Caught Out in Cornwall (20 page)

She fled to the front room and picked up Sally’s phone, leaving bloodstains on the receiver. She dialled triple nine and gave her name and Sally’s address.

She returned to the kitchen. The flow of blood was less strong, she wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. The police and an ambulance were already on their way; someone, somehow,
had rung for help before her. There was loud knocking on the door. Rose ran to answer it.

Norma, as promised, had waited at the open door. Several pairs of feet thudded up the stairs. Seconds later an ambulance drew up outside and she knew that what she feared had happened. For the past few days Sally had been acting strangely. She went inside and closed her door. The news would arrive in time, it was better to wait for it if it was bad.

Jack surveyed the scene. For agonising seconds all he saw was the blood on Rose. Her face was ashen. An officer took over and Jack helped her to her feet. Her legs buckled so he lowered her into a chair and gently pushed her head down. ‘Some deep breaths,’ he advised.

‘Paramedics,’ she heard someone say through the buzzing that filled her ears, but she was determined not to faint. In no time Sally’s wound had been dressed and she was strapped to a stretcher.

‘Rose?’

She looked up at Jack and tears filled her eyes. Shock, or delayed reaction to the fear she had felt, she supposed, because the tears were not for Sally who had killed the child she loved. Rose was now certain she had done so.

‘Can one of you make some tea, please?’

Cupboards were opened and the kettle boiled. Jack dismissed all the officers but one; he could not afford to be alone with this witness, not just because he knew her but because there was the possibility she could be considered as a suspect. There was only her say so that Sally had cut her own throat. The Scenes of Crime team were on their way. ‘Did you touch the knife?’ he asked once she had a mug of very sweet black tea in front of her.

Rose shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I don’t think so.’ It still lay on the floor waiting to be placed in an evidence bag. ‘Will she die?’

‘It’s hard to say. Blood always looks more than it actually is.’ But the paramedics had been satisfied that she was still breathing and had a pulse. Hospitals were reluctant to accept patients who were dead on arrival. ‘What happened, can you tell me?’

Rose picked up her mug with both hands, oblivious now to the blood. After a couple of sips she explained, as best she could, the events of the morning. ‘She was very drunk, Jack. I think she’d already made up her mind to kill herself before I arrived. She knew about Michael and Carol, that’s probably what sent her over the top. I also think she might’ve killed Beth.’

Jack nodded but said nothing about his own suspicions. Like Rose, he wondered how and when she had found out. If Sally died they might never know, nor might they be able to prove she had killed Beth. All they had was circumstantial evidence and even that was shaky – certainly not enough for the DPP to allow it to go to court.

‘Let’s get you home.’ Rose was shivering, shock was setting in. He helped her downstairs and, once in the car, he turned the heater on full. Rose sat in the back with DC Mandy Connors beside her.

‘I’ll go in with her,’ Jack said when they reached the house. ‘Radio the station and let me know immediately if there’s any news from the hospital. Also, get someone to inform the relatives.’

Inside, Jack made more tea and added a shot of brandy. Rose had been silent on the journey home but she would have been reliving the threat and the eventual outcome. ‘I’m not going to leave you on your own. I’ll ring Laura. If she’s not available then I’m sure Barry will come over.’

Rose nodded; she was in no fit state to argue. ‘Jack, Carol found out that Michael was Beth’s father.’

‘Okay, we’ll bear that in mind.’ He had to get
back to Camborne, later he would talk to Rose properly. A few minutes later, satisfied that Laura was on her way, Jack left.

The rain was beginning to ease and small patches of blue appeared in the sky as Laura bounded up the drive. She had thrown on a loudly checked jacket of Trevor’s which was soaked across the shoulders, as was her hair. ‘Oh, my God,’ she said, taking in Rose’s bloodstained clothes. ‘Are you hurt?’

‘No. Just shaken.’

‘You need a brandy.’

‘I’ve just had one.’

‘Then you need another. I certainly do.’ Laura took two glasses from the cupboard and reached for the bottle. ‘Do you want to talk? If not, I’ll just keep my big mouth shut.’

‘What I really want is a shower and a change of clothes.’

‘That’s fine, but I’m coming with you. You don’t look as if you can stand, let alone walk.’

Rose was grateful for her assistance and felt a lot better once she was warmly dressed in clean clothes.

Laura lit the fire and sat and listened as Rose went through it all again.

‘I really don’t believe you at times. How on
earth do you manage to get into these scrapes?’ She sighed. Rose was never going to change. The unfortunate part was that when she tried to help people she only succeeded in getting into trouble. ‘Look, you can’t be alone. Why don’t we go to my place and I’ll cook us something. Trevor’s at sea so you won’t have to worry about him.’

‘Oh, God, I forgot, I’ve got my class tonight.’

‘No way are you taking it. Give me the numbers and I’ll ring around.’

‘They’re in the file in the drawer in the kitchen.’ Rose was relieved, the last thing she felt like doing was teaching.

Laura made the necessary calls, explaining that Rose was ill, then she rang for a taxi. ‘It’s all settled. Get your coat, the cab’ll be here in five minutes.’

Once she had eaten some colour returned to Rose’s face and Laura was satisfied she would recover. However, she insisted that she stayed the night.

A tired surgeon had told the police that Sally Jones would live, although she would be badly scarred, but it would be a day or so until she was fit to be questioned. Despite the hospital’s reassurance that she would be nursed on a one to one basis because of the suicide attempt, Jack had insisted that an officer remained at her bedside the whole time. It was Friday afternoon before the consultant agreed that the police could now speak to his patient.

Rose knew that the quickest way to get over what she had witnessed was to return to her normal routine as quickly as possible. She spent the rest of the week quietly, working when she
felt like it and relaxing in between. On Sunday she and Arthur had driven over to Falmouth then gone on to have lunch in a pub on the Helford Passage. By the following Wednesday she felt almost back to normal, although she had done very little preparation for it. Tonight, she decided, she would give her pupils a bit of fun. She would take along all sorts of things with which to paint; twigs, a dish mop and anything else she could think of. She had known an artist who could produce interesting abstracts by such methods. By the end of the morning she was fully prepared.

The grass was still damp but the driveway had dried overnight. Rose decided that the weather was being kind to her. Once more the sky was a perfect arc of blue and the surface of the sea was ruffled by only tiny waves. She checked her tide table. Conditions were ideal. She would start a painting she had planned in her mind for quite a long time. It was the colours that were important as much as the scene; the golden sands of Hayle, the sea and the golf course in the distance. She filled her flask and set off.

The surface of the sand was dry but underneath it would be damp. Rose spread her waterproof sheet, sat down and got to work. The evenings were pulling in further so only a couple of hours
of work were possible. She packed up and went back to the car.

As she drove past Doreen’s house she saw her in the small front garden oiling the hinges on the gate. Doreen had recognised the car and waved to her to stop. ‘Can you come in for a minute?’

‘Yes, but not for long, I’ve got my class tonight.’ Rose parked the car and got out.

‘It’s just that Katy’s here. Sue asked me to look after her while she’s at the hospital.’

‘What’s wrong with her?’

Doreen smiled as they walked around to the kitchen entrance. ‘She’s pregnant, she’s gone to have a scan.’

Katy Overton sat at the kitchen table with a biscuit in her hand and a glass of orange juice in front of her. Her face was solemn. ‘This is my friend, Rose,’ Doreen said.

‘Hello, Katy.’ Rose sat down. She knew she would not be able to leave until she had drunk a mug of Doreen’s strongly brewed tea. Cyril was nowhere in sight. ‘Hello,’ the girl replied shyly.

‘Did you have a good day in school?’ The question brought a frown to her face.

‘I don’t like school.’

‘Oh?’ Rose had seen the look of surprise on Doreen’s face. ‘Why not?’

‘I’m not allowed to say.’

‘Has a teacher told you that?’

She shook her head and tears filled her eyes. ‘A girl.’ Katy began crying in earnest.

Rose put an arm around her shoulders and held her close. ‘Katy, I think you should say. If you tell us we won’t tell anyone else unless we think we ought to.’

‘What she said was true. She said she’d kill my mum if I told. And now she’s at the hospital.’

Rose was confused. ‘Doesn’t she know?’ she mouthed at Doreen, who shook her head.

‘They were going to tell her tonight once they knew the scan was okay.’

‘Can you tell me what the problem is, Katy?’

‘It’s Sarah. She makes me give her my sweets and money. She’s seven and bigger than me. She hits me if I don’t and she said that about Mum.’

So that’s it, Rose thought with relief. Bullying was not pleasant but it could be stopped and it was certainly not as bad as child abuse.

‘My goodness, that was easily solved, maid,’ Doreen said in admiration. ‘I’ll let your mummy know when she gets back and she can talk to your teacher. Sarah won’t hurt you again, Katy.’

Even Rose was astonished that the child had confided in her so readily but if she didn’t know
the reason for Sue’s hospital visit she must have believed the worst, that her mother was dying, and had been terrified enough to have to tell someone.

‘Sue and Simon will be so pleased,’ Doreen said as she showed her out. ‘That poor chiel’s been worried for far too long. Oh, my.’ She put her hand to her mouth. ‘Did you mention this to Jack?’

‘Yes. He sent a PC to the school but I don’t know what else he might’ve done.’

‘Then you’d best tell him, maid. We don’t want any more upsets. Thank goodness it isn’t as bad as I feared. Sue will sort it out now.’

Rose left. She was as astonished as Doreen at the simple outcome to the problem. She went home and changed out of jeans as she usually made an effort to dress more smartly for her pupils.

The class went well; everyone was pleased to be back after the enforced fortnight’s holiday, firstly because the roof was being repaired then because of Rose’s ‘illness’. There were some surprisingly good efforts and a lot of imagination displayed that evening.

The next two days were quiet and the weather held. Rose had finished the mine scene and been
back to Hayle to do a bit more work on that oil – and she had finally made the Christmas cake. She was deciding how to spend Friday evening when Jack arrived unexpectedly. He grinned as he kissed her. He’s so very handsome, she thought as she took in his tall, lean body, black hair and blue eyes.

‘I’ve come to buy you a celebratory drink. Where shall it be? I don’t have the car, though.’

They decided to walk along to the Mount’s Bay Inn which was halfway along the Promenade. The stove had been lit and gave off welcome heat. Jack bought their drinks and they sat at a table rather than at their usual places at the bar because he didn’t want the conversation to be overheard. ‘She’s made a full confession,’ he said. ‘We’ve also discovered she’s had psychiatric treatment several times in the past. She’s always been insanely jealous of Carol but she did genuinely love Beth.’

‘But she killed her.’

‘Yes. And how she regrets it.’

‘How did she find out about Michael being Beth’s father?’

‘She thought there was a vague resemblance but put it down to imagination. However, the day before she killed Beth, Carol mentioned the antique chest their mother had been storing. She
recalled that Michael had delivered it and worked out that it was about that time that Carol became pregnant. She rang her mother and demanded to know the truth. Alice Jones, imagining events were far enough in the past for them not to matter, told her. It was the final slap in the face. As we thought, she wanted to hurt them both but she took her hatred out on Beth.’

‘Where did the sleeping tablets come from?’

‘From a friend. She asked for a few just to tide her over. She won’t name the friend, but that’s hardly relevant. She claims Beth was unconscious when she smothered her and that ties in with the pathologist’s report. We can be thankful for that, at least. Sally is now undergoing psychiatric assessment. Anyway, here’s to the end of the case.’

Rose raised her glass in response. ‘There’s something else you need to know.’ She explained what had been troubling Katy. ‘And Norma rang to say how wrong she had been about the two sisters.’

Jack was silent for several minutes. He was thinking about Poole and how he had been sure he was lying. It transpired that he wasn’t although he had come close to guessing the truth about Beth’s parentage when he witnessed the argument. It was that which he had been
withholding. ‘It’s good news about Katy,’ he said. ‘And now for some more good news. Tomorrow night we’re having a proper celebration. Dinner for seven at the Queen’s Hotel.’

‘Seven?’

‘Yes. Us, Laura and Trevor, if they haven’t had a row, Barry and Jenny and Arthur.’

Rose leant over and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you,’ she said. It was typical of Jack to think of including Arthur.

‘And dinner tonight?’

‘I haven’t thought about it yet.’

‘Then why don’t I walk you home? We can pick up a Chinese in Newlyn and eat it at your place.’

Rose smiled. She hoped she knew what that would lead to.