Chapter 25 – The Widow’s Tale
The walk to Anna’s house was a surprisingly quick one. Though Anna was a short woman, she had a long stride and her feet were so swift, Danni had to jog to keep up with her. She dared not get too close, however, for fear of what that stick might do. Even if it was just accidental, she didn’t relish the thought of having the bones in her feet broken by it. They passed by Poppy on their way back to the house and walked further up the lane. Now, when she glanced back, the houses and shops behind them were soon turning to specks in the distance and the farms were damn near invisible.
They passed by empty fields and leave strewn corners, but no people. Danni had to wonder if anyone ever bothered to come up this far or if they believed that the village was all there was to see up here. When Anna took a moment to collect her breath, Danni turned around to stare at the beautiful sight. From here, she could see past the village, the city, off into the distance where the mists were still swirling, casting the sun’s light in every direction, setting the horizon to glow so bright, it was dazzling! But that was nothing compared to what Danni saw next. Turning off to the right, she found herself approaching a grand Manor House, rather than the cottage she had been expecting.
If Poppy was large, inside and out, then this was positively monumental! Three storeys in height, large windows, placed at intervals, decorated every floor and the roof, smooth steps leading to a pair of grand double doors. Danni had to crane her head to try and see, spotting empty window boxes underneath every window, then upwards to the roof, where what looked like gargoyles were staring down upon them. Atop pillars on either side of the stairs, stone statues depicting a winged lion and a unicorn stood guard, a shield insignia adorned the front door, All around them, plush green lawns spread out, with stone lanes splitting them up with flowerbeds every which way. Though they were empty, the same as Poppy’s, they had to present a vision when they would bloom every summer.
“This place…” What book, what piece of literature had she walked into?
“It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?” Anna remarked, smirking.
“Don’t you find it too big?” Danni breathed, wondering how anyone could live alone in such a place! She had found herself overwhelmed by Poppy and it was a fraction of the size in comparison to this. This was a small palace!
“You’d think so, but that’s why I’m almost relieved that so many staff have been pushed upon me. I can’t move as I used to, so it was decided, not by me, but by my relatives, may they rest in peace, that I should have some help. Mostly it’s one or two people who clean up and cook for me, but I decided the ‘more the merrier’. Now I have about 4 families living with me. Some of them go to school in the village, others work in the city and they all live here. Free of charge, lord knows I don’t need the money.”
“Is it an upstairs, downstairs situation?”
“Oh no. Think of it more like a hotel. All I ask is that they keep their rooms clean, don’t make too much noise, etc. etc., then I’m more than happy to let them stay. If I’d had the pleasure of having children, I would have bequeathed it to them. Instead, I’ve decided that it will go to all these people who have helped me for so long.”
Walking through the doors, they entered into a vast foyer with shields, portraits, helmets and swords innumerable decorating the walls. What wasn’t covered up by this awe-inspiring collection, was instead filled with tapestries, paintings, portraits, silhouettes, scenes of fantasy and reality. Tournaments, grand balls, mythical feats and historical battles, moments stolen between lovers, hunting parties, some as small as postcards, others stretching from the ceiling to the floor.
“Where on earth did you get these?” Danni asked in a breathless voice.
“Ah, that is a funny story. They are my family’s. Our lineage goes back farther than anyone has ever tried to document and I’ve given up trying. All I know is that, at some point or another, a member of my family has sat for a portrait, designed a shield or worn one of those helmets and wielded those swords.” Anna explained, sounding immensely proud.
“That’s outstanding…” Danni had never heard of someone actually living in places like this. Sure, they might have done it before in history but then those places were turned into museums, exhibition pieces for people to peruse. “I won’t lie, I’m finding the idea of trying to document your family line sounds very tempting…”
“If you ever find yourself with a month free, we could try it together.” Anna laughed, her shillelagh pressing into the carpet with muffled thunks. She turned into a room that looked to be a cross between a living room and an old tea shop, perhaps a parlour? Mismatched side tables and armchairs, pouffes, squat little stools, lamps with glass shades and fringed coverings. It was all so quaint, almost cute. Poppy’s furnishings are all picked out with Tawney’s distinct sense of taste, but this was a mix and match of styles, nothing concrete, nothing to anchor it all. It should have been off-putting, find nothing that matched but this was surprisingly relaxing to see. Danni sat beside Anna in a wing-backed armchair, the older woman taking her place on an overstuffed divan that looked big enough to be a bed and immensely comfortable.
From outside, a young woman with vibrant green eyes entered, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, the great mass of deep red curls atop her head held back by a red and white gingham bandana.
“Tea, Anna? And your guest?” She asked with a musical lilt in her voice that spoke of the Emerald Isle.
“Thank you, Saoirse. Could you turn up the heating a little? My knees are killing me.” Anna replied, rubbing her legs.
“I’ll bring some painkillers as well then.” With a respectful tilt of her head, the young woman left to get the requested items, closing the door silently behind her.
“Does she work for you?” Danni asked, shedding her coat. Almost at once, the room had begun to warm.
“Indeed she does. She and her mother, though the poor dear is recovering from surgery. I told her not to exert herself too much, but it seems mother and daughter both live to serve.”
“What surgery, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Cataracts, I’ve had it done myself, so I absolutely insisted that she get it seen to.”
“That’s really generous.” Danni said, wondering if her parents would ever give an employee time off for a surgery without demanding that they ‘pay the time back.’
As soon as they had been plied with not only tea, but cakes, sweet buns, biscuits and a selection of sandwiches, Danni knew that she had to take the plunge. This was a golden opportunity, one that she sincerely doubted she’d get again. She had to use this chance to get answers.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask…”
“It’s about Joey, isn’t it?”
“How did you know?” Danni asked, incredulous.
“I may not talk to most of the town, but everyone is still talking about your ‘investigation’. You’ve not been terribly subtle, and, if I’m being honest, you need to work on your questioning abilities.”
“I guess… this is awkward…”
“Don’t let it demoralise you. You’re not a detective, you haven’t been trained to do things like this.”
“I know… what am I even doing? I shouldn’t have even tried this. What was I thinking?”
“Because you loved Joey. Because everyone in this town did and you want to find the truth about wha happened to him.” Anna explained simply, dropping two sugar cubes into her cup, adding a splash of milk and giving it a vigorous stir. The way that she’d said it, all so matter of factly, stopped Danni dead in her tracks. How was it that everyone she talked to was able to disarm her so easily?
“I didn’t… Love him.”
“Everyone here loved him.” Anna explained, sipping her drink. “I’m honestly surprised that you’re the only one poking around.”
“So… back to the situation at hand, there’s something important that I would like to ask. The vicar told me that he saw you having an argument with Joey before he died… What was that about?” Danni asked, surreptitiously eyeing the butter knife sitting on the tea tray.
“Ah… that is a… tricky thing to answer. Tricky and, honestly, I realise now that it is incredibly stupid.”
“Please tell me anyway.” Danni insisted.
“Well, remember what I said about the tradition my husband and I had? I had ordered some strawberries from Joey, as he somehow always manages to get the best, and had gone down to his shop to take possession of them. Except, he told me that there was a hold up with his supplier. Now I had already been having a hard day, with the cold only exacerbating my pains. I literally woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and I was paying for it by going out into the cold. So, hearing that I couldn’t get my strawberries, I sort of… lost my temper. I might have said a few things that I regretted almost immediately. As I stormed off, I heard him try to apologise and I walked past Nicholas, but I was in such a foul mood, I didn’t want to look at another human being. Only when I got up the next morning, feeling much better as it happens, did I realise what a fool I had made of myself.”
“Why didn’t you go down to apologise?”
“I did, I’ve been here in this town before anyone else. I knew Joey’s routine like the back of my hand. He opens his doors every morning at 6 for deliveries and I intended to go down then.”
“At 6?” Danni asked. At some point, she had gotten her notebook out and begun to scribble.
“I’ve always been an earlier riser. Boarding school has that effect on you.”
“So… what did you see?”
“That’s the thing! I saw nothing. The shutters were down, the door was locked, even the windows were still curtained.”
“Really? Were they locked?”
“Every inch of it was as secure as a fortress. It was quite startling actually. But I thought that he must have gotten sick or something. So I decided I would come down later. Besides, I saw that sister of his and I’m telling you, there is something about her that doesn’t sit right with me.”
“What do you mean?” Danni asked, picking up a bun and tasting jam and clotted cream inside. At the same time, Anna poured out some tea for her. She had been so consumed by the conversation; she had neglected to make herself any.
“I’ve no doubt that you’ve heard how those in the village talk about me and I’ve shared my own thoughts about them openly. Word like that flows like water.”
“Don’t you mean ‘spread like wildfire’?”
“It’s the same thing really, I just prefer water to fire.”
“Fair enough. If you don’t mind my asking… Why do you stay here? I mean… If I’m being honest. No one seems to like you much unless they are working for you? And there have to be so many bad memories here.” Danni ventured, hoping that she didn’t sound tactless.
Amazingly, the widow gave her a sly smile. “You’re an only child, aren’t you?”
“You can tell?”
“This is old hat for me. Everyone in this town and I have been trading barbs since time immemorial. It’s just the way that we are. It’s how we communicate. I know that they think I’m a pain, a tyrant even, but I can give them as good as I get. I’m not ashamed to admit it. But there is no bad blood between us, not as much as one might think. If you stay here long enough, you will see.”
“How did you feel about Joey? I don’t remember seeing you at his funeral.” Another plunge into the unknown, the unpredictable.
“I liked him quite a lot as it happens. The last time we saw each other, when I yelled at him, it was an unfortunate exception.” Anna explained, sipping her tea and munching on a biscuit. From all the crunching going on, it seemed that she wasn’t missing any of her teeth.
“I’ve got a question for you, since you’ve been so curious.”
“I agreed to an exchange, ask away.” Danni said, setting her tea down.
“Am I a suspect in your investigation?”
“I think you know the answer to that. I hope that you’re not offended”
“On the contrary, I’m flattered. I never thought that I would be a suspect and I’m flattered that you would think of me like that.”
“I’m not sure it’s a complement…”
“In a place like this, having something so interesting be about me is both entertaining and flattering.”
“I’ll take your word for it…” Danni trailed off as a buzzer sounded outside, making both of them look up. There were footsteps outside, a door opened and there was a pause as the pair looked between each other.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“No… maybe someone forgot their key?” Anna suggested, getting to her feet as the door to the parlour opened. This time, an exceptionally tall man stepped inside, dressed in the same uniform as Saoirse.
Miss Anna,” He had a low, deep timbre in his voice. “There’s a reporter outside, says that he would like to speak with you.”
“A reporter?” Again, the two women looked at each other, utterly bewildered. “Did he give his name?” Anna instructed.
“No Miss, just said this is about the uh… goings on in the village.”
“I see… thank you Duncan. Please let him in.”
Duncan clicked his heels together and left without another word.
“I thought that you said this wasn’t an upstairs downstairs situation? Everyone is acting so formal around you.” Danni asked. Anna swallowed two painkillers dry, then reached for a slice of sponge cake.
“It’s not. In all honesty, I’ve never asked them to call me ‘miss’ or what not. But Duncan and Saoirse both took acting classes when they were at school and I think they like to pretend that they are in a period piece. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a week or so in another time, even if it’s just for pretend.” Anna explained, with a giggle. Danni chose not to respond, pouring out a new cup of tea for their visitor.
Duncan soon returned with a reedy looking individual, notebook under their spindly arm and wrapped in a leather jacket, black jeans and what Danni first took for plimsoles only for her to realise that they were trainers as the reporter came closer.
“Sorry to intrude, miss and… miss.” He said, approaching the pair. When he got closer, Danni saw that he had a handsome round face, with a straight nose, honey brown eyes and, as he swept his newsboy cap from his head, revealed a shock of dark brown curls that fell over his eyes and ears, where he had tucked a ballpoint pen.
“Danni.” She said, standing up and offering her hand. He shook it firmly and Danni noticed that there were dark smudges of ink on the side of his hand, a large callous in the middle of his middle finger.
“Anna Samuels.” She didn’t get up, merely extending her hand which he took. “Take a seat young man.”
“William Cootes, The Newingham Chronicle. Nice to meet you both.” William sat down onto a pouffe, looking between the two of them for a moment. “Would it be possible for you to answer some questions for me?”
“This is about Joey, isn’t it?” This time, it was Danni who said it. William, with surprising grace, nodded.
“Yes, I… I don’t suppose you know anything about this? I’ve been asking all over and… everyone said to talk to—” Realisation dawned in his eyes. “Oh.”
“Yes… I suppose they must have told you that… I… Found…” She tried to say ‘the body’ but the words stuck in her throat. “Him.”
“I see.”
“First… I would like some questions of my own answered.” Danni’s voice held a strength that she didn’t recognise. Was it her desire for the truth or something else, something deeper?
“I’ll answer what I can, but please remember I can’t reveal my sources.”
“That includes me? Should anyone else ask?” Danni asked.
“Yes. I can guarantee that your name won’t come up even once.” William insisted. “So… what do you want to know?”
“I found him but… What does the police report say? How do they think he died? Can you tell me that?”
“I…Yes. The police said that… it was a suicide. His throat was slashed, as were his wrists.”
That did it. Danni buried her face in her hands, tears falling down her face in white hot streaks. She knew it. She had known it. All this time. But she’d had to hear it be said by someone else before she could accept it completely. This whole investigation, her whole mission had been all for naught. The truth was right there in front of her, out in the open. Something shifted at her side, a warm yet worn hand rubbing up and down her back until she was finished. Anna pushed three more cups of tea and several sweet treats on her before she was able to speak again.
“That… that’s right… that’s what I saw…” Her voice sounded raw and it hurt to talk, causing Anna to press more tea into her hands and she took it gladly, knowing that she would wake up with a blinding headache without it. “He’s dead… He… He really did it… by his own hand…” Danni gasped for breath.
“Now I do not believe that nonsense.” Anna’s voice came out sharp and precise, cutting through the air.
Together, William and Danni turned to look at her.
“Tell me Danni. This will hurt, but it will be for the best. Now take a deep breath and try to recall as much as you possibly can. You saw his throat AND his wrists slit, correct?” Anna asked carefully, pushing more tea into Danni’s hands.
“Yes… I… God help me…. There was so much blood… but I remember it all. It was his throat… and his wrists.” Danni choked around. Anna slid over the painkillers, why she did not know but Danni ignored them.
“See, that is where I think that there is something wrong with this picture.”
“What?” William asked, taking his own cup of tea and draining it in a single gulp.
“You see, the devil is in the details and I think we are seeing something that someone wants us to see. We are being fed a false narrative, if you will. A murder wearing the clothes of a suicide.” Anna explained wisely. Danni could only stare at her, agog.
After a long stretch of silence, she began to speak again.
“Tell me and I pray your patience here. If you or, in this case, Joey were to kill yourselves in a manner such as this, where would you cut? This is assuming that you wouldn’t want to suffer, as you’d be hard pressed to find someone who would.”
Danni paused for a moment to think. “I guess… the throat. You’d cut the throat because there’s that car… carlo…?”
“Carotid Artery. You’d be correct, if you even nick that one spot in your throat, you can die in seconds.” Danni chose not to ask why Anna knew this. “It’s an incredibly quick way to go.”
“Okay, so what are you trying to say?” William asked, taking advantage of the array and the distraction to pop several treats into his mouth.
“I mean, you saw that Joey had both his throat AND his wrists slit. Do you recall how his wrists looked? How they were cut?” Anna turned her eyes to Danni.
“Uhm… Yes.” She would never forget that sight. “It was like this.” Danni stretched out her arm and traced a line from the inside of her elbow to her wrist.
“I see, now that is a very slow and painful way to go. It cuts the radial artery, which isn’t quite as quickly as the carotid. You’ll bleed out, but it’ll hurt and it takes an incredibly amount of willpower to go through with it. You have to believe that there is genuinely no other way out. I don’t believe that could ever happen to Joey.” Anna explained with growing certainty.
Like a light snapping on, realisation didn’t so much dawn upon Danni as it crashed down on her. “I get it now. If you have one, you don’t need the other! Someone slashed Joey’s throat then went for his wrists to make it look convincing but they didn’t realise that it was overkill! Someone IS playing us! This is a murder wearing the clothes of a suicide!” She exclaimed, almost slamming down her cup onto the table with an echoing clink of porcelain on wood.
“Is that everything you can remember?” William interjected, placing a hand on Danni’s arm. She didn’t shake him away, she was too blinded by the sudden understanding to bother.
“Uhm… Ye-no… No. I remember…” She explained arriving at the shop that morning, meeting Maggie and having to get inside, only to find that the bathroom door was locked as well.
“The door was locked? From... the outside?” William asked, his hand pausing as it flew across the page of the notebook he had spread out over his knees.
“I don’t know… I just know that I had to get it open with a coin… it might have been locked from the inside?”
“I see… and what about the papers?” William’s pen began to sprint over the page again. If what he was writing was legible, Danni couldn’t tell.
“Papers? What papers?” Danni asked, setting her cup aside.
“The police report says that they found papers all around the area… Didn’t you see them?”
“I was a tiny bit preoccupied by finding a dead body!” Danni snapped, blowing her nose thickly.
“Ah… yeah… I see… Well, they don’t know what these are for. Most of these papers were so soaked by water or blood, they’re pretty indecipherable.” He explained, rubbing over the shell of his ear with his pen. “They think that they might be bank records, given the situation.”
“They think that Joey might have been having some issues with money?” Danni asked, wondering if what Maggie had said held any truth.
“They can’t be certain, but they aren’t ruling it out until they can find something more concrete.”
“So… they know almost nothing more than I do.”
“No! No! They know more just… that’s everything that I know.” William admitted, ducking his head but there was no ignoring the red spreading across his face.
“Is this… your first assignment?” Anna teased, grinning in almost witchy way.
“No!” William insisted, the red spreading up towards his ears. “…It’s… not! It’s uh…”
Danni cleared her throat to stop his stammering. “This has given me a lot to think about. I’ve just realised that I’ve neglected my chores. I need to get back to the house to clean…” She turned to look at William. “Would you be willing to walk me back to my house? Maybe I’ll remember something else on the way?”
William beamed at the offer. “I’d be delighted but first, I think I need the bathroom, I didn’t realise how much water I drank today.”
Anna laughed again, pointing towards the door. “Up the stairs, on your left, third door on the right.”
William thanked her and disappeared. Danni carefully began to pile the various empty dishes and cups on the tray, hoping to make Saoirse’s life a little easier.
“Before I go, I want to say that I’m really sorry about suspecting you.”
“Don’t worry about it dear. I told you earlier, I don’t mind. I just hope that I could help. I’ve read plenty of mystery books where it throws a red herring culprit at you out of nowhere just when you think you know who is the one behind it. It’s better to pull up at every loose end just in case you manage to get lucky.” Anna explained. “Come back and let me know if you want to talk more, my door is always open.” Anna insisted, getting up with her Shillelagh and patting Danni on the shoulder. “Make sure that you take care of yourself. I don’t know who is behind this, but they can’t be mean anything good for anyone. Including yourself.”