A Deadly Deception Read online

  She could make it a regular jaunt. After all, as a pensioner, she had free travel on the buses and a cup of tea and perhaps a sandwich wouldn’t cost too much. She could sit most of the day there. A cup of tea for elevenses. Then a cup of tea and a sandwich at lunchtime. It would be cheery there with all the customers coming in and out of the baker’s for their purchases, as well as others stopping to enjoy a drink of something and a snack. The bakery counter was down one side and the café tables clustered down the other. Apart from the prospect of seeing John, it would be a cheerier way to pass the day than sitting alone in The Heights.

  If she felt able, she might take a wee walk along Drymen Road and have a look at the other shops there. Her proposed visit to Bearsden filled her every waking hour now. All she had to do was regain enough strength to put her dreams into practice. The flu had drained away what little strength she’d normally had. But now, she told herself, she had something to live for, to look forward to. It would be even better than looking forward to John’s daily phone calls.

  The difficulty was she had run out of food in the house and so had nothing to eat to build up her strength. It was late afternoon and it was dark and wild-looking outside. Nevertheless, she got dressed, put on her coat and hat and forced herself out on to the landing. Once there, she felt quite faint with weakness. Determinedly she pressed for the lift. When it came, leaning heavily on her stick, she managed to enter it. The girl called Cheryl was the only other occupant.

  ‘Hello, Miss Smith.’

  Mabel smiled in response, then weakness overcame her and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor of the lift and Cheryl was holding her.

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry for being such a nuisance.’ Mabel struggled to get up.

  ‘Nothing to be sorry about.’ Cheryl helped her to her feet. ‘You’re not a nuisance. But you don’t look able to be out. I haven’t seen you for a few days. Have you been ill?’

  ‘Yes, a dose of flu. I’m all right now but I’ve run out of food and milk and I have to go out to the shops. I miss my cup of tea.’

  ‘Och, you’ll do no such thing. I’ll take you back home and then I’ll run along to the local shops for whatever you need.’

  ‘How kind you are. Once I get a cup of tea and something to eat, I’ll soon get my strength back.’

  ‘OK. What floor are you on, again?’

  ‘The twenty-fifth.’

  ‘Right.’ Cheryl pressed the button for the twenty-fifth floor and in a matter of seconds was helping Mabel out of the lift and across the landing. Mabel fumbled in her pocket for her key.

  ‘Here, let me do it,’ Cheryl plunged her hand in, came out with the key, opened the door and switched on all the lights.

  ‘Come on now, settle yourself down by the fire and tell me everything you need.’

  Tears blurred Mabel’s eyes. What a kind girl Cheryl was.

  ‘Oh, just the basic things, I think. Bread, margarine, milk.’

  ‘I’ll go and check.’ Before Mabel could make any attempt to stop her, Cheryl had gone through to the kitchen. Embarrassed and ashamed, Mabel listened to fridge and cupboard doors opening and shutting. She knew only too well that all of them were completely empty.

  When Cheryl came back, she said, ‘What about your pension? Has anybody collected it for you?’

  Mabel shook her head.

  ‘Well, first of all, let’s get organised with that so that I can collect it for you and then get all the groceries you need.’

  Weak tears overflowed.

  ‘You’re so kind.’

  ‘Don’t be daft. I’m only sorry I won’t be able to help you for long. I’m leaving. Did you know?’

  Mabel nodded.

  ‘But don’t worry. I’ll have a word with Mammy. I’m sure she’ll keep an eye on you and give you a helping hand when you need it.’

  And off she went, calling at the door, ‘Won’t be long.’

  Mabel dozed off with relief and was awakened by Cheryl saying, ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Oh!’ Mabel jerked awake. ‘I must have dozed off.’

  ‘I got everything and that’s your change on the table. I’ll make you a cup of tea and something to eat before I leave.’

  ‘Oh no, Cheryl. You’ve done enough already.’

  ‘Just a wee sandwich, then. That won’t take a minute.’ And off she went to the kitchen. Oh, to have such youthful energy, Mabel thought. In a few minutes, Cheryl had returned with a couple of sandwiches and a piece of sponge cake on a plate.

  ‘Just cheese and tomato. But it’ll put some strength in you. I’ve got the kettle on. Just the tea to make and then I’ll be off.’

  Mabel bit gratefully into the sandwich. She hadn’t realised until now how hungry she was. She was just beginning to enjoy the sandwich when she heard a cry of ‘Oh, no!’

  Cheryl came through and lifted some money from the table.

  ‘Would you believe it, I’ve forgotten the tea. I’ll just run back along for it. Won’t be a minute.’

  And she was gone before Mabel could utter a word of protest. Oh, how sorry she was that Cheryl was leaving – going away to the other side of the town, too. Just as she had made a friend, she was going to lose her. And such a good friend. But perhaps Cheryl’s mother would prove to be a friend. Mabel couldn’t remember ever seeing her. Or perhaps she had seen her but hadn’t known who she was. There were so many occupants of so many flats in The Heights, it was easy to become confused, or to spend a lifetime not knowing anybody.

  She finished her sandwiches and then enjoyed the cake. She thought the sweetness of the cake made her feel even better than the sandwiches. Now she was looking forward to a cup of tea. She relaxed back on to the cushions of the chair and gradually dozed off again.

  It was the chiming of the clock that awakened her. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Then she sat for a few minutes, listening, wondering if Cheryl was back and in the kitchen. But there was only the moaning and howling of the wind. Mabel looked at the clock. She could hardly believe her eyes. Cheryl must have been away for over an hour.

  ‘Cheryl,’ she called out. No reply. ‘Cheryl, are you in the kitchen?’

  Still no reply.

  Mabel grasped her stick, struggled to her feet and made her way through the hallway. The light was on in the kitchen but the kitchen was empty.

  Perhaps Cheryl had to wait in a queue at the grocer’s. But surely not for over an hour? Mabel slowly returned to her chair. She couldn’t understand it. The grocer’s couldn’t be that busy. Perhaps they had run out of tea and Cheryl had gone down to Springburn to search for some. But for a grocer’s to run out of tea! Tea of all things! In all her long life, Mabel had never heard of such a thing.

  Another hour dragged past. Now she felt really worried. She developed a throbbing headache with worry. Something must have happened to Cheryl. Cheryl was so obviously a kind girl, she wouldn’t have just left her like this when she said she would be back. Mabel felt distressed. She didn’t know what to do.

  Eventually she decided to go upstairs to Cheryl’s house and ask Cheryl’s mother if she knew what might have happened. Anyway, her mother ought to be told about how kind Cheryl had been and now how worried Mabel was about her.

  Mabel had heard that Cheryl lived on the top floor and so, once out on the landing and then in the lift again, she pressed the button for number thirty. Once on the top floor, she hesitated for a minute or two, trying to remember Cheryl’s second name. She dragged herself around to peer at all the name plates. She thought Patterson sounded familiar and so she pressed that button. A small, gently smiling lady opened the door.

  ‘I’m Miss Smith from downstairs.’

  ‘Oh, hello.’ Puzzlement added a slight strained look to Mrs Patterson’s face.

  ‘I was wondering if you’d seen Cheryl recently.’

  ‘She went out to meet her boyfriend.’

  ‘When was that?’

  ‘Why do you ask?’

  Mabel shifted awkwar
dly on her stick and tried to lean against the door lintel for support.

  ‘Come in and have a seat, Miss Smith. You don’t look too well.’

  Mabel followed Mrs Patterson into a surprisingly bare and shabby sitting room. Although when she thought of it, Mr Patterson was well known as an alcoholic and no doubt kept the family painfully short of money. They would not be able to afford many, if any, comforts. Not even a television, Mabel noticed.

  ‘Now, what were you saying about Cheryl, Miss Smith?’

  Mabel explained about how kind Cheryl had been and how she had even run back to the grocer’s for the tea.’

  ‘Yes, that’s just like our Cheryl. An awful good girl. She’s been so good and kind to me over the years. I’ll miss her terribly when she moves over to the West End.’

  ‘But, but … she didn’t come back.’

  ‘Didn’t come back from where?’

  ‘The grocer’s. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I realised she’d been away over an hour – well over an hour.’

  Mrs Patterson looked worried now but she said, ‘Och well, she probably came back and, when she saw you asleep, she just left the tea in the kitchen. She wouldn’t want to waken you, that’s all.’

  ‘No, I looked. She’s never been back and I’m so worried.’

  ‘Maybe she suddenly realised how late she was going to be to meet Tommy.’ Mrs Patterson sounded faint, as if she was trying, but failing, to convince herself. ‘And felt she had to rush to him in case he got worried.’

  ‘Would he not have phoned?’

  Mrs Patterson avoided Mabel’s eyes.

  ‘We haven’t got a phone. We used to have but …’

  ‘Oh dear. I hope she’s all right.’

  An urgent knocking at the door startled them both. Then the doorbell rang.

  Mrs Patterson hurried to answer it. Then Mabel heard a man’s voice.

  ‘Is Cheryl here, Mrs Patterson? I waited for ages for her but she never turned up. Is she all right?’

  28

  ‘I’ve been here before,’ Janet told the others. ‘At a big dinner with my husband and some of his legal colleagues. It used to be called the Albany Hotel.’

  They had all come dressed in their best but Janet, in her designer label lavender-coloured suit and matching hat tipped to one side at a fetching angle, looked, as Mary said, ‘real posh’. They had booked a table for seven o’clock but they had come early so that they could relax in the bar for a ‘wee refreshment’ before going through to the dining room.

  ‘Now remember what I told you,’ Janet’s voiced lowered towards Mary.

  ‘Aye, aye, ginger beer for me. Nothing stronger. Don’t worry.’

  As they settled at a table in the long side area that led from the foyer, Alice said, ‘We never used to go out much. Never at all, eventually. I was like a prisoner in my own house.’

  ‘That was like me.’ Sandra’s eyes widened. ‘It was absolutely terrible. I remember one time …’

  Rita interrupted, ‘For pity’s sake, we’re here to enjoy ourselves. I’ll get the drinks.’

  The bar was a recessed counter opposite the tables where the bar staff were busily serving customers. Rita ordered a drink for each of them and returned carrying a tray.

  Janet tutted. ‘You should have allowed the bar staff to bring it over.’

  ‘I couldn’t wait. I’m dying for a drink. It was good of Dorothy to volunteer to stay and see to my kids, wasn’t it?’

  ‘A wee gem,’ Mary said. ‘These lasses will have a place waitin’ for them in heaven, so they will. Are you all right, hen?’

  ‘How do you mean?’ Rita knocked back her whisky.

  ‘You’re very tense-looking, Rita,’ Janet said kindly. ‘Just try to relax. As you said yourself, we’re here to enjoy ourselves.’

  Sandra rolled her eyes.

  ‘I don’t blame Rita. After all, her husband’s a commercial traveller. He stays in hotels like this all the time. He could be in this one right now and come and drag her away.’

  ‘Gee, thanks a bunch, Sandra.’

  ‘Look, hen, even if he is here and even if he comes up tae you, we’ll soon send him packin’. Won’t we girls?’

  ‘Yes, indeed,’ Janet said. ‘The same goes for all of us. We protect each other. That’s what we’ve all agreed.’

  After a few minutes, as they sipped their drinks, Rita burst out, ‘I’ve a confession to make. I picked this hotel specially. It’s the one he always stays at when he’s in Glasgow.’

  ‘Why on earth did ye do that, hen?’

  ‘Well, I’m sick and tired of living in fear, cooped up in that flat. Oh, I know, I’m lucky to be there,’ she added hastily, ‘but I can’t go on like this. I have to face up to him, once and for all, and I thought the best – the safest – way to do it was to have you lot here with me. Sorry, girls.’

  ‘Don’t worry, hen. He cannae take on all of us. He’ll have me to reckon with, for a start.’

  The others couldn’t help smiling. Alice giggled at the vision of poor wee, one-armed Mary standing up to anybody, especially a man.

  However, they enjoyed their drinks and then trooped through to the dining room without having seen anything of any belligerent man. It was a carvery meal. At the long counter, a chef was serving a hot dish of your choice, expertly cutting turkey and beef. A choice of vegetarian dishes was also on display, as well as separate platters of roast potatoes, sprouts and carrots. But first, at a central table, there were lots of tasty-looking starters and little dishes of sauces and chutney.

  The girls helped themselves to rollmop herring, smoked salmon and salads before returning to their table.

  ‘Isn’t this great?’ Alice enthusiastically munched into the food. ‘I’ve never had a meal made for me like this for … oh, I can’t remember when. I’m really enjoying it. Will there be a sweet as well, do you think?’

  ‘Of course,’ Janet assured her. ‘But first there’s the main course. What do you think you’ll have for that? I’m going to have the turkey. But I remember the beef and Yorkshire puddings were excellent.’

  In no time they were back at the chef’s counter getting their plates full of food again and ordered coffee to be served with the sweet.

  ‘Here, we should do this more often,’ Sandra laughed. ‘This is the life for me.’

  Even Rita had begun to relax and laugh a little with the others. Every now and again, though, her eyes flicked anxiously towards the door.

  Eventually, the meal over, Janet said, ‘Let’s go back to the bar and have one last drink before we get one of the staff to phone for a taxi.’

  ‘Aye, right ye are. Can I no’ even have a wee cider, Janet? Cider’s no’ alcoholic.’

  ‘You know perfectly well it is, Mary.’

  Mary sighed. ‘There’s no pullin’ the wool over your eyes, is there, hen?’

  ‘No, there is not.’

  ‘OK. OK. Ginger beer again. Actually I’m gettin’ to quite like the stuff.’

  ‘Good!’ With dignity, Janet led the others from the dining room through to the bar area. There they became not only relaxed but giggly. They would have been quite content to sit there all night but, as Janet said, they couldn’t do that. They’d already had one of the staff phone for a taxi and it was time to go and get their coats from the cloakroom at the foyer.

  Happily, dreamily, waiting in the foyer, they were suddenly shattered by a man’s voice calling out, ‘Rita!’

  ‘Christ, it’s him,’ Rita said.

  A tall, slim man was striding towards them.

  ‘Rita, darling. I’ve been so worried about you. Thank God I’ve found you.’

  ‘Get your hands off me.’ Rita shrank back.

  ‘Come on, darling. I’ll cancel my calls in Glasgow and we’ll drive back home together to Aberdeen right now.’

  Everyone closed around Rita and wee Mary said, ‘She’s no’ goin’ anywhere wi’ you, so push off, mister.’

  ‘She’s my wife. Come on,
Rita.’

  Suddenly Rita came aggressively to life.

  ‘Get your hands off me, you dirty pervert. I’m going nowhere with you. And if you don’t get out of my way, I’ll shout out right here and now exactly why I’m divorcing you. I’ll let everyone know just what a dirty, perverted bastard you are. And if you ever come near me again, I’ll do the same. No matter where it is.’

  Janet took one of Rita’s arms and Sandra linked Rita’s other arm into hers and said, ‘Come on, Rita. The taxi’ll be outside by now. Let’s go home.’

  ‘Right. And you,’ Rita shouted, ‘you two-faced bastard, will be hearing from not only my lawyer but the police.’

  The man paled and drew away. Without another word, he went over to the reception desk and, with his back to them, placed his briefcase on the counter and signed into the hotel.

  Outside in the wet darkness, Rita said, ‘Thank God!’

  ‘Good for you,’ Sandra said. ‘You were great, Rita. Just great.’

  ‘Aye, you fairly put his gas in a peep, hen.’

  Once in the taxi and, after taking a fit of the giggles, helped no doubt by the drink they’d consumed and their relief at defeating Rita’s husband, they burst into song.

  They were still giggling and singing – albeit comparatively quietly – when they arrived at the safe house.

  ‘My word, you’ve obviously had a good time,’ Dorothy said. ‘By the way, the children are all tucked up and sound asleep so don’t go waking them up.’

  Rita put her finger to her lips.

  ‘Sh. Sh!’

  Her eyes, normally dark with fear and suffering, had an unusual sparkle about them. ‘I’d better get to my bed. See you in the morning, girls.’ Just before she reached the door, she turned and said, ‘And thanks.’

  ‘You’re welcome, hen.’

  Rita gave them a wave before disappearing and Janet said, ‘She’ll probably be all right now.’

  Alice sighed. ‘I wish I had her nerve.’

  ‘You’ll be fine. We all will eventually.’

  ‘Aye, so Betty keeps tellin’ us.’

  ‘At least, like Rita, I’m going to be legally free of my husband. I’ve got plenty of proof of his cruelty, what with his last assault not only causing me to lose my baby but …’ She swallowed, then continued with difficulty. ‘Because of him, I can’t ever again …’ She closed her eyes. ‘Sorry.’