Scandal at Six(102)

Betsy had tried to put all this from her mind, but now Ted was in custody, and it was her fault. She had tried to deliver the padlock key to the police station anonymously, but they had insisted on taking her name and contact details. So now he would know she had shopped him.

She drifted upstairs and found herself staring again at the black overcoat. He had been so proud of it, but in the end he had used it as a disguise for a horrible crime. She had always said he looked his responsible best when fully kitted out. She put her face to the warmth of the coat and noticed a stain on the cuff of one sleeve. She wished she was dead.

Ted Brierley. She sat down on the bed, and let her thoughts carry on remorselessly. They had never married, although after a while she took his name. He had managed her life, along with several other girls, and he was a careful and considerate protector. Provided the girls made no trouble. For her it was easy. Being on the game ran in her family, and she’d drifted into it without thinking too much about it. Then when Ted took her on, it had been convenient for both to live together, especially when Pettison had said he wanted to be her only lover.

Like an old married couple, Ted and she had got used to one another, and he was still protective towards her. What a mess! She caught sight of herself in the mirror on the wardrobe door. What a ravaged, awful face! Prostitution showed in the end, didn’t it? It might have started as a game, but ended in disaster. Best to end it. End it for good.

“It’s all my fault, and there’s only one thing I can do about it,” she shouted to the image in the looking glass.

Then the doorbell rang, and she went to open it. It was Dot Nimmo and Justin Brookes.

“Can we come in?” Dot said. “We’ve brought a bottle.”





Fifty-six





They sat in the small back room, glasses of whiskey in front of them, and Betsy did most of the talking, spilling out the whole story, with Dot and Justin asking questions now and then.

“Why did he do it, Betsy? I thought you and him rubbed along together quite happily. After all, you were only one of his girls,” said Dot. She was trying to be tactful, but it was not in her nature.

“So we did, Dottie. He had to get rid of the other girls, and look after only me. Pettison organised all that. O’course, I knew he didn’t like Pettison. Not many people did! But Pettison was money, and we needed it.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, Mrs Brierley, do you think Ted was jealous of you and Uncle Robert being together so much in that way? Do you know what I mean?”

“No need to be polite, Justin. I made an early start. Mum hired us girls out. Wouldn’t be allowed now, would it? I was always the prettiest one, and did well. Then Ted came along and wanted me to join his group of girls. A pimp, he was, but known for being fair and professional. Pro can mean professional as well as prostitute, you know, Dottie Nimmo! We were professionals at what we did, and saved many a failing marriage, I reckon. An’ if you’re asking if Ted loves me, I expect he does, in his way. But jealous? I dunno. Maybe.”

“So when Uncle Robert first appeared, was he a regular client? I think our family had more or less decided he was gay.”

Betsy laughed. “Don’t you believe it!” she said. “I taught him a trick or two, but he knew most of them, and they had to do with girls like me. I was very pretty, you know, and he fell in love with me. He admitted it, and after a while he asked Ted if he could pay to have me all to himself. And Ted had to get rid of the other girls, so it was all confidential, an’ that. That was quite a long while ago, and we’ve carried on like that ever since.”

“And what about Ted?” asked Dot. “I expect he thought it was a good deal? One regular client, no trouble, payed up regular. It meant he could get himself a job on the side. What went wrong, Betsy?”

“Well, o’course I knew Ted was fond of me, like I said, but it was more like a father. Him and me never had no close relations, as you might say. Except for the last year or two, when he needed a cuddle in the middle of the night. And to tell the truth, Pettison was getting a bit past it. So there we were, a right triangle, and I think Ted had had enough of being beholden to Petti.”

“What did he think of the animal trade?” Justin was amused at Betsy’s account of what could hardly be called a romance, and had a sneaking admiration for her practical, straightforward way of looking at it. He had never met anybody quite like her.

“Oh, Ted disapproved of that. Reckoned it was too risky, an’ he’ll probably be proved right. Not that he had much to do with it, but he knew I helped out quite a bit. So I suppose he decided to put a stop to it. I reckon he wasn’t thinking quite straight. When Pettison asked Ted to take him to Farnden to see the bees, I reckon he saw a golden opportunity and didn’t see straight until he’d done the deed.”