The Red Dahlia

Langton was at it again, bluffing her to scare her. But, as before, it was working. 'So, Mrs Hedges, what exactly did you tell Miss Wickenham when you called?'

Mrs Hedges was shaking, wringing her hands. Justine spoke for her. 'What she just said: that all the police were here and Father had been arrested. Do you want me to repeat it again?'

'But surely he was still at the house, and for you, Justine, to immediately begin to arrange to bring your sister home…'

'He'd gone by then.' Mrs Hedges had to clear her throat she was so nervous.

'Gone?'

'Yes, he'd already left. That's why I called Justine.'

'What exact time was that?'

She was now really agitated. She looked to Justine and back to Langton. 'I don't know, some time in the morning.'

'What exact time?'

'I don't know, I can't remember.'

'Leave her alone, she's done nothing wrong,' Justine said angrily and put her arm around the elderly woman.

'I would very much like to, but you see it's very important at what exact time you were informed that your father had left the house, so that it was now safe for you to bring back Emily.'

'Well, it would have been before I came to the station, just before twelve.'

'I see.'

'So this would coincide with your father disappearing?'

'Escaped I think is the word you're looking for; all this is just you lot trying to cover your tracks, because he escaped and you can't find him, so you want to interrogate us. Well, we don't know where he went, we have not been contacted by him, we do not know where the fuck he is and we don't bloody care!'

'But you must have had a pretty good idea that he wasn't coming back, otherwise why bring Emily home?'

'Because the less time she spent in that shithole of a mental institution the better.'

'Why didn't you take her to your flat?'

'Because, I have said this over and over, I had to come back here to look after the horses, so it just makes sense that Emily is here with me.'

'Even though your father could return?'

'He's not likely to is he, for Chrissakes? You've got patrol cars up and down the lane, the place has been swarming with police. Of course he's not coming back; it would be crazy if he even considered it. He is an intelligent man!'

'So you know where he is?'

'No I do not, we haven't a clue, all right? But it makes sense to anyone with half a brain that he is not coming back because he would be picked up, right?'

'So he did contact you?'

'No! Jesus Christ, how many more times. He has not called, he has not tried to speak to any one of us.'

'So where is he?'

'We don't know!'

'He has no passport, he has not cashed any money. Where do you think someone on the run could hide out for this length of time?'

'Ask some of his sicko friends; they'd hide him, just like that crowd helped Lord Lucan.'

'We have already questioned his known associates.'

'Well they would all lie through their teeth! They wouldn't want to be involved with that bastard, but he could blackmail them into helping him. Go and do your job: question them and leave us alone.'

'As I said, we already have and we are certain none helped your father escape. They are all scattered quite a distance from here, so how would he have got to them?'

'You tell me.' Justine stood with her hands on her hips.

Langton paused. He glanced to Travis and sighed. 'You see, Miss Wickenham, we have come to the conclusion that your father never left this house.'

There was a pause and then Justine laughed and shook her head. 'Well, you bloody searched long enough! If he was here, they couldn't find him, so this is all a bit of a farce isn't it? Surely wasting your time here isn't going to help you find him? I told her; I said you'd never catch him and it's true.' Justine pointed to Anna; she then took a look at Emily who was sitting, head bowed, chewing at her nails. She went over and put her arm around her. 'It's okay, Em; don't get upset, it's all right.'

'Mrs Hedges,' Langton turned towards her. 'You were, I believe, in your bedroom throughout the search. Is that correct?'

'Yes sir, I never left; well, just to make myself a sandwich and a cup of tea. I was told to remain in my room, I never left it but for that; there were police officers here in the kitchen the whole time.'

'What did you think she did, hid him under her skirt? This is farcical!' Justine was at it again.

'Could you please take DI Travis to your room, Mrs Hedges?'

'Why?'

'We would just like to check something.'

Mrs Hedges looked at Justine who gave a shrug, smiling. 'Sure, that's okay, you take her up there. I'll carry on with breakfast.'

Anna followed Mrs Hedges out of the kitchen and up the narrow staircase, sidestepping piles of neatly folded sheets and towels. Mrs Hedges opened the door into her bedroom. 'They searched in here, twice,' she said.

'Yes I know, but I just needed to see for myself, thank you.'

Anna looked around the sparse, neat room. A low footstool stood beside her rocking chair. The single bed had an iron railing and a handmade quilt. There was an old-fashioned wardrobe and chest of drawers, plus two small cupboards either side of the bed. If anyone had tried to hide beneath it, they could very easily have been seen.

'This is the oldest part of the house, isn't it?' Anna said, with a friendly smile.

'Yes, yes it is; it looks out to the back, so it's very quiet.'

'Yes, I remember you told me how you would stay up here when the weekend parties were going on.'

'Yes.'

Mrs Hedges saw Anna looking at two sections of the wall which had been partly eased back.

'They did that, the police; it's a false walclass="underline" the panel was put up so I could hang pictures. It's thick stone behind the partitions.' Mrs Hedges pointed to an ironing board. 'I've been doing the ironing up here as the laundry room has been taken apart; it was really something for me to do.'

'Did you have much cash up here?'

'Pardon?'

'Any savings? Did you keep them up here?'

'Some, yes; never been too fond of banks. My sister was with a company that took all her savings, so I used to keep mine here.'

Anna pointed to a drawer. 'Do you still have them?'

'My money?'

'Yes, is it still safe?'

She opened the drawer and took out a biscuit tin. 'Yes, it's all here.'

'So you didn't give any money to Mr Wickenham?'

'No, no; he didn't know I had it, in any case. It was my secret, really; my wages were paid into a bank account at the local bank. This money's tips and extras the house guests would give me.'

'How much money do you have in your savings account, Mrs Hedges?'

'Oh, well, a lot.'

'Like how much?'

'I've at least seventy-two thousand pounds.'

'And you have not withdrawn any of it recently?'

'No, no, I've not been out of the house.'

'I see, thank you.'

As Anna turned to leave, Mrs Hedges caught her arm. 'Leave them be. They are blameless. Maybe now they can have some kind of life without their father.'

Anna hesitated. 'But he could walk back in here, Mrs Hedges; maybe not right now, but sometime. If he did come back, you know they would be too afraid of him not to comply with anything he wanted them to do.'

'I'm here for them and he won't come back.'

'How can you be so sure?'

Mrs Hedges wouldn't meet Anna's eyes, she looked to the floor. 'Because I'll protect them.'

'You?'

'Yes me, I've taken care of them.'

'What do you mean?'

There was a pause, as Mrs Hedges chewed at her lip. 'I meant like I always tried to do when they were children.'

'But you failed; you know what he did to Emily.'

She made no answer.

'Mrs Hedges, two young girls — perhaps even more — not much older than Wickenham's daughters were murdered in the most brutal way.'