In for the Kill (21 page)

Now all I had to do was find it.

There was one person who might know: the cleaning lady Miles had engaged to clean my houseboat, Angela. I tried Scarlett’s number several times. Her mobile was switched off. I guessed she was still at the hospital. Just after I disembarked I tried her again. This time she answered. I let out a sigh of relief.

‘I’ve just left Steven alone with Percy for a while and stepped outside,’ she said.

I was surprised that I had room to feel a stab of sorrow in my rapidly hardening heart.

‘Scarlett, this is important. The lady who cleaned my houseboat for me, before I came out of prison, do you know her?’

‘Angela? Yes, I work with her at the hotel. Why?’

‘I’ll explain when I see you. Do you know where she lives?’

‘What is this, Alex?’

‘Just tell me, Scarlett,’ I said urgently.

‘Victoria Lane, Nettlestone. Number twenty-four –’

I cut her off. As I drove through the wet night I considered the facts again. If my family were on the Island and Rowde had brought them here, then he was in league with Miles. Rowde had known about the three million pounds when we had been in prison together, but how had he known where to find Westnam? And where to find me? Miles had obviously told him. Gus’s words came back to me.
‘He knows every move you
make almost before you make it.’
Of course he did. I told him.

Miles knew when I was being released. Miles knew scumbags like Rowde. Miles knew I had been going to see Joe on the morning he was killed. And I guessed that Miles had asked Joe to give him the reports on my investigation and had then extracted certain pieces of information from them before passing them on to me when I was in prison. Miles had got the press cuttings for me, and had the opportunity to remove those he didn’t want me to see. What an idiot I had been not to see it before.

I located the small terraced house and was relieved to find a light still on. Angela eyed me warily and kept me standing on the doorstep.

Behind her was a burly man with a full beard, glowering at me, her husband I guessed, who was ready to defend his wife, or call the police, if I threatened trouble.

I hastily apologised for the lateness of my visit and said, ‘I need to know why Mr Wolverton asked you to clean for me. It’s urgent and I can’t really explain now? How do you know him? Has he got a house here on the Island?’

She looked at me with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t cleaned for him before.’

Damn. I was wrong. I couldn’t be. ‘So why did he ask you?’ I repeated as patiently as I could.

‘I was recommended.’

‘By whom?’

‘Scarlett.’

‘Scarlett!’ I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice. How did she know Miles? She couldn’t be part of this surely?

Angela said, ‘Scarlett told me that Mr Wolverton was looking for someone to clean your houseboat before you – came home.’

‘Why didn’t she do it herself?’

Angela shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Didn’t want to, I suppose.’ She was closing the door on me as she spoke and I let her.

Why hadn’t Scarlett told me that she’d recommended Angela when I’d telephoned her earlier? Was she hiding something? Was she involved in this? My stomach churned at the thought. I had trusted to her. I liked her; no, it was more than that.

I drove to the hospital, where I found her sitting in a small waiting room with Ruby.

‘Percy died a few minutes ago,’ she said. Her eyes were red where she had been crying. Surely she couldn’t have deceived me! She couldn’t be in league with Miles. I remembered her dishevelled appearance when she’d answered the door to me once, when Ruby had been at the day centre and I’d just returned from hospital. I had thought she was with a man then. Could it have been Miles? I felt sick at the thought.

She said, ‘Steven’s still with him. I shall drive him home when he’s ready to go. Your lawyer friend wasn’t much good. He couldn’t get away quick enough.’

‘Has he got a house on the Island?’

She stared at me in surprise. ‘How the hell should I know?’

Was she telling me the truth? Perhaps he was keeping them on his boat. Was it moored up at Bembridge or Cowes? Christ, I was clutching at straws! Miles might not have anything to do with their kidnap. But Miles
was
Hugo’s grandson, which meant he had to be Andover.

It was clear by Scarlett’s expression that she didn’t much like Miles. Was it an act or genuine?

I didn’t know who I could trust anymore.

‘Why did you recommend Angela to clean my houseboat,’ I asked as calmly as I could whilst my mind was racing and my heart pounding fit to burst.

Scarlett looked exasperated. ‘What is all this about Angela?’

‘Did you know Miles before I came out of prison.’ I watched her closely for a reaction.

‘Didn’t you hear me say Percy’s just died. Is that all you can think about, who cleaned your sodding houseboat?’

‘Scarlett, my family are being held hostage. Just tell me the bloody truth, how deep are you in all this?’

‘All what?’ she blazed, her face flushing. ‘You think I could hurt your family? You think I’m a crook like my dad was? Bugger off, Alex.’ She turned away from me. I grabbed her arm.

‘Gladly, but not until you tell me truth.’

‘Truth! What is the goddamn truth? That my mother’s dying before my eyes, my father in-law’s just died of a heart attack brought on because of the truth of what happened nearly seventy years ago, and my ex-husband’s been arrested for murder because he told the truth about following Deeta. The truth is that I’m scrimping and slaving away in a menial job to make enough money to keep myself and my mother alive.’ Tears sprang to her eyes. ‘The truth is that life stinks and so do you.’

‘Scarlett, I’m desperate –’

‘And what do you think I am?’ Suddenly though her sorrow overcame her anger. Her body slumped. In a flat voice she said, ‘I saw your lawyer friend at the airfield one morning. I’d gone to talk to Steven about something. Steven introduced me –

‘Steven knows Miles!’ Now I was surprised.

‘Yes. He regularly flies into Bembridge. I didn’t know that of course. Steven’s only just told me.

He didn’t realise it would be Miles who would turn up to represent him. Your lawyer friend asked me if I knew any cleaners. He told me you were coming out of prison and your houseboat needed cleaning.’

I reeled with what Scarlett was telling me.

Miles had a pilot’s licence! I saw in my mind’s eye his hand waving from the window of his car as he headed towards St Helen’s on the day of my release. Of course, how easy for him to double back, follow me, and see me take the path across the airfield to Brading. All he had to do was climb into an aeroplane and watch for my return. Or perhaps he had been working with Deeta and she had called him to say I was leaving Brading Church. And it wasn’t a boat that had brought my family here, but an aeroplane. Miles had flown them into Bembridge. Where would he have taken them? It explained how Steven knew about my release from prison.

Scarlett said, ‘I didn’t want him to know I was a cleaner. It was my stupid pride. I gave him Angela’s name. She cleans for the London lot that invade Seagrove Bay in the summer months.’

Just then Steven entered. Scarlett turned her back on me. ‘Are you ready to go home?’

He nodded. His face was ashen and there were dark circles under his dull, sad eyes. ‘The police want me to report to them tomorrow.’ He addressed his remark to me. ‘They think I killed her.’

‘Have they charged you?’

‘Not yet. I told them I would call into the station tomorrow with Mr Wolverton.’

‘Steven, did Miles Wolverton fly in here yesterday with a woman and two boys, one dark haired, the other fair,’ I asked impatiently.

Scarlett glowered at me. Steven looked dazed.

‘No.’

I cursed.

‘But I think that was Miles Wolverton flying the day you said that aeroplane buzzed you,’ he added.

Miles
was
Andover. I was in the corridor when Scarlett called after me.

‘I can’t stop now,’ I shouted back.

‘You might like to know your friend Ray called.’

I’d almost forgotten about him. That was quick. I halted. ‘And?’

‘He said it’s drugs and it’s not Jamie but Joanne.

She nearly got done six years ago but got off the charge. Some clever bugger lawyer were his words. Fits your friend quite nicely, don’t you think?’

Oh, indeed it did. I rushed towards her, took her face in my hands and kissed her. Before she could respond I had gone. Westnam, Couldner and Brookes – all with a secret they didn’t want exposed. Who would they have told their secrets too? Who could they have trusted? There were only two answers to that question: a priest and a clever bugger lawyer. If I needed confirmation that Miles was Andover this was it. But knowing it didn’t mean I knew where my family was, or that I would get them safely away from Rowde’s clutches. I did know where Miles was though.

I drove through the empty streets as fast as I could praying there were no traffic cops about.

When I reached the curve in Embankment Road I saw his car. Parking behind it I climbed out, my fists clenched, my body rigid with anger. At last I was going to meet Andover face to face.

Finally I was going to learn the truth. With a quickening heartbeat I pushed back the door of my houseboat and stepped inside.

Spread out before Miles were my mother’s diaries and jewellery. He looked up surprised, then smiled warily. My instinct was to rush at him and beat the truth from him, but I wasn’t certain I would be able to stop myself from killing him. With difficulty I controlled my raging anger.

There were questions that I needed answers to first. Like where were my family?

‘You won’t find what you’re looking for there,’

I said, tautly.

‘What? Oh sorry, didn’t mean to pry. I was curious. It was rude of me.’ His green eyes were scrutinising me. ‘What are you doing back here?’

He was still trying to be friendly. He hadn’t yet worked out that I knew. Time to enlighten him.

‘I reckoned that Rowde had Vanessa and the boys on the Island. Where are they, Miles?’ I crossed to stand opposite him.

‘How should I know?’ He pulled himself up to face me.

‘Because you asked Rowde to kidnap them.’

His surprise was so genuine that I doubted myself. Then I told myself that Miles was a consummate actor. He had to be to have fooled the courts, the police and me all these years.

‘Why did you frame me? Is it really because my mother betrayed your grandfather? Seems a bit ridiculous to me.’ I spoke with what I hoped was calculated contempt. I saw just a flicker of anger flash in his eyes. He made to speak, then decided against it.

‘You also killed Deeta so that Steven could be accused of murder. You got your own back on Percy too. He’s dead by the way. You’re Andover, Miles, and you framed me for something that happened to your grandfather almost seventy years ago. For the sake of revenge you killed my mother and stripped me of everything I owned and loved. You destroyed my life.’ My fists clenched. The blood pounded in my head. I willed myself not to strike him. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed.

Miles looked as though he was about to deny it. If he did I knew I wouldn’t be able to contain myself any longer.

He said, ‘How did you find out?’

‘Joanne Brookes, drug smuggling charge, some clever bugger lawyer got her off.’

‘And you’ve put it all together from that?’

‘And this.’ I held out the photograph. ‘Your grandfather, I believe: Hugo Wildern. I take it you killed Joe before I could get to him and you took my file from the warehouse?’

I could see him weighing it up: truth or more lies. In the end he saw he didn’t really have a choice. He sat down. ‘Your file didn’t contain much but I couldn’t take the risk. Joe gave me the reports, but I wasn’t sure if he had kept copies. As it was, I needn’t have bothered.’

Jesus! The arrogance of the man. ‘And Darren?

The man in the warehouse? Did you kill him?’

Miles didn’t answer. He didn’t have to; I could see that he had.

I said, ‘I know Joanne Brookes was into drug smuggling at one time and that you managed to get the charges dropped but what about Westnam and Couldner? What were their secrets?’

I forced myself to sit opposite him and emulate his causal manner whilst my heart was screaming kill him, beat him to a pulp. My mind, however, was racing, wondering how this might get me to my family. Was Rowde working alone? I needed to find out and quickly. I could see though I wouldn’t be able to hurry Miles.

‘I suppose there’s no harm in your knowing now. Westnam left a banker’s dinner early. I was there. He was drunk. On his way home on a quiet country road he knocked over and badly injured a woman. He couldn’t afford the scandal.

He called me. I collected him and took him home to bed. I told the police that I had been talking to Westnam and that he and I had been together at the time of the incident. The car had been stolen and flashed up.’

‘When it hadn’t. And Couldner?’

‘We were at a party at Couldner’s managing director’s house. Couldner got carried away with the MD’s daughter. She was fifteen. He always did like them young. I told the girl that if she breathed a word about it, her father would be dismissed.’

I wanted to hit him hard. With difficulty I contained my fury and disgust. I couldn’t afford to rattle him. Prison had trained me well. If Miles attacked me I guessed I could give as good as I got, but I wasn’t going to take any chances yet.

Not until Vanessa and my sons were safe. And if I couldn’t find my family on time…? If Miles wouldn’t tell me where they were…? Then I had to keep that meeting with Rowde.

Miles said, ‘How did you find out about Joanne Brookes?’

‘I’ve got contacts too, Miles. Who told you about your grandfather?’

‘It was a coincidence really. Life is full of them.

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? I think it was meant to be. I saw it as justice. Fate had put it within my grasp and I couldn’t ignore it, Alex.’

‘You’ll be telling me you hear voices next.’