‘No change.’
‘I’m sorry.’
Kim gave the tiniest of shrugs as she stirred a sauce in the pan. ‘Cornelius called three times today. And Todd received some flowers from his sister, Zan.’
‘The one who lives in South Africa?’
‘That’s right. It was quite sweet of her. Edwin told her about the crash.’
‘What kind of name is Zan, anyway?’
‘Short for Xanthe. Her mother was a little on the pretentious side, apparently. She sounds a dreadful woman. She died ten years ago: her liver gave out.’
‘Didn’t you say Todd has a younger sister as well?’
‘Caroline, Martha’s daughter. Her husband is Herbert Hafer IV, of Hafer Beer. The Hafers are one of the wealthiest families in Pennsylvania. She’s the only one of the van Zyl children who married well; Jessica, Cornelius’s current wife, saw to that. Actually, he’s a pretty down-to-earth guy for a billionaire, calls himself “H” and invests the family fortune. They moved out to San Diego soon after they were married. It’s a long way from New Hampshire so we don’t see her much.’
‘That smells good,’ Calder said.
‘It should taste good. We’ll see. Fish is a bit tricky with a grill you don’t know.’ She checked the two fillets of plaice. ‘Looks OK so far.’ She stirred the mushroom sauce bubbling gently in the pan on the hob and took the glass of wine Calder handed to her. ‘I see you spoke to the police.’
‘Did they come and see you again?’
‘You bet they did. They weren’t very happy that I hadn’t told them about Martha’s murder and Todd’s suspicions. I showed them the letter.’
‘I’m sure it was the best thing to do.’
‘We’ll see,’ said Kim. ‘At least it means they’ll check Cornelius out pretty thoroughly, but I still feel bad about it. Like I’ve betrayed Todd.’
‘Someone tried to kill him!’ Calder said. ‘And me, for that matter.’
‘I know, I’m sorry.’ Kim touched Calder’s hand. ‘I do appreciate you going to see Benton Davis. Thank you.’
‘Oh, no, it’s... um... it’s the least I could do.’ Calder was disconcerted by Kim’s touch. ‘But we still have to figure out what happened to Martha.’
‘Now we’ve drawn a blank with Benton, I’m not sure what to do next.’ Kim checked the grill again. ‘It’s ready. Give me a hand, will you?’
They took their supper outside, to the small garden behind the cottage, where there was a teak table, chairs and a bench.
‘We need to get Cornelius to talk,’ Calder said.
‘Todd tried,’ Kim said. ‘And got nowhere.’
‘That’s true, but things are a little different now that we know someone tried to kill his son. Perhaps next time he comes up to see Todd you could try to speak to him. Be a bit more subtle about it than Todd was.’
‘He said he’s coming tomorrow afternoon. It’s difficult to talk when we’re all sitting around in Todd’s room staring at him. Perhaps I’ll suggest we go out for a meal.’
‘It’s worth a try,’ Calder said, biting into the plaice. ‘This is delicious.’
‘Thank you. My cooking has come on a bit since university.’ She took a bite herself. ‘Mm, not bad. Pretty garden,’ she said, surveying the apple tree, the small patch of lawn, the roses, the wisteria and the crowded border. ‘I would never have thought of you as a gardener.’
Calder grinned. ‘Neither would I. You should have seen this place when I bought it. It was beautiful. All I do is try to stop things dying. But I’m getting into it, it’s quite therapeutic. I don’t know what half the plants are called. As soon as I learn the name of something it dies.’
‘It’s peaceful here.’
‘It is.’ The garden was southerly facing, away from the sea and towards a wood rising up to a low ridge. To the right was a field of inquisitive bullocks, to the left, along the ridge, an old windmill, its sails fixed. Evening sunlight streamed into the garden from the west, although the sun itself had crept round behind the house.
‘I can’t imagine you in a place like this,’ said Kim.
‘And I can’t imagine you in a small town in New Hampshire.’
‘No.’
‘Do you like it there?’
Kim hesitated. ‘No. No, I don’t. I can admit that to you, but I could never admit it to Todd.’
‘Why not?’
‘He loves Somerford. He loves teaching. He teaches English and he’s very good at it — inspiring, or at least that’s what he tells me. He’s started up a rugby team at the school. But I think what really turns him on is the role of schoolboy hero. He’s very popular with the boys and the principal loves him. That kind of thing is important to Todd. I made such a big deal to him that he shouldn’t be ruled by his father, that he should do what he wants to do, so when he goes off and does it I can hardly complain, can I?’
‘Your life is important too, isn’t it?’
Kim looked at Calder. ‘Yes,’ she said, steel in her voice. ‘Yes.’ She took another bite of her fish. ‘Everyone always laughs at management consultants, but I was bloody good at it. I earned good money and if I’d stuck at it I would have been a partner pretty soon. I didn’t need to marry a rich man.’
‘What about the hospital? Aren’t you doing some good there?’
‘Oh, yes. I’m sorting that place out: they don’t know what’s hit them. Of course working in a hospital is a worthwhile thing to do and everyone’s so damned nice all the time. Sometimes I find it unbearable. I get gripped by these insane ideas, like firing everyone on their birthday, or making a charitable contribution to the Association of Tobacco Manufacturers. I don’t think they’d notice. It would still be a big smile and a “how are you today, Kimmy?” from everyone.’
Calder winced. ‘You sound dangerous.’
‘I’ve kept myself under control so far. But it is frustrating. We’ve been trying for a baby. He wants one, so I have to produce it.’
‘Don’t you want a child?’
‘Yes. Yes, I do. Especially if we’re going to be stuck in Somerford. But the point is I don’t think Todd even notices what I want. He’s a nice guy, a really kind man, but he’s used to everyone doing everything for him, to being the centre of attention. He just assumes that I will do what’s best for him, that our marriage is a partnership whose aim is to do what makes him happy.’
‘You’ve obviously been thinking about it a lot.’
‘Yes. I’m sorry to moan at you, and it’s terrible when he’s lying there unconscious, but yes, I have been stewing over it more than is healthy. Do you remember Dom?’
‘Your boyfriend at Cambridge? The cricketer?’ Calder could recall a tall, dashing cricket blue that Kim had gone out with for a couple of terms in their second year.
‘Yes. Todd’s a bit like him. Totally self-centred.’
‘Didn’t you catch him having it off with Emma?’ Emma was one of the three other students who had shared a place with Kim and Calder.
‘Yes,’ muttered Kim. ‘The bitch. In our house too! At least Todd doesn’t do that kind of thing.’
‘He seems like a pretty straight guy.’
‘Oh, he is. God, I’d forgotten how awful Dom was at the end. But I do remember how head-over-heels in love with him I was. I was young and innocent then.’
‘Well, young.’ Calder smiled. Kim had looked delectable at nineteen. She still looked pretty attractive fifteen years later, he couldn’t help noticing.
‘Yes, young. You were very good to me after all that.’
‘Probably just trying to get you into bed,’ Calder said.
‘Alex! And I thought you were such a kind, sympathetic man.’ Kim smiled that smile that Calder remembered so clearly from all those years ago.