Chance-met Stranger Page 5

  She finished, and went to chivvy Liz into the bathroom, with strict orders to be no more than five minutes. Pulling on jeans and a sweater, she dragged a comb through her hair, and went to face Manuel.

  He had brewed coffee, and a pile of toast awaited her.

  'Let's eat first,' he said, but he didn't smile and his tone was grim.

  Janie had no appetite, but with his stern gaze on her she didn't feel like arguing, so she buttered a slice and began to nibble at it. When Liz, for once remarkably brisk, joined them, they all ate in silence.

  'I can't stand this any more!' Liz suddenly exclaimed. 'What's the matter with you?'

  Manuel pulled a crumpled sheet of paper, protected by a polythene bag, from his pocket and threw it down before them. It was damp, splattered with drops of red paint, and the crudely printed capitals, done with a black marker pen, had run so that it was difficult to read.

  'Don't get in my way or you'll regret it,' Manuel recited, his voice expressionless.

  'Who did this? When did you find it?' Janie asked.

  'It would be more appropriate to ask where. It was on the windscreen of my car this morning, where I normally park it in the driveway of my house. My car, which had had all the wheels removed, the bodywork scored with obscenities, and red paint thrown over all the windows. They obviously came prepared. All nice quiet methods of vandalism which wouldn't have disturbed anyone at dead of night.'

  'Oh no! But who? Why are you accusing us?' Liz asked.

  'I don't accuse you of anything except crass stupidity for letting that vicious brute of a boyfriend know where you are, and who helped you.'

  It took time, but eventually Manuel accepted that neither of them had had any contact with Terry or let him know anything about Manuel's help.

  'We didn't even tell Rosa where we were,' Liz said earnestly.

  'The police know where you are, and the CAB people,' Janie reminded her. 'But they wouldn't tell Terry, and they couldn't know about Manuel. There's no connection.'

  Manuel was looking less grim now. 'The only possible way is for someone who saw me fetching Liz away from her flat, and took my licence number. I suppose there are ways of tracing the owners, even though the information is not supposed to be given out.'

  'Terry knew a couple of policemen,' Liz said slowly. 'He said one of them owed him a favour. I don't know what it was, but I expect he could find out.'

  'If he's crooked, but I imagine most of Terry's friends are,' Janie said bitterly. 'Manuel, you were so good to us both, and I'm so sorry you've been attacked like this. It's so unfair!'

  He smiled, for the first time that morning. 'Pure bad luck for someone to notice my car number. It must have been one of your neighbours, Liz. Any ideas?'

  She shook her head. 'No, but there are a couple of elderly women in one of the flats near by who are always complaining that we make too much noise, and have too many visitors with noisy cars and bikes.'

  'Have they done any more than complain to you?' Janie asked, wondering what sort of life Liz had been leading.

  'They've called the police once or twice when we've had parties. Maybe they were snooping, take car numbers as a hobby. If Terry talked to them they'd have told him.'

  'Especially if he claimed to be from the police, or an environmental health officer from the council,' Janie suggested. 'Rosa said he talked to some of the neighbours, and it sounds like the sort of trick he'd pull. Manuel, you must let me pay for the damage to be put right,' she added, wondering how much in debt she would be by the time this was over. She was by now resigned to losing all her inheritance one way or another.

  'My insurance will pay, Janie. But now I have my own quarrel with this villain. It makes me determined to punish him. So tell me what has happened. You have contacted the police and a solicitor, I hope?'

  Janie gasped and looked at her watch. 'Help, that reminds me! I have to see my solicitor in ten minutes! Manuel, will you stay here with Liz, please? I don't want to leave her alone.'

  'Sure. Go on, I'll stay.'

  Janie ran all the way, and arrived only five minutes late. She panted into the reception area, and gasped out apologies.

  'It's all right, Mr Simpson has been held up with another client, but he phoned in to say he'll be here in ten minutes. Can I get you a coffee?'

  An hour later she was on her way back home, having been reassured that Mr Simpson thought it most unlikely that his late client would have changed her mind about her will, or used another solicitor to draw one up.

  'She did all her legal business through the firm, first with my uncle, and when he retired, with me. I shall subject this other one to the closest scrutiny. And I will go and see the man who runs the second hand furniture business, and see what light he can throw upon the supposed finding of it. Tell Mr Cook to have his solicitor contact me.'

  The opportunity for that came sooner than Janie had expected. At the flat she met Brian approaching from the opposite direction.

  'Not back at work yet?' he asked her. 'I thought nurses worked all the time, they are so valuable they can't be spared.'

  Janie fitted her key into the lock. 'If it's any business of yours I took some of my holiday for moving. I'm entitled to that just as much as other people are. My solicitor, Mr Simpson, wants to speak to yours,' she added over her shoulder.

  She opened the door and went inside, but before she could close it Brian had his foot in the doorway.

  'Come on Janie, you don't want to lose everything to the lawyers, do you? I made you a good offer, and if you agree I'll forget about this other will, which I think is generous of me. Why don't you share it, like I suggested, then we'll both be happy? If you don't, either I'll get the lot, or the lawyers will.'

  'Go away, and get your foot out of the door!' Janie shouted at him. Her nerves were beginning to disintegrate, she thought wildly. Too much was happening, too quickly.

  'Janie, what's the matter?'

  It was Manuel, and Janie turned to him. 'Please will you get rid of this – this bloodsucker!'

  Brian had stepped back. 'Oh, I see, the boyfriend's moved in, has he? Tell him you won't have any money at all, so if that's what he's after he'd better have second thoughts. All right, old chap, I'm going. But you'll hear from me soon, Janie.'

  He backed away, and Janie caught at Manuel's clenched hand. 'Let him go,' she urged. 'He's not worth hitting.'

  Manuel glanced down at her, and Janie quickly let go of his hand. 'Why do you two girls attract trouble?'

  ***

  Chapter 5

  'We'll go and see this second hand dealer,' Manuel said. 'Did you try him today when you were in town?'

  'No, I was anxious to get back here.'

  'Can I come too?' Liz asked. 'I don't want to stay here by myself. I'm too scared.'

  'I think it best you do stay here,' Manuel told her. 'Just think, if Terry is watching me, he may expect me to lead him to you.'

  'But if he is, and sees you here, surely leaving Liz on her own is risky?' Janie said, worried. 'At least if she's with us he's not likely to do anything too vicious.'

  'Does he know you're her sister?'

  Janie shook her head. 'I've never met him. Liz, does he know about me? Where I live, anything like that?'

  'No, you were never mentioned. I've only known him a few weeks, we haven't got around to exchanging family histories! But I don't want to stay here on my own!'

  'Keep away from the windows, don't answer the door or the phone, and we'll be back in less than an hour. Unless you'd like me to go on my own to the dealer?' he added, turning to Jane.

  'No, I'd better come. You wouldn't know the dresser.'

  Liz protested, but Manuel patiently reassured her. 'He doesn't know Janie, and you don't really look like her, you're much darker and not so tall. Even if he sees Janie and me together why should he associate you with us? He may know me, if he was watching my flat and followed me here, but there aren't many places for him to hide, to watch this flat, and for all
he knows Janie might be just a girlfriend.'

  Janie wasn't sure what to make of the 'just', then she chided herself for being silly. She wasn't his girlfriend in any sense. Not that she'd have objected, though. Then she shrugged off the idea. She was off men since Robert, and such a good looking man as Manuel probably had girls lining up for him.

  'I'd expect him to get out of the area fast, after what he did to Manuel's car. From the way this letter's splattered I'd expect there to be some paint on his clothes. There's no reason for him to know or even suspect you're here. For all he knows Manuel could have just taken you to a friend's house, in Bristol or anywhere. If whoever took the car number told him I was there, I could have been anyone.'

  'They could have described you to him. And the chances are you live near Manuel,' Liz insisted.

  Janie nodded. 'That's true, but we're speculating, and arguing isn't getting us anywhere. You can't stay in hiding for ever. Manuel, have you told the police about the damage to your car?'

  'Yes, and they will be coming round to inspect it, and I have to give them this note.'

  'Then you have to go back home soon,' Janie said, and was surprised at the dismay she felt. Liz's anxiety was beginning to affect her nerves.

  'So the sooner we get moving the better. You'll be fine, Liz, and we won't be long. Come on, Janie.'

  At the dealer's they found a big, beefy man supervising the unloading of a small van, not unlike the one Manuel and Tim had used for Janie's furniture. He was cursing two weedy-looking youths who didn't look strong enough to carry the big old-fashioned wardrobe, shouting instructions at them as they manoeuvered it into place near the doorway.

  When they turned to fetch the next item Manuel stepped in front of him and prevented him from leaving the shop.

  'Are you Bert?'

  'What if I am? What do you want?'

  'I sold you an old dresser last week,' Janie cut in. 'I heard some papers had been found in it, and I wondered if that was true?'

  'Look, dearie, I buy and sell lots of stuff, how can you expect me to remember every stupid piece?'

  'So you don't remember these papers being found? Surely that would have been rather unusual?'

  'They might have been. I'm not responsible for what gets left behind in drawers, we get all sorts of rubbish people have forgot. But if you want them back, you'll have to pay me. What I bought from you I paid for.'

  'But you don't have them. You sent them to the person whose name was on the envelope,' Manuel said, pulling out his wallet.

  Bert glanced up at him from suddenly narrowed eyes. 'In an envelope, you say?'

  'So I was told.'

  'I do recall an envelope being found. But you said papers. That's not an envelope.'

  Janie tried to control her temper. 'Did you find them?'

  Manuel rustled a couple of ten pound notes together, and Bert glanced at him, then smiled at Janie.

  'No, luv, someone who was looking round the shop said they'd found them. A girl, pretty little thing. Said they'd been stuck at the back of a drawer and it hadn't closed properly, so she'd pulled it right out and found this envelope.'

  'That's not possible,' Janie said.. 'I had all the drawers out before you collected it, and there was nothing there then. I'd swear to that.'

  'Where is the dresser?' Manuel asked. 'I'll have a look.'

  'Now that you can't do. I sold it yesterday. Cash, and I don't know the woman who bought it, but she took it away with her. She had a van like mine, full of stuff it was. I think she was another dealer, probably from Bristol or Cardiff, hoping to do it up and make a few bob.'

  'If you see her again, let Miss Tempest know who she is, please,' Manuel said, offering Bert the two ten pound notes.

  He grasped Janie by the arm and hustled her outside.

  'You shouldn't have given him anything,' she protested. 'I'm sure he was lying!'

  'Well, he didn't admit to finding any papers, so it looks as though Brian's friend Christine planted it, if what we suspect is correct. She could be described as a pretty little thing. When she's not scowling.'

  'She's not pretty at all!' Janie snapped. 'But we are no further forward. What shall we do?'

  'Wait until Brian's solicitor produces the will. Now I will see you home, make sure Liz is all right, and I must meet the police.'

  'I'm so sorry about your car,' Janie said, sighing. 'If you want to borrow mine while it's being repaired, I'd feel a bit happier. I don't need it until I go back to work next Monday.'

  'Thanks, Janie, but I'll hire one. I can't leave you without a car.'

  'You'll let us know what the police say?'

  'Of course.'

  'Come round for supper tonight.'

  'Thank you, but I have to go and see someone. I'll phone, and I'd better give you my mobile number. Phone me if anything happens. But take care, and try to persuade Liz to be sensible.'

  Janie felt deflated. She'd come to rely on Manuel's support. That was all, she tried to convince herself, but innate honesty made her admit that it was Manuel she wanted to be with.

  By the time Sunday came Janie was feeling ready to strangle Liz. Manuel had rung once on Thursday afternoon to say the police would be questioning Terry, but they heard no more. Janie feared he was getting tired of them. Liz had spells when she fretted about what would happen to her, whether she would have to pay an enormous fine, or lose her licence, or even go to prison, and then seemed to shrug it off and forget all about it when she recalled Janie's promises of help. In that mood she complained that she was already in prison, and why couldn't she go out to get some fresh air, or do some shopping, or find a hairdresser to cut her hair.

  Janie could stand the strain no longer, and suggested they drove out into the country for lunch. 'We'll head eastwards, away from Bristol, and find a small pub in the country.

  'It's raining,' Liz objected.

  'It often does in February! But it might clear up, and you keep saying you want to go out.'

  Liz heaved a tremendous sigh, but nodded. 'OK, we'll go.'

  By the time they got back home they were both feeling more cheerful. The sun had emerged, the pub they found had delicious food, and on the way home they had called in at a garden centre for Janie to buy some houseplants.

  'I miss the garden at the cottage,' she explained. 'I'd only just got used to having one, then it's snatched away from me by the council.'

  'That was tough,' Liz agreed. 'Janie, what am I to do? Can I really come and live with you?'

  Janie sighed inwardly. 'Let's see what happens, whether the police are going to prosecute you, whether Terry calms down.'

  Liz shuddered. 'I don't want to see him ever again.'

  Janie was thinking that she would have to find a larger flat if Liz did have to join her. They would need two bedrooms, for she was determined she would not share with her sister, and they could not continue to use the settee.

  'I have to leave at the crack of dawn or before, in the morning, I'm on the early shift,' she said. 'I'd better sleep on the settee tonight and then I won't disturb you.'

  Liz frowned. 'Does that mean you'll want to go to bed early? There's a programme on tele I wanted to watch.'

  'You can take it into the bedroom, and yes, Liz, I must go to bed early. If I'm the one earning, then I need my sleep!'

  Liz flounced out of the kitchen where they'd been eating supper. 'Then I'll go to bed now,' she said. 'I know I'm being a nuisance, but I'll keep out of your way.'

  As she drove to work through the lanes the next morning, yawning, Janie thought ruefully that Liz's idea of keeping out of her way was to creep ostentatiously through the sitting room several times during the evening, and come in while Janie was dressing to beg her not to go to work, for she'd be afraid to stay on her own.

  'Ring Manuel's mobile if you're frightened,' Janie said briskly. 'Don't ring me at the hospital, you know I can't answer personal calls. But leave the curtains drawn and don't let anyone know you're here.'

 
; She felt mean, but she hoped Liz would be sensible and keep out of sight. As they had heard nothing more perhaps Terry's fury had been spent by the damage done to Manuel's car, and he would have other concerns. Perhaps the police had warned him. He might even be in trouble for not insuring his car.

  There was little time to think, she was so busy all day. It was getting dark by the time she arrived back home, and she was looking forward to a soak in the bath and a glass of wine, then another early night when she might be allowed to sleep.

  As she opened the door she heard voices. Apprehensive, she almost ran into the sitting room to find Liz sitting on the settee, and Manuel standing beside her. The relief, and the surge of joy she felt on seeing him, made her dizzy for a moment. Liz, seeing her, jumped to her feet.

  'Janie, the solicitor rang. He wants you to go and see him when you can.'

  'I thought you weren't going to answer the phone?'

  'I didn't!' Liz was indignant. 'He left a message on the machine, I listened to that.'

  'Oh. Of course. Sorry. Nothing else has happened?'

  'No, it's been deadly boring until Manuel came. Are you going down now? You'll have time before he closes.'

  Janie groaned. She was exhausted and had no wish to go out again. 'I suppose I'd better. I'll change out of my uniform first.'

  'I'll walk down with you,' Manuel offered. 'It will be as quick as trying to park. Liz can cook you a meal while we're out.'

  Liz seemed about to protest, but Manuel smiled at her and she closed her mouth, nodded, and went reluctantly into the kitchen. Janie suppressed a grin. No one else had ever been able to persuade Liz to help around the house. She existed on microwave meals and take aways, or things on toast, Janie suspected.

  'Can your car be repaired?' she asked as they set off.

  'Yes, but it will take time.'

  'Have the police interviewed Terry, do you know?'

  'They haven't told me, but I wouldn't expect them to. I might have to take out a private prosecution, but I doubt if Terry has the money to pay for the damage, so it would be a waste of time.'