Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection

‘Ah, I know. I’ll be there with you, so I will.’

Just as Rosie promised, seeing Samantha like that was not a pleasant thing. In fact, it was the hardest thing Kathy had ever had to do in the whole of her life. With her father, the pain of losing him had been lessened by the fact that, for him, it was a merciful release. That was not the case with Samantha.

After being greeted at the desk, she was quickly taken downstairs; big green doors were swept open and she was led into a large, clinical-looking room. In the centre of the room was a trestle, and on the trestle was Samantha’s body, covered in a white cloth. ‘We’ve done our best,’ the policeman explained, ‘but you do realise she isn’t as you would see her in a chapel of rest.’ The man was a kindly soul, with the gentlest of smiles. The police had been concerned at first, wanting to establish how Samantha had come to fall in backwards: there was a nasty blow to the back of her head. But with no evidence of foul play, they were about to release her body.

Kathy nodded. With Rosie at her side, Kathy stepped forward; while Rosie turned her head, she watched him peel back the cloth. There, cold and still, was Samantha.

Catching a breath, Kathy fought back the tears. ‘Can I have a minute with her?’ she asked brokenly.

‘I understand.’ The policeman and Rosie stepped back, towards the far end of the room, from where they watched but could not hear. Only the soft murmurings of Kathy’s voice broke the silence.

Taking a moment to gaze down on that familiar face, Kathy wondered at her sister’s proud beauty. In all her life she had never seen Samantha look so calm and pure. Her head was discreetly covered with a fine, lace cloth, while her face was like cold, chiselled marble. ‘You’re very beautiful, Samantha,’ she whispered, ‘but you shouldn’t be here. You should be dancing and shopping, and wearing the fine clothes you love so much.’

For a minute she couldn’t go on. Unbearable emotion clogged her throat and the tears fell, regardlesss of her determination not to cry. ‘Forgive me,’ she murmured, ‘but I couldn’t let you take what you wanted. If that was wrong of me, then I’m sorry. I don’t know if I was right or wrong to refuse you, but oh –’ her voice broke; the tears blurred her vision – ‘if only I could turn back the clock, we might have come to some sort of compromise. I don’t know. I’ll never know.’

Reaching out, she touched her face, shocked by the coldness of her skin. ‘What went wrong between us? Why couldn’t we get it right?’

Raising her hand, she wiped away the blinding tears. ‘Rest now, Samantha,’ she whispered. ‘I only wish things could have been different …’

She looked at her sister’s quiet face for a moment longer, taking it in, preserving it in her memory. Leaning forward, she kissed her, shocked to realise that it was a long time since she had done that. ‘Goodbye, Samantha.’

When, a few minutes later, she and Rosie emerged from that formidable building, Kathy needed a moment to lean against the wall, her face ashen, her whole body trembling.

In this moment of harsh reality, she needed Tom more than ever.

Chapter 19 (#ulink_44d359ba-bc01-50c8-be77-efc56426bd93)

TOM HAD CALLED in to his old office to say hello. ‘Well, I never!’ The boss was delighted to see him. ‘I daren’t ask whether you’ve come back to work?’

Tom laughed. ‘Still running full pelt, with never enough staff to keep it covered, eh?’

John Martin laughed: Tom knew the ins and outs of this business almost as well as he did. ‘You’ve got that right.’

‘I just called in to see Lilian, but she wasn’t there. Gone out on an errand, has she?’ Occasionally, she might have to go out for emergency supplies, such as typewriter ribbons when her own stock ran out; it was unusual but had been known to happen. Or meat pies from the corner shop, when the boss hadn’t had time for breakfast.

John Martin explained. ‘Alice came up here this morning in a panic. She had this idea that Lilian was, well … not her usual self –’ he grimaced – ‘if you know what I mean?’

‘Not really, no.’ Having already heard disturbing news which he believed had to do with Lilian, Tom felt decidedly uncomfortable. ‘Is she ill?’

‘Well, yes, I suppose she is.’ He still didn’t know what to think. ‘Well, anyway, I thought Alice might be acting a bit hysterical, but when I went down to take a look, she was quite right to fetch me …’ He nodded to himself. ‘Sensible young thing, Alice. Yes, I can see her going places in this establishment.’

Right now, Tom wasn’t interested in internal politics. ‘You were saying?’

‘Oh, yes! Lilian was acting very strangely, talking and muttering to herself. When I gave her some important papers to deal with, she immediately began tearing them up and throwing them in the bin.’ His face contorted with astonishment. ‘Lilian, of all people! Can you believe that?’

Tom grew increasingly worried. This news only heightened his suspicions that it really was Lilian in the churchyard. What was she playing at? Even now, he found it hard to believe. ‘Where is she now?’

‘I had to send her home. What else could I do? It’s obvious she needs a doctor. I laid a car on, and Alice went with her. I made sure Alice knew to call the doctor from a phone box once she’d got to Lilian’s house.’

Before he could say any more, Tom was out of his chair and at the door. ‘I have to go and see her,’ he said. ‘See how she is.’

The boss nodded. ‘But you’ll call back, I hope. We could go out for a drink. I’d like us to catch up on things.’

Tom had been his right-hand man. If he could persuade him back again, it would make life that much easier. ‘Dougie and John have been up in Leeds. Hang about until they get back, won’t you? Apparently they’re having serious problems with that roof design you warned about. You were right. It’s been nothing but trouble from the outset.’

‘Well, I hate to say it, but you should have listened.’ Tom was a hard taskmaster when it came to business. He knew his stuff and had no patience when others chose to bypass him.

‘First and last time, I swear!’ John Martin had no choice but to admit he was in the wrong. ‘Look, Tom, they really are getting into deep water with this one. I’m sure they’d love to talk things over with you. Spend an hour or so with them, will you do that, Tom … for old times’ sake?’

‘I’ll try.’ Tom couldn’t say no. ‘When are they back?’

‘Any time now, I reckon … They’ll ring in today, anyway – I’ll let them know you’re in London.’

‘Okay.’ With Kathy heavy on his mind, he wanted to get back as soon as possible, and that meant concentrating fully on getting to the bottom of who had caused the accident. He could do without distractions like these.

He promised to see them if he was still in London when they returned. ‘I don’t know how long I’ll be here,’ he admitted. Taking in a deep breath, he then blew it out in a soft whistle. ‘If I can, you know I will.’ And, knowing how Tom never gave his word unless he meant to keep it, the boss was a happier man.

Having run down the stairs two at a time, Tom was almost out the door when the receptionist called him back. ‘It’s Mr Martin on the telephone for you, sir.’ Being young and aware of Tom’s admirable reputation in this establishment, she addressed him with a degree of reverence.

Thanking her, Tom took the call. ‘Tom here.’

‘Sorry, Tom, but Dougie just called. Apparently he’s just got back from Leeds to find Lilian in his house. Seems she broke a window to get in. She was stretched out on his couch, her arm dripping blood all over the place, and asking after you! Dougie reckons she’s drunk, or drugged, or some such thing, because she’s not making any sense. He doesn’t know what to do, so he asked me to go over, but when I told him you were here, he asked me to tell you that you’re probably the only one who can do anything with her. Look, Tom, I’m sorry. But he wants you to get over there as quick as you can!’

Tom was both relieved and worried. ‘Right! I’m on my way. Thanks.’ Replacing the receiver, he hurried out to the street and hailed a taxi. When one slewed over from the main run of traffic, he climbed in and gave the address. ‘There’s an extra five bob in it if you can put your foot down.’

Five bob was the only incentive the driver needed.

In a matter of seconds, he was screeching in and out of traffic with no thought for life or limb.

At the same time a frantic Alice was arriving back at the office and trying to work out what on earth she could or should tell her boss. She could only guess at where Lilian had got to, and feared she might somehow get the blame for letting her out of her sight.

From the sitting-room couch, where Dougie had thoughtfully tended her arm and made her as comfortable as he knew how, Lilian stretched her neck to hear what he was saying.

She suspected he had gone into the hall to make a telephone call, and now she was proved right. ‘Who are you calling?’ Struggling up, she felt dizzy and unwell, but fear proved stronger than pain. She made her way into the hall just as Dougie was replacing the receiver. ‘You called the doctor, didn’t you?’ Her eyes were wild. ‘I told you not to call the doctor! I said to call Tom … that’s what I said.’

When he reached out to calm her, she jerked away from him, her back to the front door and her arms jutting out, warding him off. ‘You knew I wanted to see him, but you’ve tricked me!’

Desperate to reassure her, Dougie spoke softly. ‘No, Lilian … please, listen to me. I didn’t call the doctor; I called John Martin … I thought he might be able to help. Only Tom was there. He was at the office, looking for you. He’s on his way now, Lilian … he’ll be here any minute!’

‘LIAR! You rang the doctor. Well, you wasted your time because I won’t be here when he comes.’

Before he could stop her, she had opened the front door and was on her way into the street, careering and stumbling as she went. ‘LILIAN, COME BACK!’

Running out of the front door, he went in pursuit, afraid for her safety as she ran across the road, with traffic coming at her from all quarters. ‘I WAS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH!’

The driver of Tom’s taxi was well pleased with himself. ‘Here we are, guv. I reckon I’ve earned that five bob.’ Turning into the road, he saw Lilian dodging the traffic. ‘Christ Almighty! What the hell does she think she’s doing?’ As she ran onto the pavement, he slowed down. ‘Look at that!’ In her desperate effort to get away, Lilian skidded into a woman with a pram; the pram was overturned and the child left screaming in fright.

‘Stop the cab!’ Tom was amazed to see that it was Lilian. ‘Stop here!’ Digging into his pocket, he threw a handful of money onto the passenger seat.