Charlie and Annie glanced at each other as Kath spluttered through her tears the events of the previous hours. ‘I was so angry with him Annie, and when he began to attack me… we fought. I pushed him hard. He fell backwards and hit his head on the fireplace and then… then… the blood, oh my God there was so much blood!’ She burst into tears again.
‘Right,’ Charlie said, grabbing his jacket, ‘I’ll go round to yours and take a look, Kath. Annie, you best fetch Geordie and Jim… just in case.’
Annie settled Kath with a cup of tea before saying, ‘I won’t be long. You stay there and rest.’
Returning, Annie explained that Martha and Mary would not be long in coming. Just as she finished her sentence, the back door opened and their friends rushed in.
Annie made fresh tea as the others moved to sit by the fire.
Martha sighed loudly through her nose when she saw Kath’s swollen face.
‘That bugger needs a hiding!’ Mary said sharply.
Kath tried to tell again about the fight at her house but she faltered. Annie took up the explanation, watching mouths drop open.
‘Oh God!’ Kath wailed. ‘I think I’ve killed him!’ She began to shake once more.
‘Now then,’ Annie soothed, ‘you’re still in shock.’
‘From what you said, it seems to me it was an accident,’ Martha said in her ever-present sensible manner. ‘You pushed him – right?’ Kath nodded. ‘He fell and banged his head on the hearth – yes?’ Another nod from Kath. ‘There you go then – an accident.’ Martha spread her hands, justifying her words.
But Kath began to fret that the police may not reach that same conclusion as her friends.
‘Well,’ Mary said, ‘if he is dead, we won’t need that meeting at the end of the week.’
‘Mary!’ Annie exclaimed.
‘What? I was only saying.’
*
It was past midnight when Charlie, Geordie and Jim arrived back at the house. Kath searched Charlie’s face for an answer to her unasked question.
Charlie sat down next to Kath and at his nod she burst into fresh tears. ‘I wanted rid of him, you all know that,’ Kath said between sobs, ‘but… I swear to God it was an accident!’
‘We know that, wench, don’t you upset yourself anymore,’ Martha said, trying to console her friend.
Suddenly jumping up, Kath said, ‘Oh Martha, I have to go. I have to get rid of the body! I have to find a place…’
Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing her gently back into her seat. ‘It’s all right, wench, he’s gone.’
‘I know, Charlie, but I have to move him, I need to find somewhere to dispose of…’ Kath was about to stand again.
‘Kath, he’s gone. We “walked” him down to the cut like he was a drunken sot. We were all singing and laughing so anyone who might have seen us would be none the wiser. Everyone knows how he was whilst drunk, it would be no surprise to anyone seeing him in that condition. Anyway, when we got to the cut, he sort of… fell in! After that we went back to your house and cleaned up the mess. You don’t have to worry, folk will think he fell down drunk and hit his head before falling in the canal and drowning.’
Kath let go of the breath she held and her eyes said her thanks to each of the men who had helped her that night.
Martha said, ‘Kath, my girl, best get your weeds out because in the eyes of the town this time tomorrow you’ll be a widow!’
*
On Saturday morning Violet returned home. She was horrified by the sight of her mother’s swollen face and black eye.
‘It’s all right sweetheart,’ Kath said, giving her daughter a hug. ‘We had a fight and now John’s… gone. He won’t be coming back – ever.’
Violent hugged her mother before she went happily to her room while Kath made tea for herself and Martha who had brought Violet home.
‘You all right girl?’ Martha asked.
Kath went to her, giving her a hug and saying quietly, ‘Never better, thanks to the Wives club and their husbands!’
*
The police found John Sligo floating in the canal a couple of days later. The bloated body was dragged out and hauled off. Enquiries by the police showed Sligo had been drinking heavily that night, celebrating his last day at the coal pit. For some reason they could not fathom, it seemed he’d taken the circuitous route home via the canal towing path. Unsteady on his feet due to the amount of beer he’d drunk, Sligo must have slipped and fallen in the canal. Unable to get out, he’d drowned.
The Coroner’s verdict – Accidental death.
The constable had visited to give Kath the news when Violet was at school and had asked why she had not reported him missing the last few days. Kath had told him that she and John had argued heatedly and she had told her husband to leave and never come back. Looking at her injuries, the constable accepted her statement and without further ado had left her to make arrangements for the funeral. Very few would attend, it was thought.
Whatever truly happened to John Sligo would remain a mystery, Violet thought. She had her suspicions especially when she had seen Martha leave the house so late. She had wondered where her mother’s friend was going at that time of night, although she realised she would probably never know. As for herself… she was glad he couldn’t come back to hurt her ever again, and she determined she would keep her counsel as to what she suspected may have happened to the man she hated beyond belief.
Kath’s money returned to her now she was a widow for the second time. She swore never to marry again and after her experiences Violet swore never to marry at all.