Leonie was tempted to tell Grace to mind her own business. She bit her lip instead and held a finger to her lips, a plea for Grace to lower her voice. ‘This path leads to Tapscott Manor. Nathan’s motorbike wasn’t parked outside the cottage so I’m betting he left it at the nursing home and walked to the cottage through the wood.’
Leonie carried on along the path with Grace at her side, and then suddenly she raised her fingers to her lips again. Grace tried to focus on what Leonie could hear. They carried on walking carefully, trying not to make a sound.
Up ahead the path widened and beside it was a small clearing where old trees had been removed, leaving flat stumps in a circle. Nathan was within the circle talking to someone. Leonie couldn’t see who it was, but Nathan was taunting them with the knife, slashing a wide curve. His voice carried in the quiet of the wood and, egged on by Doreen, both were unaware that Grace and Leonie were watching.
‘Go away,’ Nathan’s hollow voice echoed around the clearing.
‘Who is he arguing with?’ Leonie whispered.
Grace edged closer, making sure to keep a tree trunk between her and Nathan’s sight line.
Leonie followed, craning her neck around the tree, trying to see. ‘There’s no one there,’ Leonie whispered, frowning.
Grace knew differently. Standing to one side of the clearing, facing Nathan, stood Amy. In her arms she held a lifeless baby which she cuddled closely. Amy’s mother, Ellen, stood beside her.
A snapping sound, a twig trodden underfoot, caused Doreen to look behind her. Already half mad and gibbering at the sight of Ellen, when Doreen saw Grace and Leonie, two pale smudged ghosts, it just about finished her off. She screamed, and holding her hands to her face she scurried about wildly until eventually she was out from among the tree stumps and back on the path, fleeing as fast as her old legs would go.
Ignoring Amy and Ellen for a minute, Nathan turned towards the commotion and shouted to his grandmother to come back. His cries fell on deaf ears and in frustration he advanced on Grace and Leonie, slashing the air wildly with the knife.
‘Run and get help, Leonie,’ Grace shouted, pushing Leonie, and in her haste and rising fear, Leonie stumbled and fell onto her knees. She was soon up again, and ran back along the path to the cottage, shouting for help as she went.
Grace managed to stay upright but it had given Nathan the advantage and she felt the sharp blade pierce her thigh. Grace cried out in pain and fell, blood oozing from the wound. Nathan held the knife high, ready to strike again, and Grace screamed.
Grace lay on her back waiting for the knife to strike. In astonishment she watched the knife as it was wrenched, as if by magic, out of Nathan’s hand. It flew high into the air and hit a tree opposite, then ricocheted off the tree and landed a few feet away, with the hilt in the ground. The blade stuck up by about six inches. Nathan looked stunned, and he staggered about trying to regain his balance. Then, as though he had been given a hard push, he fell backwards, arms flailing wildly in front of him, trying to grasp the air. He landed heavily on his own knife, the sharp blade piercing his heart. Nathan’s shocked face registered what had happened. He jerked for a few moments and then was still.
Along the path and through the trees policemen were approaching, one holding onto the lead of a big German shepherd dog. A paramedic carrying a large bag hurried along with them.
‘Over here,’ Leonie, leading the way, shouted to the paramedic urgently, hurrying him up.
‘Found him.’ A policeman stood over Nathan’s prone figure and shouted to his colleagues. He began relaying information into his radio equipment, following that with an urgent request for an ambulance to meet them at Primrose Cottage. One of the policemen checked Nathan for signs of life and shook his head.
With Grace on a stretcher and Leonie trailing behind, the group made their way back to the cottage. The firemen had the blaze under control but Grace looked at the smouldering cottage in dismay. The roof still looked intact and she prayed the fire hadn’t done too much structural damage.
Montrose gave them both a piece of his mind for wandering off, but he waited with them for the ambulance to arrive. Grace let Leonie do most of the talking. She didn’t think the DCI was in any mood for ghost stories and bedsides, her leg throbbed and she was beginning to feel woozy.
‘I’m beginning to think you’re trying to avoid me, Miss Lanceley. I have questions to ask you regarding the attack on Sophia Deverell’s life last night,’ DCI Montrose said to Leonie.
‘Well, it wasn’t me; I thought that would be obvious to you by now,’ Leonie told Montrose with a glare.
‘I know you’ve had a bit of rough day, but just tell me please, in your own words, exactly what you did and what you saw when you visited your aunt,’ Montrose requested. DS Fielding stood beside Leonie, making notes in a little book.
‘After I heard about the Farrells finding a coffin in their garden, I decided to go and see Sophia.’
‘Why, after all this time?’ Montrose interrupted.
‘Does it matter? Anyway, when I walked along the corridor I saw Doreen Brock coming out of Sophia’s room with some books. When she saw me she began shouting and the next thing I know, she runs past me, goes down in the lift and is gone. As soon as I entered Sophia’s room I knew something was wrong and I raised the alarm.’ Leonie shrugged.
‘Why didn’t you stay and wait for us to arrive?’ the DCI enquired.
‘I went after Doreen, but I couldn’t find her. So the next morning I went to Primrose Cottage. I wasn’t sure if Amelia and Grace weren’t in on it too, so I came to have it out with them.’
‘We’d never hurt Sophia,’ Grace said indignantly.
‘I didn’t know you then. I can see now, you and your sister aren’t that bad,’ Leonie said.
‘Thanks for nothing I’m sure,’ Grace replied.
The ambulance arrived just then, putting an end to the interrogation. Dissatisfaction was written all over Montrose’s face. Leonie climbed up into the ambulance, flashing a “Don’t try and stop me” look at Montrose, but he had already turned on his heels, and with a group of policemen he strode off towards the wood and Nathan.
While the paramedics made Grace comfortable and attended her wound, Leonie sat near her. She took hold of Grace’s hand.
‘I wonder if Amelia’s still at the hospital,’ Grace managed to say before the morphine took effect and the interior of the ambulance stopped whizzing around.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll find her and tell her what’s happened,’ Leonie said quietly, smoothing Grace’s hair away from her still smudged face.
***
Doreen managed to get as far as the meadow before her legs gave out. She’d allowed herself a few quick glances back along the path to put her mind at rest that she hadn’t been followed. Now she needed a place to sit and rest. She was beginning to think Oakham Wood was haunted. What a shock it was, seeing the Farrell girl and Leonie standing behind her. Especially after that demented woman and waif of a girl had appeared out of nowhere.
Doreen knew it wasn’t prudent to sit in the middle of the path to wait for Nathan, so she walked into the field a few metres and collapsed amongst the tall grass. She lay back and made a hollow, the grassy curtain swishing above and around her. The whole world was spinning and a loud ringing noise deafened her A clutching pain gripped her chest and shot down her arm. She consoled herself with the knowledge that Nathan would be along soon and would be able to see her from the path. He’ll take me home and everything will be all right then, she thought, as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 35
Deep grooves scored the velvet Dralon, and Amelia smoothed the material that covered the arms of the chair in an attempt to hide the damage. She jumped up to meet Leonie when at last she arrived, and although relieved to see her, Amelia’s anger resurfaced.
‘Where the hell have you been and where is Grace? I’ve been out of my mind with worry. You should see the damage I’ve done to this chair.’
Leonie did little to calm her. ‘Chill, I’m here now, aren’t I?’
‘Chill,’ Amelia glared. ‘How dare you patronise me. My sister jumped out of a police car to go looking for you. Where is she?’
‘You haven’t heard the news then?’ Leonie guided Amelia back to the seating area. ‘Grace and I thought we’d find you at the hospital with Sophia.’
‘I was at the hospital. Sophia asked me to fetch her some personal things.’ Amelia nudged the carrier bag at her feet. ‘Vicky insisted I had a cup of tea and a biscuit before I go back.’
Vicky Morris was at her post on the reception desk. Hearing her name mentioned she waved. ‘Would you like a cup, Leonie?’ she asked. Leonie shook her head in response.
‘Have they caught Nathan and Doreen?’ Amelia said earnestly.
‘No, not as such. Nathan is dead and Doreen’s still on the run.’
‘Oh!’ Amelia said in surprise. ‘What happened?’
‘It looked like Nathan fell onto his knife. He can’t hurt anyone anymore, you’re safe.’ Leonie put her hand on Amelia’s shoulder, hoping she wouldn’t insist on details.
‘You’ve still not told me where Grace is.’ Amelia knew there was something Leonie wasn’t telling her.
‘Don’t go off on one when I tell you then. Grace is in hospital,’ Leonie said.
Amelia paled and searched Leonie’s face, fearing the worst. Leonie quickly reassured her. ‘She’s all right; well, she will be. Nathan stabbed her and she’s got a nasty gash on her thigh. She’s being stitched as we speak. As soon as she can, she’ll get a taxi and come here. I’m more concerned about Doreen,’ Leonie went on. ‘She was in the wood with Nathan at first, but then ran off. I wondered if she’d come back here.’
Amelia had a sickening thought. ‘I bet Doreen’s gone to the hospital to see Sophia. Had we better warn the hospital staff to be on the lookout for her?’
‘Hang on a minute, I’ll check with Vicky. I’ll get her to call that policeman too, what’s his name, Montrose,’ she added, to calm Amelia’s agitation. While Leonie was questioning Vicky, Grace arrived.
‘I suppose Leonie’s filled you in,’ Grace said with a sheepish grin. Careful to keep her wounded leg straight she lowered herself onto a chair. ‘DS Fielding was at the hospital checking on Sophia and he offered to give me a lift here. He’s under strict instructions from DCI Montrose not to let us out of his sight. He’s to escort us all to the station to give our statements.’
Amelia had intended to give Grace a piece of her mind but when she observed her sister’s wince of pain and grey pallor she resisted. Instead she asked, ‘Are you all right?’
‘My leg’s fine, but I can’t stop trembling. Inside me, you know, is all of a quiver.’ Also Grace was worried about what to say to DCI Montrose. She knew he wouldn’t believe it when she told him she saw the ghost of Ellen Farrell push Nathan onto his knife, while her dead daughter and grandchild looked on.
‘Probably shock,’ Amelia said. ‘Sophia seems to be taking the attack in her stride.’
‘Yes. She was able to give a statement to the police. Doreen threatened to kill her if she even contemplated changing her will in our favour.’
‘Trying to smother her was more than just a threat,’ Amelia responded.
‘Doreen saw Lillian’s diaries, and after a flick through them she went ballistic. She pushed a pillow over Sophia’s face. I bet she had a shock when Leonie saw her coming out of Sophia’s room,’ Grace said, thinking about it. ‘If it had been someone stronger, Sophia wouldn’t have survived.’
‘Poor Sophia, she must have been terrified. Thank goodness Leonie did decide to visit just then.’
David Lanceley’s story that Leonie was out when he visited her was true, Amelia mused. He hadn’t been in touch with her since that evening, and she was glad. Amelia knew without a doubt that he wasn’t the one for her.
‘Vicky’s rustling you up some tea,’ Leonie told Grace, coming back to join them. Grace smiled her thanks and leaned back into the armchair, trying to relax her pent-up nerves.
‘Any news on Doreen?’ Amelia asked, causing Grace to sit upright again.
‘No, she hasn’t come back here. Just to be sure, Vicky sent Pauline up to check Doreen’s room but there’s no sign of her,’ Leonie told them.
‘Did you telephone the police, in case she’s gone to the hospital?’ Amelia questioned anxiously.
‘Yes, of course I did.’ Predictably, Amelia noticed Leonie’s scathing edge creeping back into her voice.
Within minutes of the call DCI Montrose had rattled off instructions to the sister on Sophia’s ward and was on his way to the Countess of Chester Hospital in his car, accompanied by DS Fielding, both praying they would get to Sophia before it was too late.
The call came in before they’d reached the outskirts of the city. Doreen Brock’s body had been found.
1928
July
Sophia Deverell stamped her foot in frustration and ran out of the room. She headed as always to the nursery, where she knew she would find Nanny Farrell. ‘Oh bother,’ she muttered. The nursery was empty. While she waited, Sophia sat down in her nurse’s favourite wooden rocking chair. In irritation she rocked the chair forcefully forward and back, almost in danger of tipping herself over. Gradually she let the chair ease into a gentle rocking motion which eventually calmed her and soothed her frustration.
Freddie Brock had asked her if he could accompany her to the summer fete and she’d accepted. Well, why shouldn’t she go with someone of her choice? Freddie worked in her father’s stables, grooming and trimming the horses, and due to his equine ability he’d made an impression and secured himself a permanent job at Tapscott Manor. He had no airs or graces and was refreshingly different from the sons of her parents’ friends and acquaintances, who like their parents assumed a superior manner, were full of their own importance and openly vain. Motor cars, the hunt or how many birds they’d bagged at the last shoot seemed their only topics of conversation, which Sophia found boring.
The sound of Lillian’s footsteps on the stair sent Sophia rushing to meet her, leaving the chair to swing violently behind her.