Chapter Twenty
Three hours later Cat was back at the hotel feeling emotionally drained. The news gleefully imparted by Aunt Em’s ghastly friends had come as a shock. The second blow came on reaching Truro, where they discovered they weren’t allowed to see Luke.
Alone in her office, Cat sat at her desk, cradling her head in her hands.
He had been abandoned by everyone it seemed, including his own family.
How could they? She knew he was innocent.
There was no way he could kill someone in cold blood.
Until Marika’s murder, everyone in Carrenporth had labelled him kind and considerate; always there to help anyone in need.
How quickly opinions appeared to have changed thanks to Rosalind and her gossip spreaders.
Where was innocent until proven guilty in all this?
It was certainly not in the minds of Great-Aunt Em’s vicious-tongued friends.
She settled herself back in her chair, taking deep calming breaths, holding back her tears of frustration.
Nathan and a group of friends were out sailing, her father not expected home until the day after tomorrow.
There was no close family member she could turn to for advice.
Well, enough was enough, she told herself.
Time to have a word with Aunt Em. She calmed her breathing, got to her feet and left.
Stepping out of the hotel and into warm afternoon sunshine, she headed across the raised causeway to Caer Gwyn.
Emelia Trevelyan stood at the window watching Cat approach.
Nearby, Hamish, curled in his basket, sounded like a set of ancient bagpipes as he wheezed and twitched his way through his latest doggie dream.
From this top floor the triple glazed windows gave a three hundred and sixty degree view of coast, sea and land.
It was her eyrie, a place of warmth where she could observe everything, including the approach of unwanted visitors.
And from the expression on her face, which she could clearly see as she reached the folly, it appeared Cat was definitely one of those.
Since Ruan had banished her from the hotel her only comfort had been the company of her three comrades – Margot, Rosalind and Stella.
But working with Adrian in the museum had changed all that.
She was enjoying life, meeting people and sharing her knowledge and memories of Carrenporth.
When it came to the feature Adrian had set up about Tarwin House she had been in her element.
People listened, asked questions, they were interested.
She was treated with respect not as some elderly eccentric.
She felt valued. As a result of this she began to ease away from Rosalind and her cronies.
Although still joining them for an occasional lunch or outing, she was gradually stepping back, leaving them behind.
Like this morning when she declined Rosalind’s invitation to an early lunch in the Copper Kettle.
She braced herself for Cat’s arrival; she knew exactly why she was here. Ros Myers had phoned fifteen minutes earlier, gleeful at the upset she had caused. Upset which, she realised, she was now going to have to deal with.
‘Maybe now she’ll do the sensible thing and distance herself from that dreadful young man,’ she remembered Ros saying, clearly trying to justify her actions. ‘His mother was no good and neither is he. About time she realised her mistake and got herself someone decent like Jordan Hunter.’
Emelia muffled an indignant snort at the comment.
‘Jordan Hunter indeed,’ she’d scoffed. Far too young for Cat for a start, but also a nine carat layabout.
His days were usually spent driving around in his expensive car, picking up light skirts and generally causing a nuisance in the neighbourhood.
No one could control him. His father was more interested in the blonde he had tucked away a few miles up the coast and, as for his mother, if she had her way he’d still be wearing nappies.
No wonder the lad had grown up with no backbone.
The stupid woman had spent a lifetime making excuses for him and getting Gareth to sort out the disasters he was responsible for.
And in return for this devoted maternal support, he took great pleasure in upsetting her at every opportunity.
Oh yes, not only had she heard about the incidents, she’d been witness to a few of them.
The arrival of Marion pulled her away from her contemplation of the failures of the Hunter family.
She turned as Cat entered. Watching her striding towards Caer Gwyn she had anticipated a showdown but now all Cat’s bristling anger appeared to have slipped behind an expression that was totally unreadable.
‘Coffee, Miss Em?’ Marion asked as she hovered in the doorway.
‘No, thank you.’ Emelia waved her away and she disappeared, closing the door behind her. They were now alone.
Emelia clasped her hands, watching Cat move quietly towards her. ‘So,’ she cocked her head curiously, ‘what brings you to my door this afternoon?’
‘Oh, Great-Aunt Emelia, don’t play the innocent with me.’ Cat shook her head in disbelief, brown eyes meeting and holding hers with such an intensity she had to look away.
‘Shall we sit?’ Emelia suggested, indicating one of the comfortable couches. ‘And it’s Em, dear, remember?’
‘I’ve come about your spiteful little band of friends,’ Cat said calmly as she settled herself. ‘I think it’s time you told them they should find something better to do with their time. The village is stirred up enough over Marika’s death without them making things worse.’
‘If you are talking about what happened in the Copper Kettle this morning, it was nothing to do with me. I wasn’t even there.’
‘That is no excuse. No doubt you’ve been passing on anything Marion hears up at the hotel to those dreadful old ladies. Giving them ammunition for their malicious gossip.’
‘What exactly has been said to upset you so much?’ she asked, ignoring Cat’s accusation. ‘The fact Luke Carrack has been arrested? It’s not gossip, Cat,’ she said, ‘it’s fact.’
‘Ah, but Rosalind wasn’t satisfied with facts, as you call them. She couldn’t resist going the extra mile to upset me.’
‘Oh.’ Emelia cocked her head curiously. Had Ros been less than honest with her account of what happened in The Copper Kettle? She was good at doing that, she reminded herself; twisting things, the sly witch. ‘Why, what did she say?’ she enquired.
‘She told the whole restaurant he was guilty and he’d be put away for a long time. She also said some pretty unpleasant things about Selina.’
‘Well that’s hardly surprising,’ Em shrugged off Cat’s complaint, ‘she was a wild creature, that one; drugs, drink, parties … then there were the men, of course. Two in particular … Scott Stevens and Ross Carrack. One caused all the trouble and the other simply made everything worse.’ She shook her head. ‘Poor Mary, she was mortified.’
‘That does not give Rosalind the right to suggest Luke has the same lack of morals as his mother,’ Cat argued. ‘No matter what has happened I know he is a decent human being. Unlike Charlie Myers.’
‘Charlie? What about him?’ Cat now had Emelia’s full attention. Charlie was Ros’s much-adored son, one of London’s banking high-flyers.
‘He’s been suspended from his job, pending enquiries.’
‘What rubbish. Who told you such a dreadful thing?’
‘Nathan. He was up in London for the weekend recently,’ Cat explained. ‘Caught up with a couple of old uni friends, one of whom works in the same bank as Charlie. Apparently he’s been suspended and is now under investigation for insider dealing.’
‘Well …’ Emelia sat back, lost for words.
When she thought about it, Ros did seem a bit preoccupied lately.
She’d told everyone it was the aftermath of a virus infection that had left her feeling tired and drained at times.
Moving on from thoughts of Ros’s health, her mind registered an event last year when she and her husband, Archie, had treated themselves to a month’s holiday touring America.
She’d wondered at the time where the money had come from; whether they had dipped into Archie’s pension pot.
It was only when they returned that Ros informed them it was a wedding anniversary gift from Charlie.
And then, last Christmas came the boasts about Charlie not only buying a property in the Dordogne but also looking at a house in Tuscany.
At the time she had wondered how much traders in the City were paid but after hearing Ros talk about their huge year-end bonuses she figured he could easily afford it.
She shook herself from her thoughts and turned to face Cat.
‘If what you are saying is true, Ros will be horrified if this gets out.’
‘No doubt.’ Cat gave a careless shrug. ‘Not very nice, is it? You know, when it’s someone close to you. Luke is close to me and despite what all those fickle people think I haven’t lost faith in him. He’s still the decent man they all once believed he was.’
‘Oh, Cat my dear.’ Emelia closed her eyes and shook her head. ‘I admire your loyalty. But he doesn’t deserve it; everything points to the fact he was the one who committed the crime. After all, you can’t overlook the fact he was involved with her.’
‘He was not,’ Cat insisted. ‘She was obsessed with Jordan. He had dumped her and Marika was convinced because Luke was Jordan’s cousin he had some influence.
She thought he could persuade Jordan to change his mind; to take her back.
Luke tried to convince her he couldn’t help, that she was wasting her time and needed to walk away.
But she wouldn’t listen, she kept pestering him.
So he met her the night of the bonfire to tell her enough was enough and to leave him alone.
Marika lost her temper and attacked him. ’
‘Attacked him?’ Emelia parroted, remembering the argument she had witnessed when she was looking for Hamish; how the girl had launched herself at the man.
Had that been Luke? She wasn’t sure. Of course, she should have come forward earlier, offered to make a statement about what she’d witnessed.
But was it relevant? And, even if it was, who would believe her?
She was part of a group of well-known rumour-mongers; what they didn’t know, to a certain extent they made up.
How could anyone take her seriously? Quickly she shook away these thoughts, her attention returning to Cat as she continued her story.
‘Yes. After that Luke walked away leaving her there alone. Whoever killed her … and it wasn’t him …
must have done it soon afterwards. They’ve cordoned off the beach with tape but from what they are saying in the hours before she was found the tide had probably washed away most of the evidence.
But no doubt you’re already aware of that,’ she added sarcastically.
‘I wasn’t, actually.’
‘What’s happened to you, Aunt Em? You’ve changed so much. You’re not the woman we used to know. We were such a happy family, but now …’ Cat shook her head. ‘Those awful women. They’ve changed you so much and not for the better.’
Emelia sat in silence, unable to respond to something that held more than an element of truth.
She desperately missed her brother and sister-in-law.
Two and a half years they’d been gone. A new life in the Dordogne.
She’d hoped they’d invite her to visit but when she learned they were opening up a boutique hotel in an old farmhouse and were heavily involved in the renovations, she knew it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.
And now the hotel was complete new pressures intruded on their lives, such as looking after guests and managing staff.
They probably had a new circle of friends, too.
Who wanted a spare sock like her? While the friendship she’d formed with Adrian at the museum brought some sunshine into her life, it wasn’t the same as being part of a family.
She missed living at Tarwin House and had come to regret her foolishness in letting someone like Rosalind into the family’s apartments.
But it was all too late, the damage had been done and she’d have to learn to live with it.
‘I’d better go.’ She looked up to see Cat getting to her feet.
‘I’ve a client arriving in fifteen minutes and I can’t afford to waste any more time trying to explain how damaging gossip can be.
I realise my visit here is pointless. Despite finding you the job at the museum you still insist on being friends with those awful women.
But I don’t care what they say, I’m not giving up on Luke, even if Gareth has. ’
Emelia looked up sharply. ‘Gareth? Why, what has he done?’
‘A little more gossip for you, Aunt Em? Well, why not?’ The bitterness had returned and with it, Emelia noticed, the shimmer of moisture in Cat’s eyes.
‘I phoned Gareth when I heard Luke had been arrested. We had a very awkward conversation. He seemed embarrassed by what had happened. Said he’d been too busy to go to the police station or organise a solicitor.
He seemed to think the duty solicitor there could do the job adequately.
He didn’t want to talk to me. Jodie and I drove to Truro where Luke is being held but we weren’t allowed to see him.
’ Cat took a deep a breath as she pushed away threatening tears with her fingertips.
‘It’s only a matter of time; he’s bound to be charged.
’ She lowered her hands. ‘Probably be held on remand in some prison miles away until the trial date, too. Ah well, not your problem.’ Getting to her feet, she took one last look at Em and left the room.
Emelia wandered over to the window to watch Cat walk back to Tarwin House.
Her visit had been unsettling. She wasn’t sure whether Luke Carrack was guilty or innocent.
Certainly Cat was in love with the man and rumour had it before the events of this weekend he was a decent sort, unlike his dreadful cousin.
Reaching for her phone, she picked up the receiver and dialled.
Her relationship with Rosalind and Co had been gradually declining anyway.
Maybe the time had come to boot the trio out of her life completely.
And after Cat’s visit she had just the leverage she needed to do that while at the same time putting an end to the gossip surrounding Luke.
It was only a small gesture but she hoped it would help.