As she turned away to go back to her office, he called after her: ‘Just joking, Tennison! No need to get your knickers in a twist.’
Chapter Thirteen
Jason Thorpe held a small bunch of flowers, with the photograph album he had been so eager to have back tucked under his other arm.
‘Miss Thompson... Emily,’ he said, with a smile. ‘I’m just about to leave for Australia. I know it’s a trifle late in the afternoon, but was wondering if I could just see my aunt for a few moments?’
‘Oh, it’s perfect timing,’ she said, returning his smile. ‘We haven’t served tea yet. I’m sure your aunt will be delighted to have a visitor.’ They shared a complicit look, both perfectly aware that Helena Lanark never showed the slightest reaction to anybody coming to see her.
‘Let me sign you in and show you through, Mr Thorpe.’
As they passed through the glass double-doors into the corridor, he touched the small of her back in a familiar way. Emily Thompson knocked gently on Helena’s door before opening it.
‘Miss Lanark, you have a visitor... your nephew. He’s brought you some lovely flowers.’
Helena was sitting in her wheelchair, looking out through her bay window into the garden. Jason handed the flowers to Miss Thompson. ‘Perhaps you’d be kind enough to find a vase for these?’
‘Yes, of course, Mr Thorpe, I’ll get one of the girls to do it.’
Jason crossed to his aunt and placed the photograph album on the desk. He leaned forwards and kissed her powdery cheek. She turned, almost in slow motion and looked at him with her icy-blue, vacant eyes. A small glob of spittle formed at the corner of her mouth, as he opened the album at the last page. Before he said anything, there was a light knock at the door and a carer brought in a vase with the flowers.
‘Good afternoon, Ms Lanark... aren’t these pretty?’ She placed the vase on the desk next to the album.
‘I’ll be serving tea soon, sir, so would you like me to bring an extra cup and perhaps a slice of sponge cake?’
‘That is most kind of you, but I won’t be here for more than a few moments.’ The girl smiled sweetly and left the room as quietly as she had entered.
Jason stood up and walked over to the window, loosening the catch.
‘Do you not find it stuffy in here?’ he asked without looking at his aunt, before pushing the window open. He then began to search the drawers in the desk.
Ten minutes later Jason passed Emily Thompson in the reception as he left.
‘She seemed very tired and I can’t really stay longer if I’m going to catch my flight.’
‘Did the girl bring her flowers?’
‘She most certainly did, and my aunt was delighted.’ They exchanged the same complicit look as before.
‘Have a safe journey,’ Miss Thompson said, pleasantly. Jason Thorpe gave her a charming smile and walked out.
Jane was impressed with the Colefax & Fowler selection of wallpapers, despite their cost. She came away with a glossy catalogue, then drove herself to Pam’s salon. There was a CLOSED sign on the salon door, and Jane had to knock several times before a disgruntled Pam unlocked the door and let her in.
‘I’ve had a day from hell,’ she said immediately. ‘You just can’t please some customers. One bloody woman complaining her perm’s too curly... another one saying it’s not curly enough... they drive me to distraction. And I’ve got juniors who are incapable of following the simplest instructions. I asked one of them to sweep up the hair and she just left it in a pile in the middle of the salon.’ Pam was on autopilot as she talked, and quickly had Jane sitting down with a plastic cape around her shoulders, whilst she started mixing the bleach and arranging the tin foil pieces on a small wheelie tray.
‘How blonde do you want to go?’
‘Not too blonde... just highlights. And maybe a trim?’ Jane looked at herself in the mirror and saw Pam’s reflection glaring back at her.
‘Do you want one or two inches off? Or shorter? It’s up to you, but I think we should cut maybe two inches so it’s just below your chin.’
‘Fine... OK, yes, let’s do that.’ As Pam got to work, Jane was forced to listen to more complaints about her customers, her husband, her children, and then, inevitably, on to the fact that Jane wasn’t pulling her weight in terms of seeing their parents. Jane said nothing until Pam suddenly changed tack, asked if she was working on anything interesting.
Jane told her she had been working on the Stockwell murder investigation. ‘Oh my God!’ Pam exclaimed. ‘I think I read about that at the weekend — all about the girl who was starved to death, isn’t it?’ By this time Pam had completed a full head of foils and was washing up the plastic pots and brushes. ‘Did you find her body?’
‘No, but I did have to go in there,’ Jane told her. ‘It was really tragic, because her father had been trying to get her off drugs and had taken her to the shelter to go cold turkey.’
Pam tutted. ‘Drugs! I’ve got a customer whose daughter has gone all hippy and went to a concert by this group called the Animals and never came home... turns out she’d gone off with her boyfriend who was selling marijuana. Right, come on... over to the wash basin.’
It never ceased to amaze Jane how her sister could always make any conversation end up being about her and her customers. But on the bright side, it did mean that Jane didn’t have to go into details, and two hours later she had to admit that Pam had done a good job with her highlights, and her newly cut and blow-dried hair actually looked very stylish.
They then had the usual battle, with Pam insisting she didn’t want to be paid, but eventually accepting Jane’s proffered money — even the tip. As she was leaving, Pam asked her if she was seeing anyone.
Jane had a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she told her. ‘I am actually... he’s an interior decorator — he’s helping me do up the house.’
Pam looked predictably taken aback. ‘What about that architect you were seeing?’
‘Oh, that didn’t work out,’ Jane said breezily.
‘So, are you going to introduce this new boyfriend to Mum and Dad?’ Pam asked.
‘Perhaps... it’s early days, but I’m having a nice time with him.’
By the time Jane got home it was a quarter to eight and Eddie was waiting for her at the front door. ‘I thought you might have stood me up!’ he said, smiling. He looked smart in a white linen shirt and jeans, and Jane felt slightly embarrassed that she was still wearing her office clothes.
‘Wow! Your hair looks lovely,’ Eddie exclaimed.
‘Thank you. My sister Pam is a hairdresser. The reason I didn’t make it back to change is that she loves the sound of her own voice and tends to go on a bit!’
Eddie nodded. ‘I could leave the van here and drive us to my parents’ in your car? We should get a move on because Mum will be ready to serve up by five past eight.’
Jane handed him her car keys. ‘Well, I haven’t eaten since your delicious breakfast was delivered by your dad, so I’m starving.’
Eddie opened the passenger door for her and then had to push back the driver’s seat to accommodate his long legs.
‘We always try to have dinner together once a week,’ he said, starting the car. ‘Mum always used to put pressure on me to have Sunday lunch, but I didn’t always fancy it if I’d had a night on the tiles on Saturday. So now we tend to do it on Monday evenings.’
Jane started to feel guilty about not inviting her parents for a meal at her new house, but at least she had the excuse that there was still building work going on.
Eddie drew up into a garage forecourt, then quickly got out and picked up a bunch of flowers from the buckets outside the kiosk. Jane watched through the passenger window, feeling even more guilty that she hadn’t thought of getting flowers or a bottle of wine, as Eddie returned with both.