He was also sedated and deeply asleep, as motionless as the dead. There was no point in asking questions of a comatose body.
Naturally, he was in a very distressed condition when he was admitted, said the ward sister. Apart from his physical injuries.
But otherwise hell be well enough to be interviewed later? asked Fry.
Youll have to get permission from the doctor.
Fry didnt like hospital doctors much. They seemed inseparable from a smell of disinfectant and a tendency to interfere. White coats and professional obstinacy; both unwelcome obstacles when she was intent on finding the truth.
Were you on duty when Mr Mullens parents-in-law came in this morning, Sister?
Mr and Mrs Lowther? Yes, I spoke to them myself. It was helpful they came, because well be able to reassure Mr Mullen his daughter is safe, at least. She was with them last night, apparently. Oh, but youll know that someone called earlier.
Yes, thank you, said Fry. So when will Mr Mullen come out of sedation?
Some time this afternoon.
I need to know as soon as hes awake and fit to answer questions, Sister.
Ill inform the officer over there, shall I? I presume hes going to carry on hanging around here making a nuisance of himself?
Im afraid so.
Well, I hope we have less trouble with the patient when he wakes up. He almost injured one of my nurses when we had to sedate him earlier.
Fry had been about to leave the ward, but she stopped halfway through the swing doors. What do you mean, you had to sedate him?
He was completely wild, shouting that he couldnt stay here, he had to get out. You know, we see some troubled cases in this hospital, but Mr Mullen was in a dreadful state.
He was completely wild, shouting that he couldnt stay here, he had to get out. You know, we see some troubled cases in this hospital, but Mr Mullen was in a dreadful state.
He must have wanted to go back to his house. He knew his family were trapped in the fire.
Probably youre right The sister hesitated, sounding doubtful. I suppose its not my place to say this, but that wasnt the way it seemed. If youd asked me at the time, I would have said he was frightened.
Frightened? Fry glanced back at Brian Mullen, lying motionless in his bed. Well, whatever it was, I expect hell have forgotten it when he wakes up, wont he?
Not necessarily. Its his brain and body that are sedated. Deep-rooted fears are in the subconscious. And the subconscious never sleeps.
After a wasted trip across town and back, Fry was feeling even more irritable. When she pulled up near the Mullens house, she found just one miserable-looking uniformed officer standing outside the gate. He had his hands folded behind his back, and he was bouncing slightly on his toes, as if auditioning for a part in The Pirates of Penzance. At any moment, he might burst into A policemans lot is not a happy one
Wheres the fire officer? she asked, when Murfin emerged from the house.
Hes nipped off to get a bit of something for a late breakfast, lucky bugger. He said to tell you he wouldnt be long.
SOCOs here yet?
Theres someone on the way, Im told.
Fry looked around at her available resources. One Gilbert and Sullivan extra, and Gavin Murfin. There was nothing like trying to do things on your own, was there?
Coming up behind the same tractor one more time, Bernie Wilding had to slow down on the road between Foxlow and Bonsall. But the tractor driver pulled over into a lay-by to let him pass, and the postman saw that it was Neville Cross, who owned Yew Tree Farm. His land ran right up to the garden of Rose Shepherds property.
Bernie slowed to a halt alongside the tractor and tapped his horn to get the farmers attention.
Morning, said Cross.
Just thought Id mention I couldnt get any answer at Bain House earlier on. You know, Miss Shepherds place? I wondered if youve seen her about at all?
Cant say I have. We dont see her in the village much.
No, I know. I thought it was a bit funny, though. Her post was still in the box from yesterday, too.
The farmer nodded almost imperceptibly. Ill keep an eye out.
Thanks a lot.
Bernie waved and drove off, watching the tractor pull into the road again as soon as hed passed. Hed probably get behind it again when he reached Bonsall. Sometimes he thought these farmers drove around the lanes all day just for the sake of it. They loved being a bloody nuisance with their tractors, and their trailers full of slurry. Now and then, Bernie wished he could put a bomb under one of them.
4
Lindsay Mullens parents lived on the hillside above Darley Dale, a couple of miles north of Matlock. Following the directions shed been given, Fry watched out for the Shalimar Restaurant, then turned left into Northwood Lane and climbed the hill. The Lowthers address was near the top, a large bungalow with its rear windows looking down on the A6 from Bakewell.
She and Murfin had to walk a long way up a garden path to reach the front door. This was a garden that seemed to be mostly gravel and stone flags, apart from the obligatory water feature, and dozens of terracotta pots that didnt contain very much.
I like this sort of garden. No plants.
And Gavin was right. There was a birdbath, a sundial, a statue of an angel in ornamental stone. And so much furniture, too a patio set on the terrace under a green parasol, a wooden bench in the shade of an arbour, and a garden barbecue on timber decking at a lower level. In the last few yards, they found themselves walking on cast-iron stepping stones in the shape of flattened tortoises, between solar lights like Edwardian gas lamps. Near the door stood a cast-iron chiminea with a mesh door, its surface just starting to rust.
A few minutes later, they were sitting with Henry Lowther in a conservatory, on either side of an oak coffee table that matched the flooring.
Sorry to bring you in here, he said, but Luanne is asleep, and we dont want to disturb her. Its going to be stressful enough for the child in the next few weeks, poor thing.
Luanne is your youngest grandchild, sir?
Yes.
How did she come to be here with you last night?
Weve been looking after her for a few days. Luanne hasnt been sleeping through the night, you see. Poor Lindsay wasnt getting much rest, so we offered to give her a break for a bit.
I see. And are you coping all right yourselves? Talk to your family liaison officer if you need any help, wont you?
No, were fine, said Lowther. Luanne needs us, and its best to have something to concentrate on. You know what I mean
Lindsay Mullens parents seemed to be quiet people no sign of hysterics, or outbursts of anger. But Fry hardly caught a glimpse of Mrs Lowther before she disappeared, clearly on the verge of tears, her eyes already red from previous bouts of weeping.
My wife isnt up to talking about it yet, said her husband. I hope you understand.
Yes, of course. Im sorry to have to bother you with questions, sir.
Its something you have to do.
It was much too warm for Fry in the conservatory. Looking around, she saw that the central heating radiator had an individual thermostat control. She wondered whether Mr Lowther would notice if she surreptitiously turned it down. But he was watching her too expectantly, the way people did sometimes after a sudden death, as if they thought she might be able to bring their loved ones magically back to life.
Could you tell me when you first heard about the fire, sir?
Yes. Brian phoned to tell us. Thats our son-in-law.
Brian did? What time was that?
Good heavens, Im not sure. It was in the early hours of the morning. I was too shocked to check the time. Well, I might have looked at the clock, but I didnt take it in. Brian said he was phoning from the hospital I remember that. At first, I thought it was him that had been in an accident, and I didnt understand what he was trying to tell me. I suppose I was still half asleep.
The conservatory was probably so warm because it was full of plants fuchsia, tree ferns, bougainvillea. In the kitchen, Fry had noticed cacti and tradescantia, and a wooden herb wheel on the window sill. She might be ignorant of what grew in the countryside, but she was familiar with house plants. During a spell with a foster family whod run a small-scale plant nursery in Halesowen, her job had been to write out the labels for the pots and God help her if she got one wrong through not recognizing a species.
There would be spiders and small insects crawling among these plants, too. Shed tried to sit in the middle of the two-seater cane settee to keep away from the jungle, forcing Murfin to take one of the chairs.
How did Brian describe what had happened?
Describe it? Well, he said hed arrived home and found the house on fire. I gather hed been out for the evening. Brian was very distressed, you know understandably. And hed suffered some injuries trying to get into the house. In the circumstances Im surprised he had the presence of mind to call us at all. But Im glad he did. I dont know how wed have heard about the fire otherwise.
Well, wed have found your details somehow, and a police officer would have called on you.
That would have been worse, I think, said Lowther. If anything could be worse than this.
Mr Lowther was officially described in the forms as a managing director. In Frys experience, most managing directors looked as though theyd eaten too many corporate lunches and Rotary Club dinners. But Lowther didnt. He was a big man, but had kept his leanness. Regular squash, or business not so good?
For a moment, Mr Lowther was distracted by the fronds of a tree fern that hung near his chair. He reached out to tear a bit off the plant, with the air of someone who had no idea what he was doing. When he leaned over, Fry noticed that Mr Lowthers shirt buttons werent fastened properly. One hole was empty, and its button had been fastened too low, so that part of his shirt hung untidily over his waistband.
That was all Brian could tell me, really. He said that the house was on fire. And that he thought Lindsay and the children were still in there.
What did you do?
We went up there, of course to Darwin Street. But the fire was all over by the time we arrived. They wouldnt let us go into the house. So then we went to the hospital, but Brian was sedated. We sat around for hours before someone came and told us that Lindsay and the boys hadnt survived. It was horrible. It seemed as though we were almost the last to know.