, ‘I know for a fact that house has a cellar.’

  ‘You don’t think she’s bur … That is disgusting, and him tucking into his supper with her laid … How could he?’ said Joyce.

  ‘If I’d done someone in,’ said Sheila, ‘I’d take the body to the old quarry. They’d be lost for ever amongst all the stuff that gets dumped there. The council never clear it up.’

  ‘Or throw ’em over Bickerby Rocks, make it look as though they’d fallen over.’ Greta nodded knowingly.

  Sheila and Joyce shuddered. Joyce said, ‘But how would he get her up to the top, carrying her?’

  ‘No, you’re right there, though she is very slight.’ Greta, having further weighed up the possibilities of Jenny’s whereabouts, declared finally, ‘My money’s on the quarry.’

  ‘Bus coming.’ Sheila picked up her bag. ‘Keep me informed of further developments.’ She leapt on the bus with greater ease than in the past, having lost so much weight.

  Chapter 15

  The weeks rolled by. Andy had been released by the police because there was insufficient evidence to convict him of having murdered Jenny and he was plausible about the visit to the Abbey Coffee Shop. But he had been dismissed from the Social Services with decisions about his future still pending and was now living on benefit. His car was sold, and he lived the life of a hermit apart from going once a week into Culworth for his food shopping, and no one volunteered to sit next to him on the bus. His name was on everybody’s lips week after week and he got short shrift from everyone. They all guessed he was guilty and, so far as they were concerned, it would stay that way until proved different.

  Over their morning cup of tea Dottie and Beth discussed it yet again. Dottie said for the umpteenth time, ‘I can’t understand why they haven’t accused him of murdering her. After all, it didn’t seem right, her being the kind of person she was, that she promised your mum about the Beauty Evening and then wham! She disappears overnight to Australia and hasn’t been seen since.’

  ‘Neither can I.’

  ‘Can’t find no evidence, I expect. But you have to admit her disappearance was a mystery; here today, gone tomorrow.’

  ‘I still think, Dottie, that she never had flu at all. I think she’d already gone when he told you about the flu. She was fully alive the previous night, and not ill at all, because I spoke to her here in the sitting room about the Beauty Evening.’

  ‘Exactly. That’s my point. Coming for lunch today? I’d like it if you did.’

  Beth nodded. ‘I’ve got a load of homework to do this morning. I swear they give me more to do than when I was at school. Still, keeps me busy. But, lunch at yours is definitely on. After Easter I’m going back to school.’

  Dottie beamed. ‘I’m pleased, so very pleased.
That is good news. You’ll be all right on the school bus ’cos it’ll take you right into the school, won’t it?’

  ‘And I’ll have Alex, too, and the girls get off first and then it goes on to the boys’ school. Coming home it’s in reverse so I’ll be absolutely fine. Thanks for being a good friend.’

  ‘That’s all right. Going back to school will make life a lot more normal and you’ll be safe.’ Dottie got to her feet, patted Beth’s hand and smiled at her.

  It could have been coincidence but when Beth, feeling much more confident about walking out in the open, had started to walk home after lunch at Dottie’s that day, Andy appeared at the entrance to Syke’s Wood as though on cue. Beth’s head had been full of the talk she and Dottie had had after lunch and suddenly, without the slightest warning, there he was, smiling his most ingratiating smile.

  Keep calm, keep calm, Beth said inside herself.

  He waved to her and crossed the road to join her. ‘Can’t let you walk all that way up Shepherds Hill by yourself, now can I?’

  He was wearing a kind of Sherlock Holmes hat and a heavy overcoat that gave him an air of respectability, a complete change from his navy anorak; it was like a new identity. He adjusted his stride to hers and began asking her if she’d started back at school yet.

  Beth stopped and, not looking at him, said, ‘I wish … to walk home … by myself. Would you please walk ahead of me?’

  ‘But I feel you need company – you never know these days, walking alone – and I shall be proud to walk with someone as charming as you. Because you are charming. You might not realize it, but you are.’

  Beth stood rooted to the spot and didn’t answer. Nothing could happen so long as she didn’t move. That was the secret; ignoring him and keeping quite still.

  Andy, baffled by her lack of response, tried taking a grip on her elbow to push her into walking along with him.