It’s not where Bethany had died, they know that now, but it’s the best place they have to drink to her memory.
Andrew Everton is keeping quiet about the whole thing. No surprises there. So they still don’t know what really happened that night. Where had Bethany gone? Where had Andrew Everton killed her? Who were the two figures in Bethany’s car as it approached this very cliff? No one had cracked the mystery of ‘Robert Brown Msc’ either. Ibrahim had driven himself half mad with anagrams.
Other questions had been answered, though. One of the guards at the prison says that Andrew Everton visited Heather Garbutt on the night of her death. He denies it, but of course he would.
And Jack Mason. Ron has thought back to their last evening together. The guilt Jack had spoken about.
They each have a single rose to throw into the sea below. Elizabeth and Joyce, Ibrahim, Mike and Pauline. Even Viktor has come down to pay his respects. They had asked Henrik, but he had said, ‘I don’t understand, I didn’t know her, why would I throw a rose into the sea?’ He had a point. Not everyone wants to be in a gang, do they?
One by one they throw their roses. Joyce’s is blown back into her face by the wind, so she has to have another go. The sky is cloudless, so if Bethany is in a position to look down, she’d see them all today. Ron doesn’t hold with that sort of thing in his head, but there is plenty of room for it in his heart.
Mike Waghorn says a few words, a number of which have to be repeated because the wind is picking up. He then suggests a little walk along the clifftop. Ron had known that he would.
‘I’ll sit this one out,’ Ron says. ‘You know what my knee’s like.’
A few raised eyebrows – they all know Ron doesn’t talk about his knees. But it shuts them up, and they are soon on their way. Pauline sits with him, as he knew she would.
‘You all right, lover?’ she asks.
‘I’m not so bad,’ says Ron. ‘Just thinking about my bathroom.’
‘You never fail to surprise me, Ronnie. You thinking about getting an air freshener?’
Ron smiles, but a little sadly. ‘Nah, just not used to having a woman around, am I? All the gear, you know, the creams, all the make-up and what have you.’
‘I’m taking up too much room, am I? You got no space for your Lynx Africa?’
‘I love it, if I’m honest,’ says Ron. ‘Feels intimate, doesn’t it? I’ve always been honest with you, you know, Pauline?’
‘I know, darling,’ says Pauline, looking concerned. ‘What’s all this about?’
‘Have you always been honest with me?’
‘Course,’ says Pauline. ‘I have the odd fag when you’re not looking, but apart from that.’
‘Robert Brown Msc,’ says Ron.
‘What about him?’
‘I know I’m not the clever one,’ says Ron. ‘But it’s about time I cracked something.’
‘Ron?’
‘It’s the make-up,’ says Ron. ‘It’s been sitting there in the bathroom all this time. All lined up under the mirror where I shave. Staring me in the face.’
Ron looks at Pauline. He doesn’t want to say it, but he has to.
‘Your mascara,’ says Ron. ‘Bobbi Brown, your favourite. Bobbi Brown Mascara. “Robert Brown Msc”.’
84
Donna and Bogdan kiss outside the car, they kiss in the hallway, they kiss by Elizabeth and Stephen’s front door. Bogdan is unused to public displays of affection. What if somebody sees? Also, he has a bag full of food that needs to go in the fridge.
But he is in love, and he accepts that will bring its own challenges. Bogdan knocks, then opens the door, calling Stephen’s name.
Stephen is sitting on the sofa in his pyjamas, which is not in the least unusual.
‘Here’s the happy couple,’ he says. ‘Look at you both.’
‘The very happy couple,’ says Donna. ‘Hello, Stephen.’
Donna is still holding her statue. Stephen levers himself up, and walks over to take a look.
‘Our old friend Anahita,’ says Stephen, his eyes lighting up. ‘Goddess of love and battle. Most appropriate.’
Donna smiles, and pops into the kitchen to put the kettle on.
Bogdan loves to see Stephen’s eyes sparkle. Loves to see that intelligence. Bogdan had seen the list that Stephen made of Henrik’s books. So detailed, so beautiful. He will give Stephen a shave later, and then a post-shave balm. Then a moisturizer. Stephen has never had a skin-care regime before – ‘Soap and water, old boy’ – but it is never too late to start. Maybe he should start giving him vitamins too? Would Elizabeth object? Just C and D to start with. He doesn’t get out enough.
‘Speaking of battle,’ says Bogdan, taking his seat by the chessboard. ‘We play?’
Stephen waves this away.
‘We don’t play today?’ says Bogdan. Maybe they will watch a film instead? Or just tell stories. Bogdan will cook a paella.
‘Not me, old chap,’ says Stephen. ‘Elizabeth’s the chess player round here.’
‘Elizabeth?’
‘I tried chess a few times,’ says Stephen. ‘Never got the hang of it. You play?’
‘Yes, I play,’ says Bogdan.
‘Any good?’ says Stephen.
‘Depends,’ says Bogdan, determined to stop the tears forming. ‘In chess you’re only really ever as good as the person you play against.’
Stephen nods and looks down at the board. Bogdan wonders what he is seeing.
‘Better man than I,’ says Stephen. ‘Devil’s own job, that game.’
Donna walks back in with two mugs of tea. Stephen beams.
‘That’s the stuff, all right,’ says Stephen. ‘Cup of tea. That’s the stuff.’
85
Ron can see the others returning. But they’re in the distance, and their walk back is uphill. They will be a while yet. Joyce has her arm linked with Mike Waghorn’s.
‘The whole truth?’ says Pauline.
‘I think I’m due that,’ says Ron.
‘I think you are too, Ronnie,’ says Pauline. ‘But I don’t want the others to know. I don’t want Mike to know.’
Ron gives a small shrug. Is this where it all ends? On a clifftop high above a wild sea?
‘It was about half ten,’ Pauline begins, barely able to look Ron in the eye. ‘I was getting ready for bed, believe it or not, early start the next day. There’s a ring on the door. I ignore it, nothing good comes at night unless you’ve ordered it. It rings again, and again, and eventually I’m “bugger this” and I look on the entry camera and there she is.’
‘Bethany Waites?’
‘Bethany Waites. I buzz her up and wait for her to knock. In you come, I say, what’s all this about? I could see something was up, else I’d have just sent her packing. She’s wearing a houndstooth jacket and yellow trousers, looked like she’d just picked them up from a jumble sale. No make-up. She sits, and she says, Pauline, I need a favour, and I say, at ten thirty at night, and she tells me to sit down and listen to a story. I say, should I ring Mike, and she says, you can’t ring Mike, I don’t want him to worry.’
‘What was the story?’
‘Bethany says, you gotta believe this, Pauline, someone’s trying to kill me. I’ve got this story they don’t want coming out, I’ve just had this message, threatening me, and you know me, Ronnie, I’ve heard it all in my time, but I don’t know what to believe. But something in her eyes tells me I’m hearing the truth. Close to the truth at least, so I’m like, what can I do? What’s the favour? If I can help, I’ll help.’
‘And what was the favour?’ asks Ron. He can just hear Joyce’s laugh now, the top notes carrying on the wind.
‘She’s going to meet someone, she says. And she needs to look different. She knows I can’t work miracles, but can I make her up, lend her a wig? Change her appearance just enough to fool someone. She had a picture she showed me, and it didn’t look impossible.’
‘So you said yes?’
‘First off, I tried to talk her out of it. If you’re in trouble, go to the police. Not really my style, as you know, but they have their uses sometimes. She says she can’t go to the police, she just needs this one favour, and the whole thing will be over soon enough. She says trust me, I know what I’m doing, and I’ll pay you too.’