Read Online Unsafe Convictions by Alison Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alison Taylor
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police?’
Drawing on her cigarette, Wendy gazed into the fire. ‘No. Not really, and for several reasons, including my intuition.’ She lodged the cigarette on the kerb of the hearth, held up the fingers of her left hand, and began to count off with her right. ‘First, she sat in on most of the residents’ interviews, and couldn’t have been more helpful. Second, she’d have been checked out for a criminal record before she got the job there, so that secret was already out. Third,’ she said, pushing down her middle finger, ‘I got to know her quite well, because interviewing the mentally handicapped takes time and patience. She must have known I didn’t pose a threat. And fourth, her teenage delinquencies didn’t amount to much.’
‘ She might still be ashamed of them,’ Janet suggested.
‘ She might,’ Wendy conceded. ‘She might have thought I’d sit in judgement on her, like a lot of women would and, for all I know, she could still be promiscuous. But none of that explains why she clammed up so fast.’
‘ At what point did that occur?’
‘ I can’t say, because it wasn’t until later I realised she had. I’ve racked my brains, but I can’t pin-point the trigger.’
‘ Was Colin Bowden actively involved in the interviews?’
‘ He came along on occasion, but he was quite happy to leave things to me. To be honest, I think he felt completely out of his depth, which I accepted.’
Frances struggled to her feet, breath wheezing in her corseted chest. ‘Don’t know about you gels,’ she said, disarmingly conspiratorial, ‘hut I need a drink, preferably alcoholic. I’ll perc coffee for the rest of you.’ She plodded to the door, adding: ‘Interview suspended 19.34.’
The choice made for her, Ellen switched off the tape-recorder.
‘ Don’t mind Frances,’ Wendy said. ‘She’s been our solicitor for years, so she can’t help treating me as if I’m still in ankle socks.’ She smiled, rather sadly. ‘She was an absolute brick when Mother died.’
‘ Was your mother ill for long?’
‘ She wasn’t ill at all. I think I thought she’d live for ever, then she just went, like the light had gone out.’
‘ It must have been a dreadful shock,’ Janet sympathised.
‘ Oh, it was! And I still miss her. I plan to do something, or I hear a bit of juicy gossip, and I still say to myself: “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Mother.” Then I remember she’s not here any more, and it hits me like a fist in the chest. I even find myself feeling winded, at times.’
‘ You can ask if shock affected her professional judgement when the tape’s switched back on.’ Frances appeared in the doorway with a glass of neat whisky in her pudgy fingers. ‘Personally, I think it did, but Wendy said she went on to auto pilot, as it were.’ She returned to the kitchen, and Janet heard the clatter of crockery landing on a tin tray, and the sucking sound of a refrigerator being opened and closed. The aroma of percolating coffee seeped into the room.
‘ I wouldn’t know, would I?’ Wendy asked. ‘If my judgement was affected. It’s far too subjective, and Mother’s death made such root-and-branch changes nothing could ever be the same. There’s always going to be a before and after.’
‘ Were you dependent on her? Emotionally?’
‘ That’s a silly question, if ever I heard one!’ Frances clumped back into the room, put the tray on the table with another loud clatter, and resumed her seat. ‘Of course she was dependent, and even though they had the odd row, they were still very, very close. Most of the arguments came about because it’s always a struggle for a mother and daughter to redefine their relationship into something acceptable to two grown women.’ She glanced at Ellen. ‘You can switch on again now, dear. D’you like cream and sugar with your coffee?’
When Wendy made no attempt to take control of this simplest and least contentious of proceedings, Janet wondered if she
Drawing on her cigarette, Wendy gazed into the fire. ‘No. Not really, and for several reasons, including my intuition.’ She lodged the cigarette on the kerb of the hearth, held up the fingers of her left hand, and began to count off with her right. ‘First, she sat in on most of the residents’ interviews, and couldn’t have been more helpful. Second, she’d have been checked out for a criminal record before she got the job there, so that secret was already out. Third,’ she said, pushing down her middle finger, ‘I got to know her quite well, because interviewing the mentally handicapped takes time and patience. She must have known I didn’t pose a threat. And fourth, her teenage delinquencies didn’t amount to much.’
‘ She might still be ashamed of them,’ Janet suggested.
‘ She might,’ Wendy conceded. ‘She might have thought I’d sit in judgement on her, like a lot of women would and, for all I know, she could still be promiscuous. But none of that explains why she clammed up so fast.’
‘ At what point did that occur?’
‘ I can’t say, because it wasn’t until later I realised she had. I’ve racked my brains, but I can’t pin-point the trigger.’
‘ Was Colin Bowden actively involved in the interviews?’
‘ He came along on occasion, but he was quite happy to leave things to me. To be honest, I think he felt completely out of his depth, which I accepted.’
Frances struggled to her feet, breath wheezing in her corseted chest. ‘Don’t know about you gels,’ she said, disarmingly conspiratorial, ‘hut I need a drink, preferably alcoholic. I’ll perc coffee for the rest of you.’ She plodded to the door, adding: ‘Interview suspended 19.34.’
The choice made for her, Ellen switched off the tape-recorder.
‘ Don’t mind Frances,’ Wendy said. ‘She’s been our solicitor for years, so she can’t help treating me as if I’m still in ankle socks.’ She smiled, rather sadly. ‘She was an absolute brick when Mother died.’
‘ Was your mother ill for long?’
‘ She wasn’t ill at all. I think I thought she’d live for ever, then she just went, like the light had gone out.’
‘ It must have been a dreadful shock,’ Janet sympathised.
‘ Oh, it was! And I still miss her. I plan to do something, or I hear a bit of juicy gossip, and I still say to myself: “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Mother.” Then I remember she’s not here any more, and it hits me like a fist in the chest. I even find myself feeling winded, at times.’
‘ You can ask if shock affected her professional judgement when the tape’s switched back on.’ Frances appeared in the doorway with a glass of neat whisky in her pudgy fingers. ‘Personally, I think it did, but Wendy said she went on to auto pilot, as it were.’ She returned to the kitchen, and Janet heard the clatter of crockery landing on a tin tray, and the sucking sound of a refrigerator being opened and closed. The aroma of percolating coffee seeped into the room.
‘ I wouldn’t know, would I?’ Wendy asked. ‘If my judgement was affected. It’s far too subjective, and Mother’s death made such root-and-branch changes nothing could ever be the same. There’s always going to be a before and after.’
‘ Were you dependent on her? Emotionally?’
‘ That’s a silly question, if ever I heard one!’ Frances clumped back into the room, put the tray on the table with another loud clatter, and resumed her seat. ‘Of course she was dependent, and even though they had the odd row, they were still very, very close. Most of the arguments came about because it’s always a struggle for a mother and daughter to redefine their relationship into something acceptable to two grown women.’ She glanced at Ellen. ‘You can switch on again now, dear. D’you like cream and sugar with your coffee?’
When Wendy made no attempt to take control of this simplest and least contentious of proceedings, Janet wondered if she
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