Chapter thirty-eight

2010

T

he discovery of the body made the local news headlines by late Wednesday morning and Natalie left work to deal with the expected fall-out of journalists and nosy parkers. She arrived home to find a lone policeman guarding the taped-off area and fending off a reporter and a pair of inquisitive locals. Oh, God, could she cope with this? It was likely to be even worse once word got out Tabby and Stuart were arriving. She told the reporter she had nothing to say and would sue anyone for trespass if they didn’t respect her privacy. It seemed to do the trick and she shot inside and locked the door.

Natalie phoned DI Woods to ask if anything could be done.

‘I’ll get the constable to stand at the top of the lane and bar entrance to all except those on a list you provide. Hopefully, things will calm down soon. I’ll issue updates to the press to keep them off your back. Mr Cross and Mrs Peters are coming to the station as soon as they arrive today and we’re taking DNA samples. Should be able to confirm the woman’s identity in a day or two.’ He coughed. ‘Sorry. If you have any more problems, ring me.’

Feeling better, Natalie went outside to offer the policeman refreshment before making herself a salad lunch and a pot of coffee. Taking his coffee, he settled himself further up the lane and she retreated to the terrace. Hazy sunshine filtered through the clouds and a wisp of a breeze stirred the miniature palms in her garden. It was as if nothing bad had ever happened there and Natalie, not for the first time, wondered if it was, in fact, all a bad dream and she’d wake up soon to find it had all been in her mind. But of course, it wasn’t.

Finishing her salad, she closed her eyes and thought of the conversation she’d had with Stuart the day before. He’d sounded genuine when he said he’d missed her. A good sign. After over a week apart, perhaps he was ready to tell her what the problem was. Although the issue of a murdered grandmother was likely to take precedence in any immediate conversations they’d have. A shock for him, but he’d never met Olive. Far worse for Tabby. She’d sounded distraught when they spoke the previous evening and told Natalie she felt guilty about not staying in touch with her mother.

‘If only I’d gone over while she was alive, I could have saved her from Bill. If I’d known how bad things had become on the farm I’d have taken her back to England and bought her a house. I had the money.’

Natalie had tried to assure her the fault lay equally with Olive for not keeping in touch and Tabby had calmed down a little.

‘There is something else you need to know, Tabby. I…I think it’s likely your mother had an affair with a German officer.’

‘What! But how do you know?’ Tabby’s shock reverberated down the line.

Natalie told her about the dreams where she saw Bill confronting Olive and Wolfgang one day, calling her a Jerrybag. And that Wolfgang had the same blond hair and blue eyes as Tabby and Stuart.

Tabby was quiet for a moment and Natalie worried it was a shock too far. But she had to know…

‘I see. It’s so much to take in…My mother had a German lover and got pregnant with me! And she tried to tell you in dreams what had happened. Dear God!’ A moment passed. ‘If it’s true, then what happened to this “Wolfgang”?’ She sighed deeply. ‘My head’s spinning and I don’t know what to say, Natalie. But we’ll talk more when I get back.’

Natalie’s thoughts were interrupted by her mobile ringing. Stuart.

‘Hi. Just to let you know we’ve landed and on our way to St Peter Port for the DNA tests. Are you at work?’

She told him about the news coverage and she was at home, fending off unwanted visitors. Stuart said they’d get there as soon as they could and rang off, but not before saying how he was looking forward to seeing her. Natalie smiled. She could hardly wait.

‘Natalie! My dear girl! How are you coping?’ Tabby threw her arms around her and Natalie saw, over her shoulder, a smiling Stuart.

‘I’m fine. Really.’

Stuart came forward and kissed her cheek, whispering, ‘Shall we go for a walk, later? Just the two of us?’ She nodded and he pulled back behind Tabby. Natalie ushered them into the house and made a pot of tea as they all sat in the kitchen.

Tabby stared around.

‘So, this is where it happened.’ She shivered. ‘The detective showed me the photo they found and it was one of me, as you thought. Taken when I was eight, I think. The evidence is stacking up.’ Tabby sighed deeply. ‘It’s horrible to think of my poor mother dying here like that. I’m sure she wanted me to know and it’s why she hung around, as it were. I’ve heard people who die violently often can’t move on.’ She thanked Natalie for her tea and went on, ‘Do you sense she’s gone?’

‘I’m not sure. Not quite. I still sense something…’ She waved an arm, ‘…in this room. I’m waiting to hear from the vicar, he’s due back now and I want him to cleanse the house, or whatever vicars do.’

Tabby sat still, as if trying to tune into something.

‘You’re right. It’s not quite clear. Now, if you’re up to it, can you describe to me everything exactly as you saw it? If you don’t mind repeating it again.’

Natalie saw Stuart shift on his stool.

‘Of course not…’ Tabby listened intently as Natalie described in minute detail all she remembered. Would always remember.

‘Thank you. Now I’d like to see where my mother was…buried.’

Natalie took them the long way round, explaining the back door was sealed off. As they approached the empty grave Tabby looked close to tears and Stuart grabbed her hand. Natalie stood back, giving them space. Even standing behind the tape, the hole was clear to see. Tabby stood with her head bent for a moment and then turned away, Stuart still holding her hand, his face solemn.

‘I…I thought I heard a voice when they took the body away. A woman. She said, “Help me, please.” It was so faint I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination.’

‘Oh, I would think it was my mother. Thank you for telling me.’ Tabby’s mouth was set firm.

‘Have the police said anything about the man who killed her? Will they look for him?’

‘I did ask, but there’s not much they can do after all this time, is there? There’s no evidence linking it to anyone, thanks to the fire. And we can’t tell them about Bill because they’d never believe it. He was supposed to be dead. And he can’t be alive now if he’s haunting this place. Bastard!’ Tabby spat out the word, her face flushed.

‘My parents know someone who said they knew Olive and Bill during the war. An old lady. I asked them to get in touch with her so you could meet up.’

Tabby’s eyes lit up.

‘That would be wonderful! Even if she’s got nothing good to say about my mother, I want to know everything. You know, I remember some of the older islanders would give me strange looks when they saw me and now I understand why. If I don’t look a bit like Bill, but the German, Wolfgang. You said I had the same hair and blue eyes. It must have been clear to anyone who knew the family my mother was a…Jerrybag. A horizontal collaborator.’ She shook her head. ‘Horrible term. And I guess it’s why Mum kept to herself all those years. I never understood why she wouldn’t go out unless it was absolutely necessary. Must have been even worse for her once I left as I used to do the shopping.’ She bit her lip and Stuart hugged her.

‘Don’t upset yourself, Mum. You didn’t know and she wasn’t a great mother to you, was she? We understand a bit more now, but that doesn’t explain the way she behaved towards you. Come on,’ he said, pulling her away, ‘let’s go to my place and you can have a rest. It’s been a long day.’

Tabby agreed and Natalie showed them out. Stuart winked as he left and mouthed ‘later’.

Back inside Natalie called her parents to bring them up to speed. Her mother told her they’d be seeing the old lady in a couple of days and would get back to her. Dying to know more about Olive and her lover, she hoped Tabby would let her go with them to any meeting. It would be great to have confirmation from someone who had been there. Not just in her dreams.

Half an hour later Stuart knocked on the door and they set off up the lane.

‘It’s hit Mum hard, but at least we know what happened to Olive. And I do hope things quieten down for you.’ Stuart squeezed her hand as they walked side by side. They nodded at the policeman looking bored by the entrance. He told them he’d turned away three curious locals in the last hour.

‘Were you with Tabby when I told her about Wolfgang?’

‘Yes. One big shock! For both of us.’ He frowned. ‘I’m not keen on the idea of a German grandfather, but as it all happened years before I was born, it doesn’t affect me as much as Mum. She’s now wondering if this Wolfgang is still alive, and why he didn’t do the honourable thing and marry Olive.’

‘We’ll never know. But I certainly got the strong impression Olive was very much in love with him and hated Bill. So it’s odd she didn’t seem to love your mother.’

He shook his head. ‘Guess that’s something else we’ll never know. Like where had Bill been all those years and why did he come back?’

They walked along in silence for a moment, both lost in thought.

‘Perhaps one day we’ll all look back on this time and see it as something exciting. Something to tell the grandchildren.’ Natalie smiled up at him. Stuart paled. Oh, what had she said?

‘If you remember, I was trying to tell you something in France but ran out of time. I…I know this might not be the best time, but I don’t want to keep putting it off.’

Natalie stared at him, a leaden weight forming in her stomach. It sounded ominous.

‘What don’t you want to put off? Are you trying to tell me you don’t want to see me any more?’

He pulled her round to face him and gripped her arms.

‘The last thing I want is to stop seeing you! I want to have a proper relationship with you. I…love you. But…’ He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. ‘When the subject of children came up in France, you said you assumed you’d have them one day, and I didn’t say anything. It seemed too presumptuous at the time as we weren’t actually a couple.’

She frowned. Did he not want children? Odd, for a teacher.

‘I realise it’s still a bit premature…but I thought you should know I can’t have children. So if you do want a family, then…then it’s best for us not to become involved.’