Framed in Cornwall (13 page)

‘The Three bloody Musketeers. As I’ve said before, you really do slay me, Mrs Trevelyan. Go on.’

There had been admiration in his voice. ‘The will first. Martin’s positive about it because he went with her to Truro when she drew it up and again when she signed it, although he was made to wait outside.’

Jack wrote down the name of the solicitor in question. ‘That’s great, we can take it from there. Now this Hinkston bloke.’

Rose drained the last of her coffee and went to pour more. Jack held out his mug. He was familiar with all her actions and this one, the ritual refilling, was, in Rose’s case, much the same thing as someone rolling up their sleeves ready to get stuck in.

‘Bradley Hinkston is an antiques dealer from Bristol. He has an assistant called Roy Phelps. Someone else usually runs the shop while they go out buying and selling. Occasionally they are asked for a specific object and Bradley says that’s the part he enjoys most, the search for whatever it is a customer wants. They also do valuations.’

Jack sat back, crossed his long legs at the ankles and folded his arms. He was impressed.

‘Purely by chance, or so he says, they came across Martin when he turned up at the pub in which they were staying. They got chatting and Martin, a bit the worse for wear, started boasting about his mother’s possessions once he knew what line of work they were in. They bought him more drinks. Now I don’t know whether this was to loosen his vocal chords further or whether there was a more innocent explanation.’ Rose looked thoughtful. ‘He didn’t strike me as a dishonest man, but that’s only my opinion, for what it’s worth.’

Your opinion is extremely valuable to me, Jack thought, and you’re a damn good judge of character. ‘So Hinkston hot tails it out to the Pengelly place to do Dorothy out of her paintings or whatever.’

‘Not according to him. He says after he spoke to Martin he looked up the number and address in the phone book and
contacted her first. He put his cards on the table and she invited him out there. Naturally Bradley was interested, who wouldn’t be? But he wasn’t sure if Martin was telling the complete truth. Dorothy gave him a warm welcome and said something along the lines about his having come at the right time. He couldn’t believe his luck. He said she offered him the Stanhope Forbes and that she had a pretty good idea how much it was worth. There was, however, one proviso. He had to find her a replica. He got one that day, they’re not hard to come by.’

‘Come off it, Rose. You surely didn’t fall for that?’

‘Why not? He says he paid her by cheque. There’ll be a record of it somewhere.’

‘But why did she want the picture replaced?’

‘That’s the thing. She wanted him to come back as soon as he could and buy more stuff from her but all under the same conditions. She didn’t want her family to know anything was missing. And again according to Bradley, it was to do with her will.’

‘I don’t understand. If she’d made one, however she divided her estate, selling her possessions wouldn’t make any difference.’

Rose shrugged and brushed back her hair. ‘I know. You’ll have to get the will to find out.’

‘We’d already asked questions at the pub,’ Jack said to fill the silence which followed Rose’s last statement. He vaguely resented it, it was as if she was telling him how to do his job. ‘The landlord wasn’t any help. He knew we wanted to speak to those men – he should have got in touch when they came back.’

‘Only one of them came back and he went out to Dorothy’s for a second time.’ Rose paused. ‘The day before yesterday.’

Jack’s mouth dropped open and Rose could not help smiling. One to me, Jack Pearce, she thought, and here comes a second one. She opened her bag which was hanging over the back of her chair. ‘Bradley Hinkston’s business card. In case you wanted to speak to him.’

Jack stared at it, then at Rose who was unable to hide a smirk. He nodded as he placed the card in his inside jacket pocket. ‘I suppose you know how grateful I am?’

‘Naturally, and with justification.’

‘Then you also know you should have told me all this before, as soon as you went to Dorothy’s and Martin told you Hinkston had come back.’

‘What difference would it have made?’ Trust you, she thought. Maybe he’d like to charge her with something. But deep down she knew he was right.

‘It would have saved us a day. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?’

‘No. That’s it. I thought I ought to leave some of it to our wonderful boys in blue.’

‘Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Rose.’

‘No. But you were the one who suggested I go and see Peter, you’re the one who got me involved and you obviously know a lot of things which you can’t tell me. One day won’t make any difference, Jack, not to Dorothy anyway.’ To her consternation Rose found she was crying. The tears came without warning because it had suddenly hit her that she would never see Dorothy again.

‘Oh, Rose. Don’t. Please.’

He got up and went around to her side of the table where she sat with her face in her hands and gently touched the back of her neck beneath her hair. He had forgotten that feelings were involved, that Rose had been Dorothy’s friend. Nothing seemed important other than that she stopped crying and told him it was not all over between them. Hinkston was an honest man, Dorothy had killed herself, Dorothy had been murdered, he would believe anything if it meant not losing Rose.

Rose straightened up. ‘I’m sorry. It’s a long time since I’ve made such a fool of myself.’ Her voice was cold. ‘There’s nothing else I can tell you so you might as well leave.’

‘No.’ He knelt on the flagstone floor. ‘No, Rose, I won’t leave until you say I can see you again.’

‘And if I don’t?’

He raised his palms helplessly. ‘Then I don’t know what I’d do,’ he said very quietly.

Rose wiped away a last tear with her index finger. ‘Give me a ring this evening. I need to be on my own right now.’

He stood and walked slowly to the door. It wasn’t a definite no, he had to be content with that.

When he’d gone Rose cried again, her head on the table as the hot tears of release flowed down her face. She had not realised how tense she was and how hard it would be to say goodbye to Jack. Not that she had done so yet. It was also a relief to hand everything over to him. But she had forgotten to tell him about the telephone call. She had almost forgotten it herself. Bradley Hinkston? Why not? Perhaps Dorothy had mentioned her name, or Martin for that matter. More likely Martin, who may have built her up out of all proportion. But why would Bradley think that Rose would not be satisfied with a suicide verdict? And hadn’t she told Jack she thought he was honest?

Nothing made sense. She promised herself a long, hot bath and an evening with a book. Apart from the party, there was nothing in her diary for tomorrow; she would find a suitable card and present for Mike.

Bradley Hinkston had stopped off in Plymouth as arranged but the house clearance sale had been a waste of time. He had left half-way through the bidding which he had watched just as a matter of interest. When he arrived home he was not surprised to learn that someone from the Avon police was coming later to ask him some questions.

Jack had arranged this and he remained at Camborne until the transcript of that interview was faxed through. Every few minutes he was tempted to pick up the phone and ring Rose but he knew it was best to leave it until he went home.

He studied the fax. It corresponded with what Rose had said almost verbatim, except she had omitted the threats Martin had made to Hinkston. Her loyalty had never been in question; she would not have wanted Dorothy’s son to be under the slightest suspicion. It did, however, show that Martin was capable of threatening behaviour, although this was hardly unusual if he was protecting his mother’s property.

The will surprised him. The lawyer in question had been more
co-operative than some and Jack had been allowed to read the contents in the privacy of the older man’s office.

Peter Pengelly was to inherit the house. ‘It won’t fetch a great deal,’ the solicitor had told Jack. ‘Its isolation will only appeal to a few, there’s no central heating or double-glazing and it needs an awful lot of work done to the interior. A new kitchen and bathroom for a start.’

Even so it was a house with a saleable value and Jack would not have turned his nose up at it. What was interesting was that Dorothy Pengelly had left the remainder of her estate to Martin. This would include the house contents and her not inconsiderable savings which had now come to light. Why, then, had she been trying to sell off Martin’s inheritance? Had she been worried that Peter and Gwen would get their hands on her valuables and sell them off or did she believe that Martin would not realise their worth and be duped out of them?

He studied the list again. It contained over thirty items. Alongside each was a detailed description and an approximate valuation. Jack whistled through his teeth. The amount in question made Martin Pengelly an extremely wealthy man and was motive enough for anyone to commit murder. Martin Pengelly would be as rich as a lottery winner.

Only one thing was wrong: the cheque Bradley Hinkston claimed he had given Dorothy for the Stanhope Forbes had not been paid into either of her accounts.

The bank had a record of a telephone call from Dorothy but the cheque had not, as Hinkston believed, been subjected to special clearance. Dorothy had only gone as far as to verify that there were enough funds to meet it. Therefore, he concluded, she at least had had it in her possession at some time. Had Hinkston somehow retrieved it? Surely he wouldn’t have bothered writing it out if he had intended harming her.

And what of Martin? Had he killed his mother for the money because he couldn’t wait for her to die? Did money actually mean anything to him? He drank too much but otherwise his needs were basic.

Jack shook his head in frustration. The timing didn’t fit. Hinkston had visited Dorothy on the Thursday morning. Dorothy
had had enough time to contact the bank and although an exact time of death was impossible to pin-point she certainly had not died that early in the day. There was no reason for Hinkston to have waited, to have gone back later – he could have done whatever he intended whilst he was there. Unless, Jack thought, Dorothy had said she was expecting someone. Maybe Hinkston thought she would not have had a chance to pay the cheque in, which now seemed likely. With the man’s consent they were now checking Hinkston’s account to see if the relevant sum had been debited or transferred elsewhere.

He was too tired to think straight and Rose kept intruding upon his deliberations. He had not seen her cry before and, if he had his way, he would never let her do so again. But with Rose Trevelyan it was not a case of having his own way. He picked up the telephone and dialled her number. There was no reply but he had already steeled himself to that probability.

Rose woke at a quarter past four. The previous evening she had unplugged the telephone and enjoyed a long soak in the bath followed by a decent meal. At nine o’clock she had collapsed into bed and fallen asleep immediately, her unopened library book sliding off the bed unnoticed. Consequently she was awake early.

She opened her eyes and listened for sounds. There were none, not even the soughing of the wind in the chimney breast. Not a noise, but a dream, she thought, realising what had woken her. But it was rapidly dissolving, slipping away from her as easily as the sun burned off an early morning mist. She tried not to think about it, hoping it would come back, but whatever pleasant memories it had evoked had now disappeared.

She padded downstairs, barefoot, and made a pot of tea. To her side were some notes she scribbled down; her own thoughts which could in no way be construed as evidence or facts. She
studied them until the yellow light of dawn appeared on the horizon then decided to complete the work she had begun yesterday. She was rapidly approaching her goal but the jobs still on hand would be done to the best of her ability. Her own dissatisfaction, she thought, was nothing compared with that of Gwen Pengelly. Hooking her hair behind her ears she wondered what had made her think that. The downward turn of the mouth, maybe, the nervous energy? Or was it guilt? Still in her towelling robe she mounted some photographs under the enlarger. It was only six thirty. Ahead of her was a whole new day and she was going to take a walk along the beach. Rose, like almost everyone in Newlyn, knew the movements of the tide as well as most people know the days of the week.

As daylight rose into the eastern sky she stepped down on to the pebbles below Newlyn Green. All the rocks beyond the shore were exposed, dark and jagged against the limpid sea. There was no one in sight, which surprised her for she was not alone in taking early morning strolls. She wanted to speak to Doreen Clarke who would not have thanked her for a call before 7 a.m., even if she was an early riser.

Her shoes scrunched into the the shifting mounds of stones until she reached the hard, wet sand left uncovered by the tide. She stood quietly, watching the waders as they fed along the shoreline and in the crevices of rocks. Most of them had returned now for the winter. A crow, unintimidated, scavenged alongside herring-gulls, dunlins sank their beaks into the yielding wetness and a flock of sanderlings scurried along the edge of the lapping water like miniature road-runners. A man approached and let his dog off the lead. In unison the birds took off and circled until they felt safe to land again. The air was full of their wings and their calls. The labrador stopped to sniff at something then ran on further, barking gruffly at a row of gulls further along the tide-line. They squawked indignantly, rose as one then settled down again as soon as the dog had passed.

Rose walked the full length of the beach until the walls of the Jubilee Pool were towering above her. It was closed for the winter but she was fond of the 1930s art deco construction and had been pleased when it had been restored for use.

The tide crept slowly in. There was no way now around the pool whose foundations were built out on to Battery Rocks. She mounted the slope which led up to the Promenade, stamped the sand from her shoes and retraced her steps on firmer ground.

Doreen Clarke usually left the house at eight thirty; if she walked quickly Rose would just have time to catch her before she set off for work. She could not understand how anyone could choose to earn a living cleaning other people’s houses, especially on a Saturday morning. Facing her own housework was bad enough for Rose.

‘Anything the matter, dear?’ Doreen inquired, surprised to hear the hesitancy in Rose’s voice.

‘No, not really. But there’s something I wanted to ask you. Fancy coming over for coffee later?’

‘Suits me. You know I always love a bit of a chat with you. Besides, I can’t get any sense from Cyril at the moment, he spends half his time guarding those blasted vegetables of his. Don’t ask me why, he hardly ever wins a prize.’

Rose was smiling when she replaced the receiver. Doreen was a good soul and down to earth but it was easy to see why her husband spent a lot of his time in the garden or greenhouse. He had suffered the same fate as many others when Geever mine closed but he had taken up gardening and Rose often benefited from his gifts of produce.

Armed with her painting things she set off on foot again. Going down through the village, she stopped for a moment to watch the auctioneers in the market as they gabbled the prices for boxes of fish. After choosing a birthday card in the paper shop she carried on up the Coombe, worrying about whether her choice of gift for Mike was acceptable. The river, to her right, flowed steadily, bubbling over the stones and under the bridge and spreading around the stems of the giant rhubarb which flourished there. To her left the fish shops were preparing for the day ahead.

When the pavement ended she took the path between two rows of trees and tried to remember exactly where Barry had told her she could find Saw-wort. It was, apparently, common in the south-west but scattered elsewhere, preferring damp, grassy
places with woods nearby. Having taken the precaution of checking in one of her reference books she knew what she was looking for. It was a thistle-like plant but without spines and flowered until October. I’ll say one thing about this, she thought, my knowledge of natural history’s increasing.

As always when she painted, time passed quickly. Only the altered angle of the sun told her how long she had been working.

Regretting she had not brought the car Rose began the walk home. Some fishermen she knew were heading for the pub. ‘Absolutely not,’ she told them, smiling, but with a firm shake of the head when they tried to persuade her to join them. There would be enough to drink later.

Taking her canvas bag up to the attic Rose paused on the way back down to look at her new outfit which was on a hanger hooked over the top of the bedroom door. Yes, she thought, it’s definitely me.

Turning away she pulled open the bottom drawer of the wooden chest set against the wall opposite the window. With shaking hands she lifted out a flat, rectangular object wrapped in clean sacking. It was the oil painting she had started when David first became ill and which she had completed in the dark months after his death. It had not been out of the drawer since.

‘My God.’ She almost dropped it. Finishing it was a vague memory yet now she saw it she clearly recalled almost attacking the canvas with her brushes. The strokes were strong, the colours vivid.

She propped it on the chest and stood back. As if her circulation had been sluggish Rose suddenly felt the blood pulsing through her veins. ‘Bloody hell, Rose Trevelyan, it’s good.’ And it was. It was exciting and real: the picture lived. Had that been the missing ingredient of her youthful attempts? Were pain and experience necessary to produce decent work? No, she rationalised, not always, but they are with me.

The idea had been to give it to Mike but now she hesitated. Only when she conceded that if the past was to be completely behind her she needed to make this final gesture did she go down to the kitchen and wrap it in tissue and sheets of shiny gold paper.

Doreen arrived at twelve, straight from her Saturday job and before going into Penzance to shop. ‘Like I said, you can’t have a proper chat with Cyril under your feet,’ she complained although Cyril was rarely in the house.

She sat down heavily and placed her bag neatly on the floor beside her, surreptitiously studying Rose’s face. ‘You look different, somehow, if you don’t mind me saying.’

‘Do I?’ It was typical of Doreen that she had noticed. Rose felt different; alive and full of an enthusiasm that even Dorothy’s death could not dispel. Or maybe her death was partly responsible for it, having made Rose aware that life should not be wasted. ‘Well, I’m going to a party tonight.’ Explanation enough for Doreen who would not understand the complexities of Rose’s mental metamorphosis, or her decision concerning Jack.

‘Ooh, lovely. Where?’

‘Blast.’ The telephone was ringing, Rose regretted plugging it back in.

‘Keep away from Dorothy’s place. Understand?’ The voice was gruff, unrecognisable. The line went dead before Rose could say she would not be intimidated by someone too cowardly to give his name. ‘I will not give in,’ she said. ‘I will not.’ She returned to the kitchen determined not to let Doreen see that anything was wrong. Had she been watched that day when she couldn’t find Martin? Perhaps it was not imagination after all.

‘How’s Martin? Have you seen him recently?’ Doreen asked as she spooned two sugars into her coffee and stirred it vigorously.

‘I think he’s beginning to come to terms with it.’ Rose hesitated. ‘Doreen, what you were saying the other day, about Gwen and Peter, is there anything else you can tell me?’ Rose wished she had listened more carefully at the time.

‘Maybe. Hey, you’re not trying to do your young man’s work for him, are you?’ There was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes and her round, red face lit up expectantly, but Rose did not answer.

‘Well, if you want my advice, and I don’t suppose you do, he’s a decent enough bloke and if he’s any sort of a detective he ought to realise what a good catch you are.’

Rose appreciated the flattery but realised that it was useless discussing Jack with Doreen, who was of the opinion that a woman should be grateful for any man she could get hold of then make it her duty to keep him.

‘What were we saying, dear? Oh, Gwen. Well, let me think.’ She leaned forward, elbows on the table, and lowered her voice conspiratorially. Rose knew more coffee would be required.

Jobber Hicks had taken it upon himself to become Martin’s mentor. Dorothy was gone and the boy needed someone and, of all the people in the world, the two of them would never forget her. When he used to visit Dorothy, Martin was often absent or, if he did appear, soon took himself back up over the hill. Of course, in later years he had taken to living in the van and Jobber had seen even less of him. Star had settled down quite quickly but she, like Jobber, was getting on a bit. He felt there ought to be more he could do for the son of the woman he had loved. Yes, he thought, I did love her. It was the first time he had verbalised his feelings. Before, he had described her to himself as a fine woman, a strong one, and the only one he had wanted to marry. Perhaps if he had expressed his feelings rather than merely pointing out the benefits of their getting married things might have turned out differently. It was time to make amends.

The more he thought about it the more certain he became that his idea was a good one. The outcome would depend on Martin but he intended asking him if he would like to bring the van down to the farm. Jobber could find work for him, something manual, something which would not confuse or intimidate him. George could move into the farmhouse if Martin didn’t want him in the van and they could, if Martin was willing, share some of their evening meals together. It would be company for them both. He did not want to admit that he wanted someone he could talk to about Dorothy.

Jobber had made up his mind but he was afraid to ask in case the answer was no.

Mike and Barbara Phillips lived in a rambling house out near Drift Reservoir. The façade was shielded from the narrow road by a hedge of evergreen shrubs but few cars or people ever passed the place.

Rose got out of the taxi and walked towards the front door, which was open. Light flooded from the house, spilling on to the uneven path and turning the leaves of the hydrangea beneath the windows a purplish blue. Its flowers had turned from pink to green and many were already dry and browning. The sound of music and conversation and clinking glasses made her realise how much she had been missing. She was just about to ring the bell when Barbara appeared in the doorway, chic in a straight silvery dress which would have made most people look shapeless. Her blonde hair was wound into a complicated chignon.

‘Rose! Wonderful to see you. Have you come alone?’ Barbara peered down the path before kissing her. ‘Good. I’m glad.’ She stepped back. ‘My, my, you look great. What have you done to yourself?’

‘Oh, it’s the new clothes.’ Rose smiled. There was a light in her eyes which had not been there for some time. She felt good in the muslin skirt with its black satin lining which caressed her bare legs as she walked. Tucked into it was an emerald silk blouson. Her auburn hair lay in soft waves around her shoulders and there were gold hoops in her ears, gold sandals on her feet. Under her arm was her gift.

She followed Barbara into the lounge which was softly lit. More than twenty people had arrived before her. Rose recognised several faces and, during the short journey across the room, was introduced to several more. ‘Ah, here’s the birthday boy.’ Barbara laid a possessive hand on Mike’s arm. Of medium build and with short brown hair and glasses, he was not good-looking but there was an air of gentleness about him and a kind curve to his mouth. He, too, kissed Rose and said how pleased he was to see her.

‘About Dorothy – I’m really sorry.’

‘It’s all right.’ Rose did not want to spoil the mood of the evening. ‘Here, this is for you.’ She handed him the parcel. ‘Happy birthday.’

Mike turned to find a space in which to unwrap it. Placing it on a small side table he carefully removed the shiny paper and pulled away the tissue then he stood back. ‘Oh, Rose,’ he whispered. ‘Oh, Rose, I never knew. Look, Barbara.’

Barbara came to his side and frowned before straightening up. ‘Did you do this?’ Rose nodded. ‘Stella, come over here a minute,’ Barbara called, waving an impatient hand to a black-haired woman in the corner. ‘And you, Daniel.’

The couple approached them but no introductions were made until the painting had been examined.

Within three or four minutes Rose knew that her life had changed. Stella Jackson, whose own work was highly rated and who was rarely without an exhibition somewhere, expressed her genuine admiration, as did Daniel Wright, who was her husband and a sculptor. Daniel whistled through his teeth. ‘It’s terrific, Rose. Have you always painted?’