Chapter 57

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

PRESENT DAY

A na glanced around the pub before spotting Beth. ‘Quiet tonight,' commented Ana.

‘I think the locals are a bit unnerved. They don't like knowing someone is walking around capable of attacking a young girl.' Beth had a glass of wine in front of her.

Ana apologised for being late, explained she'd had a bad headache. Then she wondered if Matt had said anything about how oddly she'd behaved at the psychiatrists.

‘What do you prefer, red or white?' asked Beth.

‘Just a tonic water, thanks. I don't think my head could take a wine right now.'

Jack waved and Ana waved back. Beth leaned down to retrieve her bag and Ana looked at it appreciatively. ‘New handbag?'

Beth laughed. ‘Hand me down. My sister is the designer queen. I don't even know if this is a good make. It's a Radley. I've had it a few years now.'

‘It's a good make,' Ana assured her. ‘Must have cost well over a hundred.'

Beth gasped. ‘Blimey, I'd better treat it with more respect.'

While Beth went to the bar, Ana checked her phone. There was a text from Jonny.

Not sure when I'm seeing you, but here's a brilliant blow-up photo of the bag. I have a mate who is a genius at this stuff. It's got initials on it. Looks like SG or SO. It could be a designer logo. When are you free?

Ana replied.

How about tomorrow.

She zoomed in on the photo and there was the bag. It was pink, but she couldn't make out the letters very well. However, there was something vaguely familiar about it.

‘Tonic water,' said Beth, making her jump.

Ana took more painkillers and tried to relax but couldn't bring herself back to the present since her dream. Her thoughts were chaotic. The pub was vaguely similar to The Fox. The woman sitting across the way, laughing with her male companion, could easily have been Cherry. The bright red lipstick was certainly Cherry's.

‘So how did you find Ray? Discover any more about Elaine Lees?'

‘Ray?' Ana asked, confused.

‘My brother-in-law, the psychiatrist.'

An invisible hand punched Ana in the solar plexus. ‘Ah, yes. Not much helpful information.'

Beth sighed and leaned back in her chair. ‘Don't tell me. The whole confidentiality thing?'

Ana nodded. Brain fog was making everything seem unreal. She shouldn't have taken so much Valium with the painkillers.

‘It makes Tom pretty angry. Matt said the other doctor was the same. They always claim they would tell us if anything could be connected to a murder. Tom's argument is, how would they know.'

‘I agree. Awkward for you, though, with him being your brother-in-law.'

‘I guess he believes he's doing the right thing. So what made you come to Oxford?' asked Beth, changing the subject.

One year earlier

The chief had ordered Ana into his office when she'd returned from the hospital.

‘What the hell did you think you were doing? A whole pub full of people saw you.'

‘He was resisting arrest,' she said quietly.

‘He was handcuffed, Sergeant Rawlins.'

Ana lowered her head. ‘He was making abusive comments.'

‘Which you should have ignored.'

‘Yes, sir.'

‘Lucky for you, he's not pressing charges. It's taken a lot for you to get here, Ana; don't ruin it now.'

She chewed her lip thoughtfully and then hesitantly asked. ‘Could I be transferred? There's a vacancy at Stonesend station in Oxfordshire. I'd like to learn more. I don't want to spend my life arresting pimps and hooligans at football matches.'

The chief lifted his eyebrows. ‘Oxfordshire? Why not London? If it's the action you want.'

‘That's a big jump, sir.'

He nodded in agreement. ‘Let me look into it.'

‘I got tired of breaking up riots at football matches,' she told Beth.

Beth looked at Ana over the rim of her glass. ‘Was that the only reason?'

Ana's eyes met Beth's. ‘Yes,' she said, perceiving from the look in Beth's eyes that she didn't believe her.

‘Oh, I meant to ask you.' Beth took a handful of peanuts from the dish on the table. ‘Any luck with the car investigation?'

It was said so casually that Ana was annoyed that she blushed. She considered her words carefully. ‘Not really. I've reached a dead end,' she lied. ‘Talking of cars. I really need a new one. Mine's had it. You've got a Clio, haven't you? How do you find them?'

The sudden change of subject took Beth by surprise. ‘Erm, it's okay. I miss my old Golf. That was an excellent little car, but the last MOT cost me so much that it seemed sensible to get a new one.'

Ana studied Beth, looking for any signs of discomfort or wariness, but there was nothing. Either that or she was hiding it well.

‘I'd like a Golf,' said Ana, wishing her head would stop aching. ‘How did you sell yours? I don't want to get fiddled.'

Beth was looking a bit bemused now. ‘It was scrapped.'

Ana nodded. Beth's eyes on her were making her uncomfortable, and she sipped on her tonic water. ‘So you've learnt the car that hit Vanessa was a Golf, have you?'

Ana almost choked on her drink.

Beth smiled. ‘You're very bright, Ana, but I'm far from stupid. If I had hit Vanessa, I would have owned up to it. If you'd done your homework, you would have discovered I was on a firearms course in Leeds that day, so I took the train.'

Ana could have kicked herself. The pub door opened, and several people strolled in laughing. Ana was grateful for the short reprieve. But unfortunately, it didn't last long.

‘I think it's time you dropped the case,' said Beth.

Ana nodded, feeling stupid. Why hadn't she checked out Beth's movements? It should have been the first thing she'd done.

‘I'm sorry. You're right,' Ana said, pushing back her chair. ‘I hope you don't mind, but I have a terrible headache. I think I ought to go home.'

Beth stood up. ‘Of course, let me see you to your car. You don't look good at all.'

Ana acquiescedand apologised again.

‘Don't worry,' Beth assured her. ‘At least you were thorough,' she hugged Ana reassuringly. ‘By the way, my sister, Sandy, and her husband have invited you for dinner. They regularly do this when new staff members arrive. I think they're just bloody nosy, to be honest. I'll send you the date, see if it suits you.'

Ana forced a smile. ‘Thank you, that would be nice.'

Ana was about to get into her car when Lisa Carpenter called out to them. She was strolling along the street in a thin summer dress, and Ana could see her nipples standing out through it. With her were two other women, whom Ana surmised were her friends, all dressed similarly. The potent smell of their perfumes made Ana's head throb more.

‘We're having a girlie night. Why don't you join us,' enthused Lisa, trying to slip her hand through Beth's arm. Ana noticed the other two girls didn't seem keen on having two coppers on their ‘girlie' night out.

‘Work tomorrow,' Beth said, with a fake smile. ‘Ana's not feeling too well, but thanks, maybe another time.'

Lisa shrugged.

By this time, Ana was already in her car, where the perfume still seemed to permeate. She opened the window, allowing a further wave of perfumed air into the car.

‘I'll give you a lift,' she said to Beth.

With humour in her voice, Beth climbed in and said, ‘This car seems okay to me.'

‘I've got the message,' said Ana, looking into the rear-view mirror before pulling away.

Lisa and her friends were swaggering along and laughing loudly. Then, as they turned into the pub, Ana remembered.

‘Ana!' Beth yelled.

Ana looked up to see she had swayed onto the wrong side of the road. ‘Shit,' she said, swerving. ‘Sorry, it's the headache.' But she knew it wasn't the headache. It was everything happening at once and happening too fast.

‘I'm not sure you're safe to drive, Ana. Look, here's my place. Let me call you a cab, and you can collect your car tomorrow.'

Ana had no choice but to agree.

‘Anything you don't eat by the way?' asked Beth.

Ana shook her head and felt like a knife just sliced through it. ‘I eat anything,' she said, struggling not to think of food.

‘Great,' said Beth. ‘Here's your cab. Rest that head.'

Beth's phone rang just as she pushed the key into the lock of the cottage. ‘DS Harper,' she said answering it.

‘I lied.'

Beth stopped with the key halfway in the lock. ‘Who is this?'

There was silence, and Beth waited for the inevitable hang-up.

‘It's Leigh Moulson. I lied about that night the trail bike got smashed up. Will wasn't home. He didn't get home until late after the fair either.'

Beth made a note to check with Ray. Hadn't she asked him to see that Will got home okay? ‘Why are you telling me this now?'

Leigh started weeping. ‘I don't know. He gets so angry sometimes and…'

Beth pulled the key out of the lock. ‘Does he hit you?'

Leigh sounded shocked. ‘Oh no. He's a rough diamond. I know that, but he's not a wife-beater. It's just, well, I know he doesn't do everything by the book, but I know he wouldn't kill someone, but he was angry about the bike. We had put up with it for a long time, you know.'

‘Well, thank you for telling me.'

‘You won't tell him it was me, will you?'

Beth assured her she wouldn't and hung up.