HIDDEN SECRETS (19 page)

         Full of remorse, Alex picked up the phone and asked Mrs. Gilroy to connect him to the relevant hospital.

“This is Mrs. Harrington Sir, Mrs. Gilroy has taken sick leave,” the young woman explained.

“Nothing serious I hope?” Alex enquired, trying to disguise the conceit in his tone.

“It’s women’s problems, she’s asked me not to say anything Sir.”

“Then please don’t; I’d prefer not to talk about women’s ailments, particularly Mrs. Gilroy’s. Could you connect me to Saint Mary’s Infirmary in Taunton, as quickly as possible?” he asked abruptly.

“Yes Sir.”

Alex slammed the phone down and stood up. A few minutes later, the phone rang and he snatched it from the cradle.

“Hospital admissions, how can I help you?” Nurse Jill Hobson asked.

Alex relayed the information concerning Simons’ admission to the hospital.

“Are you a relative Sir?” she asked

“I’m his partner, we live together,” he replied simply.

“Can you hold the line Sir, while I make some enquiries?” Silence ensued for what seemed like an eternity before the nurse finally returned to the phone. He listened as she explained the full details of Simon’s injuries. She was extremely professional and kind, but this did nothing to soften the blow of the devastating news she conveyed to him.

There was no other way to disguise the fact that that he had received irreversible damage to his spinal cord, which had resulted in paralysis from the waist down. This was the reason he had been transferred to a specialist hospital where he could receive the best possible care.

Alex attempted to speak, but his mouth was dry and he felt light-headed.

“Are you still there Sir?” the nurse asked.

“Yes, but I wasn’t expecting to hear anything like that,” he replied weakly.

“I’m sorry, I know it sounds very final, but there is so much that can be done to improve the standard of living for patients in this situation.”

Anger replaced his initial feeling of shock and he began to speak irrationally.

“Improve his standard of living? How do you think you can achieve that? He’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Do you know that he was a county cricketer? What are you going to do about that? It would have been better if he had died.”

“It’s quite normal to respond in this way Sir, it’s a great shock; but when you accept what’s happened you’ll see that it isn’t the end of his life.”

“I can still walk; Simon’s the one you should be telling this to. How has he taken it?” he asked.

The line was silent momentarily before the nurse replied.

“He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, so he obviously doesn’t know,” she replied softly.

“Is that normal? Surely he should have,” his voice trailed off.

“It’s quite normal for the body to shut done when it receives severe injuries. He’ll probably be awake in the morning. I think it would be better if you called back tomorrow when you’ve had time to think about what’s happened.” The nurse interrupted him.

“That’s the last thing I want to do,” he slammed the phone down.  He had expected to hear that Simon was conscious with minor injuries, and sitting up in bed annoying the nurses. They could have been reunited with their stupid argument behind them; now their life together would never be the same. What they had shared together in the past was gone forever. Simon was destined to spend the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair, and Alex was uncertain if he could provide the care and commitment required. He may be a rich man, but no amount of money could ever buy Simon his mobility, and restore his quality of life.

         Did the driver of the car involved in the accident realise what he had done? Was he even aware of the devastation he had imparted on a total stranger? The perpetrator would have to be punished for the misery he had caused. This vengeful thought was still uppermost in his mind when his phone rang again.

“There’s another call for you Sir, from Inspector Salt,” Mrs. Harrington informed him.

“Put him through,” Alex replied bluntly.

“Good evening Inspector how can I help you?”

“Good evening. I have an interesting piece of information I thought you might like to hear,” he began.

“Really; then please enlighten me Inspector.”

“It appears that your young waiter Joseph was responsible for the rape and murder of Emma Lewis. D.N.A found on the young woman matches his perfectly,” he revealed.

“Are you sure Inspector? He was a very gentle person. I find it hard to believe he could commit a rape, let alone murder?” 

“There’s absolutely no doubt at all Sir, but we don’t know what the connection is.”   

“I can’t help you there. I don’t know anything about his personal life, but I can assure you that he wasn’t involved with Emma Lewis.”

“Maybe, but perhaps some of your staff might know something about him?” he suggested.

“You’ll have to ask them Inspector,” Alex was finding it difficult to concentrate.

“Now if there’s nothing more I have some paperwork to attend to.”

“No, but thank you for your time, I’ll call round in the morning. Goodnight Mr. Lawton,” the call ended. 

          Alex sunk wearily into an armchair and closed his eyes as visions of Simon’s handsome face flashed before him. The last time he had seen him he was wearing an open necked polo shirt to show off the gold chain Alex had given him for his birthday. They had become very close over the last few months, and were planning a long overdue holiday to Thailand. Simon had an olive complexion and developed a golden tan after just a few days in the sun. Alex tended to cover up as his fair skin burned easily. He smiled as he re-called their first holiday together in Greece where Simon had hired a boat for the afternoon and lost his bearings; it was almost dark by the time they found their way back. The hire company were out searching for them all evening. There would be no more holidays like that; there might not even be a future for them now. 

********************

Anne Parish was keeping a low profile; she was uncertain as to whether the police would connect Joseph’s and Emma Lewis’s deaths. It had been a big mistake to trust a naïve young fool like Joseph to do a man’s job. In fact, she could have made a better job of it herself, but he had served a purpose, albeit in an imprudent manner. She would take more care in the future with her selection of members; there could be no more misdemeanours. 

        Ben Preston and Alex Lawton, who were now both aware of her activities, had become too risky to pursue and unfortunately, she would have to persecute a fresh victim, but not before she had delivered a parting gift. Alex Lawton had been chosen as the recipient.

          Anne had six close associates whom she could wholly trust, and now it was time to call on one of them to arrange the demise of Alex Lawton. Glen Meadows was an expert in the field of explosives, and a close friend who would be only too happy to oblige. When Lawton was out of the way, she would implement the final part of her plan.

        She was aware that Glen had feelings for her although he had never said anything, but she sensed it by the way he stared at her. He would look into her eyes when she spoke, and hold his gaze long after she had finished speaking. It was time to take advantage of the doting idiot. Anne was flattered by his unrequited attention, but her long-term partner Toby, had threatened to “straighten him out” before she had assured him she was not interested in him. Her words had pacified him and calmed the situation; the last thing she wanted was tension amongst her fellow conspirators. She was not prepared to compromise years of dedication and hard work for the sake of schoolboy jealousies. When she had achieved her final act of retribution, Toby and Glen could brawl and squabble to their hearts content, until then they would have to keep their grievances to themselves.

             Anne picked up her mobile phone and keyed in Glens’ number. He was pleased to hear her voice, and even more pleased to oblige, and listened intently as she specified the details. Without wasting time on pleasantries, Anne terminated the call and keyed in another number. She was quickly connected to the advertising department of the local newspaper and promptly placed her announcement. The receptionist read the advert back to her.

“Monthly meeting for A.I.D. on Tuesday 5
th
October usual place usual time; love A.” the girl repeated the request.

“That’s fine thank you, are you sure it’ll appear in tomorrow’s edition?” she asked.

“Yes, we can accept entries up until nine o’clock on the same day madam,” the woman assured her.

“Thank you.”

A.I.D- Animals in Distress- met on a monthly basis and always at the same location. Anne only revealed her plans to five members, whom she trusted unequivocally. No one suspected that the group of two women and three men- who arrived at five minute intervals- were anything other than a group of friends enjoying a quite drink in a somewhat scruffy bar. At the forthcoming meeting, she would divulge her intentions to the group, and afterwards the organisation would be disbanded for a few months. She had made plans to travel abroad with Toby until it was safe for them to return to Britain. Her final act of vengeance was to be the zenith of their efforts; but it would come at a high price and if anything went wrong, they would all have to suffer the consequences.

           Trying to dispel these fears, she decided to have an early night.  It was only 9.30 in the evening, but she suddenly felt very tired. As she made her way up the stairs, her mind wandered over the events of the last two weeks.  She was disappointed that her plans had not turned out how she had expected, but the meeting on Tuesday would alter that. She was expecting Toby to return from his trip on the following afternoon, and she was surprised at how much she had missed him. Still thinking about her absent lover, Anne undressed quickly and slid into bed.

           As she drifted off to sleep, Toby Lawrence was being taken into custody by The Irish Police Force. He had been under constant surveillance from the day he stepped off a plane in Dublin airport. On the following morning, he was to be handed over to the British Police, who were eager to question him about the deaths of two guests, who had been staying in the Lotus Hotel in Exeter prior to their demise. Anne slept soundly that night, blissfully unaware of her boyfriend’s predicament.

CHAPTER 14.

WEDNESDAY EVENING (9.30)

An air of solemn calmness had befallen the hotel and its remaining residents. The obvious police presence, and the public knowledge of Emma Lewis’s murder, had prompted the last guests to vacate their rooms. The remainder were harbouring antagonism towards each other and Alex, who was in the grip of a personal dilemma; and becoming more depressed with each passing day. His business was suffering irreparable damage, leaving him with no other option than to impose a temporary closure. Alone in his office, a knock on the door disturbed his melancholy.

“Come in,” he called out.

Ben opened the door, smiled nervously and asked, “Can I talk to you?”

“Of course, sit down.”

Perched uncomfortably on the edge of a chair, he faltered momentarily.

“I know that Police Inspector said Anne died a few years ago, but there has to be some mistake. The woman I was with was definitely my first wife; I can’t understand what’s going on.”

“I forgot to tell you, her father identified the body after the accident. The police phoned earlier but I’ve been preoccupied; I’ve had some bad news myself.” Alex revealed.

“I’m sorry do you want to talk about it, or would you prefer it if I left.”

“No stay; I’ll tell you about it later.”

“This woman you were married to; did she have a sister?” Alex asked changing the subject.

“No, she didn’t have any family except for her father. Her mother died of leukaemia when she was twelve years old. Her father’s a very successful man; he made a fortune on the Stock Market, and set up business selling luxury cars.”

“What’s his name; I’ve probably bought a car from him in the past.”

“Stanley Austin; he’s got at least a dozen showrooms in this country.”

“I know Stanley quite well; I bought a Bentley from him. He drives a hard bargain though, if you’ll excuse the pun,” he smiled for the first time in days.

“He’s a very rich man, but he refused to help us when we got married. He disapproved of my lowly status; a factory worker was not good enough for his daughter. When the twins were born, he was even more determined to split us up, but Anne refused to yield to his domineering ways. I never saw him again, but I suspected Anne had made contact with him. When he dies, Anne stands to inherits everything, the business his house and all his assets. She’s his only living relative now the twins have both died,” Ben fell silent.