Three Little Maids(38)

‘Viviane! I’m merely passing on what I know about the girl because I’m sure you must have the Inspector’s ear. And he’d take it much better from you instead of from a nosy gossipy old woman.’ She grinned wickedly. ‘That foolish girl had two men strung out on a barbed wire line. If I was her father, I’d have her paddled her bottom when she was small. You could say she got her just deserts. But I wouldn’t be so unkind. Tell that Police Inspector that he has to find the evil man who killed her. Or I’ll make it my business to seek him out myself. If I have to call on the spirit world to help me.’

And with a wide sweep of her long purple skirt she swept out of the library glass door majestically.

Oh dear! Perhaps she should have been more grateful for the information, Viviane thought afterwards. If Esmeralda was so certain that there were two men involved with Yvette than there was. But who was the other man?

She had more time to think of this when she took her lunch out onto the sea front. It must be a local man to have had the time to impress himself on the girl. He’d have to be plausible to persuade her to have a date with him.

She eased herself back into the warm shelter seat which she now shared with a couple of pensioners enjoying the sunshine. She took a bite out of her tuna sandwich, chewed it, and wondered how Yvette’s parents were feeling right now. They’d sent her over with their blessing. And she would be sent back to them in a coffin. How could she have borne it if Jill had been the victim? She was glad for the moment that she was studying in London. And hoped she wasn’t tempted to make a trip down to see her. Not yet. Not while the killer stalked the streets.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl she’d met up with on the Friday lunch time. She was walking along the seafront swinging her canvas tote bag off her shoulder as she talked animatedly to Raymond Perkins. He was listening intently and laughing. Viviane sat back in her seat to observe the young couple as they passed the shelter.

The girl’s thin face was pink and glowing. She looked as if she’d had a shower recently. Her dark hair was shining. Where had she met Raymond? He looked as if he’d found a gold coin with a metal detector on the beach. Viviane hoped he wasn’t about to be let down again. She had her own doubts about the girl, remembering the stolen purse.

But she was young, only a child still. What was she doing here, living rough and so hard up that she was reduced to stealing? What was she running away from? Who was she running away from? Perhaps she deserved to have a good turn done for her. And it seemed as if Raymond was doing his best to make it come true.

They strolled leisurely along the front to the pier. He must have taken the day off. Or maybe he didn’t work on Mondays? Did his grandmother approve of this new girlfriend? It was funny, but she looked quite a bit like Pam. June Perkins had shown her a picture of her daughter once.

*

Yvette had been identified by her distraught parents. And all the formalities gone through. Stolid, thin moustached M’sieur Marceau was distressed, angry and bewildered. His smartly dressed, wife Jeanne, wept, her tears making mascara rivers down her thin rouged cheeks. It was obvious to Kent that their student daughter had kept a great deal from her parents. Yes, they knew that she had been working part-time behind the bar in the Nag’s Head. But had no idea that she was dating Cliff Jones when his name was mentioned to them by Kent.

Madame Marceau asked, ‘Where is the gold anklet? Her Papa gave it to Yvette for her birthday? This Cliff, does he know about it?’ she said vehemently when Yvette’s personal things were shown to her. It was obvious it had gone missing as it had not been found in her room amongst her other trinkets. Some of them, when examined, were valuable. Presents from her doting parents or from someone else? Kent wondered.

Kent promised that they would be on the lookout for it. He didn’t add that the killer was a trophy taker and more than likely had taken it. Her mother already obviously thought that the motive for her daughter’s killing was robbery. Possibly, but unlikely Kent thought. Better she thought that for the moment than to know the truth that Yvette was killed by a psycho. They arranged to stay on for a few days longer till the inquest was held and made arrangements for their daughter’s body to be sent home.

The Medical Examiner gave his verdict shortly afterwards. He scowled as he announced it to the waiting detectives.

‘She hadn’t eaten for some hours. She’s well nourished. Would have been a pretty girl. Older than the other one by a couple of years, I would say.’ He sighed. ‘Not a virgin. But no sign of sexual activity or penetration before death, which would have taken place about one o`clock. Or shortly before. And was moved I would say an hour or so later.’ Kent nodded in agreement.