Deborah Crombie - Necessary as Blood

“Was she ashamed of her background?” asked Melody. In her tastefully pin-striped dark suit, she looked as if she belonged on the club staff.

“Sandra?” Ritchie laughed. “You didn’t know Sandra. She was proud of being an East Ender-a real East Ender, some would say now-although Sandra was never the type to exclude anyone. She was unusually touchy about prejudice against race or religion, even for the multicultural crowd we hung out with.”

“Mr. Ritchie,” said Gemma, trying to come up with a tactful way to say it, “were you and Sandra always…just friends?”

He gave her an assessing look, then shrugged. “I don’t know why it should be anyone else’s business. As I’ve said, it was a long time ago. But if you want the truth, I always fancied Sandra more than she fancied me. She thought I was all flash and no substance, and I have to admit my track record hasn’t been great, relationship wise. And then, when she met Naz, everyone else was history.”

“How did she meet Naz, do you know?”

“He bought flowers from her.”

The blond girl came out of the little office, carrying a tray set with a teapot and cups. “Sorry, Lucas,” she said. “Phone kept ringing.” She set the tray down on the coffee table in the sitting area, then hurried back to the desk as the front door buzzed.

“Thanks, Karen,” he called after her. Then, motioning them to sit, Ritchie joined them and poured the tea himself. Two men came in, greeting the blond girl. The doors behind the desk opened to reveal a lift, and a group of men stepped out, making way for the incomers. They nodded at Ritchie as they headed for the front door.

“Last of the lunch crowd clearing out,” Ritchie murmured. “It’ll be drinks soon.”

“So Sandra met Naz when she was working for Roy?” said Gemma, pleased by the idea.

“A bit fairy tale, but yes. I think he came every Sunday for a month before he got up the nerve to ask her for coffee.”

“You’ve known Naz for a long time, too, then.” Gemma balanced the fine white china cup on her knee. She wasn’t sure why Ritchie was being so accommodating-she had the sense that it was in some way a performance-but she wasn’t going to let an opportunity go by. “What was he like? It’s been harder to get a feeling for him, for what made him tick.”

“We all thought she’d gone bonkers at first. It wasn’t that he was Asian-if you were racially prejudiced you certainly didn’t admit to it-but he was a lawyer, for God’s sake. Older, sober, hardworking-none of those things was in our art student manifesto.” Ritchie drank some of his tea and stared into the cold fire. “It was only later, as I got to know him a bit better, that I saw the sense of humor beneath that serious exterior. But there was also a sort of rock-solid steadiness to Naz. They balanced each other, or maybe it was that he saw something in Sandra that no one else did.

“And they were both completely committed to being a family.” He frowned, as if testing his memory. “I don’t think Naz had any family left, and Sandra, well, it comes back to that, doesn’t it?”

He glanced at her, as if considering, then went on more slowly. “There was something that happened, I’d forgotten. In art college, when she first starting going out with Naz. She came to class one day with a black eye. She hadn’t tried to cover it up, she wasn’t like that-there was always a bit of defiance to Sandra-but she wouldn’t talk about it either. If you asked something she didn’t want to answer, she would just give you a look that would freeze your marrow.

“But I asked her, because I didn’t know Naz well then, if it was this new guy, and she looked truly shocked. She said, ‘Bloody hell, do you think I’m some sort of slag?’ and she wouldn’t speak to me for a week.”

“Was she living at home still?” Gemma asked.

“Yeah. Dreadful council flat. I picked her up and dropped her off now and again, but she never let me come in.”

“So do you think someone in her family did that to her?”

“Well, if it wasn’t Naz-and I don’t believe it was-she had those two younger brothers. I got the impression she’d never known her dad, but then I suppose her mum might have had boyfriends…”

“Don’t discount the mum,” Melody put in. “It wouldn’t be the first time a mother lost her temper, even with a grown daughter.”

Gemma had considered that Gail might neglect Charlotte, or verbally abuse her, or expose her to bad influences, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Gail might physically harm her. But of course it was possible. She felt stupid, and more than a little horrified.

“Mr. Ritchie, would you be willing to testify in family court about the possibility that Sandra was abused by someone in her family?”

“Family court?” He stared at her as if she were the one who’d gone bonkers. “But it’s completely unsubstantiated. And it was years ago. I really don’t see-” He looked round and even though there was no one else in the reception area, lowered his voice. “I can’t afford to be involved in some sort of squabble that would damage the club’s reputation.”

“Squabble?” Now it was Gemma’s voice that rose. “Mr. Ritchie, a child’s well-being depends on-”

Melody touched Gemma’s arm, a definite back-off signal. “Boss, I think Mr. Ritchie’s been very helpful.”

Realizing that Melody was right, Gemma forced a smile. “Of course. I understand your concerns, Mr. Ritchie. But if you think about Charlotte-”

“Look, I’m not much of a kid person. And Sandra didn’t bring Charlotte when she came to the club, so I suppose I haven’t seen her since she was in nappies-she’s not still in nappies, is she?” Ritchie looked a little dismayed at the thought.

“No. She’s almost three, and she’s a lovely, bright little girl.” Gemma leaned forward, at her most persuasive. “She is, I imagine, a lot like Sandra. And she’s missing her mum, and now her dad. Mr. Ritchie, I’ve met Sandra’s mother, and I don’t think anyone who cared for Sandra would want Charlotte to go there.”

“That’s straight-out blackmail, and you’re very well aware of it,” he shot back, but the animosity had gone from his tone. “Look, I want to help Sandra’s little girl. But it has to be something better than repeating a speculation about an incident that happened years ago. Are you sure Pippa can’t tell you anything more? She and Sandra were closer, in some ways.”

“Roy Blakely told me that Sandra and Pippa hadn’t been getting on. When I asked Pippa, she said they’d disagreed over the way Sandra was marketing her work, and that Pippa was no longer representing her. But she seemed very upset over Naz.”

“Put it down to a guilty conscience over being a bitch,” said Ritchie, with such unexpected bite that Melody, who had been watching a newcomer get into the lift, looked round, as startled as Gemma.

Seeing their faces, Ritchie shrugged and set his empty cup down on the tray. “You have to take anything Pippa tells you with a grain of salt. She disapproved of Sandra’s commissions for me, and for my clients. Those who can’t do have to find some way to criticize those who can.”

“Pippa was jealous of Sandra?” asked Gemma, thinking back over their conversation.

“Pippa would have killed for Sandra’s talent. Oh, I don’t mean that literally, of course,” he amended, seeming to realize what he’d said. “And to give Pippa credit, she does have a gift for recognizing talent. But her own work was always derivative, all about following the latest trend rather than expressing any personal vision. Not that I was much better.” His smile was rueful. “But Pippa…Pippa couldn’t give up gracefully. If she couldn’t create art, she wanted to control it, and Sandra wouldn’t play. Sandra just wanted to do what she loved and make a decent living at it. Most of us should be so fortunate.” His eyes went to the collage hanging over the reception desk, and the emotion drained from his face. He stood. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got a club to run.”