Devious intention, p.14
Devious Intention, page 14
“I was just contemplating the same thing. I suppose we should get in touch with Louise first, let her know what we’ve found out. I’m in two minds whether that would be a good idea or not at this point.”
“Why the hesitation?”
“Would you appreciate being told over the phone that your spouse is having an affair?”
He shook his head. “Nope, can’t say I would. Let’s sleep on it tonight and reconsider what we should do for the best tomorrow.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Louise sat down to her evening meal with a small glass of white wine. Beans on toast wasn’t usually her main meal, but it was the only thing she fancied eating right then. Knowing that Ellie and Brian had returned to the UK and had yet to contact her caused her stomach to be in turmoil. She switched on Sky News and choked up immediately when she saw a photo of a small blonde child who had been reported missing. She changed channels and found herself staring at the screen, not really taking in what the people on the screen were saying. Please don’t forget me, Sophie. I don’t know what tale your father has told you, but please never forget me.
A faint noise interrupted her maudlin thoughts. She placed her tray on the sofa beside her and went to investigate. Georgina had warned her that the neighbour’s cat was a determined critter and had already tried to get in the kitchen window once or twice, no matter how small the gap. Looking around the kitchen, she saw no sign of the animal, but the window was open wider than she’d opened it that morning. Louise walked into the kitchen to close it then stopped midway across the floor when she noticed the wet footprint on the worktop. Her hand instinctively covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. It can’t be! It’s your imagination. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the knife block. She quietly took a few steps towards it and slid out the largest knife she could lay her hands on. Then Louise walked back into the lounge, the room she had been calling her bedroom all week, but she found nothing. Do I look in the bedroom? The rest of the flat? Or should I call the police? Her mind was made up when she heard a noise coming from inside George’s bedroom. With her heart skipping several beats every few seconds, she gripped the handle of the knife in her right hand and pushed open the door. The curtains were still closed, the way George had told her to keep them, as the room’s window was visible to anyone passing the flat on the pavement outside. Louise strained her eyes in the darkened room, but her vision was slow to adjust. Still, her acute hearing picked up on a noise a few feet in front of her.
“Is anybody there? I’ve called the police.” As soon as she mentioned the word police, someone ran at her, knocking her off balance. She lashed out with the blade as she tumbled backwards. The knife slipped from her grasp; if it hadn’t, she would have chased after the intruder. Instead, she hurried back into the lounge and called the police, not bothering to check the kitchen first to see if the culprit had escaped the same way they’d entered the flat. Her nerves were in shreds as she dialled 999 and waited for the operator to answer.
“Police please. There’s an intruder in my flat.” She gave the operator Georgina’s address and was told that an officer would be with her within fifteen minutes. Are you kidding? I could be dead by then. She hung up and shouted, “The police will be here soon. I’d get out now while you have the chance.”
The window in the kitchen clattered shut. She ran into the room and fastened the intruder’s escape route firmly. Damn, maybe I should have left it the way it was until the police came. Nonsense, the intruder might keep the flat under observation, and if the police don’t turn up as promised, he could get in through the window again and finish what he’d set out to do!
Louise went to the window in the lounge and waited for the police to arrive. When she saw the police car, she ran to the front door to let them in.
The young officer took one look at the knife she was holding and extracted his truncheon. “Put the knife down.”
“Crap, I’m so sorry. I was scared in case he came back.” Louise dropped the knife on the floor at her feet.
The officer and his partner accepted her excuse and entered the flat.
“Can you show us where you think the intruder got in?”
“Yes, through here. I had the window ajar a little. I closed it after I heard him get out.”
“I see, and did you see the suspect?”
“Not really. He was waiting in my friend’s bedroom—this is her flat. I’m staying here for a week or two. Sorry, I’m waffling because I’m so scared. I went in there to check, and he shoved past me and knocked me over.”
“Are you from around here, miss?” one of the officers asked.
“Yes, at least I was. It’s a long story, but my house has been sold. My husband and child have gone missing after we were all in a car accident. Sorry, here I go again—I’m very nervous. I’ve employed a PI firm to help me track down my family, who I believe are now living in Spain.”
The two officers looked at each other then eyed her as if she were mad.
“When did this all happen, miss?” the younger of the two officers asked.
“It’s Mrs. Gillespie. Over the past week to ten days. My whole life has spiralled out of control. But you have to believe me. I’m not making this up. Look.” She pointed at the wet footprint on the worktop surface.
“That’s going to be hard for the scenes of crime officers to regard as evidence, miss.”
“It’s all I have. Wait a minute. Perhaps the intruder forgot to use gloves. Can you check the window or the latch, just in case?”
“To be honest, I think it’s highly unlikely. Do you have a lot of enemies, Mrs. Gillespie?”
Louise was taken aback by the officer’s question. “Not that I know of, no. I’m sorry if what I’ve told you sounds a little off the wall. Perhaps you can ring my friend Ellie. She’ll back up what I’ve told you about my situation.”
The officer took out his notebook and pen. “What’s your friend’s surname and phone number?”
Louise puffed out her cheeks as she thought. “I have to think. She got married last week. Hang on; I have her business card in my purse.” She walked into the lounge and heard the officers mumbling behind her. When she returned, she handed the card to the officer holding his notebook. “Here you go. I apologise again for sounding a little strange, but Ellie will back up my story.”
“Is there really any point in us ringing this friend of yours? Surely, this woman will only tell us what you’ve told her yourself, won’t she?”
“No. She’s a professional. She and her new husband stumbled across me when I was at a low ebb in Cornwall—that’s where the accident happened, down there. She even went to speak to the policeman who was dealing with my case.”
“I see. Okay, bear with me a moment while I call your friend.” He took out his mobile and dialled Ellie’s number. “Hello, is this Ellie? This is Officer Durrant of the Hitchin Police… I have a Mrs. Gillespie here with me… No, she’s fine, a little shaken up, but fine… I wondered if you could corroborate what she’s told me about her family. You can. That’s wonderful. Just a moment; I’ll hand you over.”
The officer smiled tightly at her as he passed her his phone. “Oh, Ellie, it was terrible. Someone was in the flat. I was so scared.”
“My God, are you okay, Louise? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine. I think I managed to nick him with the knife as he ran towards me.”
“Good, that’ll teach him. Did you get a look at the intruder, Louise?”
“No. It all happened so quickly.”
“Was Georgina there too, sweetie?”
“No. She’s not here. There was a note waiting for me on the door when I arrived. Sadly, her aunt has died, and she’s gone to help arrange the funeral. She left a key with her neighbour. I have no idea when she’ll be returning. She hasn’t contacted me since she left.”
“Do you want me to come down there? I could either stay with you until she returns or bring you back here to be with us.”
“That’s so kind, Ellie, but I couldn’t impose on you any more than I have already. I’ll be fine, I think. Do you really think this person will come back?”
“I don’t have the answer to that, Louise. It could be just a coincidence, a burglar chancing his arm rather than anything to do with the case. If you’re sure you’re okay, can you pass me back to the police officer? I’ll ring you in half an hour once the officers have left, make sure you’re all right before we go to bed.”
“Thanks, Ellie. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Louise returned the phone to the officer.
“Hello… yes, we have every intention of following procedure on this. Thank you, I’d like to get back to work now, if that’s all right with you?” He hung up and tutted. “Anyone would think your friend was in the police rather than being a PI.”
“Both she and her husband used to be, officer, so she’s aware of how these things should be dealt with.”
“And I assure you, Mrs. Gillespie, this incident will be dealt with appropriately. It’s too late to call a forensic team out now, this being regarded as a non-emergency. Is it all right if I ask them to drop by in the morning? Will you be in?”
“Of course. I’ll be in all day. Maybe you should take a few pictures of the footprint in case it disperses overnight.”
“I will. Just going to do that now, although SOCO will be looking more at what fingerprints they can find and any other evidence available on the outside of the window.”
“I understand. What’s the likelihood that the intruder will come back?”
“If you keep all the windows and doors closed, I’d say very little. I’ll do a final check round for you, and we’ll be on our way. All right if we take down your statement tomorrow? It gets super busy at this time of night when it gets close to pub kicking-out time.”
“That’s fine by me.”
Once the officers had checked the property and she’d seen them to the front door, Louise waited anxiously for Ellie to ring back. She sat on the sofa and jumped when the phone rang ten minutes later. “Ellie, is that you?”
“Yes, how are you holding up? What did the police say?”
“I’m fine. I’ve calmed down a lot. The officers gave the flat the once-over before they left. They’re sending forensics round, and they’re coming back to take my statement down tomorrow. I feel a bit safer now.”
“I’m sorry you’re having to deal with all this crap, Louise, and even sorrier that we’re not there with you to put your mind at ease.”
“It’s not your problem to deal with, Ellie. I’m dying to hear what went on out in Spain. Did you see him? Them?”
“We did. We arrived back at lunchtime. I would have rung you earlier, but my brother ordered us to call around his house for dinner, as he wanted to share something important with us.”
“Oh! Was this something to do with Matt?”
“It was. I know you’re not familiar with your husband’s business, but did he ever confide in you who his clients were?”
“No, never, not even by name. Once he walked in the front door at night, all shop talk was barred. Why?”
Ellie exhaled a large breath.
“Now you’re scaring me. Ellie, please just tell me. There’s nothing you can share with me that could shock me any more than I have been already.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. My brother told us that your husband spent most of his working week dealing with some of the worst criminals in the capital.”
Louise gasped. “No! That can’t be true. He would have told me, wouldn’t he?”
“Obviously, his greed prevented him from doing that, Louise. Have you always lived in large houses?”
“Not all the time. Only recently. We were in rented accommodation for two years before we moved to our last house. I guess it was a pretty big jump from the three-bed semi we used to live in before. I just thought he was doing really well with his business.”
“He was. Except his clientele happened to be of the dubious variety. He’s probably been paid well over the odds to keep these people—I use the word loosely—out of prison. However, one of his hotshot criminal friends lost his case a few months back and ended up behind bars. We—as in Brian, my brother Jim and I—reckon that maybe Dwayne Jennings, the criminal he failed to help escape a prison sentence, has possibly got Matt’s balls in a vice and is squeezing them tight. That’s the only reason we can think of why Matt has reacted with such desperation.”
“My goodness! So you think he tried to get rid of me in that accident rather than admit to his terrible mistakes?”
“It would make sense. It’s not acceptable, but who knows what truly goes on in someone’s mind when they are forced into a corner?”
“What’s going to happen now, Ellie?”
“We’re still debating what to do next. I wanted to bring you up to date on what we’ve obtained so far, if only to put your mind at rest.”
Louise laughed. “That kind of news will do anything but put my mind at rest. I really didn’t know my husband at all, did I? But why has he taken my daughter from me?”
“Maybe he was hoping to cash in on a life insurance policy you have in your name.”
“I’m not aware I have one. Can you look into that for me?”
“First thing in the morning. I’ll let you know what I find out. Try and sleep if you can. Any problems, ring us. It doesn’t matter what time of night that is, okay?”
Louise hung up and curled into a ball on the sofa, her nerves in tatters at the thought of spending the night alone. All she’d learned about Matt and what she’d been through since the accident had put a significant dent in her usual confidence. However, after coming face to face with an intruder, she found her emotional state balancing on a precipice. One small shove, and she could envisage her whole world whizzing past her as she plummeted to her death.
She struggled to prevent the tears cascading from her eyes like a mountain waterfall. Why, Matt? How could you do this to me after all we’ve been through together? I really believed you loved me. How wrong could I have been? May you rot in hell for putting me through this ordeal and ruining my life.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ellie and Brian dropped Cally off to Brian’s mother for the day and drove into their office for the first time in over a week. The relief on Alistair’s face when they walked in made Ellie chuckle. “I take it you missed us?”
Alistair leaned back in his chair. “Not sure how you guys cope, to be honest. The phone has been non-stop.” He reached for a pile of notes on his desk. “I could wallpaper my lounge with the amount of missing person cases we have been contacted about this week.”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “Really? How has that happened? Have you seen any form of advertising or recommendations go out while we’ve been away?”
“I’m as confused about it as you are. Glad you’re back, though. Any news about Matthew Gillespie?”
Ellie hung up her jacket and made for the small room at the back, where they prepared their drinks and escaped from a looney client now and then. She filled the kettle and sighed heavily when she saw the state of the place. “Has this place been invaded by a bunch of aliens while we’ve been away?”
“Umm… sorry about the mess, Ellie. Like I said, I’ve been inundated with calls.”
Ellie was prepared to give the computer whiz the benefit of the doubt this time. After all, they had sprung their wedding and holiday plans on him at the last minute.
Brian joined her a few minutes later, took one look at the amount of dirty cups littering the side, and walked back out again. “Thanks! Make yourself useful, Bri. Get on to that national helpline for the life insurance policies, will you? I promised Louise I’d get back to her with that information this morning.”
“I’m on it now.”
By the time Ellie had washed and dried all the cups Alistair had used in their absence, Brian had an answer to their query.
He entered the small room as she was placing the coffee and sugar in three clean, chip-free mugs. “Hit me with it.”
“Well, I’ve actually learned something new today.”
“Which is? That I’m the best wife a man could ever wish to have?” she teased.
He chortled. “That too. You’re a dab hand at clearing up after men; that’s for sure. No, seriously, there’s actually no such database in existence. There is, however, a fee-based company we can contact, if you want to go down that route.”
“Jesus, really? I begrudge paying someone to obtain information like that! What other options are open to us?”
“My guess would be to view Matthew’s bank accounts, see to whom he pays a regular standing order each month. Maybe Jim can help us out there.”
“Damn, okay, I’ll get on to him in a sec. I’m in desperate need of a coffee right now, after clearing up this mess. Do you want to sift through all those messages for me?”
“Do I have a choice?” he complained.
“Sorry, it’s got to be done, love. Make a start, and I’ll join you when I can. I think it’s important that we get the policy sorted out as soon as possible.”
“Agreed. Okay, just to let you know, this”—he pointed to his face—”is a look of a disgruntled husband.”
Ellie smiled. “And this is the face of a very appreciative wife.”
He grumbled and returned to the office. Ellie followed him, carrying the three mugs of coffee. She gave the two men their drinks then settled down at her desk to ring her brother. “Hi, Jim. Can you talk?”
“For a few minutes. It was really lovely to see you all last night.”
“You too. It was a shame Mum couldn’t make it. I’ll call round later to see her at the pub. I have a favour to ask you, plus I need to tell you that Louise rang me last night after an intruder got into the flat where she’s staying.”
“Bloody hell! Was she hurt? Did she see the perp?”
“No. Luckily, she had the foresight to arm herself with a knife, thinks she sliced a chunk out of the man when he ran at her in his attempt to escape.”
