When Night Closes in (15 page)

‘I don't know what you're talking about. Search the place if you like but the police have beaten you to it.'

‘You mean they found it?'

She shrugged. ‘I don't know what “it” is.'

She slid out of bed and pulled her warm dressing-gown around her, tying the belt tightly. ‘It's cold,' she said. ‘Let's go downstairs and I'll light the fire.' He nodded.

She felt more secure in the sitting-room. She turned on the gas and a glow appeared. She rubbed her hands together, wondering why she was so calm. Was she getting used to odd things happening to her?

‘Tell me all you know,' he said, staring down at her as if she was a creature from another planet. ‘I have a right.'

Lowri attempted to sound confident. ‘I don't know what you expect from me. All I can say is that Jon and I went to the Swan for the weekend and suddenly he disappeared. And would you believe no-one saw him, no-one at all. Perhaps I dreamed the whole damned thing!' She was growing angry. ‘I wish I'd never met Jon Brandon!'

He listened intently and, all the time, he never took his eyes off her face. It was as though he was trying to see into her skull. His silence was unnerving. She lowered her voice.

‘That's it. So you see, I know nothing and yet I'm reduced to a nervous wreck, I suspect everyone I meet. And I am the main suspect into the bargain. I imagine the police think I've done away with him.'

‘Shit! I believe you. Got anything to drink?'

Lowri thought it best to humour him. She brought a couple of cans from the fridge. ‘Only Sprite, I'm afraid.' She handed him a can and he held it, staring at it as though suspecting she had poisoned it.

Lowri felt more in control of the situation now. ‘Can't you tell me what it is you and everyone else are looking for?' she asked. ‘What the hell was Jon hiding?'

He shook his head. ‘I hoped you might help me out there.' He stared at her. ‘I'm getting hassle from some nasty people who think I have it, whatever it is, and I want them off my back.'

They sat in silence for a moment and then the man took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to her.

‘I don't, thanks.'

He shook out a cigarette for himself and lit it. ‘Anything unusual happen, like stuff being left at your bank for you to pick up?'

‘Nothing like that,' Lowri said honestly. ‘I can't understand any of this. Is Jon dead, do you think?'

‘He's probably very much alive.' The man spoke evenly. ‘He's very clever, the greatest escape artist of all time.' There was an edge of bitterness in his voice that was not lost on Lowri.

‘He'd have to be!' she said. ‘Anyone who can vanish without trace from an hotel room is a genius in my book.'

‘Or he paid big bucks not to be noticed.' The man sucked on his cigarette. Lowri sighed, digesting his words in silence. He could well be right. He was certainly much more streetwise than she was.

‘The police trying to pin everything on you, are they?' he said. ‘That's typical, that is. Rather than take the trouble to solve anything they nab the most convenient person to carry the can. Look, just forget that I broke in. I don't mean you any harm, I just want to put an end to the harassment. I'm Snowy by the way.' He coughed over his cigarette. ‘If you have any sort of theory it might be as well to talk it over with me.'

Lowri stared at him – should she talk to him? But then what did she have to lose? She was getting nowhere alone.

‘What about Sarah Brandon?' she said. ‘The wronged wife can't be ruled out of any crooked scheme, and you must admit, she is a little, well, strange. She knows Jon had many women before me and she could be the vengeful sort.'

‘No, it's nothing to do with Sarah,' he said, ‘I've already established that. So I might as well tell you—' He stopped speaking abruptly as the front door burst open with a mighty crash. Lainey led police swarming into the house, wearing flak jackets and brandishing guns. The man was pressed flat against the floor, his hands forced behind his back and secured with handcuffs.

‘You all right?' Lainey's hair was dishevelled and he appeared flustered. ‘We got a call from a neighbour who saw a man creeping about outside. She said he had a gun.'

‘In that case, you took your time getting here!' Lowri said. ‘I could have been dead by now if he'd meant me harm. Anyway, he hasn't got a gun.'

‘We were led to believe you were in danger,' Lainey said. ‘It takes time to get permission to arm the men, you know.'

‘So I see.' Lowri watched helplessly as the intruder was dragged towards the door. ‘You were premature, Mr Lainey. He was about to tell me something.'

‘Well, now he can tell us instead.' Lainey's voice was cool.

‘I don't think he'll do that.'

‘He'd better, it's an offence to withhold information.'

‘He'll tell you he doesn't know anything.' Lowri was suddenly angry. ‘Can't you policemen use a little psychology once in a while?'

‘No time.' Lainey walked away from her. ‘We're too busy trying to protect the public from villains.'

‘Wait!' Lowri followed him and pointed to the door, swinging brokenly on its hinges. ‘What am I supposed to do about that?'

‘I'll send someone round to fix it in the morning.'

‘And in the meantime, any Tom, Dick or Harry is free to walk into my home?'

Lainey looked at her steadily. ‘Seems they already do. Sergeant, you're a handyman, can you do a temporary repair?'

Brown did as he was told but he was not happy about it. Lowri was glad when the door was safely battened up and she was on her own again. She had not realized how very tired she was until she slid under the duvet. She curled herself into a ball, shivering a little as she realized the danger she could have been in.

She went over the events of the past hours time and time again, trying to sort out some clue from what the intruder had said. At last she abandoned all attempts to think and drifted into a fitful sleep.

Sally stared at Timmy. ‘Can't you go home to sleep?' she said.

‘What do you think I am, a bloody rent boy!' Timmy was outraged. ‘I take your bloody friend out for the evening, then I bring you home and give you a good seeing-to and now you want to get rid of me. Why can't I sleep here?'

‘Oh, all right,' Sally said. ‘Get in.' She punched her pillow before Timmy had settled himself against her, then flicked off the light.

‘So what gives then, why was Lowri talking to that cop at the bar?' he asked.

‘What the hell are you talking about now!'

‘Your friend. What's up with her, the police are after her for something, aren't they?'

‘So what? They don't know anything. The police are not half as smart as Jon Brandon.'

‘I thought you didn't ever meet Jon Brandon,' Timmy said accusingly. ‘That's what you told the police, wasn't it?'

‘Yes, you lemon, it was. I didn't want to get involved in anything that might be hooky, did I?' Timmy was beginning to bore her.

Sally sat up. ‘Oh sod it!' She fumbled for the light-switch and clicked it on. ‘Hand me a ciggie, I can't get to sleep with all your nattering.'

Timmy did as he was told – he was good at that. God help him when he went out into the big bad world to earn a living. She leaned against the pillow and stared up at the smoke from her cigarette as it rose towards the already yellowed ceiling.

She turned her attention to her hands, studying her nails with pleasure. They had grown very long now, just the way she liked them. Timmy's back gave testimony to that. He seemed to enjoy a bit of pain but then these posh types often were kinky.

‘What I don't understand is why you seem to dislike poor old Lowri.' Sally flicked ash from her cigarette onto the floor.

‘She's a fool, isn't she? She's carrying the can for what her boyfriend has done. I chatted with that Sergeant Brown the other night, he was quite informative.'

‘Come on then.' Sally was impatient. ‘Tell me?'

Timmy smiled. ‘I've got you interested now, haven't I?' He sat up and took her cigarette from her, puffing ineptly at it. She liked him when he was like this, playful and yet mysterious. Perhaps that was what she had fancied him for in the beginning, his air of knowing more than she did, than anybody did.

‘Perhaps I was going to tell you, then again, perhaps I changed my mind.' He looked dark and dangerous suddenly and Sally felt herself grow warm.

‘It seems the police think the Brandons and your precious Lowri are in it together.'

Sally edged closer to him. ‘Well? In what, then?'

‘I don't think I'll tell you.' He laughed and Sally pouted up at him.

‘You are deliberately teasing me,' she said. She took the cigarette from him and held the glowing tip close to his nipple. ‘Tell me, or else.'

Timmy's eyes grew dark. ‘Put that damned thing out!' He guided her hand beneath the sheets. ‘Do you like that?'

‘I like it.'

‘Do something with it then.'

‘After you tell me.'

‘No, before.'

‘Promise?'

‘We'll see.' Timmy rolled on top of her, breathing heavily, ‘But I'll tell you this much, there's a great deal of money lying in some foreign bank accounts and it looks as if it's all belonging to your dear friend Lowri Richards, isn't that fun.'

Timmy stopped talking and went into action but Sally hardly noticed; thoughts were whirling around in her head. As Timmy climaxed, too soon, she wrapped her arms around him. He had his uses, even if it wasn't in bed.

As sleep began to overtake her, she wondered briefly about Jon Brandon – now he was a real man and a good lover. In addition, he was well set up, a good-looking guy. He sure knew how to please a girl. What a pity he had not chosen her instead of Lowri, otherwise she might be a very rich woman right now.

Lowri woke to the sunshine and the sound of hammering. It seemed a workman had come to fix the door properly. Brown's repair must have been pretty ropey.

She pulled on her housecoat and a pair of socks, her feet were freezing.

In the hallway, she saw Lainey chatting to the workman. They both looked her way and she saw Lainey frown at her state of undress.

‘Excuse me,' she said abruptly, ‘I wasn't expecting visitors.'

She showered and dressed hurriedly. Downstairs, she picked up her coat and her car keys.

‘No breakfast?' Lainey asked.

‘I don't eat breakfast.'

‘What about locking up after us?'

‘You do it.' She handed him a spare key. ‘I trust you, you're a policeman.' She left the house and climbed into the car, gunning the engine into life. She was angry with Lainey, really angry. He took liberties, he treated her like a criminal one minute and a friend the next. She hated men. She had put up with enough from men to last her a lifetime.

Once out on the main road, she put her foot down. Work would be a relief, toiling over searches and making phone calls to the Land Registry was a doddle compared to being a police suspect in the hands of a clever man like DI Lainey.

Suddenly, in spite of herself, she was smiling.

Lowri arrived at the office at the same time as Mr Watson. ‘Morning, Lowri, you're looking beautiful this morning,' he said, pausing in the small hallway. He removed his hat and his white hair stood up like a halo around his plump face. ‘You should leave that car at home and get a brisk walk into work now and again. A young thing like you needs exercise.'

He leaned towards her. ‘Any more hassle from that DI Lainey?'

Lowri shook her head. ‘No, thank goodness,' she lied.

‘Well, make sure he keeps his distance.' He walked towards the reception area. ‘By the way, we've got a new receptionist, a Mrs Jenkins.' He smiled. ‘And don't say about time too because getting the right person can be the devil of a job. I told her to start a little later than the rest of us. Let her ease her way into the office routine in her own time.' He paused. ‘Take it easy now, do you hear?'

Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared into his room. Lowri had been on the point of telling him about the man who'd broken into her house last night, but, on second thoughts, perhaps that was something she should keep to herself. Involving a solicitor, even one as kindly as Mr Watson, sometimes resulted in a worsening of the situation.

She went into the office and shivered. ‘Good heavens, who's opened the window?'

‘That's down to the new receptionist,' Sally said. ‘She was in here first thing this morning complaining about the smell of cigarette smoke. Then she went out again for some unknown reason.'

‘Oh? Where did she go?'

Sally shrugged. ‘I don't know and I don't care, she seems a bit of a dragon. Can't see her enjoying a knees-up. She looks more like a policewoman than a receptionist.'

‘Well, give her a chance,' Lowri said. ‘She'll probably settle down. I'm surprised we didn't get a new receptionist before now. We certainly need one.'

‘I saw one girl coming for an interview,' Sally said. ‘Probably the pay wasn't enough for her. In any case, she looked a bit on the flighty side. Still, anyone would be better than the one we've got stuck with now.'

Lowri closed the window and felt the radiators; the heating had not yet been switched on even though the September weather had taken a decidedly chilly turn.

‘You OK?' Sally asked. ‘You look a bit down.'

‘I'm all right really. Just cold, that's all.' The nightmare had come again after the intruder had been removed, driving away any chance of restful sleep. She huddled in her chair, wrapping her jacket around her, and stared miserably at the pile of mail on her desk.

‘I'd better do some work, I suppose.' She began to open the letters, most of which contained the usual paperwork concerning the buying and selling of property. One, however, was addressed to Mr Watson personally, and Lowri studied the postmark with interest.