An Impossible Dilemma: A Psychological Thriller Novel (22 page)

"You're so right," Cathy said. "Poor girl."

I glanced around at the dwindling party. Frank was still chatting with Martin. Steph and Steve looked as though they’d completely zoned everybody else out, which surprised me. Steph had heard all the stories about Steve being a male slut. I hoped she realised what she was doing.

Alex came staggering over and sat down next to me. The table of girls seemed relieved he'd left.

"Are you okay, Alex?"

"I'm wonderful, and I want to tell you that you and your family are the best ever."

"Thanks." I smiled.

Cathy's eyes twinkled.

I shook my head at her and laughed. "Are you ready to go home, Alex?"

"Nah, I want to go dancing with some friends."

"Where are they?"

He looked around the room. "Where's Sally-Ann?"

"She left."

"Wha—"

"Come on, let's get you home."

I stood up and asked the girl behind the bar to order a taxi.

"Are you almost ready, Frank?"

"Aye, lass. Ready when you are.”

“We'd best get Alex home before he throws up." I laughed, glancing at Alex who had turned a greenish colour and leaned against the bar.

I placed my hand on Steph's shoulder and she started. "We're gonna head off, Steph. What do you want to do?"

"Oh, I'll come too."

Steve glanced around. "Where's Sally-Ann?"

"She left—she had a headache."

"Oops." He shrugged, and they both laughed. “In that case, do you fancy going on somewhere?" he asked Steph.

"Okay." She smiled, her eyes sparkling at Steve.

We all made our way to the front door. Steve helped us get Alex in the back of the taxi and we said our goodbyes to Cathy and Martin.

"Emily's presents!" Cathy and I said at the same time, and then laughed.

I ran back into the restaurant and retrieved the pile of gifts from under the table.

Back outside, I saw Steve's black Aston Martin drive away with a wide-eyed Stephanie in the passenger seat. I waved but they didn't seem to notice.

I slid into the taxi beside Alex, who promptly began snoring.

Once home, I paid the driver who helped get the parcels into the hallway while I helped Alex.

"You check on Emily and let Lyn go, Frank. I'll get this one to his room." "Can you manage?"

"I should be able to."

Alex was upright but leaning on me. By the time we got to the garage, he’d found his second wind, wanting to dance and sing. He tried to make me put my bag down but I swung it away from him, laughing and the leaflet I’d got off Sally-Ann fell to the floor.

"Whoops, you dropped something," Alex said, bending to pick the piece of paper up. He glanced at it then sat heavily on the bottom step of the spiral staircase.

"I got it off Sally-Ann. It's her brother. He went missing ages ago."

"I know him." He was a lot more sober than he had been a few seconds ago.

"Yeah, you probably do—he's lived round here all his life."

"No, I mean, I saw him
here
."

Chapter 30

I stood stock–still, staring at him, suddenly struck dumb.

He attempted to get up. "I need to tell the police."

"Wait, what are you talking about? He's never been here."

"Yes, he has—twice that I know of. The first time I told Jonathan about it and we chased him from the property."

"Jon didn't tell me."

"No, he said not to. Said you'd freak out."

I sat beside him on the step with a huff.

"Then I saw him the night of Jon's funeral."

"You must be mistaken. What would he want round here?"

"That first time we saw him Jonathan told me he was bad news and probably casing the joint."

"I need a drink," I said.

"Now you're talking," he said, standing up and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"With you, for a drink."

I sighed. "Come on then. One, mind you, then bed."

We walked back towards the house as Lyn's car disappeared down the driveway.

Frank leaned into the fridge, picking at a chicken carcass we'd had for lunch. He glanced around, a quizzical expression crossing his face. "What's wrong?" 

"We need a drink," I said, opening my eyes wide and raising my eyebrows at him.

He jerked his head backwards, as if asking what the problem was.

"Show him the leaflet, Alex."

Frank read it. He didn't flinch at all. His self-control surprised me. "What about it?"

"This guy is Sally-Ann's brother, and he's been missing for months."

"And?"

"Apparently Alex saw him around this house a couple of times. Once he told Jon, who warned him not to mention it to me. The next time was the night of Jonathan's funeral." I poured two stiff brandies and downed mine in one, handing the other to Alex.

"Why would he be here?" Frank asked.

"I have no idea."

"Tell us what happened last time, Alex."

He downed his drink and placed the glass back onto the bench top. I refilled it.

"I was standing outside having a smoke after the funeral. It was late, around ten o'clock. I heard a sound but I didn't see him right away. Then I heard his bike spokes clicking. That's when I saw him standing on the path, looking at the house. All the lights were out except the hall light."

"Go on," I said.

"I didn't know what to do. Didn’t want to confront him but I couldn’t ignore him, so I cleared my throat and switched the garage light on. I pretended I hadn’t seen him because Jonathan said he was a nasty piece of work. Anyway, he didn't move at all for a few minutes, then he turned away and pushed his bike from the driveway."

"I wish you'd told us."

"I did think about it, but you'd just buried Jon and I thought you had enough to worry about. If something had happened I would have told you what I saw, but nothing did, and I never saw him again."

He knocked back his drink again.

"Slow down, Alex. You'll pass out." I laughed.

“Sorry, I've never been able to drink in moderation. That's why I don't normally bother. I'm an old soak once I get the taste."

"Oh well, you're not working tomorrow, so you'll be able to spend the day in bed." I poured him another, and a small one for myself. "Can I get you one, Frank?"

He shook his head. "No, but I wouldn't mind a cuppa."

"Go and sit yourself down and take Alex with you. Are you hungry?"

"I'm peckish. I know I shouldn't be after all that lovely food, but I am."

"Fancy a ham sandwich?"

"Oh, I'd love one, lass."

"How about you, Alex?"

"Nah thanksh." His legs were like bendy rubber as he followed Frank to the lounge where he flopped down on the sofa.

I picked up his drink and walked behind him, placing it on the coffee table. "There you go."

"Thanksh," he said again.

Frank sat in the armchair.

Back in the kitchen I set about making a plate of sandwiches and a cup of tea for Frank. Frank and Alex were chatting but I couldn't hear what they were saying above the sound of the kettle boiling.

Frank glanced my way a couple of times. He seemed a little agitated.

I joined them a few minutes later, handing Frank the plate of sandwiches and placing his tea on the table.

"Thanks, lass."

"Okay, so what have I missed?"

"Alex was just saying he thought he'd found that bloke's bike in the garage."

"What bloke?" My heart froze in my chest. I felt the contents of my stomach turn to liquid.

"The missing bloke," Alex said.

"Impossible. Why would it be in our garage? You already said you saw him leave on it."

"I know, but it's quite distinct. Part of it is silver and part of it pink, as though its two different bikes welded together. It also has two different coloured tyres. A white one of the front and a black one on the back.

"And you saw it in our garage?" I kicked myself for not getting rid of the bike, how stupid I’d been to forget all about it. My eyes flashed at Frank.

I walked back to the kitchen and brought back the brandy bottle, topped up my glass and then held the bottle out to Alex. He finished the dregs of his glass before holding it out for me to refill it.

"That's strange," I said.

"I know, then I found that tooth in the pigshty. I almost convinced myself something had gone on, until Frank told me it wash hish tooth."

I laughed with him, but the tone sounded flat and empty. Alex didn't seem to notice.

"I'll tell the policshe tomorrow. Look at the date he went mishing. I'm shure thatsh the date of Jon's funeral. Poor Shally-Ann," he said.

I also felt sorry for Sally-Ann. She'd never better herself while she was hanging around her deadbeat family,. I felt somewhat responsible for that. If Shane hadn't gone missing, she'd have moved on by now. Instead she stayed out of some sense of loyalty to her alcoholic waster of a mother. The same mother who'd given her away in the first place.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters, Alex?"

His eyes were almost closed as I spoke and he sat up quickly.

"No," he said.

"What about your mum and dad?"

"Dead. I have no one left."

"Wow! That's hard on a young guy like you. I was the same at your age. Luckily I met Jonathan, and he and Frank became my family."

"I don't mind. I'm okay alone. Beshides, I have you guys." He necked the rest of his brandy and settled back onto the sofa.

We sat staring at him for a few minutes until he began to snore.

I got up and nodded my head towards the kitchen, eyeballing Frank.

He stood up slowly, his eyes not leaving Alex as he followed me to the kitchen.

"Oh fuck, Frank. What are we gonna do? We've had it now. They'll investigate, and once he tells them about the bike and the tooth that'll be it."

"Calm down, Victoria." His voice was harsh, so unlike him.

My mouth snapped shut, as I looked at him, shocked.

"There's no point getting hysterical. We need to stay calm."

I nodded, my mind racing. I began pacing backwards and forwards.

"We need to get rid of him," Frank said, calm.

"How?" I spun round to face him.

"How do you think?"

I shook my head. Opened and closed my mouth, but no words would form. "No."

"What choice do we have? He's the only one who saw Shane here. He saw the bike. He found the tooth. Without him, we're back to square one."

"But this time it’s different—this would be murder."

"What were the others if not murder? Don't be so bloody naïve."

"One was self-defence, the other suicide. You said it yourself."

Frank laughed. "The court won't see it that way."

"But not Alex, Frank. He's lovely. We're all he's got."

"Exactly. All the more reason to do it. No one will be looking for him."

"No, Frank. No!"

"Okay, it's up to you. I don't mind. My needs will be met in prison. I'll be fed, have a TV and a toilet. That's as important as things get for me. You, on the other hand, won't find it that easy. And where does that leave Emily?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "We have no choice, Frank. We've done wrong and we need to suffer the consequences. We should have known we'd get caught—no one gets away with murder—not really, not forever."

"But what could go wrong, this one last time?"

"Everything. Everything, don't you see? What if Stephanie comes home? Do we knock her on the head too? What if another tooth is found by the new farmhand? Because we can't manage the farm on our own. Do we just keep bumping people off as they get in our way? Where will it end?"

"Make a choice then. I'll go whichever way you decide. But it needs to be tonight if we're doing it. As soon as Alex wakes up in the morning, he'll go straight to the police, and that will be end of the story."

"Don't put it all on me. That's not fair," I said.

"How's it not fair? I told you what I want to do."

Loud snores came from the sofa.

My senses were wired, and my eyes felt as though they were sticking out on stalks.

"We could use his Proteum," Frank said, his voice soft. "He's not a thief or a bully. He's a lovely lad, so there’d be no problems with him giving Emily any badness."

It was too much. I ran to the sink and brought up the contents of my stomach. I could smell the brandy, which made me retch even more. I splashed my face with water and used a spoon in the plughole to mash up the vomit lumps, which made me woozy once again.

I needed to think. Frank was right—it would need to be tonight if we were to do it at all. Tomorrow would be too late.

I couldn't believe I was actually considering it. This wasn't me. I was a kind, honest woman. A vet, a wife, a mother, a daughter-in-law, a neighbour, a friend—I had enough labels. I didn't want to add serial killer to the list.

I looked at Frank, who was still leaning against the bench, scrutinising me.

"No, Frank—it's over. I can't do it. We're so much better than this.

"Fair enough, come on—let's get to bed. You may as well throw a blanket over him—he's out for the count.” He placed his arm around my shoulders and we walked to the hallway. Frank headed for the stairs while I got a blanket from the airing cupboard.

"Goodnight, lass."

"Goodnight, Frank." I walked back into the lounge and pulled Alex's shoes off and swung his legs onto the sofa, before covering him up. He was out of it, and didn't feel a thing. I could do anything and he wouldn't even know about it, but how could we do what Frank suggested? This young man had been a part of our household for months now, for the best part of a year. He was lovely, no harm in him at all. I stroked his mousy brown hair, and then quietly left the room.