She lifted her glass and clinked it against his. ‘A toast,’ she said, her voice ironic. ‘To happy families.’
They smiled and Joe thought Vera gave him a little wink, but the fire was smoking and he couldn’t be entirely sure.
Chapter Forty-Four
THE NEXT MORNING, VERA DROVE JOE back to Kimmerston and told him to go home. ‘Or head into town for a bit of Christmas shopping. I bet you’ve still not bought anything for your Sal. She deserves something special, putting up with you.’ Vera stayed in the Land Rover and watched him go into the police station. She couldn’t face going in herself: all that sympathy and she knew there’d be the inevitable lecture from her superintendent about putting herself in danger. Given half a chance he’d probably order her on a risk-assessment course, but if she stayed out of the way until after the holiday, he’d have forgotten all about it. He had a very small brain.
There were loose ends to be tidied and she drove back to Kirkhill. Vera couldn’t abide loose ends. She was supposed to be off sick, but it was almost on her way back to the cottage, after all, and these would be informal chats. Hardly work at all. Her first stop was to Home Farm. Best to get the most unpleasant visit over first.
She found them all sitting at the kitchen table, a cafetière of coffee going cold in the middle; Nettie and Cath sitting very close together, their arms around each other, Josh white and silent. Their mother alone at the end of the table. Vera didn’t know what to say to them, but in the end, she had to ask. That curiosity again, getting the better of her.
‘You didn’t suspect?’
The question was directed to them all, but it was Rosemary who answered. ‘That my husband’s a murderer?’ Her voice was shrill and hysterical. ‘No, I didn’t suspect.’
Or you didn’t want to.
‘That he had a lover,’ Vera said gently. ‘Did you suspect that?’
Rosemary turned away and refused to reply. They were all frozen in their grief, like sculptures of ice. Vera let herself out of the house. On the doorstep she paused and turned back to the group at the table. ‘He’ll plead guilty,’ she said. ‘No trial and the press should soon lose interest. He’s done that for you at least.’ She could hear one of the girls sobbing as she walked towards the Land Rover.
She moved on to Broom Farm. An officer should have been in touch with the Falstones with the basic details. They’d know Heslop was in custody, but they deserved more explanation. On the way, Vera wondered if it might be possible for her to keep in touch with the family after Heslop had been convicted, once the fuss had died down. It was about time she made a few friends away from work and it would be interesting to see Thomas grow up. She might not be related to him, but there were no other kids in her life. She might be able to help out from time to time. Not babysitting. She wouldn’t go that far. She was so cack-handed she couldn’t contemplate changing a nappy. But when he was older, she might be there for him. Money if he needed something the couple couldn’t run to. Driving lessons. Advice. Then she thought Robert and Jill would probably want to put the investigation behind them and the last thing they’d need was Vera butting in.
She found them in a living room that she’d never seen on her previous visits. It was at the back of the house full of big, dark furniture. There was a fire in the grate covered by a mesh guard, and they were putting up a tree. Thomas was on the floor, crawling through tinsel, chuckling. There was a smell of pine needles and old-fashioned furniture polish. Lavender or beeswax. Vera wasn’t an expert, but either Robert or Jill had been cleaning.
‘We’ve never bothered much with Christmas since Lorna left home,’ Jill said. ‘But when she was a bairn, she always liked a real tree. We tried to persuade her that an artificial was less mess, but she wouldn’t have it.’
‘Your liaison officer will have been in touch, kept you up to date with what’s going on?’
‘Aye.’
‘How’s he been?’ Vera nodded towards the toddler.
‘Canny. He seems to have had no ill effects at all.’
‘And he’ll be too young to remember,’ Robert said. ‘That’s a blessing.’
‘Hard for you to forget, though.’
Robert nodded, but didn’t dwell on the idea. ‘We can’t thank you enough for finding him. For getting him back.’ He turned away so she wouldn’t see that he was close to tears. ‘The officer said you ended up in hospital.’
‘Just doing my job.’ Vera paused. ‘I’ll be interested in seeing how he turns out.’
‘You’ll be very welcome here,’ Jill said, ‘at any time.’ She smiled. ‘An honorary auntie.’
Vera wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but she gave a little laugh. ‘I can’t guarantee I’ll remember his birthday.’ There was a slightly awkward silence before Vera continued. ‘How would you feel if the Heslops stick around in the valley? Would that be difficult for you?’
The couple didn’t answer immediately. They looked at each other. ‘I wouldn’t like to think they’d lose their home.’ Robert paused. ‘Not if they knew nothing of what was going on. What’s that saying about the sins of the father? I don’t think guilt can pass down the generations.’ He nodded towards the child. ‘If it did, this one would be tainted too. And whatever we might think of it we’re all related in a way now.’
‘That’s a charitable way to look at it.’
Falstone seemed embarrassed. ‘Soft, you mean? Aye, well, I suppose it’s that time of year.’ He looked away. They watched Thomas pull himself up on the sofa and walk a few steps towards
