Read Behind a Closed Door (The Estate, Book 2) Online
Authors: Mel Sherratt
‘I’m sure she won’t. But if you don’t want her to find out, then you’d better do things on my say-so from now on.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I want a divorce – you can pay for that – and I’ll decide, with the advice from my solicitor, on a figure that you may be entitled to. One that I think will be reasonable for five years of marriage – perhaps on the basis of how much you paid towards the running of the house.’
‘But –’
Josie held up her hand to stop him.
‘Take it or leave it,’ she said calmly, ‘or I will tell her everything. You have my word on that.’
Once she was safely back at home with the door locked to the world, Josie sunk into her settee and sobbed. She wondered if it was really over now that she’d had the courage to face Stewart, or whether it would all kick off again. Was she mad to have reacted in that way? But she couldn’t let him get away with it, and going to his mother’s house was the only shock tactic she could think of.
She glanced around the living room, wondering if she would ever recognise this house as her home. She cast her mind back to distant memories, long before Stewart had arrived on the scene – like the time her mother had surprised her with a birthday party when she’d been ten. The time when she’d fallen off her bike and landed in the ornamental pond at the bottom of the garden – it had been filled in shortly afterwards. She remembered coming home with a prize for being the best history student that year in junior school. She’d been as proud as punch, even if she had already read the book twice.
But then she remembered the constant moaning, the whining and groaning as she tried to reach out for her independence. Brenda had been livid the first time she’d worn make up, stating that no daughter of hers was wearing lipstick and mascara that made her look like a prostitute rather than a fourteen-year-old girl. Unlike most of the pupils at her school, Josie was never given pocket money to spend as she wished. A trip to the local library had to suffice for her Saturday morning jaunts.
Yet sitting here, Josie felt calm, peaceful even. She sensed a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders as she looked ahead towards a brighter future. She had some challenging days ahead – especially when sorting out the fiasco with Debbie – but, right then, she knew the new Josie could cope. The Workshop was on schedule to open in two weeks and she knew that would mean extra duties for her, which she was looking forward to, even if they would also challenge her current workload.
When she went to bed that night, Josie felt her fears and anxiety float away into the warmth of the night. Maybe she was free of Stewart at last.
Subj: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 15:01
From:
[email protected]
Hey, not to worry. It’s just great that you found the time to reply eventually. I saw an article about it in your local news online last night. You look like you have a mammoth task on your hands! I wish you luck. It’s a pity I won’t be back until after it has opened.
PS You look like a million dollars (no pun intended).
Subj: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 20:03
From: [email protected]
Why thank you, kind Englishman. I hate having my photo taken but I suppose it is in the name of advertising. We have over sixty percent of the units filled now – only another forty percent to go. And guess who’s left doing all the grant applications?
PS. Surely you like the new Josie better than the old one?
Subj: Re: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 15:05
From:
[email protected]
Are you flirting with me, Ms Josie?
Subj: Re: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 20:05
From: [email protected]
Are you flirting with me, Mr James?
Subj: Re: Re: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 15:06
From:
[email protected]
I might be.
Subj: Re: Re: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 20:06
From: [email protected]
Well, I might be then, too. Goodnight James.
Subj: Re: Re: Re: Hello
Date: 14/06/2013 15:07
From:
[email protected]
Goodnight? It’s three o' clock in the afternoon here! So I’ll leave you with a message for tomorrow:
Have a nice day. I’ll be thinking of you.
All that weekend, Josie kept her phone on, waiting for a call or a text from Andy. He said he’d ring her if anything happened as soon as he could. When she arrived at the office on Monday morning having heard nothing from him, the first thing she checked was the weekend call-log to see if anything untoward had been reported. But there was nothing apart from one entry about the kids playing football over on Vincent Square. Debbie’s desk was empty, too.
She’d just sat down at her own desk when her phone rang.
‘Please tell me it worked,’ she said – caller ID told her it was Andy. ‘I’ve hardly slept this weekend.’
‘It worked,’ Andy told her. ‘We got him.’
Josie grinned. ‘I can hear you smiling down the phone.’
‘Can you talk?’
‘Yes, there’s only me and Ray in at the minute. He’s gone to make a drink.’
‘No sign of Debbie?’
‘No.’
‘Good, I’m heading over there after. But there’s something else. We got Scott Johnstone too.’
‘What?’ Josie cried, and then lowered her voice. ‘At the bungalow?’
‘Yes, they’ve been in on it together. Johnstone’s admitting his part right now.’
‘Bloody typical of him,’ Josie retorted without thinking. ‘Grass everyone else up to save his own skin.’
‘Josie, we want him to cough.’
‘I know, but you’d think he’d have some sort of respect or honour amongst thieves or what have you.’ Then, knowing how it sounded she added, ‘Oh, you know what I mean. What a result though!’
‘I have to go. They’re still questioning them both but Johnstone has mentioned something else that needs checking out. I’ve been asked to go along.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I can’t say yet but it might become clearer soon. If it does, I promise you’ll be among the first to know. Are you still there?’
Josie had gone quiet because she didn’t believe what she was seeing.
‘Yes, I’m still here,’ she whispered. ‘But Debbie’s walked in.’
‘Keep cool! Don’t do anything that might make her suspicious. It’ll be better for us with her out of the picture anyway. Does she look any different?’
‘In what way?’
‘Worried? Nervous? Does she look as if she suspects anything?’
Debbie was checking her mobile phone as she waited for her computer to load up. She smiled as she caught Josie’s eye.
Josie smiled back. ‘I don’t think so,’ she whispered to Andy. ‘But I’d better go in case she comes over to me.’
‘Okay, but remember what I said. Keep cool. Oh, and keep her there if you can. If she does do a runner, then ring me straight away.’
For the next hour or so, Josie observed Debbie furtively while trying to keep her happy demeanour. She wished she had a bit more fight in her, as she wanted to march right across there and slap her hard. Maybe then she would get rid of this rage burning inside. Debbie was being her usual chatty self. The only thing Josie particularly noticed was that she was checking her mobile phone constantly to see if she had any messages.
Finding out that Scott Johnstone was involved in the burglaries had blown Josie’s mind. It was going to be hard to break that to Kelly too. Josie was certain that she had no idea what had been going on, but she also realised that she’d be mortified that she had been lied to about something else.
She picked up her pen and glanced across at Debbie again. She had her head down, working on something or other. She didn’t seem to be bothered about anything.
Unable to concentrate, Josie was thankful when Andy finally walked in, along with Mark.
Andy came across to Josie first. ‘You won’t believe what we’ve found,’ he said. ‘I can’t wait to get her into custody.’
Confused by his remark, Josie quickly followed him and Mark across to Debbie’s desk. It took a few moments before Debbie looked up. Her eyes ran over the three of them suspiciously.
‘Debbie Wilkins,’ said Andy, ‘I’m arresting you on suspicion of obtaining information under false pretences and aiding and abetting a known criminal. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’
A silence fell across the room.
Debbie stood up. ‘You can’t arrest me,’ she said defiantly. ‘You don’t have anything on me. I might live with him but I had no idea what he was doing and that’s my final word on the matter.’ She folded her arms.
Josie half admired Debbie’s stance as all eyes fell on her. She hadn’t even bothered to question the whys and wherefores.
‘What’s going on?’ Irene asked. She’d been joined by Ray; Doug wasn’t too far behind him. Sonia and Craig were already close by.
‘She’s involved with Philip Matson and she’s been passing on addresses for him to burgle,’ Josie told everyone.
‘I never did!’ cried Debbie.
‘You used me to get information – you used us all for your own means. Have you any idea how much damage you’ve caused? How long it takes for the victims to get back on their feet, if they ever do?’
‘I told you,’ said Debbie. ‘It’s got nothing to do with me.’
‘Save it,’ said Mark. ‘We have bigger fish to fry.’
For a split second Debbie froze, but then she regained her composure. ‘You can’t prove anything.’
‘So you haven’t been supplying Matson with addresses of vulnerable people?’ said Andy.
‘No, I haven’t been supplying
Phil
with anything.’
‘And you had no idea that he was a thief and a murderer?’ said Mark.
Debbie sighed dramatically. ‘No, I had no idea that he was a thief and a….’
Andy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small evidence bag. He held it up to Josie.
‘I need you to verify this for me until I can check with the family.’
Josie gasped as she spotted the pearl necklace with its unique butterfly clasp. She held onto the desk for support.
‘What’s that?’ asked Debbie.
‘You bitch!’ Josie seethed. ‘That necklace belonged to Edie Rutter.’
Debbie frowned. ‘But what’s that got to do with me?’
‘It was found at your house less than an hour ago,’ said Andy.
‘But that was missing from –’ Debbie paled as she worked out its significance. ‘You don’t think that Phil did… no, he wouldn’t do that.’
‘Scott Johnstone reckoned he did,’ said Mark.
‘No.’