2010
Natalie’s parents were reluctant to leave, but she assured them she’d be fine and planned to go into work. She needed distraction. Anything to take her mind off the sight of the skeleton and its grave. Back at home in the evening, she made a cup of tea and phoned Matt. After telling him about the body she asked him to keep it to himself until she gave him the okay.
‘It’s pretty sensitive. I don’t want a load of journalists and nosy parkers snooping round.’
Matt, sounding shocked, said, ‘Of course. I understand. How horrible for you! And I’ve just realised it could have been me finding the body. Bloody hell!’
If he only knew! ‘I’m hoping to get the all clear from the police within the next few days so I’ll let you know when you can come round.’ After switching off the phone she took her tea outside to look at the damage to the garden. The hole was now twice as big as that morning and the piles of earth huge. A mess. Natalie stood outside the taped-off area feeling sick. Not because of the mess – that could be fixed – but by the thought of Olive lying there all those years and no-one knowing. Yards from the old farmhouse. Although she hadn’t yet heard from the police, Natalie knew in her heart it was Olive, and she needed to be the one to tell the family. Not something to look forward to.
Inside the cottage the atmosphere was heavy, brooding and Natalie was glad to take her supper outside. While chewing her cheese omelette she began to wonder if it wouldn’t be better to stay with her parents as they’d suggested. But she needed to be independent. She wished Stuart was home. He’d been a great support the night Liam turned up…Thinking of him now, she wondered yet again what Stuart had started to tell her in France. If it meant they were not to be a couple, could she handle him being her neighbour? So close but apart…she didn’t think so. Her thoughts drifted back to the day’s events and her stomach clenched with the awfulness of it all. What a bloody awful mess!
Later, she managed to lose herself in a drama on TV, drinking wine to blur the thoughts. Yawning her head off about ten, she gave in and took the glass and the half-empty bottle into the kitchen. An icy blast hit her full in the face and the angry voice cried, ‘Go away! Leave us alone!’ Slamming the door behind her, she shot upstairs, praying the vicar would soon be back. She needed him. Badly.
Another restless night, fuelled by images of walking skeletons and big, angry men waving their fists meant Natalie woke feeling wrung out, hardly fit for work. The sight of a heavy, grey sky did little to lift her spirits. She had only been in the office for an hour when her mobile rang.
‘Morning, Miss Ogier. DI Woods. Thought you’d like to hear the results of the autopsy.’ He erupted into a coughing fit.
Natalie’s mouth went dry as she waited.
‘Sorry about that. Should give up the fags…Right, the pathologist confirmed it’s the body of a woman in her sixties and she’d been dead about twenty years. Cause of death was a combination of a blow to the head and a stab wound in the stomach. Hard to tell which was the fatal injury after all this time. So she could be the woman you mentioned. Olive Falla.’
Oh, my God! She had seen a murder!
‘There…wasn’t anything to identify her?’ Poor, poor Tabby, she thought.
‘A wedding ring and what was odd, there was a broken photo frame under the body. A picture of a young girl. Blond, blue eyes. That might help. I’ll need to talk to your neighbour and his mother, if you could give me their contact details?’
‘May I tell them, please? I think it would be better coming from me, as a friend. Then they can ring you.’
Another cough.
‘Okay. But I need to speak to them asap. We need to get this woman identified as a matter of urgency.’
Natalie agreed and once the DI had cleared the line, she made herself a coffee in the staff kitchen before returning to her office, telling her PA she wasn’t to be disturbed. A few gulps of the coffee and she dialled Stuart’s number.
***
When his phone rang, Stuart was enjoying a coffee in a bar in Allauch, one he’d visited a few times in the past few days. As much as he liked being with his family, he’d soon realised he needed his own space. At regular intervals. Glancing at the screen he was surprised – but pleased – to see Natalie’s name.
‘Hi, Natalie. How are you?’
‘Fine, thanks. And you?’
‘Good. I’m in Allauch, playing truant.’ He laughed.
‘Right, so you can talk? You’re on your own?’
‘Sure. Is something wrong?’ Stuart heard the tremor in her voice and became worried.
‘Yes. There’s no easy way to tell you this, but it looks as if we’ve…found Olive’s body.’
‘Oh, my God! But where…how?’ He listened with mounting horror as Natalie explained about the vision she’d had on the Sunday night and her father digging the garden. It was like something out of a film. Stuart signalled a waiter to bring him a brandy.
Natalie went on to describe the actions of the police and the result of the pathology report.
He took a slug of the brandy before saying anything.
‘I…I don’t know what to say. Completely gobsmacked! So it definitely looks as if it’s my grandmother?’
‘Seems like it. I know it’s horrible, but at least you and your mother will know what happened to her. Or at least some of it. The DI wants to talk to one of you, and he needs DNA for confirmation. Oh, and they found a photo of a girl who could be Tabby buried with the…body.’
‘How awful for you, seeing…that and…finding the body. How are you coping? I’d have been terrified if I’d seen what you did.’ He felt shivers running down his spine at the mere thought of it. Natalie was one brave girl in his book. If only…
‘Not too bad. Mum and Dad have been great. And I’m hoping this means I won’t have any more awful dreams. I’m sure Olive wanted us to find her before she could rest easy.’
‘I guess. Look, I’ll have to tell Mum, but I’m she’ll want to hear it from you as well. Is that okay?’
‘Sure. I was expecting that. I’m at work now so not a good time. Could you ask her to ring me after six?’
‘No problem. And I’d better book flights home.’ He took another sip of brandy. ‘I…I’ve missed you this week. It’ll be good to see you again.’ There! He’d said it. He had missed her. Badly.
He heard her indrawn breath over the phone.
‘I’ve missed you too. Um, must go. We’ll talk later. Bye.’
Stuart stared at the phone for a moment, still coming to terms with Natalie’s bombshell. If she had actually witnessed a replay of what happened to his grandmother, then it seemed his grandfather killed her. He was a murderer. Not the hero everyone thought. But he was supposed to have died in prison. How the hell was he going to explain it to his mother?
‘What? My mother was killed by my father and buried in the garden? But I was told he was dead! Oh, dear God!’ Tabby’s face drained of colour as Stuart told her the gist of the story. Alan, sitting beside her on the terrace, looked equally shocked.
‘My poor, poor, mother! I never expected this. Thought she’d run off somewhere, perhaps met a man and started a new life.’ Tabby shook her head. Alan put his arms around her shoulders as she began to cry.
Stuart felt helpless. He’d not seen her cry since his father died. And it had been a brief display of grief. Controlled. He was glad Alan was there for her. He’d know what to say.
Tabby’s sobs slowed down. After blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, she looked up.
‘I must go to Guernsey immediately. Poor Natalie! What my family’s made her suffer! Will you come with me, Stuart? Alan needs to stay with the family.’
‘Sure. I was planning to do that. I’ll book the flights, shall I? We’re too late for a connection today so I’ll try for tomorrow.’
‘Yes, do that.’ She turned to Alan. ‘I’m sorry to leave like this, darling, but you do see I must go, don’t you?’
Alan wiped away a last tear from her eye. ‘Of course you must go. And once Rose and the family leave, I’ll join you.’
Stuart went inside to book their flights, pleased about seeing Natalie sooner than planned, but also anxious. He had missed her every day, and knew he wanted to be with her. But…What would she say when he told her what he dreaded telling her? And the circumstances of his sudden return were hardly auspicious.