Private Sorrow, A (24 page)

Charlie pulled over a chair and sat close to him. Peter was finding it hard to speak because of a cut lip, which had needed a couple of stitches. ‘Mr Walsh, can you tell me what happened?’

Peter sounded tired but he said it was the medicine. ‘I got on my bike, as usual, and cycled to work. I didn’t use my brakes as I was going uphill and it wasn’t until the car pulled out right in front of me that I put on the brakes but they didn’t work.’

‘Can you describe the car and the driver?’

‘It was a small black car, like a Ford or something similar. I didn’t see the number plate or the driver.’

‘You know someone cut your brakes deliberately. Have you any idea who would do this? Do you have any enemies who might want to harm you?’

Peter shook his head. ‘I did borrow some money this year from a friend but I’ve paid it all back, plus a bit of interest. Apart from that, I haven’t done anything wrong or got on the bad side of anyone.’

Charlie was interested in the bike. ‘Do you keep it locked up in that shed in the drying green?’

Peter tried to shake his head but it was too painful. ‘I normally do, but sometimes I leave it on the landing by our door. There’s room for it and it means I can get to work quickly if I sleep in. No one has ever touched it before.’

‘Going back to Etta. You went out with her years ago, is that right?’

He groaned out loud. ‘Bloody Etta. Everything seems to have gone wrong since that woman came to see me. I don’t know how she found me because I used to be called Pedro in those days. I went out four times with Etta, mostly to the pictures, but we were both only sixteen. She was a very serious girl. I was serving my apprenticeship as a joiner and had little money, but I liked to have a laugh so we stopped seeing one another. I got the impression she had met someone else but I’m not sure.’

‘All right, Peter, I’ll let you get some sleep.’ Charlie looked at the list of addresses that Molly had given him. His next call would be at 28 Alexander Street to see Mrs Walsh.

Donna had just finished her shift at the baker’s shop and was sitting with a cup of tea and a cheese sandwich. The letter lay on the table. She was feeling depressed and she didn’t want to break the news to Peter when she visited him later. Charlie apologised for interrupting her dinner break. ‘That’s all right,’ she said, ‘I’m finished for the day.’

‘The morning of your husband’s accident, did you see anyone hanging around?’

‘No, I never went outside and neither did the girls. Sometimes Janey runs down to the shop, but she didn’t go that morning. Peter had a quick cup of tea and toast, then grabbed his pieces and flask and hurried out. He was hoping to work some overtime so he had extra pieces with him.’ She stopped and began to cry.

Charlie went to the sink and came back with a towel. ‘I’m so sorry to have to question you, Mrs Walsh, but we think this person has attacked another person and damaged a car.’

Donna’s eyes widened with fear. ‘Will they try and hurt Peter again?’

‘No, he’s in the best place for getting better. Now, can you remember if Peter had his bike at the door or was it in the shed?’

Donna rubbed her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t remember. What did Peter say?’

‘He thinks he went to the shed for it but he’s not sure. I just wondered if you had seen it before he set off.’

‘I wish I had, then maybe I’d have seen who cut the brakes,’ she said angrily.

‘Is there anything else you remember about that morning?’

She shook her head. ‘No, it was just the same old routine. Peter and I had been rowing the day before about living in this tiny house with our girls getting bigger. I was depressed about not hearing from the Corporation housing department about a new house in Kirkton, and Peter said we would just have to wait our turn as hundreds of families are waiting for a key to a new house.’ She held out the letter. ‘Now we’ve been allocated a house, but I’ll have to turn it down because we can’t afford the bigger rent now that Peter’s not working, and goodness only knows when he’ll ever get back. I’m so relieved he’s still with us, but it’ll be a long time before he gets better from his injuries.’

Charlie felt so sorry for her. The room he was in was tiny and he couldn’t imagine four people sharing it. ‘Why don’t you go to the housing department and tell them about the accident? Peter will get his sickness giro every week and could you maybe work a few more hours every day? It’s none of my business, but if I were you, I would take the house and maybe everything will fall into place.’

She tried to smile but failed. ‘Like maybe winning the football pools?’

Charlie shrugged. ‘Well, someone’s got to have eight draws on a Saturday.’

Donna said she would take his advice and hope for the best. It would certainly make a difference to their lives. The two girls would have a bedroom each and the bathroom and kitchen, complete with hot water, would be bliss.

As Charlie descended the narrow stairs, he hoped that life would get better for them. He went out to the see the shed in the drying green. This was just a small patch of dried-up grass with a row of ramshackle wooden sheds along one wall. He inspected Peter’s shed and saw that, even when locked, it would be easy to open the door and tamper with the bike.

Before going back to the police station, he decided to drop in to the agency to see if Molly was around and was pleasantly surprised to find she had just returned from a job. ‘I can’t wait long,’ she said. ‘I’m filling in for Mary. She’s away to a funeral.’

Charlie said he wouldn’t keep her for more than a few minutes. ‘I’ve caught up with Miss Price and I’m not sure if she’s involved. She said her sister and her husband threw her out when she visited in 1929 because of her religious views, and that she hadn’t seen them or Etta since.’

Molly was doubtful. ‘Vera did say that Robina had hit her with a cricket bat and that’s what made their parents put her out of the house, but you would have to ask Vera about that.’

Charlie stayed silent. A cricket bat, now that’s worse than a rant about sin, he thought.

Well, well, well, she thought, the police are now on the case. She knew she would have to be more careful now that Mr Plod was walking all over the evidence with his size-twelve boots. She had hoped to be more successful with her exploits but she was still pleased with the way things had turned out so far. So the nosy McQueen woman had handed all her findings over. The woman knew McQueen would never have solved the mystery, but it had given her some satisfaction to muddy the waters. Clever clogs McQueen had moved her car and had been devious in hiding it but never mind, maybe something else would happen to her to make her realise that she should keep her nose out of affairs that were no concern of hers. That thought pleased the woman. You reaped what you sowed.

Alice looked around her small living room with pleasure. She had just bought a new three-piece suite on hire purchase. She would manage the payments of five and six pence quite easily, especially as Molly had increased her hours. Maisie had left a few minutes earlier after coming in to view the new furniture. ‘Good for you, Alice. You deserve something nice.’

Alice had also purchased a new winter coat. It was black with a velvet collar and she loved wearing it. When she saved up some more money, she would treat herself to some new clothes and shoes as well. Life was much better now that Victor had gone for good. He had come round one Saturday morning but she had kept him on the doorstep, ready to slam the door if he became aggressive.

His friend Sandy came around quite often and they sometimes went out together to the pictures or a sit down fish and chip meal in the tiny sitting room of the chip shop. However, Alice wasn’t keen on another commitment and she told Sandy they were just friends and he had accepted that.

Victor hadn’t joined the army as had been rumoured after he left and he was still working at the Caledon shipyard. His mother had taken him back, very reluctantly, if the story was true, but she had insisted on a fair amount of money for board and lodgings. He wasn’t a happy man but the memory of his humiliating night in the boxing booth was slowly fading. As he had found out soon after the event, it was a seven-day wonder and most people had enough to worry about without dwelling on his failures. What his mother didn’t know was that he was planning on asking Alice to take him back. He had tried before but she hadn’t let him over the doorstep. Still, with his charm, he reckoned she wouldn’t hold out forever. It was a great annoyance to him that she was the tenant of the house, otherwise it would have been her out in the cold and not him.

He still had the swaggering manner of thinking he was better than most men. Sandy, who also worked in the shipyard, couldn’t stand him now. Not after what he had done to his lovely wife. Victor met up with him one day at breaktime. ‘I never see you now, Sandy. What about coming out for a few pints tonight?’

‘Sorry, Victor, I’m doing something else tonight.’

Sandy had kept very quiet about seeing Alice as he didn’t want Victor hassling her again and Victor didn’t know a thing about it. If he had, he would have kept his plans to himself. ‘Sandy, I’m thinking of giving Alice another chance at making a go of our marriage. In fact, I’m going round there tomorrow night and if I’m lucky, maybe she’ll make my tea and ask me to stay.’

Sandy had almost choked on his tea. After work, he hurried around to see Alice as he felt he had to warn her. She was surprised to see him. ‘Alice, Victor is coming round tomorrow night to see you. He wants you to take him back.’

Alice had to sit down, as she was frightened she might faint. ‘I don’t want anything to do with him, Sandy. What am I going to do?’ The thought of sharing the same house with Victor filled her with revulsion.

‘We were going to go out tomorrow night, so you won’t be here when he comes.’ He stopped, unsure how to carry on. Ever since he had started seeing her, he hadn’t mentioned Victor because he wasn’t sure how she still felt about him. He had heard how abused wives had taken their husbands back time after time, despite suffering the same treatment. ‘Why don’t you put in for a divorce and that way he can’t touch you?’

Alice’s face showed relief. ‘I was hoping to do that but I don’t know where to start. Do I need a solicitor and will it cost a lot of money?’

‘Never mind the cost,’ said Sandy. ‘I want you to go and see a solicitor next week. Ask Miss McQueen to help you, she will know of someone.’ He was also feeling a sense of relief that it looked like Alice had no feelings left for her husband.

Alice planned to see Molly at work the next day and ask her advice. Molly was organised and she would know where to send her. She arrived early for work the following morning. She had been doing some of Deanna’s jobs because the play had started at the theatre and she needed time off for the Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Still, Alice didn’t mind because it gave her extra money. Molly was in the office when she arrived. Alice was a bit shy about asking her boss for help but the thought of Victor worming his way back into her life gave her courage. ‘Molly, can I ask a favour?’ she said.

Molly looked surprised but said, ‘Of course, Alice. What can I do for you?’

Alice hesitated. She hated discussing her private life with anyone but she had no choice. ‘I want to divorce my husband and I need a solicitor. Do you know anyone who’ll help me?’

Molly was taken aback by the request but she had heard the stories of the husband’s ill-treatment. ‘Good for you, Alice. I know a firm of solicitors in Union Street who can help you. They’re called Gilchrist, Gilchrist and Preston.’ She wrote this down and handed the note to her. ‘Do you want me to phone and make an appointment for you?’

Alice felt so grateful. ‘Will you? That’ll be a big help. I’ve never been to a legal office before and I’m scared.’

Molly felt so sorry for her. She was a lovely, hard-working woman who had had the misfortune of marrying a domineering bully. ‘Alice, would you like me to come with you?’

Alice nodded. ‘Would you? I’d be so grateful.’

Molly made the phone call and said, ‘Mr Preston can see you at four thirty on Monday. Is that suitable for you, Alice?’ She nodded and Molly made the appointment. ‘That’s the first step made, Alice, and I think you’re making the right decision.’ Alice said she thought so as well and she left for her first job of the day, the family with the badly behaved children.

Later that evening, Sandy arrived and they both went out to the pictures. Meanwhile, Victor was in a bad mood. His mother had asked for extra money because he had such a huge appetite and he had had a row with her. He was standing in the pub, nursing his sixth pint of beer and becoming angrier by the minute. He should still be living at home with his wife and she should be looking after him. The more he thought about it the angrier he became and by closing time he was like a smoking volcano of anger and self-pity.

He staggered to the flat at Arthurstone Terrace and hammered on the door. The window was in darkness and this fuelled his fury. So she was out gallivanting and not giving a toss about his needs. He gave the door a mighty kick but ended up with bruised toes for his trouble, so he used an empty milk bottle that was lying at the door to smash the window. Maisie was coming up the stairs at the time and she wondered what on earth was going on. She saw Victor aim another blow at the window. ‘What do you think you’re doing? I’m going to call the police.’

She set off down the stairs again but Victor staggered after her, shouting, ‘What’s it got to do with you, you old bat? I know you’re Alice’s mate, so tell her from me that I’ll be back and I want to be admitted to my marital house or else she’ll end up with a bashing that’ll put her back in hospital.’

Maisie stood at the end of the close as he staggered away, hoping and praying that he wouldn’t meet up with Alice and Sandy. But as it turned out, they had been warned of Victor’s whereabouts and had stayed away. Alice was upset when she saw the two broken panes of glass in the window and she began to sweep up the debris that had landed on the coalbunker. Sandy was furious and Alice had to stop him going after Victor and sorting him out. ‘I’ll stay here with you tonight and tomorrow night, Alice, just in case he comes back. I’ll sleep on your new settee and when you see the solicitor on Monday, mind and tell him about this and how scared you are of him.’