Too Good to Be True

12 The Doctor

Back in Stonebridge, Perez decided that the time had come to talk to Tom King. Sarah had told him not to, but he couldn’t see any way of reaching an end to the case without speaking to the doctor. It was lunchtime – in the school playground the children were racing and shouting – and this might be a good moment to find Tom free.

He went into the health centre and gave his name to the woman behind the desk.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘Doctor King has just finished his surgery, so he’s not seeing any more patients. Is it urgent?’ The place was empty apart from the receptionist.

‘I’m an old friend,’ Perez said. ‘Not a patient. Perhaps you could just tell Tom that I’m here.’

She looked at him over her glasses and then left through a door behind her. He could hear muttered voices, then Tom appeared.

‘Jimmy,’ he said. ‘What are you doing in this neck of the woods? Does Sarah know you’re in Stonebridge?’

Perez saw again how tired and tense the doctor looked. ‘I’m here because Sarah asked me to come. She thought you could both use my help.’

‘She didn’t say she’d been in touch with you,’ Tom said. He struggled to keep his voice pleasant, but Perez could sense the resentment.

‘We need to talk,’ Perez said quietly. ‘I think you can guess what this is all about.’

There was a pause, and for a long moment Jimmy thought Tom would refuse, but then he nodded. ‘Let’s go for a walk,’ he said at last. ‘I can’t think in here. I need some fresh air.’

Tom led Perez down a footpath next to the river and under the stone bridge that had given its name to the village. Soon they were out in open farmland. Bare fields stretched on either side of the water.

‘It’s about Anna Blackwell,’ Perez said. ‘How did you know her?’

Tom looked away and didn’t answer. They walked on in silence.

‘Were you lovers?’ Perez asked. ‘Are you the father of her child?’

‘No!’ Tom cried. He paused. ‘Is that what Sarah thinks?’

‘She’s worried and upset. I’m not sure that she knows what to think.’

Tom stopped suddenly and looked out over the water. It was so cold that his breath came in clouds. ‘I promised not to tell anyone. Not even Sarah.’

‘I have to find out what’s been going on,’ Perez said. ‘Anna didn’t commit suicide. I’m sure of that now. She was murdered. This isn’t a time for secrets.’

Tom turned sharply towards Perez. ‘My secret has absolutely nothing to do with Anna’s death.’

‘I’m sorry. You’ll have to trust me on this. You have to tell me what you know.’

There was a moment of silence while they stared at each other. At last Tom set off again along the path and started talking. He looked ahead of him, not at Perez.

‘You’re right. I do know the name of Lucy’s father.’

‘Who is it?’

There was another pause. ‘My brother, Miles. He’s always had a taste for younger women. Anna was at university with his daughter and the girls became friends. Miles met Anna at a party at his home in Edinburgh. They had a fling and she got pregnant. She refused to get rid of the child. Miles asked me to sort things out with her, make sure that she was OK and had somewhere to live.’ Tom paused again. ‘I think he did care for her in his own way.’

‘But he was a high-profile MP?’ Perez said. ‘He didn’t want the fact that he’d fathered a child with a young student to be made public?’

‘Of course he didn’t.’ Tom sounded bitter. ‘He has hopes of a government job after the election. His wife’s a wealthy woman and he doesn’t want to upset her. I had to promise to keep Anna’s child secret.’

‘But you tried to help her?’

‘Of course! I went to see her in Edinburgh to check she had everything she needed. She wouldn’t take money from Miles. Then she applied for a job at the school here, and I was happy to let her rent the house I own in the village.’ Tom paused. ‘She was a great young woman, full of life and energy. I thought Miles had treated her badly and that she could use some support. Perhaps you know that her parents have problems of their own.’

‘You let Lucy be taken into care,’ Perez said. ‘She’s your niece. How could you do that?’

Tom didn’t answer and Perez changed tack.

‘Sarah saw you together,’ he said. ‘It was in the health centre. You and Lucy looked so alike that Sarah assumed you were the girl’s father.’

Tom frowned. ‘So that’s why she started the petition to get Anna sacked from the school.’ He sounded shocked. ‘I didn’t realise. She tried to talk to me about Anna, but I could only think about my promise to my brother.’ He stopped in his tracks again.

Looking back towards Stonebridge, Perez could see the small grey houses and the wood smoke rising from the chimneys in the still air. It looked very peaceful.

‘What does this mean?’ Tom said. He turned and started to pace back towards the village. ‘Does it help you find out who killed Anna?’

Perez didn’t know what to say to that. He had no idea how important these new facts were. He needed time to think about what he’d just learned.

‘I’m not sure. But I do know that you have to talk to Sarah,’ he said. ‘It’s making her ill thinking that you might have had a child with a younger woman. She’ll keep your brother’s secret. If you still think it’s a secret worth keeping…’

‘Of course you’re right.’ Tom was walking so quickly now that he was almost running. ‘I’ve just been so stupid. I’ll go home and see her this afternoon. I have a couple of hours free. We can talk while the children are in school.’

Perez followed him back to the surgery and stood in the car park until Tom had driven away. He had a sudden sense of being watched and shifted his gaze to the street. Again the strange man was standing at some distance, close to the entrance of the school, and staring at him. It was as if he was desperate to speak to Perez but couldn’t quite find the nerve to approach him.

‘Come here,’ Perez shouted. ‘I might be able to help you.’ But the words just seemed to scare the man and he turned and ran away.