Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection

‘And?’

He shrugged. ‘And I’ve come up with nothing.’

‘Surely it couldn’t have been a friend?’

‘Maybe. Maybe not.’ His answer was hesitant.

‘Do you know all her friends?’

He nodded. ‘You could count her friends on the fingers of one hand. They met once in a while, went shopping, and did all the things that women do. They were women just like her, married with children. I shouldn’t think any one of those would want her hurt.’

He described her. ‘Sheila was well liked, had lots of interests, always going to some class or other.’ He gave a small wry laugh. ‘I could never keep up with her!’

Something he said made Kathy wonder. ‘You said she went to classes?’

‘That’s right.’ He cast his mind back. ‘The children were growing up, and she decided she wanted to learn a new language … She started French classes. She went twice a week, and loved it. She was getting very good, too.’

Kathy considered that for a minute, then said, ‘What about the people she went to class with? Did you know any of them?’

Her question hit hard. ‘My God! I never thought of that.’ It was possible, he thought. ‘She will have made friends there, but she never mentioned anyone in particular.’ He grew frantic. ‘There’s something else too – something really strange!’

Digging into his trouser pocket, he took out an envelope, which he handed to her. ‘Read this, Kathy. The letter is from the florist I appointed to deliver a regular supply of flowers to the churchyard. Read it … tell me what you think.’

Curious, Kathy opened the envelope. Taking out the letter, she proceeded to read it aloud:

Dear Mr Arnold,

I know you asked me not to contact you, except in the event of any hiccup with the regular payments for the fortnightly delivery of flowers. This is not the reason for my contacting you. The flowers are delivered as we agreed, and the payments are paid into my bank account on time. There is no problem there.

The trouble is, someone appears to be deliberately destroying the flowers by throwing them out of the container and strewing them about. They then replace your flowers with their own.

I can imagine how distressing it will be for you to read this letter, and I’m very sorry to have to be writing it. I haven’t written before, because at first I thought it might have been an accident, or someone playing a prank. But then it happened again and again, and it began to look like a deliberate and calculated act of wanton destruction.

Of course I quickly replaced the flowers, and kept an eye on them as far as I could. But it’s happened again. This time they were torn into shreds, and were almost unrecognisable as the roses and gypsophila we delivered. Some attempt appears to have been made to burn them on the path close by; the church-warden came to the shop and told me about it. He was most upset, and so was I. It beggars belief that someone could do such a thing.

In all my years as a florist, I have never known anything quite like it. The church-warden has confirmed that no other flowers in the churchyard have been interfered with, so I’m afraid it appears to be a personal attack on either you or your family.

I’m sorry, Mr Arnold, but I really am out of my depth here. Please advise as to what you would like me to do.

Yours respectfully,

Margaret Taylor

‘But that’s terrible!’ Kathy was shocked to the core. ‘Who in their right mind would want to destroy flowers in a churchyard? And why only the flowers sent to your family?’ Knowing the history of his family’s tragic circumstances, Kathy couldn’t help but be afraid for Tom himself.

Tom had been stunned by the letter, and it showed in his voice now as he confessed, ‘The letter came yesterday. I couldn’t bring myself to discuss it with anyone, not even you. Oh, I wanted to! But I thought it was unfair to burden you with it.’

Now she could see why he had been out there walking the beach at such an ungodly hour. ‘That’s why you couldn’t sleep, isn’t it?’ she remarked. ‘That’s why you were pacing the beach when everybody else was tucked up in their beds?’

He smiled. ‘Not you, it seems.’

She admitted it. ‘No. For some reason, I couldn’t sleep either.’

‘But you’re right,’ he murmured. ‘What’s happened is shocking and awful, and whoever is doing it must be sick in the mind!’

Kathy found it hard to believe. ‘I just don’t understand why anybody would destroy your flowers.’

Tom had thought long and hard about it. ‘Someone must really hate me.’

‘Or someone hated your family?’

Tom had already considered that, but it was inconceivable. ‘It doesn’t make sense. It’s me they want to hurt … they can’t hurt my family any more. It’s me who sends the flowers. Besides, if it was my family they resented, why would they replace my flowers with fresh ones? It must be me they have a grudge against.’

His explanation only served to make Kathy even more fearful for him. ‘Can you think of anybody who would hate you enough to do this?’

He smiled sardonically. ‘I’ve beaten many a rival company to a lucrative contract.’

‘Do you really believe a business rival would do such a thing?’

Serious now, he shook his head. ‘No. That’s not the way it works. We all have to make a living. You win some, you lose some. That’s the way it is in business.’

Talking with Kathy had helped his mind to focus, because now something else occurred to him.

‘I’m beginning to think that whoever drove us off that cliff was after me and not my family. They just happened to be there when the opportunity presented itself. I’ve thought and thought, and I reckon that’s why the flowers are being left … as a kind of twisted apology. Don’t you see, Kathy … whoever did this is getting at me. It’s my flowers they’re destroying. It’s me they want dead!’

Though Kathy followed his reasoning, she daren’t think about it too deeply, or she would never have another night’s sleep. ‘I’m not so sure.’ Like a dog with a bone, she was loath to let it go. ‘I can’t believe anybody would kill an entire family just to get at you. Maybe you were just unlucky enough to meet some mad killer that day; someone who started out with murder in mind, and you and your family just happened to be there.’

Tom had to admit, ‘All right, it’s possible.’ But it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. ‘It still doesn’t explain why somebody is destroying my flowers and putting fresh ones in their place. To me, that seems like a personal thing.’

Kathy relented. ‘You’re right. It’s a strange business. It’s best you go and try to resolve it one way or another; I can see that now.’

‘I want rid of it, Kathy.’ His mind was made up. ‘Whoever it was that robbed my wife and children of their lives must be made to pay for it.’ His voice fell to a hush. ‘I need to know why! And if it was me they were after, I also need to make sure they don’t get another chance to finish the job.’

He took her in his embrace, his face against the softness of her hair and his voice low in her ear. ‘It’s coming between us, and I don’t want that. It will always be there. Unless I can put it to rest once and for all.’

She knew that. ‘When are you going?’

‘Not until after the weekend,’ he promised. ‘Inspector Lawson is away on a course until Wednesday morning; his secretary’s put me in first thing. So, I’ll be leaving on the Tuesday, staying overnight in London.’ Turning her face to his, he kissed her tenderly. ‘Besides, I’m hoping that Jasper will be back by then.’

‘Why? Are you missing him as much as I am?’

‘There is that, yes.’ He smiled mischievously. ‘But I need somebody to keep an eye on you … protect you from all those handsome chaps who come in and out of the site office. I don’t want you running off with any of them.’

‘Oh, you needn’t worry.’ She had an urge to tease him. ‘Mind you, there was a man last week though … big, handsome chap … he had a brand-new car. Now, if he were to ask, I might just be tempted.’

‘Would you now?’ Swinging her round, he kissed her long and passionately.

When he let go, she still had her eyes closed. ‘All right, you win,’ she muttered. ‘He can keep his car. I prefer your kisses any day.’