A Lesser Evil - Lesley Pearse [105]
She’d spent all day Monday and Tuesday going to register at flat agencies, and most of them had seemed quite hopeful, particularly if she and Dan were prepared to move a few miles further out of central London.
But the main thing which was making Fifi feel happy was that the following day the plaster cast was coming off. On Monday, in five days’ time, she could return to work. She had an appointment later on that day to have her hair done, and she thought she’d make a special meal tomorrow night to celebrate.
The bell rang a third time as she reached the last flight of stairs.
‘All right, I’m coming,’ she called out. She hoped it wasn’t the police again; now that she had begun to try to put all that business behind her, she didn’t want anyone bringing it up again.
She opened the door and to her astonishment there stood her mother, wearing a pink two-piece. Fifi was so surprised she was rendered speechless.
‘Well, say something,’ Clara said. ‘“Come in” would be nice.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m just so taken aback,’ Fifi said, almost stammering with shock. ‘What are you doing in London?’
‘Your father had to go and see someone at King’s College, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to come and visit you.’
Ever since they moved into Dale Street, a surprise visit from her parents had always been Fifi’s greatest fear. While she felt some relief that she’d cleaned the living room that morning, she dreaded to think what her mother would make of the kitchen on the landing.
Fifi invited her in, even kissed her cheek, and then led the way upstairs. Clara seemed surprised her arm was still in plaster, as she seemed to think it had been broken much longer than six weeks ago.
‘How nice,’ Clara said as Fifi showed her into the living room. But it didn’t sound a sincere compliment, only a display of the good manners she had always prided herself on. ‘It is a rather grim street,’ she added, going over to the window to look out. ‘Which house was the child murdered in?’
Fifi’s heart sank. ‘You heard about it then?’ she asked.
‘Well, of course I did, it was in all the nationals,’ Clara said tersely. ‘You could have told us yourself, we shouldn’t have had to read of your involvement in the papers.’
‘As you weren’t particularly sympathetic about me losing my baby, I didn’t think you’d be interested in hearing about the death of a complete stranger,’ Fifi said cuttingly.
‘Ghastly business,’ Clara continued, almost as if she hadn’t heard what her daughter had said. ‘Is it that house? The one with no curtains?’ she asked, pointing at number 11. ‘Do they know yet whether it was the mother or father?’
‘Yes, it was that house, and no, we don’t know for sure which of them did it, or even if it was someone else. But I’d rather not talk about that, Mum, I’m trying to forget about it. How is Patty? Is she still going out with Michael?’
Fifi had received a very funny letter from her sister on Monday. She said she was getting bored with Michael because he only ever wanted to stay in and watch television with her. She said he hadn’t even got it in him to try to seduce her.
‘Michael’s a good boy,’ Clara said vaguely, without turning away from the window. ‘Oh! A coal yard so close to you! How dreadful.’
‘Okay, Mum.’ Fifi thought she’d try humour. ‘The street, complete with coal yard and resident child murderer, is grim. Most of the other neighbours are what you’d call “Not Our Sort”. I will have to be a witness at the trial too. But looking on the bright side, Dan and I are looking for a new flat. My plaster comes off tomorrow and I’m going back to work next week.’
‘It’s no joking matter.’ Clara turned to face her daughter, her face tight with disapproval. ‘Whatever were you thinking of coming to live in a place like this?’
‘It was cheap and available.’ Fifi shrugged. ‘Now, would you like tea or coffee? Could I make you a sandwich? Or would you rather go somewhere more salubrious?’
Clara sat down. She looked as if she wanted confrontation