Warhol's Prophecy (44 page)

When he felt hands pulling at his shirt, ripping it open, he prayed to a God he didn’t believe in to help him.

When those same hands tore open his trousers and tugged them down slightly, he began to sob uncontrollably.

When the tip of the blade was forced into the eye of his shrivelled penis he prayed for death.

It was a long time coming.

A
S
H
AILEY WALKED
into the sitting room, Rob said nothing. He merely tapped his watch and shook his head.

‘All right,’ she said, kicking off her shoes, ‘I’m sorry. I know it’s late. I
did
phone, if you remember.’

‘Yeah, two fucking hours ago,’ he snapped. ‘It’s after eleven, Hailey.’

‘I know what time it is, Rob, and I said I’m sorry. If I could have been here any quicker I would have been.’

‘When you went back to work for Jim Marsh, you said it would be part-time. You didn’t say anything about being out until all hours of the fucking night.’

‘Don’t exaggerate. It couldn’t be helped – you know that. I didn’t want this any more than you.’

‘That’s
two
nights this week you’ve been out so late. What about Becky?’

‘You’re her father. It doesn’t do you any harm to look after her once in a while. How many nights have
you
been out late? Or how many nights didn’t you come home at
all
?’

‘Don’t start that shit again.’

‘Then how many times do I have to say I’m sorry? This gig is important to Jim. It’s important to
me. I’ve
done most of the work organizing it. So I want to make sure it runs smoothly.’

‘I thought everything was meant to be sorted.’

‘There were a couple of last-minute hitches: they had to be cleared up. It all happens in two days, you know.’

‘I know. Becky keeps reminding me.’

‘She’s looking forward to it, Rob – that’s why.
She
understands that I have to work on it. Why can’t you?’

‘I’ll be pleased when the whole fucking thing is over. Perhaps we can get back to normal.’

‘What the hell is
normal
around here any more? Our relationship?’

She slumped down in the chair opposite him.

‘After what we’ve been through, Rob, I’m not sure I’d know normal again if I fell over it,’ she said wearily.

He regarded her silently.

‘How do you feel?’ she asked finally.

‘I took a couple of painkillers earlier, so I’m OK. I was more concerned about you, and where you were.’

She was aware of his gaze trailing over her.

‘You’re wearing a different blouse,’ he said. ‘That’s not the one you had on when you left this afternoon.’

‘I spilt some coffee on the other one.’

‘Whose coffee?’

‘You think I’ve been with Walker, don’t you?’ she said irritably.

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘You didn’t
have
to. Christ, Rob, when are you going to believe me? Nothing happened between us and, like I’ve said to you before,
you’re
in no position to start lecturing me about adultery, are you? I mean, you wrote the fucking book.’

She got to her feet.

‘I’m going to bed,’ Hailey told him. ‘Are you coming?’

‘In a bit,’ he said, gazing at the television.

‘We can’t go on like this, Rob,’ she said, pausing at the door.

He didn’t look round.

‘No,’ Rob replied. ‘We can’t.’

She stood there a moment longer, then gently closed the door – leaving him alone in the room.

S
HE HADN’T SLEPT
well the night before.

Hailey yawned, and studied her reflection in the mirror – noting that the image staring back at her had dark rings beneath the eyes.

Dressed in just bra and panties, she carefully put on her make-up, occasionally glancing across at the bed.

She had no idea what time Rob had come up the previous night. One o’clock? Later? He’d slipped into bed beside her, and soon she had heard his low breathing.

She’d thought about rolling across to lie nearer to him but, when he turned onto his side and showed her his back, she’d decided against it.

He’d left the house about half an hour ago. Despite her protestations, he’d announced that he would first take Becky to school, then later that morning he was going back to work. He needed, he’d told her, to get out of the house.

Hailey finished doing her make-up and crossed to the wardrobe, where she selected a grey two-piece and black shoes.

She was buttoning the jacket when she heard the front door open. Heard footsteps climbing the stairs.

‘Was she OK?’ Hailey asked as Rob walked into the bedroom.

He nodded. ‘Fine,’ he announced, running appraising eyes over her. ‘Like you said last night, perhaps it’s about time I started doing more for my own daughter.’

‘That
wasn’t
what I said.’

‘It’s what you meant. I didn’t realize I was so useless as a father. Perhaps you should have told me before.’

‘Now you’re being ridiculous. Stop being such a bloody martyr, Rob. You twist everything I say to suit
you.
’

He regarded her silently.

‘I’ll pick Becky up,’ Hailey said, brushing fluff from her skirt.

‘If you’re not too busy?’ he chided.

Hailey exhaled. ‘Don’t start, Rob,’ she said. ‘Not now.’

‘I was just making sure. I didn’t know if you might be out until late again. I didn’t know what Jim Marsh might have in store for you today.’

She heard the disdain in his voice.

‘What time are
you
getting home?’ she wanted to know.

He shrugged.

‘You shouldn’t really be going in to work yet, Rob,’ Hailey told him. ‘The doctor said you had to rest, and I’m sure Frank can manage without you. Even
you’re
not indispensable, you know.’ She smiled, but he didn’t return it, merely looked at her indifferently.

She was about to say something else when she heard the doorbell.

‘
I’ll
go,’ Hailey said, making her way down the stairs.

They creaked protestingly as she hurried down to the hall, running a hand through her hair before she opened the door.

There was something familiar about the man who stood there. Dressed in a dark brown suit and shoes that looked as if they hadn’t tasted polish for a while, he smiled thinly at her.

‘Mrs Gibson?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ said Hailey.

‘You don’t remember me, do you?’ said the newcomer. ‘I’m not surprised. The last time we met you had a lot on your mind.’ He fumbled inside his jacket for a slim leather wallet that he flipped open. ‘Detective Constable Tate.’

Hailey smiled.

‘Yes, I remember,’ she told him, her smile fading slightly. ‘You were at the hospital the night my husband was attacked.’

He nodded.

‘What can I do for you?’ Hailey wanted to know.

‘It’s your husband I’d like to speak to. Would that be possible?’

‘Is there something wrong?’

‘Yes, there is.’

‘I
’M GLAD TO
see you’re feeling better now, Mr Gibson,’ said Tate as he shifted position on the sofa.

‘Thanks,’ Rob murmured.

Both he and Hailey were looking at the policeman intently. They saw his brow furrow, and he sat forward slightly.

‘I know you’re both wondering what I want, so I’ll try to get this over with as quickly as possible,’ Tate told them.

He looked directly at Rob. ‘Mr Gibson, you knew a young lady called Sandra Bennett, didn’t you?’ Tate made it sound more like a statement than a question.

Hailey glared at Rob.

‘She worked for me until recently,’ he said flatly.

Tate glanced at Hailey, saw the venom in her expression.

‘We know that,’ said the DC. ‘But you were personally involved with her too, weren’t you?’

Rob swallowed hard.

‘I’m sorry. I know this is difficult,’ Tate continued.

‘How do
you
know my husband had an affair with her?’ Hailey demanded.

‘We found some correspondence from your husband at her flat,’ Tate informed her. ‘A number of letters. There were some gift tags too, with your writing on them, Mr Gibson.’ He looked at Hailey. ‘You knew this affair was going on, Mrs Gibson?’

‘I found out in the end,’ said Hailey sharply.

Tate nodded, suddenly feeling very intrusive.

‘I didn’t know it was against the law to have an affair,’ said Rob, attempting a smile. ‘You’re not here to arrest me, are you?’

Hailey shot him a furious glance.

‘When was the last time you spoke to Sandra Bennett?’ Tate wanted to know.

‘When I sacked her,’ Rob informed him. ‘Why?’

‘She was murdered three days ago.’

‘Oh God,’ Rob murmured, colour draining from his cheeks.

‘I would have come here sooner, but there were other developments, and we weren’t sure of a positive identification at first.’

Rob ran a hand through his hair.

‘Who killed her?’ he said slowly.

Hailey looked at him angrily.

Still such concern? Even now she’s dead?

‘I wish I could tell you, Mr Gibson.’ Tate looked across at Hailey. ‘Did
you
ever meet her, Mrs Gibson?’

Hailey shook her head.

‘How was she killed?’ Rob asked quietly.

‘She was stabbed,’ Tate informed him.

‘There’s been nothing in the papers,’ Rob muttered.

‘A murder doesn’t merit many column inches in the nationals these days. It’s become too commonplace, I’m afraid. We haven’t released too many details to the media anyway.’

‘What’s this murder got to do with my husband?’ enquired Hailey. ‘Or did you just assume he’d be interested because he’d been fucking her?’

Tate regarded her evenly. He had heard the vehemence in her voice.

‘During your, er . . . relationship, did you ever meet her brother, Mr Gibson?’ the DC continued.

‘I didn’t even know she
had
a brother,’ Rob explained. ‘She never mentioned him.’

‘I’m not surprised. He was a small-time villain. Spent most of his life in and out of prison. Not the kind of sibling you’d want to talk about. It’s just that we have reason to believe it was Sandra Bennett’s brother who attacked
you
last week.’

Rob looked puzzled.

‘Forensics came up with hair and fibre samples that linked him to you. We think it might have been some kind of revenge for what you did to his sister.’

‘I didn’t do anything to his sister,’ Rob protested.

‘You sacked her from her job. You ended your affair with her. It’s possible that her brother, in some kind of twisted way, thought he was protecting her by attacking you. It’s unlikely she knew anything about it. However, it also gives
you
motive.’

‘For what?’ Rob asked.

‘For killing him. He was murdered last night.’

‘And you think
I
did it?’

‘No, Mr Gibson, I don’t. Just as I don’t think, for one minute, that you killed Sandra Bennett. But I’ll ask you anyway where you were last night.’

‘Here, with my daughter,’ said Rob.

‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I won’t take up any more of your time.’

‘Do you think the same person killed them both?’ Hailey wanted to know.

‘It’s more than likely. I can’t say any more.’ Again the policeman smiled.

‘I’ll see you out.’ Hailey followed him towards the door.

Tate paused on the doorstep.

‘I’m sorry I had to drag up your husband’s involvement with Sandra Bennett,’ he told her apologetically.

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Hailey replied, forcing a smile. ‘I know you’re only doing your job.’

‘Thank you for your time,’ said Tate, and set off back to his waiting car.

She closed the door behind him and leant against it for a moment.

Her smile grew broader.

‘I
THOUGHT YOU
were going to burst into tears when he told you,’ said Hailey acidly.

Rob merely shook his head. ‘I can’t believe it,’ he said quietly.

‘What? That she’s dead? Or that it hurt you so much to hear it? You still care about her, don’t you?’

‘Jesus Christ, Hailey, she was fucking stabbed to death,’ Rob snarled angrily. ‘How am I supposed to react? It was a shock hearing it. Whoever it was, I would have felt the same.’