Chapter 13 #2
The white walls seemed to close in, light from the window dimming. I kept my breathing slow, aware of it, aware of my own tension, aware that the room was full of secrets and half-truths.
Lily had probably undergone more therapy than most people. She’d shown that it had been successful otherwise she wouldn’t have been released. She would’ve learned to match someone else’s breathing when she was in hospital as a way of regulating her emotions, calming herself down.
I saw her shoulder drop, her eyes finding mine. I couldn’t tell how much control she was showing. “I’m glad Amanda is dead. I never wanted to see her again; I want to leave what happened in the past and have my life the way I choose to make it.”
“What about The Holding?”
She sighed, looked away. “The Holding was where I learned what’s now my trade.
I hated my childhood; I was expected to work on their land the way they wanted to, which was slow and old fashioned.
We weren’t meant to use the internet or technology, and resources were pooled.
The Holding likes the idea of being self-sufficient, and it was based on goodness, helping people, providing a community.
I may have come into contact with its members because our paths crossed.
They would cultivate some of the plants I’d use for people’s gardens; I’d buy from their nursery, but I doubt they knew who I was.
In fact, I was sure they didn’t recognise me. ”
“Do you have names of the people you bought from?”
“David and Marie Stride were the people who ran the nursery. They were involved when I was a child but I didn’t have much to do with them. Can I ask a question?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Who is the beneficiary of my mother’s will? I am not expecting it to be me, nor would I want it.”
“If you are the beneficiary, what would you do with it?” I asked. We had both Micky Mulligan’s and Amanda’s wills now, after a lot of chasing.
“I would donate it to charity.”
I nodded. “Noble. The house – or what remains of it – is left to The Holding. Your mother also had a small savings account, half of which is left to you. The rest goes to The Holding.” We now had details of someone linked to The Holding that were traceable.
She looked genuinely shocked.
“The will was recent. It was written just over a year ago, so I’d say your mother was thinking of you, Lily.” I stirred it up.
“It would be the first time.” She paused, staring at the floor. “I knew she’d leave something, but I thought it would be her favourite ornament, nothing monetary.”
I waited for her to add more, wondering if I’d see any more of her inner child that felt neglected, but she didn’t. I wasn’t surprised. “Lily, what did The Holding involve?”
“People opted in to their way of life. It was like a church, but with no deity or services. The members met most days, but it didn’t matter if you couldn’t go; you could spend as much time there as you wanted.
They had land and grew their own crops and fruits, but also grew plants to sell to provide an income for what they needed to buy.
Some of the older members would leave their homes to The Holding, for them to sell, I suppose in return for looking after them.
My dad was one of the senior members and he was keen for us to have more involvement; I know he’d discussed opening a school for children to have a more practical education.
My parents spent a lot of time at the centre and we had to as well.
” She said more than I’d expected. “Our lives were very basic because that’s how my parents thought it should be. ”
“And you didn’t like that?”
“I didn’t like how I was little more than a servant. I wanted to be somewhere I mattered for who I was rather than what skills I had, although I haven’t succeeded with that really, have I?”
“You’re doing very well in your business. People will choose you because of how you are as a person. You seemed to be getting on well with your client from today.” He was older than Lily, granted, but for some reason I wanted her to have something more than just working.
Although I didn’t have much more than that myself.
“Thank you. He’s been kind to me.” There was that smile again, the forced one.
“Can you tell me about the night of the fire at your childhood home?” This was what I’d been waiting to ask.
There was a pause, an unfilled beat. “I was at home. I’d gotten in late because I’d been out.
I didn’t want to wake my dad because he would’ve been angry and I was fed up with him being angry, so I slept in the laundry room.
I put an old nightie on that was in there, one of my mum’s that was like something from the Victorian era, and made a bed out of towels.
I was drunk and the room was spinning and I realised something else was wrong.
When I opened the door I saw fire, so I opened the sash window in the laundry room and got out that way, then I just ran. ”
“How did you get petrol on you?”
“I don’t remember. I remember climbing out of the window and the next thing I can remember was being in the graveyard and so cold I thought I was going to die.”
“Did you suspect anyone? Who do you think did it?”
“My dad wasn’t a nice man, Detective. He was very driven to make The Holding become more than what it was.
He wanted to lead it and then change the world, bring others to his way of thinking.
He would have made enemies.” She folded her arms. “I wasn’t sorry about my parents; but I was sorry about my brothers.
” She closed her eyes and I thought she was holding back tears.
“I’ll have a think about names, but I didn’t pay too much attention.
I was more caught up in trying to get away from them whenever I could. ”
“Thank you. That could be helpful.” I waited, glancing at Lachy who’d remained silent for the duration. “Do you have any idea why someone might have wanted to kill Amanda?”
“Wasn’t it an accident? Someone set a fire?” She looked from me to Lachy.
“Lily, your mother was dead before the fire started. Someone strangled her.” Wrigley had agreed that we should share this detail, see how she reacted.
She bit her lips together, her hands frozen still. She was holding everything in.
“I didn’t know.” Her stare landed on me. “But I didn’t do it. Amanda wasn’t a good person, but she didn’t deserve that.” She stood up. “Am I okay to go?”
I nodded. “You can leave at any time. You’re not under caution,” I reminded her. “Do you remember Micky Mulligan?”
She shook her head.
“He was found in the cellar of his house. He’d been tied to a chair and died in the fire.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It is. We really want to find their killer, so if you can think of anyone, you must tell us.”
“I will do, Detective, but I need to go now.”
“Will you be okay?” I stayed seated.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay. I’ll call you if I think of anything.” She left, Lachy following her to see her out of the building.
He returned five minutes later with two cans of fizzy mango juice that he’d probably pilfered from one of the women on reception. “She’s loony tunes, isn’t she?” He sat down on the chair Lily had been in.
“I’m not sure.”
“You think she’s playing us?” He swung back slightly.
“You know I long for the day when you fall off a chair. I just hope I’m videoing it.” I was tempted to reach over and push him.
“Such a supportive boss. Do you think she’s playing us?” He managed to get the chair back on four legs.
I stood up, needing to stretch my legs. “I don’t think so. I’m going to the secure hospital where she was tomorrow; I’ve managed to get a meeting with her psychiatrist.” She’d given us written permission earlier, when the FLO had been with her.
“I think she set the original fire,” Lachy said, standing and knocking his chair flying in the process. “She might not remember doing it, especially if she was drunk.”
“Are you seeing Scarlett tomorrow?” I’d asked Lachy to work his charms on Lily’s old friend. “We need to find who she was with the night of the first fire; see if they can remember how drunk she was.”
He nodded.
“I bet they can. How many nights do you have that end up with your friend being arrested for killing most of their family? I don’t understand why they weren’t interviewed as part of the original investigation.
” I’d managed to go through more of the files I could access, still being frustrated by the ones that I didn’t have privileges to open.
Lachy shrugged. “Maybe it wasn’t just Lily who set the fire and someone was trying to protect them. I agree there’s more to it. My parents drove me mad but I’d never have dreamed of trying to set them on fire. My sister – that’s another fucking matter. Are you coming to the pub?”
“I’m going for a run. Maybe tomorrow. Vinny mentioned something about celebrating.” We headed to the door, ready to call it a day.
“Can you not do two nights on the run?” He tried to niggle me.
“Only if you’re picking up the bill.” I left him spluttering about how he was underpaid, only to be distracted by Melinda and another can of fizzy mango juice. I was going to love telling Vinny about this.