Murder in Time by Veronica Heley Read Free Book Online Page A

day, mind. There’s days when it’s …’ Her voice trailed away.
    Ellie patted the old woman’s hand. ‘I promise.’ An aide was coming round with trays of food. Another was distributing large bibs. A tray of food was placed front of Mrs Dawes, whose hands trembled as she reached for a glass of orange juice. Her eyes were on the plate of chicken and vegetables. All soft food. It looked delicious. ‘About the doctor,’ she said. ‘ Cherchez la femme .’
    â€˜What?’ Ellie wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. Look for the lady? What did that mean? The old lady seized her knife and fork and lost interest in Ellie.
    Home again. The Tesco delivery van was in the driveway and the front door was open. The weekly order of shopping had arrived. Vera was clever about ordering online, something neither Rose nor Ellie was good at. Ellie hoped that Rose hadn’t been trying to carry the bags in herself, which she had been known to attempt in the past.
    Ellie called out, ‘Yoo-hoo, I’m back!’
    The delivery man emerged from the kitchen quarters, smiling. ‘Cheers, missus!’ He banged the front door to on his way out.
    There was a strange coat on the chair in the hall. Oh. So now what?
    Thomas loomed in the doorway to the sitting room. He was stroking his beard and frowning. This must be an important visitor, for he didn’t usually leave his study at this time of day. ‘Ah, Ellie. I hoped you’d be back early. Our visitor from yesterday is here again.’
    Ellie dropped her shopping and her jacket, and joined him in the sitting room.
    â€˜Forgive my informality,’ said Abdi, half rising from his seat in deference to the fact that a woman had entered the room, but sinking back on to it straight away. ‘I believe we were at cross purposes yesterday. I wanted to set the record straight.’
    Ellie seated herself in her high-backed chair by the fireplace. She wondered whether or not she should offer refreshments, and decided against doing so. She placed her hands in her lap and waited to hear what their visitor had to say for himself. She didn’t suppose there would be an apology …?
    Thomas didn’t let himself down into his favourite La-Z-Boy chair, but took an upright one instead. Perhaps Abdi would prefer to talk to a man, rather than a woman? Ellie assumed Abdi would be a Muslim. They didn’t think women were equal to men, did they?
    Abdi produced a smile and a certain amount of charm. ‘Yesterday … So much drama. So unnecessary. I seem to have taken you all by surprise. Perhaps I ought to have approached Vera through my solicitors but I had not thought it necessary, given the circumstances.’ He seemed to expect a reply. Excellent teeth.
    Ellie and Thomas exchanged glances.
    Thomas was as puzzled as Ellie. ‘What circumstances, may I ask?’
    The newcomer spread his hands. ‘My mission is simply to right a wrong. To give my son a future. But your reaction … Forgive me, but only afterwards did it occur to me that Vera may not have been perfectly frank with you about her somewhat chequered past. Has she represented herself to you as a victim of fate? Understandable, if she wishes to pass herself off as more sinned against than sinning, though not precisely accurate. It occurred to me that you may have taken her in and, as I understand it, almost adopted her, under false pretences. I tried to put myself into your shoes. I came to the conclusion that she could not possibly have told you the truth, or you would have seen things from my point of view and not taken her part. Hence my calling on you today. I need to put the record straight.’
    Thomas said, ‘We have been acquainted with Vera for a number of years and know of nothing to her discredit.’
    â€˜I understand why you feel so protective of her, but if you had known her better—’
    â€˜Get to the point.’ Thomas