Authors: Chrissie Loveday
Matti arrived home feeling completely exhausted. She’d had a very busy day being an elf and just wanted to sit down with her feet up.
‘You’re late home,’ snapped her mother. ‘I’ve been sitting her on my own all day, no-one to talk to and no-one to even make me a cuppa.’
‘I’ll make you one in a minute,’ Matti told her.
‘And I’m starving. What are you getting for dinner?’
‘Do you know, I haven’t even given it a thought.’
‘A nice steak pie would be good. And some chips to go with it.’
‘I’ll go down the chippy later then. I’m knackered Mum. It’s been a very hectic day. The new Santa doesn’t have much idea of what he’s doing and it’s up to me and Mandy to keep him on track. And he keeps forgetting to ask if they want a picture taken.’
‘What about my cuppa?’ her mother asked again.
‘Okay, I’ll go and make it. Then I must have a sit down for five minutes. It’s all right for you, sitting there all day.’
‘Don’t you think I like it. What with your dad coming and going wherever he wants. I don’t know where I am.’
Matti went into the scullery and put the kettle on. Why did her mother have to be like this? Surely she could make some attempt to walk? Lazy cow. Admittedly, she was right about her dad. He came and went as he pleased, leaving her to look after her mother all the time. Where was he now? He must have finished work some time ago and once more, he never came straight home. She assumed he’d stopped at the boozer and if he did come home, he’d be demanding food and possibly drink as well. Too bad, she thought. The kettle boiled and she made a mug of tea for her mother and one for herself.
‘There you are. I’ll go to the chippy after I’ve drunk mine.’
‘Haven’t you got any biscuits to keep me going?’
‘Don’t think so. You ate them all yesterday.’
‘You’ll have to go shopping sometime. Buy some more. Those chocolate chip ones are my favourites.’
‘Yes mum.’ She drank her tea and got up to go to the chip shop. ‘You want a meat pie and chips?’ she asked.
‘Ta. Get plenty of chips with it. There’s some money in the drawer in the sideboard.’
She went to look. There was nothing there.
‘Where’s it gone?’ she demanded.
‘Probably your dad took it. He came home for a bit this morning. I didn’t see him take it.’
‘So what am I supposed to use to buy supper?’
‘Haven’t you got some?’
‘Not till the end of the week. He really is a bastard.’
‘Now then Mattie. That’s no way to speak of your father.’
‘Well he is. I s’pose he’s gone to the pub on his way home if this is what he calls this place.’
‘Fetch my bag. I might have some money in there.’ She found a fiver and gave it to her daughter. ‘There you are love. That should be enough. Don’t forget the salt and vinegar.’
Wearily, Matti went along to the chip shop. The bill came to five pounds fifty and she managed to find an fifty pence piece in her pocket. When she finally got home, her father was there.
‘Oh good. You’ve got some supper. I’m starving,’ he announced.
‘I haven’t got any for you. How was I supposed to know you were coming round this evening?’
‘I’ll have yours and you can go and get some more,’ he snapped back. Matti sighed.
‘Give me some money then.’
‘I haven’t got any.’
‘What about the money you took from the drawer this morning?’
‘I needed it. Expenses. Your mother’ll have some.’
‘She gave me what she had to go and buy this supper. But there was over fifty quid in there before. What on earth did you need all that for?’
‘Told you. Expenses.’
‘Not good enough.’
‘You cheeky little brat. Use your own money and give me that parcel of food.’ He swiped her across the face and snatched the packet from her hands. She burst into tears and tried to thump her father to get her supper back. But it was useless. He thrust a package of food at his wife and sat down to eat what he deemed was his share.
‘I hate you. You’re a selfish bastard. Why can’t you go and eat with your fancy woman and leave us alone?’ She was sobbing as she spoke and furious with the man.
‘Stop whining. Go and buy summat for your supper,’ he said throwing a handful of change on the floor. She bent down to pick it up and ran out of the house. At least she could now get a decent meal.
‘You shouldn’t shout at the girl like that,’ Mrs Pryce said. ‘She does look after me all right. If she left us, I’d be in a terrible state.’
‘Yer, well she’s too big for her own boots.’
‘I need to go to the loo. Can you help me?’
‘What do you do all day? Can’t you do that now?’
‘You know what I do. I’ve got this bag and it needs changing.’
‘Bloody hell woman. What do you take me for? Wait for the girl to come back. I’m goin’ out now.’
‘Will you be back later?’
‘’Ow do I know?’
‘Where are you going?’
‘To see a man about a dog. Me bruther if you must know. He’s in a spot of bovver. Needs my ‘elp ‘e does.’
‘What sort of bother?’
‘Never you mind. Tek it from me. He needs ‘elp.’
‘Don’t do owt stupid. You don’t wanna end up in jail like ‘im.’
‘Right then. I’m off.’
‘Bye then love. Take care.’
Bert left the house without any further comment. A while later Matti came in and looked round.
‘Is ‘e here?’
‘E’s gone. I’m sorry love. ‘E don’t mean nothin’ by the way he be’aves.’
‘Is he coming back?’
‘Said he didn’t know. Can you help me now love? I need the loo.’
‘Okay Mum. You’ve done very well today. Come on then. Let’s get you up.’
*
Bert went straight round to see his brother, who was actually staying with Bert’s other woman.
‘Whacha doin’ now?’ he asked when he got there.
‘Just sitting here. Ta for the dosh, by the way. I’m thinkin’ of going up north for a few weeks. Till the dust settles, at least.’
‘But where will you stay? And how will you pay for digs?’
‘Don’t be so bloody practical. You know me. I usually manage to find some way of paying for stuff.’ Dickie was the typical con man who always seemed to get what he wanted.
‘Yer but you’re really in trouble now.’
‘Nobody can prove owt. Whacha worrying about? It got your girl some work. And I finally got me own back on that bastard North. That’ll teach ‘im not to get me put away. And I hope it will teach that bastard company a lesson. Hoped they go bust if Christmas was ruined for them.’
‘What happened to the knife then?’
‘Chucked it in the river. Dunna worry about me. I’ll be all right. I’ll manage somehow.’
‘Yer and look where it gets you. Hang on till the end of the week when I get my wages. Our Matti will have some wages then as well. That’ll give you a decent start.’
‘Ta. It’s good of you.’
‘Sylvia will let you stay here till then, won’t you Sylv?’
‘As long as he stays in his own room.’
‘I hope he’ll do that. You’d better or you’ll have me to answer to.’
‘Course I will. You can trust me.’ Dickie sneaked a grin at Sylvia.
‘Right. Let’s go and get a few drinks inside us. Make life easier, don’t it?’
*
Detective Chief Inspector Ray Jones stood in front of his group the next day. He addressed various members of the team and everyone came back with the same answers. Nothing had been found.
‘Right well we’d better start interviewing again. Anyone who didn’t provide a decent alibi needs to be brought down here and I or Ted will conduct another interview. Any suspicions you might feel, any answers that differ from earlier interviews, we’ll see them again. Go round to Jimmy North’s place, the chap who played Santa and have another look round. I’ll see Miss Pringle again and someone go and check up on Dickie Pryce, Bert’s brother. And see Bert again. Someone find out where he’s been for the past few days. Leave no stone unturned. Any questions?’
There was a murmur of
No
sir
and they all collected their notebooks and papers and left the room. Ray knew someone would take charge and organise them into groups to go and do interviews. Meanwhile, he planned to go and see Miss Pringle again.
‘Shall I come with you, sir?’
‘Possibly not a bad idea. I may need a witness.’
They drove the now familiar route to Foredyce’s and found Miss Pringle. She looked very upset to see them here again and sounded terrible.
‘What can I do for you?’ she managed to stutter.
‘Just a few more questions. Shall we go into your office rather than talk out here?’
‘Oh, yes, if you want to. I am rather busy today. Catching up on things, you know.’
‘It shouldn’t take too long. We need to go back to the time of the elf’s murder. Where exactly were you at the time?’
‘I’ve already told you. I simply don’t know. I’m always in and out of my office, visiting different departments and so on. It wasn’t me who murdered Julie. I do know that.’
‘Convince me then,’ said Ray in a somewhat unfriendly way.
‘How do I do that? I’ve told you everything I can.’
‘Do you have a letter opener?’
‘A what?’
‘A letter opener. You know, a sort of knife to slit envelopes to open them.’
‘Well yes, of course I do. I keep it in my drawer.’
‘May I see it?’ She opened her drawer and took out a slim bladed knife and handed it to Ray. ‘I’d like to take this for testing if you don’t mind.’
‘But why? Oh you can’t think it was me that killed Jimmy? Surely not.’
‘Have you got an evidence bag Ted?’ He produced a plastic bag and he slipped the knife inside. ‘Don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Very remiss of me.’
‘When will I get it back?’ she asked.
‘When the tests are finished. Tell me, do you ever see your mother?’
‘My mother? No of course not. I want to forget all about her.’
‘So who brought you up? I mean she was imprisoned when you were ten, weren’t you? Someone must have looked after you. A grandma or aunt.’
‘I was taken into care. It was dreadful. I stayed in a children’s home and hated every minute. But that was a long time ago. Something I never want to think of again.’
‘Where was this?’
‘In the Midlands somewhere.’
‘A long way from here.’
‘It was. Not really far enough.’
The DCI sat quietly for a moment. He was wondering how to ask someone whether she could have been batty enough to commit these crimes.
‘And you are quite over it all now? Your childhood. The fact that you have a mentally unstable mother who is in prison for unmentionable crimes?’
‘I try never to think about it ... her.’ She gave a shudder.
‘Where did you say you were on Wednesday afternoon?’
‘I told you. I don’t know exactly. Why do you keep asking me the same questions?’
‘Just wondering if any more thoughts had occurred to you.’
‘None at all. And for your information, I did not kill anyone. I haven’t inherited any of my mother’s tendencies in that direction. Now, if we’re finished? I have work to do.’
He rose from his seat and nodded to his colleague.
‘Very well. We’ll leave it now. I’ll let you know the results of the tests on your knife.’
‘You won’t find anything more than a few paper shreds on it. At least I’m certain of that.’
The two officers left her office and went back to their headquarters, deciding to wait until their team came back with any information.
At last, a call came in from one of their colleagues.
‘We’re bringing Bert Pryce in. He hasn’t got any satisfactory answers about where he’s been for the last few days.’
‘Right. Let me know when you arrive and I’ll come and talk to him.’
‘Will do, sir.’
Fifteen minutes later, Ray got the call. He sent Ted down first to ask him if he’d like some tea.
‘Lull him into a sense of security. I’ll be down in a few minutes.’
‘Good cop, bad cop eh?’
‘Something like that. I want him to feel secure and happy before I pounce,’ he said with a smile.
When he arrived at the interview room, Pryce and Ted were chatting like old friends. He stood and watched them. Like an irate teacher waiting for his class to settle down, it took a moment before he stopped talking. He went through the information for the tape.
‘Tell me about your brother,’ said Ray.
‘Me bruver?’
‘Yes. Dickie Pryce.’
‘What d’ya wanna know?’
‘Where is he now?’
‘At home I s’pose. Why?’