Jess jumps up when she notices Margot. ‘How is she?’
Jess looks tired, Margot thinks, and some of her mascara has smudged around her eyes. ‘She’s surprisingly well. No sign of brain damage. Although she’s very tired. Adam’s still with her but the doctor said it would be best for me to come back first thing.’
Jess rushes into Margot’s arms. ‘I’m so pleased,’ she says, giving her a hug. ‘That’s great news. It must be such a relief.’
Margot steps away, suddenly feeling like a traitor. What would Heather think if she knew that Margot had been fraternizing with her one-time best friend? Would she mind? ‘Do you need a lift home?’ says Jess, pulling her parka around her and stifling a yawn.
‘That’s really kind but I’ll wait for Adam. Thank you, Jess. For tonight.’
Jess smiles shyly. ‘I’m glad I could help. And I’m so happy that Heather’s going to be okay.’
She gives Margot a wave and leaves the room. Margot watches her go, unable to stop the smile spreading across her face. Heather’s awake. And now, at last, they might finally get some answers.
26
Jess
Monday, 19 March 2012
BRISTOL DAILY NEWS
THE SEASIDE SHOOTER’S FRIEND REVEALS ALL
by Harriet Hill
A family friend of the alleged Seaside Shooter who killed a Tilby couple revealed the moment she found her.
Mother and son Deirdre and Clive Wilson were shot dead in their home last Friday, the 9th. The suspect, Heather Underwood, 32, is currently in a coma in hospital after turning the gun on herself.
Sheila Bannerman, 58, who has worked with the family for years, had arrived at Tilby Manor Caravan Park at around 8 a.m. on the 9th to put out the horses to graze. She explained: ‘I’d gone into the main barn, as that’s where the tack room is, to get a head collar for one of the horses when I found Heather. She was on the floor with the gun beside her and a wound to her chest. There was also a pool of blood surrounding her head.I thought she was dead, that she’d been murdered. I called the ambulance and they arrived within minutes. When I later found out that she was the one who had killed those two people and tried to take her own life – well, I couldn’t believe it.’
The Powell family, who have owned the caravan park since 1991, have had their share of tragedy. Margot Powell’s elder daughter, Heather’s sister Flora, disappeared in 1994 when she was only sixteen. The police never solved the case, although many locals, including Sheila herself, believe that Flora was murdered. ‘I knew the family back then,’ she said. ‘Flora’s bloodstained blouse was found but never her body. Her uncle Leo was arrested at the time but released without charge. Leo always has had a liking for younger women and I think a lot of the locals believe that there’s no smoke without fire, especially now he’s left. We all wonder what he’s running away from. Tilby’s a safe, sleepy seaside town. For two awful tragedies to befall one family is particularly heart-wrenching.’
Sheila described Heather as a ‘happy, smiley woman’, who is a brilliant mum to her son, Ethan, eighteen months. She said: ‘Heather was always quiet and thoughtful, but unfailingly polite. I’ve never heard a cross word from her, even as a teenager. She was exceptionally close to her sister, Flora, and I think her disappearance messed her up more than anyone would have thought. She suffered post-natal depression after her son was born and, as far as I’m aware, she was still on anti-depressants. I think she must have just flipped. It’s Margot I feel sorry for. She lived for those girls, you know.’
Police are remaining tight-lipped about what occurred on the 9th, but Heather Underwood is currently in hospital under police guard.
Avon and Somerset Police are urging anyone with any information to come forward.
I stare in disbelief at the front page of the newspaper that Ted has slammed down in front of me.
‘Why has theDaily Newsgot this fucking story in today’s paper, not us?’ he bellows in my ear.
I flinch. My heart is racing but I try to remain calm. I can feel Ellie and Jack’s eyes on me and my face burns. ‘Because I’ve been working on the exclusive with Margot Powell. It’s nearly finished. Plus, I’m the only journalist who knows, at the moment, that Heather has actually woken up from her coma.’ It’s not fair of Ted to compare. TheNewsis a daily whereas we come out on Tuesday and Friday.
‘Well, write it up as quick as you can and it can be our front-page headline tomorrow. Ellie can put it on the website too.’ He pauses, as if considering something. Then, ‘And can you get hold of this Leo? Sounds like he was a suspect when Flora Powell went missing. He might know more about the current shootings or give us some insight into Heather’s past.’
What will Margot think if I go after her brother? I’m once again torn between wanting the story and my loyalty to the family.
‘I thought the exclusive was going to be the front page.’ I’d spent all weekend working on it, mainly to avoid Rory, who still isn’t really talking to me. I could hear him moving about the flat while I hid in the bedroom. He’d slept with his back to me on both nights, andI’d lain beside him craving a hug, but too stubborn to make the first move.
‘That can go on page two.’
Will Margot be cross if I reveal that Heather is awake? Ted won’t care because, as far as he’s concerned, we’ve got the exclusive now: she’s signed the contract and can’t go back on it. But, I realize, with a jolt, I care. Margot and I are becoming friends. I enjoy her company and would love to see Heather again – despite what she’s supposed to have done. I still want to believe she’s innocent, that there is another explanation. And I don’t want to turn my back on them, like everyone else has. Like this so-called friend of theirs, Sheila Bannerman. Am I turning soft? Ted would think so.
The newsroom is deathly silent as we all await Ted’s next tirade. I brace myself.
‘And have you followed up on Clive Wilson? Talked to neighbours? Found out why someone would leave him such a threatening note when he was already dead?’ he barks.
