Chapter Fourteen

Ellie held Felicity tightly. ‘Calm down.’

‘I can’t, I saw her. It was her, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes.’

Felicity shuddered. ‘I don’t think I ever saw her before. I mean, I hadn’t anything to do with her being turfed out of this place, and when I came to look at the house, she’d long since gone and the builders were in. I never saw a photograph of her, or anything, did I? Tell me I’m not imagining things.’

‘You’re not. I came to see her here, before she left. A little brown mouse of a woman, I thought, and dismissed her from my mind. Come into the kitchen. I’ll get you a drink of water.’

Felicity began to laugh. Hysteria. ‘I shut the door in Roy’s face, didn’t I? Did you hear him? Did he really say . . . ? Oh, this is just so funny.’

‘Sit down for a moment, while I see if he’s gone yet. We could do with some help.’

‘Not Roy. Don’t let him in. I couldn’t cope.’

Ellie nodded. She could see that Felicity couldn’t cope.

Ellie seated Felicity on a kitchen stool, put a glass of water in her hand, and went back to open the front door. Roy was halfway down the garden path, hands in pockets, looking lost. He raised his head when he saw Ellie, and she beckoned him nearer.

‘She saw Mrs Alexis watching her, and it’s upset her. I don’t think you should come in just now. Perhaps tomorrow?’

‘What can I do?’

‘You could try the police, see if they’ve got any results from the analysis of the bread rolls yet. Tell them we think it’s Mrs Alexis and that she seems to be watching this house. Say we’ve tried to trace her, but haven’t had any luck. It’s at the back of my mind that I’ve seen her somewhere recently . . . perhaps in the Avenue? Anyway, it would be good to alert the police that we’re taking this seriously.’

‘Stalking would be serious, but it takes more than a couple of sightings to complain about it to the police. Are you sure I can’t do anything else?’

‘I won’t leave her.’ Ellie closed the door on him, and set her back to it. There was a deadlock on the door. She turned it. And a bolt, top and bottom. She shot those home, too.

Felicity had calmed down a trifle. She was pulling down the blinds at the French windows in the kitchen. ‘I’m sorry. I’m all right now.’

She didn’t look all right.

Ellie wondered if she should suggest going back to her house for the night. Would Diana try to break in again? Possibly. Would Armand or Kate feed Midge?

‘I must make some phone calls. Will you be all right for a few minutes?’

Felicity opened cupboards. ‘I’m going to do some baking. Take my mind off things. Do you like chocolate cake? Silly question. Everyone likes chocolate cake. Or perhaps I’ll make some quiches . . . egg and bacon quiche do you?’ She began to laugh and clapped both hands over her mouth. ‘Perhaps not quiches. What about some bread rolls?’

She was holding down hysteria. Just.

Ellie got out her mobile. She tried Kate first. The phone rang for some time, until the answerphone clicked in. Ellie started, ‘Kate, this is Ellie . . .’ And then Kate picked up the phone. ‘Yes?’ She sounded out of breath.

‘Sorry, Kate. Ellie here. I’m still over at Felicity’s. We’ve had a bit of a scare. Mrs Alexis has been round here, watching the house. It’s upset Felicity, so I’m staying on. Do you think you or Armand could feed Midge and . . .’

‘He’s sitting on our kitchen table at the moment. Must have worked it out that you weren’t going to be around this evening. Armand’s out at a meeting, but when he comes back I’ll go round and draw your curtains. Anything else?’

‘If you could throw some water around in the conservatory . . . ?’

‘Consider it done. You say Mrs Alexis has been watching Felicity’s house?’

‘We’ve discovered a bit more about her past. Her maiden name was Brand. Her father’s name was Charlie. He was paying court to a widow until he died, all of a sudden. There was a sister — don’t know her name. Possibly lived in Chalk Farm. I don’t know how she died or whether Mrs Alexis was party to the death, but we have to bear in mind that she did benefit from it.’

‘I’ll see what I can find out tomorrow. Sleep tight.’

Felicity started to sing, in a wobbly voice. Keeping her spirits up. She clattered pots and pans around, making noise. She put the radio on.

Ellie went into the living room to make her next call. ‘Thomas, please pick up. Don’t be out at a meeting. Be there, please! If only I had your mobile number!’

He wasn’t there. The answerphone clicked in, so Ellie left a message. ‘Thomas, Ellie here. I’m at Felicity’s. She’s frightened. We spotted Mrs Alexis watching her house today. Roy and I tried to follow her, but lost her so we still don’t know where she lives. You’ve met her, haven’t you? When her garden was ruined? There’s something at the back of my mind, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her somewhere locally, serving in a shop? Changing books in the library? I can’t pin it down . . . but I wondered, have you seen her at all?’

Ellie didn’t know how to end the conversation. Best wishes? All my love? Oh, what nonsense.

She ended the call and dialled Bill’s number. He picked up, but was clearly watching television — she could hear the solemn tones of a newsreader — and not pleased to be interrupted. ‘Sorry, Bill. Ellie here. I just wanted to let you know that I’m staying over at Felicity’s for the moment. And to say how much I enjoyed tea at the Ritz today. It was quite something.’

Was it really only that afternoon that she’d had tea at the Ritz?

‘Taking it easy tonight, are you?’ said Bill, fondly.

Ellie set her teeth. She told herself that he didn’t mean to be so condescending. He was just being . . . well . . . thoughtful for her well-being. ‘Something like that,’ she said. ‘Are you watching television?’

‘Catching up on the latest announcement from Downing Street. I don’t suppose you’re watching, are you?’

No, thought Ellie. I’m having the screaming abdabs, looking after Felicity, who’s got them even worse than me, and if I told you about them, you’d only laugh and say I was making a mountain out of a molehill. She asked, ‘What colour do you vote?’

‘I’ve always been a Liberal, like my father before me. Naturally.’

Naturally. Ellie felt like telling him — not that he’d asked — that she always voted for the Monster Raving party. She understood that he’d expect her to vote his way in future. It was, of course, a small price to pay for domestic harmony.

‘Well, goodnight then, Bill. I don’t want to keep you from your programme.’

‘Goodnight, Ellie. Glad you’re being looked after. Give my regards to Lady Kingsley.’

Lady Kingsley was breaking eggs into a bowl, singing loudly. She’d got flour on her T-shirt already. Ellie found an apron and managed to insert Felicity into it without breaking the flow of what she was doing.

An announcer on the radio said, ‘And now for the weather forecast.’

Ellie felt extremely tired. Felicity said, ‘Cooking always perks me up. I can go on for hours, now. Fancy a snack, Ellie? How about a bacon sandwich and some coffee?’

Ellie resigned herself to a late night.

When she finally got to bed, she spent some time going over what had happened that day. She’d forgotten to bring her Bible with her, so couldn’t find any comforting words to read, as she often did just before she went to sleep. But she could pray, and did.

Dear Lord Jesus, we’re in such distress . . . so many of my friends and my family are in trouble, and I don’t always do or say the right thing . . . give me the right words to say. And protect us from all evil, amen.

* * *

Nothing happened during the night. Roy returned from a frustrating visit to the police station, where nobody seemed to know anything about Felicity and Mrs Alexis, and worse, didn’t want to go to the bother of finding out. He spent the night in his car across the road, falling asleep now and then but waking up at least once an hour to check that everything was as it should be in Felicity’s house.

Midge spent the night lying across Armand’s stomach, about which he complained bitterly without taking any action to remove the cat.

Ellie missed her own bed, her cat, her bedroom. But slept better than she had expected.

Felicity cooked till after midnight, sat down to drink a cup of hot milk in her sitting-room, and woke up in the same chair hours later, stiff and sore.

Nothing happened that side of the park.

* * *

Friday morning. Felicity was slow, bleary-eyed. Ellie took in the milk and papers. She saw Roy asleep in his car on the other side of the road, and told Felicity, who said, ‘What does he think he’s playing at?’

‘Guard dog,’ said Ellie. ‘Rather touching, don’t you think?’

Felicity growled in her throat, then laughed. ‘Well, we’re all still alive, so I suppose that proves something. What does he want for breakfast?’

Ellie went out to the car and tapped on the window till Roy woke up. ‘Coming in for breakfast?’

Roy staggered out of the car, getting his circulation going again, feeling his unshaven chin, looking about as unheroic as a man can.

Ellie prodded him up the driveway. ‘You’ll feel better with some coffee inside you.’

Felicity had put some lipstick on since Ellie went to fetch Roy. A good sign, thought Ellie, steering Roy into the downstairs cloakroom, saying she’d see if she could find him a razor. Felicity bagged up the cakes and quiches she’d made the previous night, to dump in her freezer.

Breakfast was a silent affair, with Felicity avoiding Roy’s eye, and Roy trying to keep his eye off her. Ellie thought of lots of things to say, and kept quiet. There was such a thing as being too chatty at breakfast.

Eventually Roy said, ‘I did try the police again last night. No one knew anything. What do we do now?’

Silence. Ellie could think of several things to do, like emigrating, changing her name and going to the North Pole for a while.

Roy said, ‘Shall I help you wash up, Felicity?’

‘I know you. You’d only break something. Besides, I’ve got a dishwasher.’

He tried on a smile. ‘I only break stuff when I don’t want to be helpful. I’ll stack dishes, you clear the table, right?’

Ellie murmured that she must make some phone calls, and escaped to the sitting-room. Was that the time? Almost ten! How time flew when you were watching a courting couple make fools of themselves.

She got through to Kate, who’d been up for hours. Catriona always got them up at six.

‘Midge is perfectly all right. Catriona keeps taking her toys to show to the cat, who’s sitting in a semi-circle of things to play with. Armand’s gone off in a temper. Double something or other with his most unfavourite class. I took in your milk and papers and drew back the curtains. No post, except circulars. Oh, and I watered in the conservatory, also the Bizzy Lizzies in the back garden, which were looking a bit droopy. There’s some messages on the answerphone but I haven’t touched it.’

‘You’re wonderful.’

‘Hmph. How’s Felicity?’

‘Damp, but drying out. Roy’s gone all protective. Sweet.’

Kate screeched with laughter. ‘Well, what you really wanted to know was if I could find anything out about Charlie Brand and daughter. Nothing doing, I’m afraid. I can do some more research but frankly I’m not sure it would help. Let the police dig around there if they wish. They’ve got the resources for it.’

‘I tend to agree. What we really need to know is the whereabouts of Mrs Alexis, and what she’s up to. I’ve seen her somewhere, you know . . . locally.’

‘Shopping?’

‘Mm, no.’

‘At church?’

Ellie half laughed. ‘No, I don’t think so. Something in the Avenue. I have it.’ Ellie hit her forehead. ‘I was in the queue at the Post Office and she was in the other part of the shop. I remember now that she looked at me as if she might know me, and so I looked back at her. It was only for an instant, mind. Then I had to move on, and lost sight of her. The thing is, I know so many people around here by sight, because of having worked in the charity shop for so many years, that I thought nothing of it.’

‘It confirms that she does live locally. Do you want to try your dentist, see if he’ll come up with an address?’

‘I know what he’ll say . . .’

Kate cried out, and dropped the phone. Several anxious moments later, Kate picked it up again, and now she was nursing a sobbing toddler. ‘Sorry, Ellie. Not Midge’s fault. Catriona mistook Midge for a playmate and when he’d had enough and jumped up on to the windowsill, she tried to follow and fell over.’

‘Oh, I am sorry.’

Kate was impatient. ‘Far worse happens at sea. Are you going to be home for lunch? Share it with me, if you like.’

‘I’ll ring you.’

Ellie rang off, and looked out of the window. Roy and Felicity were in the back garden, looking at the overgrown hedge. He raised his arm as if to put it round her shoulders, but dropped it again before she realized what he’d been about to do.

Ellie turned away from the sight, and dialled Bill’s number . . . and then killed the call before she could get through. Bill wasn’t going to help her on this one. She felt a little guilty that she was still involved when he’d made it clear he wanted her out of it. What was it he’d planned for this weekend? Going to the races? Or was it Henley? Or Wimbledon, or cricket . . . or any number of other interesting events that she’d never in her wildest dreams thought about. And didn’t care all that much for, anyway. Yes, on occasion perhaps she’d thought it would be exciting . . . but how could she dress up and wear a big hat and high heels and go off for a day’s self-indulgence when her friends were in trouble?

She punched in another number, and this time Thomas answered.

‘Hi, Thomas, Ellie here.’ She was all bright and breezy.

‘Ellie, got your message. Are you all right? What’s happening?’

‘Oh, we’re all right. Just got a little spooked last night, that’s all. Mrs Alexis was casing the joint . . . I mean, she was standing in the road opposite looking at us. Panic over. The thing is, I’m pretty sure she’s local. You met her once, didn’t you? When you called on her after the garden was trashed. Have you come across her since?’

‘I meet so many people. Ellie, you don’t sound . . . are you all right?’

‘A little too bright and breezy, you mean? I’m scared half to death, if the truth be known. That woman sends shivers down my back. I’ve done a bit of digging, and so has Kate and . . . but I don’t want to keep you . . .’

‘Friday’s my day off, remember. Take all the time you want.’ A bell rang, not far off. ‘Did I say this was my day off? Someone’s at the door. Look, I’m popping into the retirement home to see someone this morning . . .’

Ellie was amused. ‘I thought you said this was your day off.’

‘Well, yes, but . . .’ he half covered the receiver to shout to someone, ‘Hold on a minute.’ Then came back to Ellie. ‘How about meeting me for lunch? If I go out, no one can come pounding on the door. Twelve o’clock somewhere in the Avenue?’

‘All right. There’s a new café at the side of the Greek restaurant. I haven’t tried it yet. How about that?’

‘Great.’ The phone crashed down, and off he went.

Ellie went to see how the love-birds were getting on. Not all that well. They were sitting at the kitchen table, looking out at the back garden, and not talking. Only, his hand was half covering Felicity’s as it lay on the table. He removed it when Ellie came in, and so she pretended not to notice.

How to get rid of them? In the nicest possible way, of course.

Felicity toyed with a lock of hair. ‘I must wash my hair. I must look a mess. Then I thought perhaps I could get a couple of quotes to do something about the back garden. I like what Ellie’s suggested, but . . .’

‘I’ll help,’ said Roy. ‘The man you used for the front is probably the best, but . . .’

‘Shouldn’t you be at work, Roy?’ said Ellie. ‘And have you rung your mother? She’ll have noticed that you’ve not been home all night and must be worried about you. Why don’t you take Felicity back home with you, let Rose make a fuss of her? She hasn’t been sleeping well, so Rose can put her to bed in the spare room for an afternoon nap. She’ll be safe there, till the police get on top of things.’

She wanted to add that they both looked as if they could do with a nap that afternoon, but thought it might not be tactful to do so.

‘I don’t want to leave here,’ said Felicity, ‘and of course Roy must go back to work.’

Roy put his hand over hers again, and this time she didn’t remove it. ‘Come back with me now. It’s true I’ve got a meeting I should go to this afternoon. Then, if you want to come back here tonight, I’ll come back with you . . .’

‘I’m not having you sleep in your car again. What will the neighbours think?’

‘Haven’t you a spare bed?’

‘Ellie’s in the best spare room. I suppose I could put you in the little room.’

‘That’s settled, then.’ Ellie was keen to get home, to see to Midge and the garden, and take an indigestion tablet . . . all this anxiety played merry hell with your digestion. She’d also quite like to have a quiet half hour with the papers and a cup of better coffee than Felicity had provided . . . where did she buy her coffee beans?

Then she would walk up and down the Avenue, to see if she could spot a little brown woman intent on murder.

* * *

The problem with changing methods was that she had to locate fresh tools for the job. Sleeping pills had been to hand on the bedside table when her husband was alive, and they’d served her well for a number of years. Laxative you could buy over the counter at any chemist or supermarket. The laburnum seeds had been to hand in the garden.

The old man had some sleeping pills, of course, and so had Ruby. But Betty Alexis had tried twice now to get doctored food to Felicity and neither time had it worked. The hussy was too well guarded or too suspicious or . . . just plain lucky. Perhaps she was on a diet and that’s why she hadn’t eaten the food specially prepared for her; she was thin enough, in all truth.

As she cycled off to work, Mrs Alexis went over her new plan again. Yes, there was an old can of paraffin in the shed, just as she remembered. But it was far too large and rusty to be suitable for the job she had in mind. The rust had almost worn through the metal. If she put it in the pannier of her bike, jogging it along the streets might make the rust patches so fragile that the paraffin would start leaking out.

And that would never do. She couldn’t risk anyone smelling paraffin on her or her bike just after Felicity’s house had been attacked.

She’d seen on the news how rioters started fires with bottles of paraffin. Molotov cocktails, they’d called them.

Suppose she got hold of an empty bottle somewhere. They were always throwing them out from the kitchen at the home. Then she could decant paraffin into the bottle . . . it mustn’t have too wide a top. Perhaps a ketchup bottle?

Fill it with paraffin, push a J-cloth halfway in, so that it went down into the liquid, but half stayed outside to act as a wick . . . strike a match, throw it at a window . . .

Yes! That would be better than pouring it through the door, because a window had curtains which would catch alight much more quickly than flooring.

She would do it that night, when it was dark.

Ruby wanted Mrs Alexis to give up her job at the home altogether, so that she could spend more time looking after the old man.

Ruby didn’t want her father to go into a home, because — and here Mrs Alexis allowed herself a small smile — Ruby didn’t own the house; the old man did. And if he had to go into a home, the house would have to be sold over Ruby’s head, to pay for his keep. It wouldn’t suit Mrs Alexis, either, because she’d have to find somewhere else to live. Well, life would be a lot easier if she didn’t have to go out cleaning every morning. She didn’t need the gossip at the home to keep up with Felicity’s activities any longer because tonight should finish that job.

So, why not? Yes, she’d give up the job at the home today.