‘You don’t want to admit that, because then you’d have to concede that Dad might not be guilty after all.’
‘No, it’s not that at all.’
‘I don’t know what all these little details mean – the pearls, the spade and the rest. But a lot of this points to the Halloween party,’ she insists. ‘If Mum was wearing the brooch that night, how did Dorothea end up with it?’
‘Maybe she dropped it at the party. I don’t know. Anyway, this sculpture can’t just be about Mum. Why would someone kill Dorothea to stop that getting out?’
Before Alison gets in the car later she pulls me in for a hug and whispers in my ear, ‘Promise me that you’ll think about coming with me to visit Dad. We need answers now more than ever.’
I nod and say I’ll think about it, and then she releases me. She knows not to say anything about the sculpture in front of Josh. ‘I’ll ring you in the week,’ she says, closing the passenger door.
‘Should we stay in the flat for a few days?’ I suggest to Josh as we go back inside after waving Alison, Garethand Lila off. ‘Just until this is all sorted?’ I wasn’t going to tell him about the man in the woods, but as soon as Lila went back into the house she told Gareth.
‘Nah, we don’t need to do that. We have cameras in most areas now. Although not the woods. We’re fine. And I’ll fix the fence to stop anyone getting in.’
‘Can you put the app on my phone, then? I’d like access to the cameras.’
‘I’ll show you later.’ He waves his hand dismissively and then starts clearing away the plates and cups. I help him, biting back my annoyance that he still hasn’t downloaded the app for me. I’d assumed he couldn’t be bothered, but now I’m beginning to think he doesn’t want me to have the app for some reason and I wonder if it’s a control thing.
‘I’m glad Alison came today,’ I say as I carry the plates to the sink. ‘It gave us the chance to have a heart-to-heart.’
He doesn’t say anything, but I can tell by his expression that this isn’t what he wants to hear.
‘I think I might go with her to visit my dad in prison after all.’
He stops what he’s doing and stares at me in horror. ‘What? Why would you want to open that old wound up?’ He dumps the cutlery in the sink where it clatters loudly.
I don’t mention what we found on the sculpture, so I say instead, ‘He’s still insisting he didn’t kill her, even when he’s served the majority of his sentence and is dying.’
‘He would say that,’ he scoffs. ‘What, you’re saying you believe him now?’
‘I don’t know what I’m saying.’ And it’s true. I don’t know how to feel. The thought of visiting my dad makes me feel sick, but on the other hand it would be good to hear what he has to say, especially in light of what we’ve discovered today.
His face floods with concern. ‘Ims. Don’t go. Seriously. I think it would be a head fuck. I don’t know why Alison is so intent on talking you into this. If she wants to see him then that’s up to her, but …’
‘And if I want to see him it’s up to me,’ I say, trying to stop my voice from quivering.
‘Fine,’ he says, turning away from me to continue stacking the dishwasher. ‘Do what you want.’
On Monday, while Josh is at work, I go up to Dorothea’s study and do what Alison suggested: I draw out a spider graph, with the sculpture in the middle and bubbles coming off in different directions with all the clues. There are a lot of question marks but hopefully I can fill some of them in over the next few days.
I decide to call Annette. She was one of Dorothea’s best friends. She might have some insight into Dorothea’s relationship with Bobby.
She answers straight away, but before I can explain why I’m calling, she says, her voice wobbling, ‘I’ve had some very distressing news about Maisie. She’s died.’
‘Oh no, I’m so sorry …’
‘Her husband, Aiden, has been arrested.’
I reel. ‘Why?’
‘They think he killed her. Maybe assisted dying, I’m not sure, but she had dementia.’ I remember Annette telling me this before. ‘The way she died is suspicious but they won’t …’ her voice catches, ‘… they won’t say how she died. I just can’t believe Aiden would ever hurt Maisie. He adored her. He would have cared for her to the very end.’
‘Oh Annette, I’m so sorry,’ I say again. ‘Is there anything I can do? Do you have someone with you?’
‘Warren. My grandson. But thank you. That’s very kind.’ She hesitates and when she speaks again I can hear the fear in her voice. ‘First Dot and now Maisie. I can’t help worrying that I might be next.’
43
