Murder in House (19 page)

Armand shouted back into the house. ‘It's all right, Kate. It's only Ellie. Plus a girl.'

Where Ellie had built a conservatory on to the back of her house, Kate and Armand had constructed a rumpus room in which the family could relax and muck about. At Armand's shout, Kate appeared with a baby in her arms, and a toddler clinging to one leg. Kate took one look at Ellie and said, ‘Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. I'll just finish giving this lot their tea and then you can tell us all about it.'

‘Bless you,' said Ellie, dumping all her belongings. ‘I'm not here, you understand. You haven't seen me. If I could just use your phone for five minutes, I'll get out of your hair.'

Armand closed and locked the door against the dark night, and pulled down the blinds. He was not as tall as Kate, but he was a bundle of energy with a sharp tongue and a warm heart. He removed a toy rabbit with only one eye from a chair, and pushed it towards Mia. ‘Sit before you fall down. Kate, I'll give the babe his bottle while you deal with Madam. Find yourself a seat, Ellie, and Tell All.'

‘Can't,' said Ellie. ‘The less you know the better.'

Armand started throwing toys into a large cardboard box with his usual forcefulness. Reaching past Mia, who was still standing by the door, he put his hand on her arm to nudge her in the direction of the chair. He hardly touched her, but Mia opened her mouth and screamed. With eyes fast closed, she gulped and screamed again. And went on screaming.

Armand was shocked. ‘What did I do?'

Alarmed, the toddler started to cry. Kate pushed the baby into Armand's arms, and soothed the toddler out of the room. ‘No need to cry, little one. The lady's poorly and I'm going to help make her better, all right? Now you go off with Daddy to eat up all your soldiers, there's a good girl. Armand, can you finish giving them their tea?'

Ellie took Mia in her arms. ‘There, there.'

Armand took the children off into the kitchen while Kate pushed a chair behind Mia's knees. Between Kate and Ellie, they got the girl seated. Over Mia's head, Kate murmured, ‘She's been beaten up. And raped?'

Also speaking softly, Ellie said, ‘I suspect it, yes, but I don't know. I need to get her seen by a doctor, privately.'

‘What about the police?'

‘I'm not sure she's in any state to give a coherent statement.'

Kate took in Mia's damaged face, frowned, and shook her head. ‘But wouldn't her family—?'

‘They're involved. Or some of them are.'

‘Ouch. Her father?'

‘Not sure. Maybe. Definitely her stepbrother.'

‘Still, the police should be notified.'

‘Her disappearance was reported to the police. They interviewed the parents who said the girl had been sleeping around till she'd gone off with some riff-raff or other. They said it was good riddance to bad rubbish. The parents have clout in the community and the police have closed the case. Now, the parents may not care what happens to Mia, but her stepbrother is actively looking for her. What I think is that she should be admitted to a private clinic somewhere until she's in a fit state to go to the police. I'll pay, but I don't know how private medicine works. I was going to phone round, see if I could find someone who might know.' She rocked Mia to and fro. ‘There, there.'

Kate stood straight and tall, biting her lip. Frowning. ‘Tell me the name of the family.'

‘Prior. Big developers. As far as the police are concerned, their word counts.'

Kate swallowed. ‘Prior? As in the people who've put up that expensive block of flats on the North Circular? The ones who want Roy to mortgage his future to invest in it? I've heard rumours about the way Mr Prior does business. They say that if you want to sup with the devil, you'd better bring a long spoon.' She made up her mind with a decisive nod. ‘I'll phone around, ask if anyone knows a doctor who'll see Mia out of hours. I have a client who might know.'

‘I don't want you involved.'

‘Too late.' Kate whisked herself off into the house.

Mia made a convulsive movement in Ellie's arms, sobbing and shaking so hard it was all Ellie could do to hold her. Now and again she seemed to be trying to speak, but didn't make it. At last she grew quiet, and Ellie was able to pull up another chair to sit down, while still keeping an arm around the girl. Two mugs of tea appeared at Ellie's elbow. Armand, doing his bit.

Ellie tried to get Mia to drink, but the girl turned her head away. Ellie sipped tea and tried to think, and failed. Tried to pray. Didn't get any further than,
Dear Lord, what do I do now? I don't want Kate and Armand drawn into this. I am so stupid. I ought to have been able to think of something else. Don't let them get hurt
.

There were reassuring noises from the kitchen. Children being fed and watered. Armand coaxing the toddler and burping the baby. Kate talking on the phone. There was a small television on the big all-purpose table in the rumpus room. It had been on a children's programme when Ellie arrived, and no one had bothered to switch it off. Mia slumped down in her chair, eyes closed, relaxed except for a faint quiver now and then.

Ellie was stiff from sitting in an awkward position. She inched herself to her feet, rubbing her lower back. Mia didn't move, so Ellie went into the kitchen, where Armand was tidying up after the children's tea.

Kate came out of the hall, shutting off her own iPhone. ‘All fixed. Mr Abrahams will see Mia in two hours' time at his consulting rooms in Harley Street, discretion guaranteed. Here's his name and address.' She gave Ellie a piece of paper with the details. ‘Mr Abrahams's receptionist assures me that he can get her a room in a private clinic tonight, if he considers it warranted. I'll drive you there, of course.'

‘I'm very grateful,' said Ellie, ‘but no way are you getting involved. I took a risk coming here but that's where it stops. Mia's stepbrother has threatened to kill her, and I believe he means it. There's been one death in her group of friends already, and I'm not exposing you to him in any way whatsoever. If you can help me get Mia out the back way and across the Green, I'll pick up a black cab there.'

‘Mummy, look at me!' The toddler had balanced a spoon on her upper lip.

Kate looked and applauded, while the baby obligingly brought up his wind.

‘In this weather?' said Armand, as sleet hit the window. ‘Don't be so stupid, Ellie. As if we'd let you.'

Kate picked the toddler up, and gave her a cuddle. ‘We've got an hour or so before we need to make a move. Let's put these two to bed and have some supper, while you tell us all about it. Ellie, do you want to phone Thomas and tell him you're going to be late?'

Ellie held up both hands. ‘I've only got a silly iPhone and I don't know how to use it. May I use your landline?'

Kate was amused. ‘Have my old mobile. It's easy to use. As you can see, Father Christmas brought me the latest iPhone, so I don't need the old one.'

Ellie accepted with pleasure, and indeed, Kate's old mobile was easy to use. She got through to the house only to find that Thomas hadn't returned yet, so she left a message with Rose to say she was having supper with friends and was that all right?

Ellie could just hear Rose's voice over the noise of her television, which had been turned up high. ‘Of course it's all right, and what I say is, it does you good to get out and about a bit, after you've had the flu. Mr Roy has been ringing and popping round to see if you're in, but I told him you'd see him when you were good and ready and he should attend to his own business.'

Ellie grimaced. She'd forgotten about contacting Roy. Well, he could jolly well wait.

‘There's only one other thing, some strange woman keeps ringing up asking for you, she's rung twice already, a Miss or Ms Wood-something, most insistent that you call her. I did tell her you might not be back till supper, so she said it was about some tickets for a matinee that you might like to go to with her which, seeing as if you were going to the theatre you'd go with Thomas, I didn't think you'd want to be bothered with. Not that I told her that.'

Ms Woodyates. Oh well, Pat had warned Ellie about Grace Woodyates, hadn't she? ‘Thank you, Rose. If she rings again, say I'm out for the evening but will get back to her tomorrow.'

Ellie went to check on Mia, who was still asleep in her chair. Kate came downstairs, having put the babes to bed. She switched the baby monitor on as Armand said, ‘Pasta up!' They ate a lot of pasta and vegetables in that household. Armand ladled it out, saying that they must eat first, and hear Ellie's tale after.

So they ate in the kitchen and over coffee Ellie talked. She began with Ursula's challenge to her, and went on from there. Every now and then Ellie leaned back in her chair to check on Mia, but it wasn't till the end of her narration that the girl stirred and opened her eyes. Ellie rose as the girl wobbled to her feet, desperately trying to speak.

As Ellie reached her side, Mia finally made it. ‘Tell Ursula, she mustn't!'

‘Mia, you can speak to her yourself in a minute. You need to drink something, and to eat. It'll help you to speak. When you've done that, I'll get her on the phone.'

Mia seemed to understand, for when Kate got her a glass of milk and coaxed her to drink, she managed a few mouthfuls. She still shivered now and then, and kept on the far side of the table from Armand, but she did finish the milk, though she refused all offers of food.

Ellie used Kate's phone, which of course had Ellie's old mobile number on it. ‘Is that you, Ursula? Good news. I've found Mia. She'd run away from home and was staying with friends. She's been through a bad time, and I'm taking her to see a doctor tonight to get her checked over, but she's safe and wants to speak to you. I'll hand her over to you now.'

Mia grasped the phone in a hand that shook. ‘Ursula . . . Ursula, are you all right? Anthony is . . . I mustn't say, or he'll kill me. But you won't, will you? Promise me you won't. I can't tell you what happened, I mustn't. Understand?'

Ellie put her arm around Mia, as the girl's knees gave way. Mia was frantic, thrusting the phone back at Ellie, whispering, ‘Tell her, tell her. Don't come back.'

Ellie took the phone from Mia. Ursula was alarmed. ‘What's happened? Mia, are you all right?'

‘Ellie here. No, she's not all right,' said Ellie, letting Kate take the girl from her. ‘She's been beaten up by someone, possibly her stepbrother. She's been desperate to speak to you, but can hardly talk at the moment. Anthony's been trying to find her, but I got to her first.'

Ursula was keeping her head, but her voice shook. ‘You think she saw something? Something to do with Lloyd's death? And he's trying to make sure she won't talk?'

‘Something like that,' said Ellie, who didn't want to speak of rape until she was sure of the facts. ‘She's safe now. All right?'

‘But where has she been? Why hasn't she rung me? I've been half out of my mind, telling myself I was worrying unnecessarily, and trying to get on with my life. Why didn't she come to me when she ran away, or ring me to say she was safe?'

‘A long story, Ursula. She hasn't got a mobile any more. Look, I'll ring you again when I have some news. All right?'

She shut off the phone. Mia was crying on Kate's shoulder. Ellie looked at the clock. ‘It's time to go.'

Armand and Kate had been talking to one another in low voices. Now Armand reached for his car coat. ‘It's all settled. I'm driving you.'

‘It's too dangerous. Anthony is persistent; went up and down the shops in the Avenue, till he traced her to where she worked. It won't take him long to find the flat in which she was sheltering, and one of the girls there will need no urging to tell him that I took her off in a cab. They even have the number I used to call the cab firm. I tried to leave a false trail by asking the cab to go to the police station, and then countermanding the order and asking him to take us to my old house, but it won't take him long to discover where I actually did go.

‘Once he locates my house next door he'll be round here, probably tomorrow morning. If the decorators are still there, and I think they haven't quite finished, he'll ask them if they've seen me and Mia, and they'll happily say that yes, they saw us this evening and left us in the house when they knocked off for the night. Then he'll ask the neighbours and they'll refer him to you two because we're known to be such close friends, and I'm not having you lot placed in danger. Think of the children.'

‘We've thought,' said Kate. ‘I'm taking them to stay with a friend for a few days. If he comes here, he'll find both houses empty.'

‘Except for Armand—'

‘He'll be at school all day and will bring a colleague – a man who used to be a rugby player and who weighs half a ton – back with him after school for some supper.'

Armand looked fierce. ‘I've no intention of backing down to a bully. I see enough of that at school. Give in to them once, and they think they can always get away with it. If he starts threatening me then I'll threaten back, with a hockey stick. Besides which, I'll deny everything. I can say, “Yes, I took my car out last night, but that's to play squash at the club, which I often do. Yes, the wife and kids are away for a few days; so what? Get lost, Mr Whatever-your-name-is.”'

‘Prior,' said Ellie. ‘Anthony Prior. He has a number of friends he might call on to help him. I don't like it.'

‘Neither do I,' said Armand. ‘But I couldn't sleep easy, thinking of you wandering around on your own, afraid of being beaten up by some overgrown louts. Besides, it's only going to be necessary to hide Mia's whereabouts till she's in a safe place where he can't get at her. Two days, max.'