Jane turned the photograph over. Printed on the back were the words ‘The Dark Room’. Hadley held his hand out as she passed it to him.
‘It’s such a disturbing image of a young girl.’
Jane said nothing as he quickly put the photograph in his jacket pocket.
‘Thank you for your time, Inspector Tennison. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to catch my train home.’
Jane ushered Mr Hadley out of the interview room, eager to read the letter he’d given her. She went into her office and opened the envelope.
You have no comprehension of the horrors I have had to live with. I have never loved anyone in my life, except my father. Arnold Hadley gave me a semblance of what I could have had. I want to show my appreciation for all the years of care and attention Arnold gave to my business, and eventually his kindness in loving me.
I wish to make my sister, Beatrice, and my nephew, Jason, aware of my loathing for them. They have never thanked me or shown me any respect or kindness. All they wanted was my money. Beatrice knew what I had done. She used it against me to ensure her silence and forced me to finance her life in Australia after marrying a man my father detested, and with good reason. Beatrice was not legally married at the time of her first son’s birth and there are questions regarding Jason’s bloodline and his right to any Lanark inheritance. I have lived with the knowledge of what I did, and I blame myself for Marjorie’s suicide, but I could not allow her baby to live. It would have destroyed my father.
I have never asked for forgiveness, and I punished myself my entire life. Now I hope God will embrace me and lay me beside my beloved father.
Jane read the letter over twice before making a copy for herself and replacing the original copy back in the envelope. It was now after six and she knew that, as DCI Carter had to update the superintendent on the entire investigation, she should share with him what she had just read.
Jane picked up her coat and bag before going into the incident room. The late shift was just coming on duty, and she exchanged a few nods and smiles before knocking on the door of Carter’s office. Impatient to give him what she felt was such a definitive conclusion to the inquiry, she opened the door.
Carter was standing over Barbara, who was sitting on his desk, her legs apart and her skirt rucked up around her buttocks. They both looked at her, shocked, and quickly rearranged themselves.
Jane was hardly able to keep a straight face as she held out the envelope. ‘I felt this was important, sir. It’s a copy of a letter written by Helena Lanark...’.
Carter snatched it from her, removed the letter and quickly read it.
‘Where did you get this?’
‘Arnold Hadley gave it to me. He has the original.’
‘It sounds like the rantings of a bitter old woman... but at least the confession means case closed.’
‘What about Beatrice Thorpe and her son Jason blackmailing her?’
‘Your star witness is dead! She never made a formal complaint of blackmail and the validity of this letter is questionable.’
‘The handwriting is the same as I’ve seen on other documents written by Helena Lanark,’ Jane insisted.
‘You are not a handwriting expert, Tennison! I’ll need to speak with Chief Superintendent Bridges about it, so for now you just sit on it.’
‘I have this weekend off, sir, which I hope is still permissible after taking time off for travel. And as you suggested, I will be present at Helena Lanark’s funeral on Monday.’
‘Yes, yes,’ he snapped.
‘Thank you, sir, and goodnight. And goodnight to you, Barbara.’
Jane couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she left the station, just as Eddie drew up in his MG. He got out to open the passenger door for her.
‘You look like the cat that got the cream!’ he said, smiling.
‘I am! I just caught my boss in a rather compromising position with one of the clerks in his office!’ she laughed, as she climbed into the passenger seat.
As Eddie got in beside her, she leaned across to kiss him.
‘Once we get through dinner tonight, we have the whole weekend to be together.’
‘I can’t afford another trip to Brighton!’
‘I just want us to be at home together.’
He gave her a warm sidelong smile. ‘I’d like that very much.’
Chapter Twenty-Six
Eddie parked the car in the small back lane at the rear of her parents’ block of flats in Maida Vale. They had stopped en route to buy flowers and wine.
Using the block’s rear entry door, they walked up the stairs, not bothering to take the lift. Eddie was impressed with the decor, even more so when he saw a uniformed doorman helping an elderly lady out of the lifts on the second floor.
‘This is very posh,’ he said.
‘Not really. They don’t own their flat, but it’s on a long lease. They’ve lived here for about twenty years.’
They arrived at flat 210 and rang the doorbell. Her father opened the door almost immediately and gave Jane such a big hug that she had to push him away to prevent him from squashing the flowers.
‘Daddy, this is Eddie.’
Mr Tennison shook Eddie’s hand warmly and gestured for him to go ahead as he closed the door behind them.
‘I see you’ve got an MG. I was wondering if Jane would park in the back lane, so I was watching out for her. Lovely motor... always wanted one when I was your age.’
Mrs Tennison hovered in the hallway, wearing a white blouse and a pleated grey skirt, with a frilly apron.
‘Mother, this is Eddie.’
‘How nice to meet you... please come in. There’s sherry in the drawing room, and I hope you’re both hungry... it’s roast lamb... and I’ve made an apple pie for dessert.’
‘Sounds great!’ Eddie said, passing the wine bottle to Mr Tennison.
Jane was a little embarrassed by her parents’ over-enthusiastic welcome. They had set the dining table in the alcove, with all their best crockery, cutlery and cut glasses, but Eddie was quite at ease and within minutes her father had asked him about a hall light that kept tripping.
‘Jane said you’re an electrician. I have had a go at it myself, but I think it might be a crossed wire on the wall light. As soon as I put the switch up on the fuse box, it blows again.’
Eddie was quickly up on a ladder in the hall examining their wiring with her father beside him holding a torch. Mrs Tennison had poured sherry for everyone and was fussing around in the kitchen putting the flowers into a vase when Jane joined her.
‘We are looking forward to seeing all the work you’ve had done at your house, Jane. We’ve been waiting for an invitation.’
‘Eddie has been brilliant,’ Jane said. ‘I don’t think you’ll recognise it when you see it. I just need to organise the curtains and stair carpet, then I’ll have you both over for dinner, with Pam and Tony as well.’
Mrs Tennison moved closer. ‘So, it’s over with you and the architect, then, is it?’
‘Yes, Mother, very much so.’
Mrs Tennison lowered her voice and nodded towards the hall. ‘He’s a bit young, isn’t he?’
‘For heaven’s sake, Mother! To be honest, I’ve never even thought about it.’
Eddie soon fixed the wiring in the hall, then her father had him checking out the tap in their bathroom. Mr Tennison explained that it always took the building maintenance man weeks to get even the smallest jobs done.
Eddie had completed various jobs around the flat by the time dinner was ready to be served. Everyone agreed it was delicious and Eddie had a double serving of virtually everything. The wine glasses were refilled, and Eddie apologised for passing on a top-up as he was driving. Jane, however, made up for him and had several glasses as she described all the work that had been done at her house. She was on her fourth glass when her father asked about her trip to Australia.