Chapter Twenty-Nine

Both men stood outside the front door waiting for someone to open it. This time McFarland banged on the door using the side of his clenched fist.

‘Hold on, hold on I’m coming for Christ’s sake,’ the voice behind the closed door said.

As the door opened, a petite woman emerged.

‘If you’re from the papers you can sling your hook, go on piss off!’

‘Hello, I’m Detective Inspector James McFarland, and this is…’

‘I know who you are, I saw you on the telly. I’m so sorry for being so rude – I’m sick of journalists,’ Mandy interrupted. ‘Please come in…’

‘Thank you,’ Terry replied. Following Mandy, Terry could not help but notice how quiet the house was. ‘Where are your children?’ Terry asked.

‘At my mother’s, I want them out of the way until all this mess is sorted. Would anyone like some tea? I’m sure I could find a couple of digestives.’

Both detectives were directed to the living room.

‘Find a seat and I’ll be with you in a moment.’

Almost fifteen minutes later, Mandy emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray which she set down in the middle of the coffee table in the living room.

‘You seem to be handling this whole situation very well Mrs Hylie,’ Terry commented, and then continued, ‘How are you holding up?’

‘You have to carry on. Life goes on. OK, I did love him and, yes, I will be the first to admit, he wasn’t a brilliant husband… but, all said and done, he was my husband and, yes, I have been freed from him. Sorry if that sounds terrible but that’s the terrible reality of life, and life is with my children now.’ She was being very open. ‘If I had my time again, I wouldn’t have married Hector, but then I wouldn’t have my two beautiful children. He wasn’t always that way, the way people say he is. Once upon a time he used to be a gentle, kind man. I think it was when he decided that he wanted to bat for both sides, that was when he started to punish others.’

‘How long has, or sorry, did Hector embark on these bisexual conquests?’ Terry asked, sipping his tea.

‘I don’t know and I suppose I never will know exactly how long it was.’ Mandy paused for thought, ‘I found out about four years ago, but I know that it had been going on for a lot longer.’ She shook her head, ‘What I don’t know, won’t hurt me – that is what he always told me. But it tore me apart. You can understand that can’t you?’

‘Yes, we do understand. Have you been to see Martin?’

‘No, not yet, I’m not ready for that. Anyway, I’m the last person Martin would want to see. My God, his poor girlfriend and their baby.’ Her emotions seemed rock solid.

‘Do you know why Martin did it?’

‘He had no choice. Anyone faced with what he was faced with would have done the same. Tell him that I forgive him and that I love him. He will always be my brother and before you ask, I’m well aware of Martin’s hatred for Hector and that the only reason Martin never laid a finger on him was me.’

‘So you knew about Hector’s double life?’

‘Oh come on. It was hardly a double life. He would go out to a gay bar and find a man to have sex with… I knew, oh I knew.’ Mandy took a sip of hot tea.

‘Did it bother you that he had unprotected sex with these men?’

‘Of course it fucking bothered me! What could I do? If I said anything, Hector would give me a right-hander. He used to threaten to bugger me if I didn’t shut up. Yeah, give it to me up the arse.’

Mandy reached over and picked up a biscuit, ‘Want one?’ she asked.

Both detectives declined.

‘I’m a woman who married in to hard knocks. I’m simply hardened to it all. Hector was a nasty bastard and now he’s dead. But I’ll tell you one other thing, he never got near my arse!’ She automatically burst in to tears. Maybe she wasn’t so tough after all.

‘We will catch this man for you.’

‘Don’t catch him for me, catch him for Martin, catch him for my kids. He freed me by imprisoning my brother. Ying and yang, pleasure and pain, there’s a lot to be said for those Chinese people. All that karma they rant on about – there’s something in it, I think.’

‘Well, thank you for the tea, and thank you for sparing us your time. I think you are a very remarkable and honest woman.’ Terry held Mandy’s hand in both of his, ‘Have a great life Mrs Hylie. Now you can truly begin to live your life with complete freedom.’

‘Thank you, I will. Once this is all over, I’m going to take my kids to Spain. I’ve got a friend who lives there. We’ll stay with her for a while,’ she smiled. ‘What is your name?’

‘Terry, Terry Bane.’

‘Thank you Mr Terry Bane.’ Mandy closed the front door behind the two men.

‘I want someone to go and check on her, and also that her children are alright. She gave me the creeps,’ Terry said.

‘Yeah me too, good God, if talking was an Olympic sport.’

‘That’s just her way of dealing with it.’

‘Maybe...’ To McFarland, everyone was a suspect.