Ann Cleeves - The Crow Trap

She timed her visit carefully for seven o’clock. Godfrey Waugh should be home from work by now. Surely this would be a time they would spend together. But when she pulled up onto the gravel drive the house was lifeless and she thought they must be out. After the thunderstorms of the week before the weather had changed again. It was warm and still and the hills seemed distant, hazy in the heat, yet none of the windows were open. She listened for the sound of a television or children shouting but everything was quiet.

After ringing the bell she turned back to look out at the garden because she expected no answer and was surprised to hear the catch being lifted, the door opening. Inside stood a woman, holding a tea towel. She wore pink rubber gloves which reached almost to her elbows.

Underneath them, Vera knew, would be manicured nails. The woman smiled pleasantly enough but Vera had taken against her. Even washing pans she wore make-up. Vera had an image of her sitting at her dressing table preparing herself carefully for her husband’s return from work. Through desire? Duty? Either way it was letting the side down.

“Are you Mrs. Waugh?” The question came out more abruptly than Vera had intended. She found it hard to reconcile the picture of this self-confident creature with Anne Preece’s description of an anxious woman, a victim, the subject of bullying.

“Yes.”

“Inspector Stanhope. I’m investigating the murder of Edmund Fulwell.

Would it be possible to speak to your husband?”

“Of course.” Barbara Waugh took off a glove and held out her hand.

Vera, stretching out hers, was aware of her own nails bitten, split, slightly grubby. The woman shouted back into the house, “Darling, it’s Inspector Stanhope. She’d like to speak to you.”

It was impossible to tell what she thought of the intrusion.

Vera followed her into the hall. Through an open door she saw into a small room, brightly painted, with a shelf of toys beyond a pine desk.

A girl sat in front of a computer screen. She was playing a game intently, clasping the joystick with both hands. The sound had been turned off and the aliens on the screen were being zapped, silently. A flashing green light indicated the final score and the girl’s concentration was momentarily relaxed. She turned and Vera had a glimpse of a pale, rather puffy face before she had to greet Godfrey who was walking down the hall towards her.

He had changed from his office clothes and had the look of a politician who has been told to dress casually. He wore thin cord trousers and a checked open-neck shirt. If it had been colder he would have gone for a patterned sweater.

“Inspector.” He frowned. If anything, Vera thought, he seemed the more anxious of the couple though he covered it well. “Is anything wrong?”

“No,” she said. Thinking, except that two people have been killed. A father and a daughter. Just like you and the child playing on the computer. “It’s a routine visit. I had a few questions and as I have to pass here anyway on my way home… “

He led her into a sitting room which smelled of beeswax polish. An oil painting of their daughter hung prominently over the fireplace. It was too accurate to be flattering but Vera muttered something polite about how pretty she was. Her dealings with Ashworth had taught her how to talk to parents. She had obviously pressed the right button because Waugh responded warmly. His voice was local but the words, carefully chosen, a little long-winded, also had something of the politician about them.

“We’d almost reconciled ourselves to being childless, then Felicity arrived. Perhaps because it was so unexpected it was a real joy.”

Barbara, standing in the doorway, smiled too but a tension about her eyes made Vera think that the strain of caring for the child meant that for her the joy wasn’t entirely undiluted. She felt a sudden sympathy for the woman and wondered if perhaps Anne Preece had been right. It was up to her, after all, if she wanted to tart herself up.

“Would you like tea, Inspector? Or coffee? Then I expect you’d like to speak to my husband alone.”

What I’d really like, Vera thought, is a beer. But she said that tea would be very nice. “And I hope you’ll be able to join us, Mrs. Waugh.

I’d appreciate your opinion.”

Barbara seemed pleased by this but once she’d left the room Godfrey said, “I don’t know how my wife can help you, Inspector. She stays at home and cares full time for our daughter. Since the young woman was killed on the hill she’s been reluctant to leave the house on her own.” “I thought she was a partner in your business.”

That surprised him. It was as if he had forgotten the fact.

“Officially yes, though she takes no active part.”

“How does she feel about the development of the quarry?” Godfrey paused, gave a thin little smile. “She has a rather sentimental view of the company, I’m afraid. Her father was a craftsman and she doesn’t always understand that we’ve had to move on from that scale of business. It’s not a cottage industry any more. We have to survive.”

“If it came to a vote would she support you?”

There was a brief frown of irritation then the smile returned.

“It would never come to a vote. What would be the point? We’re the only two partners. We’ll come to a decision together. Though of course there are other people involved. The present landowners the Fulwells. Without their agreeing to lease the land the proposal would come to nothing.”

“And Neville Furness?”

“Neville’s an employee. I value his judgement but he won’t be involved in the final decision.”

“It’s not been made then?”

He hesitated. “No. We all felt we needed a few days to consider the matter. We’re meeting again on Friday.”

He stopped abruptly as Barbara Waugh came in. She was carrying a tray and the child followed with a plate of homemade biscuits. She handed them to Vera and her father, then put the plate on a coffee table and made to leave the room without a word. Vera saw that she had three of the biscuits clasped in one hand and winked at her as she was shutting the door. The girl glared back, stonily.

“Will you be at the meeting on Friday, Mrs. Waugh?” Vera asked conversationally.

“What meeting?”

“The meeting to decide whether or not the quarry should go ahead.” Godfrey quickly. “Barbara doesn’t need to involve herself in the day to day running of the business. She leaves all that to me.”

“But I thought a decision had been made.” Barbara sat across the room from them, knees firmly together, hands clasped on her lap. Convent educated, Vera thought. I can always tell. “Godfrey, didn’t you say the plans would be dropped for the present?”

He shrugged. “Lily must have been putting pressure on Robert. He called this afternoon just before I left work, and said he thought it would be worth our getting together again!

“You didn’t tell me.” Suddenly she was close to losing control. “I’m not sure I can stand all this again. The publicity. People talking.”

He leant back in his seat. In the gesture Vera sensed distaste, even a mild revulsion, but he spoke kindly. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you were relieved that the project had been put on ice. And really that’s still the most likely outcome. Robert isn’t at all keen and he can be very stubborn.”

“Nonsense. Once Lily Fulwell and Neville Furness get together neither of you will be able to stand up to them.”

“That’s ridiculous. Neville won’t even be at the meeting. He’s taken Friday off. And you have to trust me to do what’s best for all of us.

One day this business will be Felicity’s.”