The talk was of nothing else the next day but for once Cora wasn’t at the heart of all the gossip. The paperboys turned up only to find the newsagent’s was still locked up. One of them ran to find the owner, who complained about staff letting him down as he struggled to remember how to open up, sort out the papers, and do all the jobs he’d relied on Cora to do for so long. She’d better have a good excuse, he thought. It wasn’t until later in the day that he realised what had happened and even he had to admit he wasn’t surprised the woman hadn’t shown up.
Winnie Jewell was desperate to talk about it all to somebody but knew that Cora was unlikely to be at work that day. She wondered if she should go round to give her condolences but decided against it. She was bursting to exchange news, full of importance as it was her own sister who’d got the police involved. She’d tried talking about it to Vera, taking the unheard-of step of visiting her on the shop floor of Arding and Hobbs, but Vera hadn’t been interested in Beryl’s role in the proceedings. She was more upset to hear that Neville had been arrested and what the shock would do to Alison. ‘I’ll go round and see her after work so don’t expect me back on time,’ she told her mother. ‘Now you’d better go because the old bag is watching us and she knows you’re not a customer. Go on, don’t get me into trouble, it’s bad enough if she sees I’m upset.’
Winnie was all prepared to get into a row as to why she didn’t look good enough to be seen in the department store but Vera wasn’t falling for it.
‘Just go,’ she hissed. ‘There’s going to be enough trouble about all this, don’t add to it.’
Winnie had gone, affronted, but had bumped into Marian Dalby on the pavement outside. Here was her chance. She launched into the story, pleased that Marian hadn’t heard yet. ‘Of course I only know all this because our Beryl was on the spot and she came straight over to me after breakfast. Worried sick, she was. She thought someone was going to break in and harm her children.’
Marian stopped in her tracks, full of disbelief. ‘Neville? Neville Parrot? But he’s such a nice boy. I can’t believe it. He’s never even answered back, let alone attacked and killed someone. Are you sure, Winnie?’
Winnie drew herself up to her full height. ‘Of course I’m sure. I heard it from my own sister, who heard it all happening through the wall. He might seem like a nice boy but underneath all that he’s a raving maniac. Just goes to show. Well, I must be off.’ Offended at having her word doubted, Winnie stormed across the road, determined to find someone else who’d join in the speculation about what Neville Parrot was really like.
Marian slowly made her way along the street, recalling what Frank had said about the night out when he’d got back from the pub. He’d been concerned that Nobby had gone too far and had wound up the lad. She’d better get hold of him fast. If Neville really had cracked and killed his young wife then there must have been a good reason for it, as she didn’t believe he’d been a maniac in disguise all along.
Cora checked that her front-room curtains were pulled tight. She didn’t want anyone looking in and she couldn’t bear to see out, not with the Parrot house directly opposite. To think that she’d been friendly with them, welcomed them into her home, let their boy court her daughter. Her daughter. Blindly Cora caught hold of the back of the sofa as she was assailed yet again by memories of Hazel, her laughing, smiling, beautiful girl. She didn’t remember the rows, the lack of consideration, the way Hazel had bullied her younger sister. She didn’t think about how the girl had been recently, angry, sullen, losing those famous good looks. All she could do was rerun scenes in her mind where Hazel had been perfect, the life and soul of any party, turning all the men’s heads, making her friends wish they were her. She couldn’t believe her life had been snuffed out so abruptly. It didn’t seem possible. Any moment now, Hazel would come barging in the door, new clothes from the market in her bag, ready to pass on who said what to who at the café, planning to dress up for a night out. Of all the men who’d been interested, why did she have to pick Neville?
Cora bent double with grief, too distressed even to cry. Why hadn’t she stopped her daughter from seeing him? She’d known he would never make her happy. But she’d never imagined anything like this. If anything he was too mild-mannered, too polite, too keen to let Hazel have her way. She’d be the first to admit that Hazel could be a handful. But to kill her … no, there had to be a mistake, she’d be back from work in a minute … Her heart stopped when the door opened.
‘Mum!’ Alison stood there. ‘What are you doing? You can’t stay there like that. Can you get up? Take my arm, come on, let’s get you sitting down on the comfy chair.’
Cora’s heart sank. She knew she should be grateful for Alison’s help but she didn’t particularly want to see her youngest. The girl was of no comfort. It made the contrast with her sister even sharper, although Alison looked so different these days. All the same it was hard to forget the first seventeen years of her life and she really didn’t want to have to put up with her now, of all days.
‘I’m all right,’ she muttered. ‘Don’t fuss. Let me go, I’m all right.’
‘Really, Mum?’ Alison sounded anxious. ‘Have you had anything to eat? I brought some ham just in case. Shall I do us a spot of lunch? You’ve got to keep your strength up.’
Cora almost laughed. ‘For what? What could be worse than what’s just happened?’ Suddenly she grabbed Alison’s elbow. ‘You know what I just had to do? The police came round and told me he’d killed her then I had to go and identify the body. Can you imagine what that was like? My own child, my little girl, they’d cleaned her up but they only let me see half her face, and I could see her hair … she had that lovely hair …’
‘Oh, Mum.’ Alison guided her into the chair and got her to settle. ‘You should have asked them to get me to do it.’
‘I had to do it myself. I had to see her body before I could believe she’s dead.’
‘I can understand that,’ Alison said. She shut her eyes, recalling the events of the morning, with the knock on the door before the shop was open. She and Fred had stood there in silence as the young police constable had informed them of the news and then asked them to go over the last time they’d seen Hazel and Neville. They’d been astounded, unable to square what they knew of the friendly young man with what he’d been accused of doing. Neville, a murderer? He was the least likely person.
Alison gave herself a mental shake to bring her thoughts back to the present. She had to focus on the practicalities. ‘Does Linda know yet? Did the police say they’d be contacting her?’
Cora shook her head. ‘I don’t know. If they told me, I didn’t take it in.’
‘I could phone Terry’s firm and if he isn’t in the depot, I could ask his boss to pass on a message,’ Alison suggested.
Cora stirred herself. ‘Yep, sooner the better.’ She had to get rid of her youngest. She was making things worse, not better. ‘Not being funny or anything but I’m washed out. I think I’ll have a little sleep. You go back and get hold of Terry somehow. Don’t worry about me. Get back and look after that baby of yours, I’ll be fine.’
‘Don’t you want me to make you a sandwich or something? Wouldn’t you feel better coming back with me?’
Cora’s stomach heaved at the thought of food. ‘No, you leave me that ham and I’ll do it myself later,’ she said, thinking she’d do no such thing. ‘You go on now. I’m going to have a lie-down. I’d rather be in my own home.’
‘Well, if you’re sure …’ Alison hesitated. She didn’t think her mother ought to be left alone at a time like this, but she couldn’t phone Terry’s firm from here and there wasn’t even a public box nearby. ‘I’ll go and make that call now but I’ll be back later.’
Cora nodded but could think of nothing worse than the wrong daughter hanging around, cluttering up the place. ‘No, you look after Fred and the baby. That’s what matters now. Off you go.’ She practically pushed the girl out of the door and slammed it swiftly behind her, before anyone could look in or she caught a glimpse of the house across the road. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to set foot outside her own door again.
Alison wasn’t sure what to think as she made her way back to the flat. She was worried about her mum who, even though she’d always put on a tough front, had been dealt a blow that no mother should ever have to suffer. As for herself, she didn’t know what she felt. She was in shock. Even though she’d often hated her sister she wouldn’t have wished this on her. As for Neville, what had got into him? He could hang for this, she realised. And what about his family? They’d always been so kind to her and never let Cora and Hazel’s sniping affect the way they treated her. They were some of the friendliest and fair-minded people she knew. What would this do to them?
But she couldn’t mind about that now. Linda had to be told. She dreaded making the call and found her legs getting heavy as lead the closer she got to the front door. It would be better to speak to Terry first, though, in case the Kent police hadn’t been round. She didn’t know how these things worked, but she knew that a shock would be bad for Linda’s unborn baby. Grimly Alison remembered how she’d hoped shock would bring on her own miscarriage and how it failed, but she wasn’t going to risk it with her sister.
Alison went into the shop and was relieved to find it empty of customers. Fred was wiping down the counter and she could hear David gurgling from the back room.
‘How did it go?’ he asked, coming across and hugging her.
‘Mum’s not in a good way,’ said Alison, ‘but she didn’t want me there – said she was going to sleep. They made her identify the body. I don’t think she should be left on her own for long but there’s no budging her. What’s it been like here?’
‘This is the quietest it’s been all day,’ Fred said. ‘Word has gone round like wildfire and they’re all in here, saying it’s to see how we are but really to get more snippets for the gossips. Winnie’s been here. She said it was to tell you Vera will be round after work, but after that it was like the Inquisition. I got rid of her as fast as I could. I didn’t want her still here when you got back.’
‘Thanks, Fred. I couldn’t have stood her, not today.’ Alison met his eyes. ‘I said I’d call Terry at work in case they don’t know. I really don’t want to.’
‘Do you want me to do it?’ Fred offered, as she had known he would. She was tempted. Then she shook her head. ‘No. Best not. I’ve got to do it really.’ She gritted her teeth. ‘I’ll go up and get it over with. Wish me luck.’
Fred watched her go, knowing that this would be the first of many unbearable conversations. He wished he could put the clock back to yesterday when they’d been so happy, making plans and having an early night. But he knew things would never be the same again.