A Game of Consequences Read online

  ‘Is that how it seems to you?’

  ‘It isn’t how it seems to me, it’s how it is. And I can’t do it any more.’ She got to her feet and pushed away his outstretched arm.

  He went after her as she stumbled away, her face hidden in her hands.

  ‘Kate darling, what’s come over you?’

  ‘What’s come over me is that I’ve just about reached the point of no return. God knows I’ve tried to make you understand often enough, but you won’t face it. You just go on and on in your smug self-satisfied way, pretending to yourself that everything’s all right, because you’re the one who’s managing the universe.’

  ‘Self-satisfied! Is that what you think of me?’ Tom said, surprised into a bitter laugh.

  ‘You don’t try, you don’t try. You stick down here with your head in the sand, spending your days doing nothing. It’s an escape. That’s all you want. Well, I can’t take any more of this life without a future, with no end to it, and no way out. I’m sorry. It terrifies me. But if that’s the way you want it, you’ll have to go it alone. I’m leaving you.’ The words sprang out.

  ‘You’re what?’

  ‘I’m leaving you.’ There! It was said.

  His ruddy face paled:

  ‘Leaving me! Don’t you love me any more? Don’t you care about the children?’

  ‘It’s because of the children that I’m doing it. I’m taking them with me.’

  ‘You can’t do that.’

  ‘You’ll find that I can. I’m going to get a legal separation from you, Tom.’ She was surprised herself at the things that were coming from her mouth. ‘We’ll live with my parents; Mother will look after them while I’m at work.’

  ‘I won’t let you. You can’t break up our marriage just like that, Kate, it’s not rational. You can’t break up our home and deprive me of my children. I love you, Kate. What’s happened?’

  ‘We have no home, Tom. Don’t you realise it? And no prospect of one ever again, as far as I can see. It’s making me ill. I feel ill. I feel on the verge of a breakdown.’

  ‘Yes, it’s too taxing for you, I see that. You haven’t had a holiday in three years, that’s what it is. It’s all got on top of you. But I’ll straighten things out, I promise. Just give me a little time, darling.’

  ‘Where have I heard that before!’ she said with a shaky bitter laugh.

  ‘I mean it, Kate. I’ll find a way, I promise. Don’t bear down so hard on me; give me a little more time … ’

  He put an arm about her shoulders. She looked away, said nothing. ‘Give me till school breaks up. They’ll have to finish out the term. I only live for you and the children, you know that. You’re my life.’ He did not dare ask if there was anyone else, he was too afraid. He did not believe there could be, but there was always the possibility, it was something one could never be certain about. He thought of her old boyfriend, Patrick Mahoney, with whom she had once been so much in love. He winced away from the thought of their meetings together, their intimate luncheons à deux. He was not going to let it happen. He would find a way to prevent it. On that he was determined.

  SIX

  Faced with Kate’s threat (an ultimatum with a time-limit), Tom desperately evolved a plan of action. If he could get Jeremy and Aurora to go away again … If he could somehow lay his hands on a few hundred pounds … If he could devise a foolproof method, and at the same time manage to provide himself with an unbreakable alibi …

  All he wanted was to keep his wife and children. Was that a crime? His heart refused to believe Kate really had ceased to love him or really wanted to leave him. If once things came right again financially all would be well. On that conviction he was prepared to stake everything. He had to put his faith in that, because life without Kate, without his children, would not be worth living to him. A man has to put up some resistance to the blows of fate.

  Taking up the mail with their early morning tea Tom remarked: ‘You’ve got a letter from Bermuda. Rude of me to notice. But it is a First Cover and I wondered if I could have the envelope. If you don’t want it, Rory.’

  ‘It’s from Sylvia. How nice,’ she uttered with a capacious yawn. ‘Pour out for me, Tom, there’s a dear; himself being still in his hoggish slumber. I had a wretched night again.’

  ‘You need a holiday.’

  ‘And here’s Sylvia asking us to stay!’ she exclaimed, her eyes skimming the page.

  ‘Well, there you are! Handed to you on a plate. What could be more delightful?’

  ‘I only wish I could go.’

  ‘Can’t you?’

  ‘Not possibly.’

  ‘What a shame!’

  But later that same day he brought the subject up again, because, he said, he could see Rory really needed a break, she’d practically run herself into the ground she’d been working so hard. (People always like to hear that; it goes down especially well with those who have never had to work.)

  ‘That’s true enough,’ she agreed. ‘But with things as they are at the moment it just can’t be done. If I hadn’t had to pay Jerry’s stupid gambling debts … ’ (For in the end she had paid them, as so often before.)

  ‘He only gambles because he’s bored, you know. In his own way he needs a change as much as you. What is more important in life than one’s health and happiness? You’ve no idea how worn out you’ve been looking lately.’ (That reached her!)

  ‘Have I?’ she said, startled, a look of alarm in her eyes. Yes, it was true, she thought, she had been neglecting herself. What a fool! No woman married to a man younger than herself should be so careless. And letting him become bored! How could she have been so stupid? Absentmindedly she patted away the loose flesh beneath her chin. Perhaps she ought to take advantage of Sylvia’s invitation.

  ‘I mean, this is a good opportunity for you both to get away for a few weeks, while I am here to keep an eye on things,’ Tom was saying. Again she had to admit he was right.

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ she promised.

  ‘Tom!’ Jeremy called, putting his head round Tom’s door.

  ‘What’s up?’ Tom appeared, drying his hands on a kitchen towel.

  ‘Sorry to bother you, but the fan-heater’s on the blink again. Could you have a shot at fixing it?’

  ‘Now?’

  ‘If you can spare a moment,’ Jeremy said with his usual courtesy. After all one did not treat Tom like a boot-black.

  ‘You run along. I’ll be there in a minute, just got to take something off the stove.’ He had a pretty shrewd idea what was wrong, and five minutes later was saying: ‘You’ve overloaded the adaptor again. The fuse has blown, I bet. I ought to have been an electrician, I wouldn’t be out of work now,’ he said, switching off the mains and opening the box. ‘You could have done this, you know. I showed you how to mend a fuse.’

  ‘I know, but I’m no good with my hands.’

  ‘One of these days there’ll be a nasty accident.’

  ‘Considering how antiquated the wiring is, it’s a wonder to me it hasn’t happened already. It can’t have been rewired for at least thirty years, the man said, when Rory was getting an estimate for the job — which turned out to be so colossal she decided not to have it done. Very dangerous he thought it. A loose connection could be smouldering away inside these walls somewhere and suddenly burst into flame,’ Jeremy remarked in his languid manner.

  ‘Nice for you and nice for Rory, but I’ve no wish to be burnt to a crisp with my wife and little ones. If it was going to happen I’d rather know when, so that I could take proper evasive action.’ When Jeremy opened his eyes wide, as he did now in surprise, one saw they were not black but a light hazel behind their thick dusky lashes:

  ‘What makes you think it would be nice for Rory and me to be burnt to a crisp? I don’t think I’d relish the prospect any more than you,’ he said dryly, as Tom switched on the mains.

  ‘I meant, if you weren’t here. I’ve been persuading Herself that you and she should take up her cousin
’s invitation to Bermuda. It has to be better than sticking here.’

  ‘If you can persuade Rory, you’re a better man than I am.’

  ‘No doubt. But then it’s easier for me. She knows I can have no ulterior motive; she would always suspect you might have.’

  This made Jeremy laugh.

  ‘Almost anywhere, short of the salt mines, would be better than this hole.’

  ‘That’s what I was saying: you’d be jolly pleased if this stately pile was reduced to a pile of ashes in your absence.’

  ‘I certainly wouldn’t shed a tear.’

  ‘I’m sure you wouldn’t. What’s more, I fancy Madam too would be bloody thankful now if it went up in flames — always provided she was adequately insured, of course,’ Tom said lightly.

  ‘You’re such a helpful chap, couldn’t you arrange it?’

  ‘I’m sure I could — given the right circumstances.’

  Jeremy put his hand on the other’s shoulder and squeezed it. ‘That’s what I like about you, Tom: always ready to lend a hand. Come and have a drink, you’ve earned it.’ He looked up to ask, as Tom followed him dreamily into the library: ‘What’ll it be?’ Leaning on the back of one of the big leather chairs and gazing into nowhere over his linked hands, Tom murmured: ‘A short.’

  ‘But of what, my dear chap?’

  ‘What? Oh, anything, a Scotch, I don’t mind … I was just thinking … it wouldn’t be so difficult, you know. All it needs is a “short”; which shouldn’t be too hard to fix with the wiring in the condition it’s in. It’ll require a little thought … ’

  ‘Man, you’re like a djinn!’

  ‘Yes, a gin’ll do fine, if you’ve run out of Scotch,’ he said absently. ‘A djinn. It comes out of a bottle and performs marvels at command.’ But seeing Tom’s look of vague perplexity, Jeremy laughed and let it go. Instead with a long speculative stare he said; ‘It would be rather fun if we could accomplish it.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have any moral qualms?’

  ‘My dear man, one mustn’t allow one’s freedom of mind to be overruled by convention.’

  ‘Quite right. We shall be striking a blow for — What shall we be striking a blow for?’

  ‘We’ll decide later.’

  ‘A wise decision. This is no time for writing manifestos. Deeds not words.’

  ‘Exactly. United we stand, together we fall.’

  ‘Let that be our watchword.’

  ‘Well, we’ve accomplished something: we have a watchword.’

  ‘Now we must put our minds to the vital subject of the alibi. You’ll be all right if you’re on the other side of the world; couldn’t be better. But if I’m somewhere else too, when the place goes up, if Upperdown is uninhabited, then there can be no question of it being anything but an accident.’

  ‘By God, you’re clever!’ Jeremy exclaimed in mock admiration. ‘The only tiny flaw, which I simply hate to have to mention, is that if there is no one on the premises, who will actually start the fire?’ Tom smiled, his wide friendly smile:

  ‘I’m glad to see you’re paying attention, Eskdale.’

  ‘Yes, sir. I am paying attention, sir.’

  To both men it seemed necessary to treat the matter with this lighthearted approach, as though it was merely an amusing game, not meant to be taken seriously. As if at this stage neither of them cared to commit himself. Despite all their good-natured camaraderie, neither man was quite prepared to trust the other. Safer to deal with it as a joke.

  But as the idea developed and each problem was resolved, their attitudes subtly began to change.

  It may be that Tom already knew how the fire could be started when no one was there to start it, and deliberately withheld the information from Jeremy in order that it should not seem a readymade plan but had been come by in chance bursts of inspiration. It was important that Jeremy should not gain the impression that he was being manipulated by Tom. It must all seem inconsequential, up to the point where it became so feasible as to be irresistible. Such, at least, was Tom’s intention.

  *

  Aurora was up in town on one of her periodic day excursions to get her hair done. Jeremy returned from taking her to the train just as Tom was setting off somewhere in the car.

  ‘Madam gone?’

  ‘Yes. We’ve the place to ourselves. Shall we go on the rampage?’

  ‘I can rampage with you as far as the village, where I’m about to procure the ingredients for Dinah’s birthday cake.’

  ‘When’s her birthday?’

  ‘Tomorrow. That’s why I must make the cake today, so that Kate can ice it tonight.’

  ‘I’ll come with you. You can help me find her a present. Is there going to be a party?’

  ‘Rather! D’you want to come?’

  ‘You couldn’t keep me away.’

  ‘Good man! I shall count on your support.’

  ‘I don’t know about that. I warn you I intend to initiate them into a game called “Ghosts & Tigers”.’

  ‘Oh Lord, now what have I let myself in for! I don’t want them frightened into hysterics, Jerry.’

  ‘Don’t worry, they’ll love it, it’ll release all their inhibitions.’

  ‘I haven’t noticed children have any nowadays.’

  ‘Madam, by the way, has accepted the cousin’s invitation. So we’ll be gone in about ten days.’

  ‘Really? We’ll have to work fast then, won’t we?’

  ‘Oh, are we going ahead with it?’

  ‘That’s up to you, chummy. I shan’t mind if you decide against it, no skin off my nose; but I may say I have worked out a method of starting the fire that allows me a full week’s absence before it comes into effect. How’s that for an alibi!’

  ‘How?’

  ‘By means of a timing-device, pre-set to create a short-circuit in the wiring system precisely eight days later. Absolutely foolproof.’

  ‘You mean, sort of like the IRA use to detonate their explosives?’

  ‘Same idea, only it won’t be activating an explosive, but merely connecting two live wires.’

  ‘How?’ Jeremy asked again.

  ‘Simple, isn’t it?’

  ‘Not to me. You know what a dunce I am about anything electrical.’

  ‘You take an 8-day clock and connect the mechanism to the two wires. Every twelve hour revolution will bring them 1/16th of an inch closer; that is 1/8 of an inch every twenty-four hours, or one inch in eight days. On the eighth day — or night, rather — the two wires are brought into contact — and boom-boom, flashpoint!’

  ‘Is that all?’

  ‘That’s all.’

  ‘And it’ll work?’

  ‘It’s bound to. And the beauty of the system is that no one will be in the least surprised; they’ll feel, yes, it was sure to happen sooner or later. And then you and Rory return and in due course receive all that lovely tax-free, Capital Gains free, insurance, and everyone lives happily ever after, as in all the best fairy tales.’

  ‘How alluring you make it sound, and so easy.’

  ‘I honestly think it will be. As long as certain difficulties can be overcome,’ Tom said, pulling up in the side road of the little grocer shop on the corner, which he then entered and made his purchases, while Jeremy roamed around picking up odds and ends, in a thoughtful manner, for the party: puzzles, tricks, dice-games, an old box of masks, and little toys. From there they moved to the jeweller’s, with its pottery and porcelain and stuffed owls and badgers and other animals of less well-defined genus. There with Tom’s help, Jeremy chose a wristwatch for Dinah.

  Not until they dropped into The George for a restorative did Jeremy return to the subject. When Mr. Burdock, the landlord, had served them, exchanged civilities, and moved further up the bar, Jeremy asked in an undertone what difficulties Tom had been referring to. No insuperable obstacles, Tom assured him. At least, he didn’t think so. But they dealt with the part of the affair which concerned Jeremy, in fact, his contribution to the enterpr
ise. There were certain things that he, Tom, could not handle.

  ‘Such as what?’

  ‘Oh … getting rid of Mother Death and Madam Fury’ — these were Tom’s names for the cleaning women, Mrs. Slaughter and Mrs. Savage — ‘for one thing. Can’t do with them on the scene. And then, you’d better make sure Aurora has adequate insurance cover. She probably won’t have. No one ever has sufficient cover in these inflationary times. They feel they simply can’t afford it. But in this instance we know it’ll only be for once. So you must find a way to persuade her to increase her premium.’

  ‘It won’t be easy, she can be awfully stubborn.’

  ‘You want to get the most you can for her, don’t you? There’s some good stuff up there and once it’s gone it’s gone forever. I’ll come round with you and give you a rough valuation, if you like.’

  ‘I would indeed, I’d be very grateful.’

  ‘We’ll do it as soon as I’ve made the cake, while it’s cooking and while Aurora is out of the way.’

  ‘Does that complete my contribution?’

  ‘Not quite. There is one more thing.’

  ‘Oh yes?’ Jeremy began to laugh. ‘You mentioned fairy tales a little while ago; this is beginning to sound like a fairy tale, the three tasks enjoined upon the hero by the witch or the fairy or whatever you are.’

  ‘I’m certainly not a fairy. One more before we go, to give us strength,’ Tom said, taking some coins from his pocket. ‘Here’s to the Albatross Destruction Company Limited, and it’s future success!’ he grinned and raised his glass in salute.

  ‘I’ll drink to that!’

  It was as the two men wandered through the house, Jeremy noting down on the back of an envelope the items Tom selected to price, that Jeremy became noticeably more silent, his expression more thoughtful.

  At last he burst out: ‘Doesn’t it seem a crime that all this priceless stuff should be destroyed? Doesn’t it strike you as really a rather wicked thing to do?’

  Tom pulled at his ear.

  ‘Oh yes, it’s a crime, of course. But I thought we had agreed to disregard the morality of our action. You’ve chosen to take the money instead — as it were, for Rory’s sake.’