JOE STOOD OUTSIDE THE PILGRIMS’ HOUSE for a moment and looked out at the stars. There was no real front garden, only a strip of grass next to the lane and a white bench leaning against the wall of the house. All the land was at the back. He’d been interviewing Louisa and Ken Hampton, and something about the ill man had moved him almost to tears. Ken had held his wife’s hand throughout the conversation, had smiled occasionally, but hadn’t spoken. He was still physically big, but now he seemed entirely passive and dependent, a giant, compliant child. Joe had let himself out of the building before Vera could start asking questions about the interview – he wasn’t ready yet to replay it for her – but now, standing with his back to the house, the cold air seemed to clear his mind of the discomfort, the upset.
There were no street lights here and they’d shut the curtains in the house, so no light seeped out. Joe didn’t have Vera’s affection for wild spaces, for the great outdoors, but there was something spectacular about this: so many stars and a sense of the darkness stretching for ever, that made him dizzy and a little scared. He’d been brought up as a Methodist and they still took the kids to church when they had a free Sunday, but he wasn’t sure his faith was strong enough to cope with this emptiness. The size of it all. His insignificance in comparison.
He heard the door open again and saw Holly standing next to the bench. ‘The boss wants us in. A final meeting before calling it a night.’ She shivered and he only realized just how cold it was then. It would freeze again in the night, and be another clear day when the sun came up in the morning.
‘I just needed a moment,’ Joe said, ‘after talking to the Hamptons. It must be so hard for them both.’
Holly stood behind him. She was looking up at the stars too. ‘It happened to my grandmother,’ she said. ‘Dementia. It’s horribly common, but somehow we never think it’ll happen to us.’
‘Harder for the relatives maybe, than the sufferer.’ But Joe thought that couldn’t really be true. He’d rather die than be like Ken Hampton, lost and confused, the object of pity.
Holly touched his arm. She seemed to realize that he was deep in thought. ‘We’d better get in. Can’t keep madam waiting.’ They shared a quick grin and made their way into the house.
Vera was in the bedroom they’d made their base. The filter machine was gurgling, dripping coffee, and now three chairs were placed around the desk. They sat very close to each other, with their knees almost touching. The boss had interviewed Annie Laidler, Joe had spoken to Louisa and Ken as a couple and Holly had taken on the vicar. The friends had had their dinner, and now they were all back together, sitting in the common room, talking quietly. Drinking Rick Kelsall’s wine. Joe supposed they’d be sharing the experience of the interviews, checking that their stories matched. He thought suddenly that this investigation, involving a group of elderly people, might turn out to be the weirdest he’d ever been involved with.
‘Are you letting them all go in the morning?’ Holly was doing the honours with the coffee and set three mugs on the low table. Joe put his hands around his mug, letting the warmth defrost his fingers.
‘They shouldn’t still be here anyway. Even with Rick Kelsall’s room sealed they’re contaminating a crime scene. Besides, we can’t really keep them.’ But Vera sounded reluctant. Joe could tell she would like to keep them local. She went on: ‘I can’t see any of them making a run for it, can you?’
Joe shook his head. ‘They’ve all got too many ties at home.’
‘Not just that! They’re bright. They were grammar school kids. Nothing would point to guilt like doing a runner.’ Vera paused. ‘Ken and Louisa live just over the border in Cumbria, so it’d be easy enough to go back to see them if we need to. I wonder if we could persuade the vicar to extend his holiday for a few days, stay in the county. Worth a shot, I think.’
‘You really think one of this group killed him?’ Joe couldn’t see it. They were all so respectable. The only chancer among them had been the victim.
‘I don’t think anything this early in an investigation.’ A pause. ‘Joe, when you spoke to the Hamptons, did Louisa mention anything about a sister?’
‘No.’ He was puzzled and couldn’t see where this was leading.
‘Charlotte talked about a sister who died at the first reunion,’ Holly said, ‘and I followed it up with the vicar.’
‘Annie Laidler gave me the details too. The lass’s name was Isobel and she was part of the original Only Connect group. Is it odd, do we think, that Louisa didn’t mention the accident? Her only sister dying too, at one of these navel-gazing gatherings.’ Vera paused before answering her own question. ‘Maybe not. We shouldn’t read too much into it. After all this time, Louisa might not have thought it was relevant. I’m interested though, because Annie said the death occurred immediately after Isobel had a row with Rick Kelsall. Let’s get more details of the incident, shall we? There must have been an inquest. I can’t see Louisa waiting more than forty years to avenge her sister, but we’ve got bugger all else to go on.’
She stretched her legs and stifled a yawn. ‘Anything useful from the vicar, Hol?’
Holly shook her head. ‘Not much. Kelsall went to see him soon after he was forced to resign, but claimed there was no truth to the women’s allegations.’
‘Well, he would,’ Vera said. ‘It doesn’t get us any further forward.’ She gave them both a mischievous glance. ‘The whole bunch of them could be in it together of course. Like that film. The train stuck in the snow. We’d never find out if they kept to their stories.’
‘But why would they? I can’t see that any of them has a motive.’
‘How would we know? Unless one of them broke ranks and gave us the low-down.’
Holly looked across at her, very serious. ‘Do you really think that was how it happened?’
‘Nah,’ Vera said. ‘Not really. But they’re close. Mates. They’ll be protecting each other. Keeping secrets. Which might or might not be relevant. Anything else from the jolly vicar?’
Holly shook her head. ‘A bit more background on the victim. Because they both lived in London, Rick saw him more frequently than the others. Philip was still a good friend and they’d meet for a drink every now and again. And Rick was writing a book. Charlotte mentioned that too.’
Vera nodded. ‘That’s interesting. Something else to chase up with Rick’s former employer.’ She looked across at Joe. ‘You were researching that earlier. Did you manage to find someone at the production company willing to talk?’
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t get anywhere. Most of the staff aren’t working this weekend and when I did get a response, nobody was willing to give out personal contact details.’
The women looked at him. Joe thought they were both thinking that Holly would have done better. This was confirmed when Vera spoke again. ‘You take that on, will you, Hol? We need the name of the first woman to make the complaint against Rick Kelsall. The one who started the ball rolling, and lost him his job. I know victims of sexual assault have the privilege of anonymity but we really need to speak to her.’
‘Sure, boss.’ There was a definite edge of triumph in Holly’s voice. There were times when Joe felt as he had in the classroom, when all his pals had seemed brighter than he was.
‘How did you get on with Louisa and Ken, Joe?’
‘Well, it was Louisa who did all the talking. Ken nodded every now and again as if he agreed, but I wasn’t sure he understood the questions.’
‘Anything useful?’
‘Nothing new at all. As you said, the couple live in Cumbria and they drove over, arriving early afternoon on Friday. Rick was already in the house. Louisa said he seemed in very good spirits. She was surprised after all the fuss in the press.’
‘When was the last time they’d seen him? Before this weekend.’
Joe thought back to the conversation. The woman, controlled, upright, and the big man with his hand covering hers on the arm of her chair. ‘In the summer. They went to London for a few days. Ken had already been diagnosed with dementia, and they wanted to do things like that while they still could. One of their kids lives and works in the City, and they stayed with him. They met Rick for a meal. He was already feeling under pressure at work then, apparently. Louisa said he seemed anxious, but more worried that anything he’d said might have been misinterpreted. You know I wouldn’t want to offend anyone for the world. You understand that, don’t you, Lou? Sometimes I get carried away, that’s all.’ Joe looked up. ‘That almost sounded like an admission to me, though at that point no specific allegations had been made.’
‘According to Annie, Rick always had a soft spot for Louisa. He fancied himself in love.’ Vera hesitated for a moment. ‘Or maybe he just lusted after her. Did that come across?’
Joe shook his head. ‘But I don’t think she’d have responded. She appears very level-headed.’ A pause. ‘A bit cold maybe. Former head teacher. Ambitious. She was sent in to run schools in special measures. Now she does some work for Ofsted, assessing other teachers. You could tell she looks after her husband well, but there’s not a lot of warmth there.’ He paused. ‘It all seemed a bit mechanical.’
‘Aye well, I suppose the wife knows she’s in it for the long haul. You have to keep back a bit in reserve.’
Joe remembered then that Vera’s dad had suffered from dementia in the end and she’d moved back home to help care for him until he died. ‘Just before they both left,’ he said, ‘I asked one question to Ken, directed it only to him. Louisa was already halfway out of the room. I asked him what he made of Rick.’
‘And?’ That was Holly.
Joe could tell Hol was getting impatient now, because he was the one doing most of the talking. He could understand her impatience. He’d been hoping he’d be able to get home tonight. It was the last weekend of half-term and Sal always got a bit scratchy by the end of the school holidays. But they’d missed the tide and they’d have to stay over, and now he wanted to be in his room in the Seahorse before it got any later, so he could say goodnight at least to the older kids. So, he just answered the question, without discussing what he thought about it. ‘Ken gave a little chuckle and said Rick was a rascal. Always had been. And he got away with murder because he could charm the teachers. It was as if in his head they were still teenagers.’ Joe looked up at them. ‘Then Ken said: But Rick’s closer than a brother. I’d do anything for him.’