Free The Little One [Quick Read 2012] by Lynda La Plante Page A

that you agreed to all her requests, yes?’
    Barbara nodded, but her mind was a total blank. And when she left the office shortly afterwards she was at a loss where to go.
    Part of her wanted to call Alan and Kevin, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being rejected. Instead, she decided to take a bus to their house. Gazing out of the window, she
couldn’t help but notice newspaper stands displaying the terrible headlines:
    ‘Famous TV Star Jumps to Death’
    ‘Tragic Star’s Suicide’
    ‘TV Star’s Tragic Death’
    By the time she rang Alan and Kevin’s doorbell she was crying for the first time since she’d been told about Margaret.
    When Alan opened the door, she was sobbing.
    ‘Oh, Alan, please let me in. I’ve got nowhere else to go.’
    Alan put his arm around her shoulders.
    ‘It’s all right. You can stay here.’
    Kevin emerged from their kitchen as Alan closed the front door. He gave the distressed Barbara a cold look.
    ‘They’re showing all the old clips from the show on the news reports. I hope for your sake you didn’t have anything to do with her suicide.’

 
Chapter Twelve
    Barbara unpacked the few things she’d brought with her and lay down on the single bed. She’d made no mention of the will. There had been no opportunity as they sat
watching the television news about Margaret. Alan had become very distressed and had broken down in tears.
    At six o’clock she heard the doorbell ring. Shortly after, Alan knocked on the box-room door.
    ‘There are two police officers downstairs. They want to talk to you.’
    Detective Inspector John Douglas introduced himself as Barbara entered the kitchen. A female detective, Angela Collins, was with him. She shook Barbara’s hand and they took their seats at
the kitchen table. Alan and Kevin hovered and Barbara wished they would leave them in private.
    She told the detectives everything she could about Margaret.
    ‘So you went back to the manor house yesterday evening?’ asked Douglas.
    ‘Yes. I just said so.’
    ‘Did anyone see you arrive?’
    ‘I suppose the ticket collector might remember seeing me.’
    There was a pause and then Detective Inspector Douglas nodded to his companion, who continued.
    ‘So Miss Reynolds gave you permission to return there, did she?’
    Barbara hesitated and then nodded. Alan glanced at Kevin, knowing this was not exactly true, as she’d tried to stay with them.
    The female detective asked how Barbara thought Miss Reynolds appeared. ‘Did she seem distressed? Nervous? Show any signs that she intended to kill herself?’
    ‘No, she was very relaxed. She said she would be seeing her solicitor.’
    Now Detective Inspector Douglas resumed. They knew from Mr Sullivan that she’d gone to his office that afternoon. Barbara nodded, glancing at Alan and Kevin.
    ‘Yes, I kept the appointment at three fifteen.’
    ‘Did you see Miss Reynolds after that meeting?’
    ‘No. I came here and then caught the seven fifteen train.’
    ‘So you never saw her again?’
    ‘No, I didn’t.’
    ‘You’re sure about that?’
    ‘Yes, I’m sure. In fact, I went there because I presumed that she’d returned home.’
    ‘She didn’t call you or try to get in touch with you?’
    ‘No.’
    Detective Inspector Douglas then dropped his bombshell.
    ‘You see, Miss Hardy, we have to make certain that it was a tragic accident, or suicide, rather than murder.’
    Barbara turned to Alan and back to the detectives.
    ‘I don’t understand. From the news, it seems she committed suicide. She jumped in front of the tube train, didn’t she?’
    Neither detective replied. Instead, they studied their notebooks.
    ‘Was it not an accident, then?’ Barbara asked.
    Without replying to her question, Detective Inspector Douglas asked Barbara if she had found a letter of any kind at the manor house. Barbara answered that she had not.
    ‘So, Miss Hardy, when Miss Reynolds was at the tube station in London, you were heading for the