Read Online Murder Being Once Done by Ruth Rendell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ruth Rendell
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Teal?’
‘I’m coming to that. More coffee?’ He refilled Wexford’s cup and stretched out his legs, yawning. ‘She was a quiet, sad sort of a girl as I daresay you’ve gathered. I don’t think I’d ever seen her smile or look cheerful until one day about a fortnight ago. It was February the 14th, if that’s any help to you. I remember’ – he smiled sourly – ‘because that idiot child Philip had seen fit to send me a Valentine and we had a row about it. Sentimental nonsense! Well, instead of going out with him as we’d arranged, I was going for a quiet drink on my own to the Queen’s Arms when I met Loveday coming along Queen’s Lane – that’s the street at the bottom here, in case you didn’t know – looking as if she’d come into a fortune. It was just before six and she was on her way home from work. I’d never seen her looking the way she looked that evening. She was almost laughing, like a child laughs, you know, from joy.’
Wexford nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘She almost bumped into me. She didn’t know where she was going. I asked her if she was all right and she stopped smiling and gave me a rather stunned look. For a moment I thought she was going to faint. “Are you all right?” I said again. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel funny. I don’t know what I feel, Mr Teal. I’d like to sit down.” Anyway, the upshot of it was I took her into the Queen’s Arms and bought her a brandy. She was rather reluctant about that, but she didn’t seem to have much resistance left. I don’t think she’d ever had brandy before. The colour came back into her face, what colour she ever had, and I thought she’d open her heart to me.’
‘But she didn’t?’
‘No. She looked as if she wanted to. She couldn’t. Years of repression had made it impossible for her to confide in anyone. Instead she began asking me about Johnny and Peggy Pope. Were they trustworthy? Did I think Johnny would stay with Peggy? I couldn’t tell her. They’ve only been here four months, not much longer than Loveday herself. I asked her in what way trustworthy, but she only said, “I don’t know.” Then I brought her back here and the only other time I ever spoke to her was last week when she asked me about Johnny and Peggy again. She wanted to know if they were very poor.’
‘Strange question. She couldn’t have helped them financially.’
‘Certainly not. She hadn’t any money.’
‘Peggy told me he’s a bricklayer by trade but that kind of work spoils the hands, if you please, and our Johnny has ambitions to act. He did a bit of modelling once and since then he’s had some very grandiose ideas about his future. He’s scared Peggy’ll leave him and take the baby, but not scared enough apparently to settle down to a job of work. I imagine Loveday was a bit in love with him but he wouldn’t have looked at her. Peggy’s quite dazzlingly beautiful, don’t you think, in spite of the dirt?’
Wexford agreed, thanking Teal for the coffee and the information, although it had let in little daylight.
The bedroom door moved slightly as they came out into the hall.
‘She had no friends, no callers?’ Wexford asked.
‘I wouldn’t know.’ Teal eyed the door narrowly, then flung it open. ‘Come out of there, child! There’s no need to eavesdrop.’
‘I wasn’t eavesdropping, Ivan.’ In the interim the boy had dressed himself in a scarlet sweater and velvet trousers. He looked pretty and he smelt of toilet water. ‘I do live here,’ he said sulkily. ‘You shouldn’t shut me up.’
‘Perhaps Mr Chell can help us.’ Wexford did his best not to laugh.
‘As a matter of fact, maybe I can.’ Chell turned a coquettish shoulder in Teal’s direction and gave the chief inspector a winning smile. ‘I saw a girl looking for Loveday.’
‘When was that, Mr Chell?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Not very long ago. She was young. She came in a car, a red Mini. I was going out and this girl was
‘I’m coming to that. More coffee?’ He refilled Wexford’s cup and stretched out his legs, yawning. ‘She was a quiet, sad sort of a girl as I daresay you’ve gathered. I don’t think I’d ever seen her smile or look cheerful until one day about a fortnight ago. It was February the 14th, if that’s any help to you. I remember’ – he smiled sourly – ‘because that idiot child Philip had seen fit to send me a Valentine and we had a row about it. Sentimental nonsense! Well, instead of going out with him as we’d arranged, I was going for a quiet drink on my own to the Queen’s Arms when I met Loveday coming along Queen’s Lane – that’s the street at the bottom here, in case you didn’t know – looking as if she’d come into a fortune. It was just before six and she was on her way home from work. I’d never seen her looking the way she looked that evening. She was almost laughing, like a child laughs, you know, from joy.’
Wexford nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘She almost bumped into me. She didn’t know where she was going. I asked her if she was all right and she stopped smiling and gave me a rather stunned look. For a moment I thought she was going to faint. “Are you all right?” I said again. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel funny. I don’t know what I feel, Mr Teal. I’d like to sit down.” Anyway, the upshot of it was I took her into the Queen’s Arms and bought her a brandy. She was rather reluctant about that, but she didn’t seem to have much resistance left. I don’t think she’d ever had brandy before. The colour came back into her face, what colour she ever had, and I thought she’d open her heart to me.’
‘But she didn’t?’
‘No. She looked as if she wanted to. She couldn’t. Years of repression had made it impossible for her to confide in anyone. Instead she began asking me about Johnny and Peggy Pope. Were they trustworthy? Did I think Johnny would stay with Peggy? I couldn’t tell her. They’ve only been here four months, not much longer than Loveday herself. I asked her in what way trustworthy, but she only said, “I don’t know.” Then I brought her back here and the only other time I ever spoke to her was last week when she asked me about Johnny and Peggy again. She wanted to know if they were very poor.’
‘Strange question. She couldn’t have helped them financially.’
‘Certainly not. She hadn’t any money.’
‘Peggy told me he’s a bricklayer by trade but that kind of work spoils the hands, if you please, and our Johnny has ambitions to act. He did a bit of modelling once and since then he’s had some very grandiose ideas about his future. He’s scared Peggy’ll leave him and take the baby, but not scared enough apparently to settle down to a job of work. I imagine Loveday was a bit in love with him but he wouldn’t have looked at her. Peggy’s quite dazzlingly beautiful, don’t you think, in spite of the dirt?’
Wexford agreed, thanking Teal for the coffee and the information, although it had let in little daylight.
The bedroom door moved slightly as they came out into the hall.
‘She had no friends, no callers?’ Wexford asked.
‘I wouldn’t know.’ Teal eyed the door narrowly, then flung it open. ‘Come out of there, child! There’s no need to eavesdrop.’
‘I wasn’t eavesdropping, Ivan.’ In the interim the boy had dressed himself in a scarlet sweater and velvet trousers. He looked pretty and he smelt of toilet water. ‘I do live here,’ he said sulkily. ‘You shouldn’t shut me up.’
‘Perhaps Mr Chell can help us.’ Wexford did his best not to laugh.
‘As a matter of fact, maybe I can.’ Chell turned a coquettish shoulder in Teal’s direction and gave the chief inspector a winning smile. ‘I saw a girl looking for Loveday.’
‘When was that, Mr Chell?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Not very long ago. She was young. She came in a car, a red Mini. I was going out and this girl was
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