Death Dance (27 page)
Diana Rexton said nothing. Rafferty gave her the official caution and led her through to the charge room. Once he’d done that and seen her shut away in a cell, he went back to his office and rang Llewellyn; sure he’d want to be in at the finish as he’d been in at the beginning.
‘You went to see Adrienne Staveley, didn’t you? Why don’t you tell us about it?’
Beside him, Llewellyn shifted in his chair, but Rafferty concentrated on what he was saying and it didn’t put him off his pursuit of the truth.
‘You’re right,’ she told him. ‘Since Gary’s been locked up, I’ve realised I had to tell you the truth. I couldn’t leave him languishing in a cell. I love him too much for that. I
did
go to see Adrienne Staveley. As you know, I had discovered Gary had been seeing her. And although I didn’t want to ask Gary about it, I decided to speak to her. It took me a while to pluck up the nerve to challenge her. Hateful woman. I don’t know what Gary saw in her.’
She probably didn’t at that thought Rafferty. He certainly couldn’t imagine her making such explicit entries in her diary as those that Adrienne had made.
‘What did she say?’
‘She boasted of the affair as soon as she knew who I was. Said she’d made a play for him and he’d been more than willing. Said I’d been lucky to have Gary to myself for so long. So long! I only moved in with him two months ago.’
‘And what did you say to her?’
‘I’m afraid I wasn’t very polite. I’m ashamed that I sank to her level and began name-calling. I told her she was a promiscuous bitch and the only reason I’d be lucky was if, through Gary, she hadn’t given me a sexual disease.’
‘I don’t suppose that went down too well.’
’Diana Rexton smiled faintly. But then the smile faltered and her lips tightened. ‘She called me a naïve little rich girl and told me Gary was only with me for my money. He isn’t. It’s not true. He didn’t know I had money when he pursued me at the tennis club. Nor when he asked me out. She told me that if I couldn’t keep my boyfriend to heel I couldn’t be much of a woman. I’ve never thought of myself as much of a woman,’ she admitted forlornly. ‘That’s why I couldn’t believe it when Gary kept seeking me out at the tennis club. Nor when he asked me out.
‘Anyway, there was a bit more name-calling on both sides, but it was clear there wasn’t a lot else to say. She was shameless. I decided to retain my dignity and walk away.’
Poor bitch, was Rafferty’s thought. ‘And what time did you leave Mrs Staveley?’
‘I wasn’t there long. I left about five-fifteen. I could see I wasn’t going to be able to appeal to her better nature. It was clear she didn’t have one.’
‘How did you know where she lived?’
‘The friend I told you about – the one who followed them when they left the pub that day – she followed them to her home, so I knew where to find her.’
‘How long ago did you find out about their affair?’
‘Around three weeks ago.’
‘And yet you said nothing to Mr Oldfield?’
‘No. I wanted to make sure of the facts for myself before I confronted him.’
Rafferty suspected she would never have confronted Oldfield, scared in case he became angered at her accusation and dumped her. In his estimation, she was probably safe from that. It was her money that was the attraction and he couldn’t see Oldfield willingly waving goodbye to that.
‘Where did you go? Back home?’
She shook her head. ‘No. I just drove round for a while. After seeing that bitch and getting her confirmation that my friend was right and that she was having an affair with Gary I didn’t want to go home and confront him. Not just then. I needed to get my head around the fact of his affair before I saw him again. I wanted to think what I was going to do.’
‘What made you go back?’
‘I was in the car and the radio was on. The DJ played that song by Dolly Parton. You know the one?
Jolene.
I felt the same as the girl in the song. She begged Jolene not to take her man. That was how I felt. I was scared she’d take Gary from me. She had everything that I didn’t — she was attractive, vivacious, sure of herself and her femininity. I know I’m plain and dumpy, and if she truly wanted to take him away from me, she could. I went back to ask her intentions. She was even nastier than the first time I spoke to her.’
Diana Rexton looked distraught. ‘She laughed at me. She was vile. Said some horrible things to me. And when she told me she meant to get Gary to set up home with her all the rejections of my teen years flashed past my eyes and I just saw red. I put my hands round her neck and squeezed. She wasn’t having Gary. That was all I thought. She wasn’t having Gary. If she hadn’t laughed at me. If she hadn’t said she would take Gary from me, she might still be alive.’
Chapter Nineteen
The morning of Rafferty and Abra’s wedding finally dawned. It was a beautifully clear day, with an azure sky and a light breeze to keep the air fresh.
Llewellyn was round the flat early already dressed in his wedding suit. He chivvied Rafferty into getting showered and having some breakfast.
‘You’re like an old mother hen,’ Rafferty complained. ‘There’s plenty of time.’
‘Someone’s got to make sure the day goes smoothly and as I’m best man, that’s my job.’
‘I suppose so. You’re doing a good job so far. Better keep it up. Abra will be upset if anything goes wrong.’
‘I know. And she’ll blame me.’
‘I doubt it. She’s more likely to blame me.’
‘Well, let’s make sure there’s no blame to be attached to either of us,’ said Llewellyn. ‘I think you should shower and get into your wedding suit now. We don’t want to be late.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Rafferty went off to the bathroom, wiping toast crumbs from his mouth on the way.
The phone rang while he was in there and, worried that it was Abra telling him the wedding was off, he hurried through his ablutions and, half-dried, he hurried back to the living room. ‘Who was on the phone?’
‘It was Bill Beard at the station.’
‘Oh.’ Panic over, he said, ‘Nice of him to ring with good wishes.’
‘He didn’t ring for that. He rang to let us know that the man who attacked and tried to strangle Edith Staveley has been caught after he forced his way into another woman’s home. He’s in the cells now.’
‘Who caught him?’
‘Timothy Smales.’
Rafferty was amazed. ‘Not well-behind-the-ears Timmy?’ Rafferty laughed. ‘Well, well for him. I suppose he’ll come in for Mrs Staveley’s reward money. He could have taken us all out for a drink. Shame I’ll be on my honeymoon and not able to take advantage of his generosity. Still, not a bad haul, Daff — two criminals caught for the price of one. Diana Rexton must really love Oldfield to have strangled Adrienne when she threatened to take him away from her. All that passion spent on such a rat. She must have been mad.’
‘As Horace says in his Epistles: “
Ira furor brevis est
.” Anger is a brief madness. He goes on to say we should control our passions lest they control us.’
‘He wasn’t wrong, old Horace, was he? Man’s a total smartarse.’ Rafferty grinned. ‘But he’s still dead. And we’re here, now, enjoying life, even if we’re not up to coming out with sayings that last through millennia.’
Time hung heavy after he’d got dressed in his wedding suit. He was scared to do anything – even drink tea – in case he slopped it on his clothes, so he was forced to sit and fidget until the clock – and Llewellyn – proclaimed it was time to leave for St Boniface Church. Dafyd drove them so they were in plenty of time.
Rafferty got the fidgets once seated in the front pew. He kept looking at his watch and checking behind him. He half feared that Abra wouldn’t turn up, even though he’d spoken to her several times that morning just to reassure himself. His ma tapped him on the shoulder and told him to keep still.
Rafferty scowled and turned back to face the altar. At last, the organist struck up with the Wedding March and he turned to watch Abra walk up the aisle on her father’s arm.
He got up from his seat and stood before the altar to wait for her to reach him. He gave her a quick smile and Father Kelly launched into the wedding service.
This time Rafferty’s mind didn’t wander and he made his responses promptly.
The service was over surprisingly quickly. He and Abra went off to sign the register. They came back to smiles and a few cheers. Rafferty was grinning from ear to ear. He gave Abra another kiss when they got outside.
The photographer took some time to get them organised, but eventually he managed it. ‘Now let’s have the bride and groom,’ he said.
Everyone else wandered off and left Rafferty and Abra alone on the church steps.
‘Hello, Mrs Rafferty,’ he said. ‘Got you at last.’
‘Or it could be said that I’ve got you,’ she told him with a smile.
‘True. Let’s say we’ve got each other and leave it at that.’
Next, the photographer asked for the bride, groom and parents. After a lot more takes, and with plenty of advice from Kitty Rafferty, the photographer was satisfied and allowed them to walk across to the church hall.
With the ordeal of the ceremony behind him, Rafferty was keen to get stuck into the booze — it would help sustain him for the speech.
Father Kelly was there ahead of them to welcome them ‘So you’ve finally done it, Joseph,’ he remarked as he and Abra entered the beautifully decorated church hall.
‘Yes,’ Rafferty replied. ‘It’s the happiest day of my life.’
‘It’s glad for you I am. And the weather’s been with you. God must be smiling on your union.’
‘I hope so. Are you staying for the reception, Father?’
‘Sure I am. I’ve nothing on for the rest of the day. I made certain of it. I wet your head at your baptism, isn’t it only right that I wet another part of your anatomy at your wedding? Especially as this one’s a much happier event than your last wedding.’
There was no gainsaying this, so Rafferty didn’t bother trying. ‘Well, enjoy yourself,’ he told the priest.
‘Oh, I’ll do that right enough. I aim to get your ma on the floor later.’
Rafferty laughed and he and Abra headed for the top table. His ma and Llewellyn were already there.
‘Have you got your speech?’ his ma asked, still acting as if she were the only woman in his life; certainly the only one with the sense to check.
‘Yes.’ Rafferty patted his top pocket. Llewellyn had made sure of it before they had left the flat. Sometimes, he felt like he had two mothers checking up on him and keeping him on the straight and narrow. That his ma, the buyer of stolen goods, should think to do this would be amusing if it wasn’t so annoying.
‘Well’ he turned to Abra. ‘How does it feel to be Mrs Rafferty?’
‘Strange. Ask me again in a few weeks.’
Everyone else found their seats and the caterers began to serve the meal: chicken and rice. The servings were small and Rafferty eyed his new wife’s plate.
‘This is tasty,’ he said. ‘Are you sure you want all of yours, Abra?’
‘Yes, I’m sure, greedy-guts. Eat your own and take your eyes off my plate.’
After the meal it was time for the speeches. Rafferty took a gulp of wine, stood up and fingered his tie. It seemed to be choking him. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began. To his surprise, his speech, though short, was well received. But not as well received as Llewellyn’s, which was witty and rather longer than Rafferty’s effort. He even cracked a joke or two at Rafferty’s expense.
But at last, all the speechifying was over and he could relax and enjoy himself. The band appeared on the stage and launched into
A Little Loving
.
‘They’re playing our song,’ he told Abra with a wry smile. ‘Let’s get the dancing started.’
Soon, other couples joined them on the dance floor and the evening began to go with a swing.
True to his word, Father Kelly had Rafferty’s ma up on the dance floor and waltzed her around the room with an expert’s flourish. Rafferty wondered where he’d learned to dance so well. Sure sign of a youth as misspent as the rest of his life, Rafferty thought.
It didn’t take long for nearly everyone to get up. Soon the room was heaving and it became hot with so many gyrating bodies. Rafferty pulled Abra off the floor to get some more liquid refreshment.
‘By the way,’ he said as they were waiting for the drinks to be served, ‘did I tell you you look gorgeous?’
‘No. Do I? Thank you.’
‘No. Thank you for agreeing to become my wife. I never thought I‘d see this day. It’s been such a long wait.’
‘The best things are worth waiting for, Joseph Aloysius. Did your Mammy never tell you that?’
‘Not that name again. Are you going to torture me with it for the rest of our married life?
‘Very probably.’
***
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BOOKS IN THE RAFFERTY AND LLEWELLYN PROCEDURAL SERIES
Dead Before Morning #1
Down Among the Dead Men #2
Death Line #3
The Hanging Tree #4
Absolute Poison #5
Dying For You #6
Bad Blood #7
Love Lies Bleeding #8
Blood on the Bones #9
A Thrust to the Vitals #10
Death Dues #11
All the Lonely People #12
Death Dance #13
Deadly Reunion #14
Kith and Kill #15
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