67

Eddy was lying on his bunk when Geraldine entered. He turned his head to look at her without stirring from his prone position.

‘What now?’ he asked. ‘Can’t you leave me in peace even in here? I’m not talking to you without my lawyer. Not that he’s much use.’ He turned his head towards the wall. ‘You can go now. I’m not going to talk to you.’

‘I came to tell you that we don’t want to talk to you any more.’ He turned back to look at her. ‘You won’t be going home just yet, not until you’ve been tried as an accessory in a robbery. You’ve already confessed to your part in that, of course, so the courts will probably be lenient, especially if you change your mind about revealing the identities of your accomplices. I’d advise you to tell us everything you can, but your lawyer’s the one to advise you what’s best for you to do. I came here to tell you that you’re no longer being charged with the murders of your parents and your aunt.’

Eddy sat up, rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and stared at her in obvious disbelief.

‘What’s going on? What trick are you trying to pull? I told you, I’m not talking to you without my lawyer present.’

‘I thought you might be a little more pleased than that,’ she replied, smiling. ‘It’s not every day you’re told the police believe you’re innocent of murder.’

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. ‘How come you’ve changed your minds for no reason?’

‘Who said it was for no reason?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You’re free to go because we now know it wasn’t you who killed your parents or your aunt. You didn’t kill anyone, Eddy.’

‘I know that, but I don’t understand what made you change your mind.’

‘We know it wasn’t you, because we know who it was. We’ve caught the real culprits.’

Eddy nodded but he still looked puzzled. ‘Culprits?’

‘The people who did it.’

‘Yes, I know what the word means. So, who was it?’

‘Will Donovan killed them all, along with his dog.’

‘Who the hell’s Will Donovan? And why did he kill his dog?’

‘No, no, he didn’t kill his dog. His dog was part of – part of his plans.’

‘Who is he? What are you talking about?’

‘Will Donovan was your father’s gardener.’

‘Oh, that Will.’

‘Yes, that Will.’

Eddy sat in silence for a moment, shaking his head. ‘I don’t get it,’ he said at last. ‘Why are you telling me all this?’

‘I’m telling you because it’s the truth, Eddy.’

He gazed at her and nodded, seemingly convinced. ‘But why would he do it? Why kill them? It doesn’t make any sense. What had they done to him?’

Geraldine sighed. ‘He wasn’t acting alone.’

‘Who else was in on it?’

‘Who stood to gain with your parents both dead and you framed for murder?’

He shook his head. ‘How the hell should I know?’

Geraldine wasn’t sure if he was being deliberately obtuse.

‘Your wife,’ she said softly.

‘My wife? What’s any of this got to do with her?’

‘The two of them were in it together. Will and your wife. They planned the murders together.’

‘My wife? Luciana?’ Eddy leapt to his feet, staring wildly at her. ‘What the hell are you talking about? Don’t you dare accuse her –’

‘I’m afraid your wife put Will up to it. She was planning to get her hands on your family’s money.’

‘That’s ridiculous. I know my wife. Luciana didn’t have anything to do with any of this.’

Geraldine sighed. ‘I’m afraid she did.’

‘You have no proof –’

‘She framed you, Eddy. She made sure she had an alibi for the night your mother was murdered, and then agreed to give you an alibi, knowing we’d expose her lie and leave you unprotected, with herself in the clear. It would have worked, if we hadn’t already realised she was working with an accomplice.’

‘I don’t believe it,’ he insisted. ‘Luciana wouldn’t hurt anyone. She’s not like that.’

‘She didn’t actually kill anyone herself, but she organised the whole affair and promised Will a generous fee for carrying out her wishes.’

‘That’s a lie. You mustn’t believe him. He’s a conman. He’s lying –’

‘She’s confessed, Eddy.’

‘Let me speak to her. Please,’ he begged. ‘Let me see my wife.’

‘She’ll only tell you what she told us.’

‘Please, she’s my wife. Let me see her.’ He was crying now, tears sliding down his cheeks, his voice almost incoherent with sobs. ‘I need to see her.’

‘You’ll be able to visit her.’

Struggling to control his crying, he stammered, ‘Tell her. Tell her I know she didn’t do it. She couldn’t have. Tell her I love her.’

Geraldine stared in surprise. ‘Do you really think she’ll care how you feel about her, after all she’s done?’

‘I know she will. She loves me, and she needs to know I still love her.’

‘How can you say that, knowing she framed you for murder just so she could get her hands on your parents’ money?’

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘She told us herself.’

He shook his head. ‘It makes no difference. You don’t stop loving someone just because they do something wrong.’

‘You would have gone to prison for life, Eddy. She set you up to save herself.’

‘I can’t help how I feel,’ he replied with a helpless shrug. ‘I love her. Please, let me see her.’

It was Geraldine’s turn to shrug helplessly. ‘I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. Maybe they’ll let you attend her trial. You might even be able to sit in the public gallery, depending on how long you get for the robbery. Are you sure you want to protect your accomplices’ identities, Eddy?’

‘I don’t know their names,’ he replied, his sobs subsiding. ‘All I know is that one of them called himself Abe. That’s all I know. I want to see my wife,’ he repeated, as Geraldine turned to leave. ‘I want to see my wife. Tell her I still love her. Tell her I’ll wait for her, however long it takes.’

Geraldine turned back in the cell doorway. ‘You’re going to have a long wait,’ she said. ‘But once you’ve had time to think about what she did, I’m sure you’ll feel differently about her. She wasn’t the woman you thought you knew, Eddy.’