Page 33 of Echoes on the Wind (Borrowed Time #2)

I sat on the settee in Mair’s living room, wearing yesterday’s clothes, watching Iris play with a rattle. The sound cut through my hangover like a pneumatic drill, and if I’d had enough energy to move, I’d have thrown it in the fire the second she wasn’t looking.

“This will help,” Mair said, handing me a cup as she sat beside me. “My father swore by it.”

I looked down at the tar-like liquid and swallowed back a heave with a hand to my mouth. It looked disgusting and smelled worse, but she watched me intently until I brought it to my lips.

I took a gulp, managed to swallow a bit, then spat the rest back into the cup, fighting the urge to throw up. “What the hell is that?”

“Hot milk,” she said, before turning away and quietly adding, “And soot.”

“Mair, that's disgusting. Why would you give me that?”

“It’s good for you,” she insisted, looking at me like I was being unreasonable. “I knew you’d act like this. It’s the best thing for a hangover. That or more whiskey, but you and Gwyn polished off Zack’s reserves when you got in last night, so there’s no more of that. ”

“I’d rather suffer,” I said, setting it down on the side table.

I rubbed my hands down my face and yawned, stretched the aches from my body, then turned side-on to Mair and curled up in the pillows, feeling sorry for myself.

A knock came at the window, then at the door, and Mair waved as she got up. A second later, Lee threw himself on top of me, and Tish took a seat at the table.

“Feeling rough, brother?” he said, laughing as he squashed me under his weight and scuffed up my hair. “I remember those days.”

I groaned and shoved him off into the seat next to me, then sat up, staring at him through half-closed eyes, unimpressed.

“Gwyn not about?” he asked, looking around.

“He’s out in the backyard having a bath,” I said. “Did you need him for something?”

“Well, Tish and Mair are going into town, so I thought that you, me, Zack and Gwyn could do something?”

“As long as you don’t forget dinner tonight,” Mair said. “Mrs Hopkin is leaving in the morning so she wants us all there.”

“I can’t think about food right now,” I groaned, holding my stomach.

“You’ll be fine later,” Gwyn said, appearing from the kitchen rubbing a towel through his hair.

Another knock came at the door, and I sighed again. There was no sign of me getting any peace today.

“I’ll get it,” Zack called out as he bounded down the stairs into the hallway .

He greeted the new guest with a warm welcome, and came through to the living room followed by Gethin, who was looking more than a little sheepish.

“Morning,” he said, sweeping his hat off and holding it in front of him.

Mair’s already small living room was feeling smaller by the minute. With not enough chairs to seat the eight of us, and Gethin’s eyes pinned on me, I was beginning to feel trapped. But I knew exactly why he’d come.

“All set for tonight?” Tish asked excitedly.

He raised a smile, but showed little interest in conversation. “Tom. A word, please?”

He didn’t seem to notice the curious glances that he was eliciting from everyone, and they looked equally as confused at me when I got up and led him through the kitchen to the backyard.

I decided to let him lead and hear him out, because I didn’t really have anything to say. Nellie already suspected that he was having an affair, and as much as I hated what he was doing, I wasn’t going to be the one who brought everything crashing down for them. If he wanted my silence, he was welcome to it.

“About last night,” he started. “I’m not sure what you were getting at, Tom, but I can assure you, it’s not what you think.”

“And what do I think?” I asked.

I wasn’t intending for it to sound combative, but I wasn’t going to let him stand there and lie right to my face if that’s what he was planning.

“I just don’t understand why you brought Mabel Boyes into it. ”

I rubbed my forehead and leaned against the coal house, growing frustrated. “I saw you at the festival, so please don’t lie to me. I didn’t mean to blurt it out last night, but I won’t stand here and pretend I don’t know what I know.”

He stared silently, then began pacing the yard while he rubbed at his forehead, circling the old metal tub that Gwyn had left full in the centre of it. A second later, he lashed out and kicked it, denting the side and splashing bathwater all over his trousers. In a huff, he turned towards the gate with his back to me, mumbling and fidgeting as though he was arguing with himself.

When the mumbling stopped, he turned in my direction. He could barely look at me, but the guilt on his face was clear. “Are you going to tell Nellie?”

“That’s not my place,” I replied. I didn’t want to be a part of any of this, and Nellie explicitly told me not to tell her if I knew anything. I wish I’d just kept my mouth shut and stayed out of their problems.

He looked up at me again, his body relaxing as he let out a breath, and took a step towards me. He looked like he was about to give me a hug, but then thought better of it and instead kept the distance between us.

“I’ll put a stop to it. It was never meant to get this far.” He paused for a second and shook his head, gazing off again. “She… She gets inside my head. Makes me go to see her.”

His hands shook as he spoke, but his tone was desperate, and I couldn’t tell if he was feeling any genuine remorse or if it was just panic because he’d been found out. Either way, he didn’t seem to accept that any of the responsibility was his .

I raised an eyebrow, frustrated. “So it’s all her fault? You have no control?”

“It’s not like that. Look, I didn’t come here to explain myself to you.”

“No,” I said, pushing myself upright from the wall and stepping towards him. “You came here to make sure I’d keep your secret for you.”

The tension only broke when the back gate slammed open, and we both turned towards it as two constables burst through.

“Lee Jacob?” one of them asked, holding his baton high.

“He’s my twin,” I said, looking between them, confused. “Why? What do you want?”

“Inside,” he demanded. “Both of you.”

I opened the back door to the sound of commotion from inside, and the mass of voices all shouting as one made it almost impossible to determine what anyone was saying.

The constable dug into my back, shoving me through to the living room, and the first thing I saw was Gwyn, pinned against the wall next to the window, getting handcuffed by Inspector Phillips. Beside him, with his hands in the air as another constable approached, stood Lee, with Tish desperately clinging to him.

Mair pushed herself up to the inspector and grabbed his shoulder. “What’s going on?” she demanded. “What’s he done?”

He cast her the briefest of glances before pulling Gwyn upright and turning him to the room. “Gwynfor Griffiths. Lee Jacob. You are hereby notified of your arrest on suspicion of murder. ”

The room collectively gasped, causing him to pause and look around, but he hadn’t finished yet.

“Also, the disposal of a body. Causing danger on a railway line. The battery of one Mr E. J. Frank, and the intimidation of a witness of a crime.” He paused again and cocked his head at the men. “You’d do well to come peacefully.”

My heart skipped as Inspector Phillips reeled off the list of accusations against them. Gwyn and Lee stared at each other in disbelief, but neither spoke to argue against anything he’d said.

“No, you’ve made a mistake,” Tish cried as she pulled on Lee’s arm. “Tell them.”

“It’ll be alright, Tish,” Lee replied, trying his best to look confident for her.

“This is absurd,” Gethin shouted in disbelief from behind me. “There has to be some mistake.”

“There’s been no mistake, sir,” the inspector replied as he pulled Gwyn out of the house.

A crowd had formed on the street at the sight of the police wagon, and they watched as we followed Gwyn and Lee being led out to it and locked inside.

Tish ran to the back of the carriage and desperately shook at the bars, before banging her fists against the door. “This is wrong,” she screamed through her tears.

Mair tried to pull her back as it began to move off, but she broke free and chased behind it for a few metres, before falling to her knees in the street.

Mair tucked a hand around her waist and pulled her to her feet. “Had a good look, did you?” she shouted down the street, and two neighbours ducked back inside .

She guided Tish gently to the door, her face stern and determined. “Tom, get your coat,” she said. “We’re going to the station.”

The clerk made us wait for two hours before Inspector Phillips would speak to us, and when he finally came out, he was adamant that I could only visit Lee, as I had no family ties to Gwyn.

With little choice but to agree, I signed some forms and was then ushered to a waiting room, while Mair was led away to another area. It was cold and unwelcoming inside, with no window and just one small lamp on the wall to stop it from falling into total darkness.

Aside from the table and chairs, the only other thing in the room was a second door, and once I was seated, the constable unlocked it, letting Lee in from the cells. Considering the list of crimes he was accused of, he had no restraints or guards, other than the one who stood in the corner of the room watching our interaction.

“Are you ok?” I asked as he sat down opposite me.

“I’m fine. Is Tish alright?”

“She had a bit of a shock. We all did. But she’s fine. What have they said to you?”

“It was Ellis,” he replied. “He’s set this whole thing up. He told them that he saw us beating someone to death and throwing him onto the train tracks. He said that when we saw him, we chased him down and beat him too, but he got away before we had a chance to kill him as well. ”

“That’s bullshit,” I replied, hitting my hand on the table. “Surely they don’t believe him?”

“Well, unless they find out who really did it, we’re being shipped out to Cardiff on Friday.”

He dropped his gaze and fidgeted with his fingers. I could tell he was scared, and I reached out to hold his hand, but the constable put a whistle to his lips and blew hard, shaking his head at me as the high-pitched sound bounced off the walls.

“No touching.”

“This is bad, Tom,” Lee said, looking defeated. “You need to go to Awbrey. I need a solicitor or something. He’ll know someone who can help.”

“Gwyn, too?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Hopefully.”

“Ok, that’s enough. Time to go,” the constable said, pulling Lee from his chair without any further warning.

He looked over his shoulder as he was shoved through the door again. “Tell Tish I love her.”

“Lee, I’ll fix this,” I shouted back, but the door slammed closed.

I couldn’t let Ellis get away with this. I knew the risks if he decided to expose me and Gwyn, but it would be nothing compared to them being tried for murder and facing the noose.

When the officer led me back outside, I walked straight up to the clerk and demanded to see Inspector Phillips. Mair was nowhere to be seen, so she’d either talked her way into some extra visiting time, or said something to get herself locked up as well. Either was as likely as the other, but I didn’t have time to wait around to discuss my next move with her .

“What can I do for you, Mr Jacob?” Constable Williams asked as he appeared behind the desk. His tone was colder with me than when he’d been investigating the fire, and he looked like my presence was a complete inconvenience to him.

I straightened up and leaned in. “I’d like to report an assault.”

The room I was taken to was different from the one I’d seen Lee in. I wouldn’t call it cosy, but it had a window and a plant, and instead of a guard, a young officer sat taking notes.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” the inspector said, lighting a cigarette.

I took a deep breath, then let it all come out. “On Tuesday, Mr Frank came into my shop. I’ve just agreed a lease, you see, and I was cleaning. I asked him to leave but he wouldn’t.”

The inspector flicked the ash from his cigarette into a glass ashtray on the table, then leaned back in his seat and folded his arms without ever taking his eyes off me. “Go on.”

“I asked him again to leave, and he grabbed me. I tried to get away, but I’d just cleaned the floor and I slipped.”

“Is that it?”

“No,” I replied, but I took my time before speaking again. “While I was on the floor, Mr Frank took my head and smashed it into the tiles. It was only when Mr Griffiths and my brother arrived that he stopped and ran off to the alley. They chased him, and I believe that’s why he accused them, so he could avoid getting into trouble himself. I was going to say nothing more on the matter, but I can’t allow him to tell these lies about my brother and my… my best friend.”

“Is there anything else?”

I paused to consider whether I should raise my suspicions about the fire and Gwyn’s attack, but I didn’t want to face a barrage of questions about why I hadn’t come forward earlier, and I didn’t want to risk him thinking I was playing tit-for-tat.

“That’s everything,” I replied, immediately wondering if I’d made a mistake.

His face remained unchanged, and I got the feeling that he wasn’t entirely convinced, but I had to hope that I’d at least planted enough seeds of doubt that he would do some more digging on the matter before shipping both men off to Cardiff for trial.

“An interesting tale, Mr Jacob. And can anyone corroborate your story?”

It felt like I was already losing the battle, but I tried to remain calm. “Well, Lee and Gwyn, obviously.”

“So, the only people who could back up these claims are the defendants? You’ll forgive me for not being entirely convinced, I’m sure. Did this attack leave any marks upon your person?”

I swept my hair away from my forehead, showing him the cut and bruise above my left eye. When he still looked unconvinced, I stood up and unbuttoned my shirt to show him the bruising around my ribs and shoulder.

“They are serious injuries, Mr Jacob. Did you seek any medical help?”

“Mrs Evans,” I said, praying she would back me up. “She checked me over the next day. ”

“The problem I have, Mr Jacob, is that even if what you are saying is true, it still doesn’t disprove Mr Frank's claims regarding the murder of Mr Morgan.”

My blood ran cold as I heard the name, and I sat upright, shifting awkwardly. “Who?”

“Ah, you haven’t heard,” he said smugly. He dabbed his cigarette out, then brought his hands together as he leaned across the table. He made no attempt to conceal the smirk on his face, and we both knew he’d caught me off guard, even though I was trying my best to hide it.

“We received a report from the owner of a boarding house on Charles Street, concerned that a guest hadn’t been back for several days to collect his things or pay his bill. It’s not every day we have a missing man and a body show up, so we asked if she wouldn’t mind identifying him. She confirmed the victim to be a Mr Graham Morgan. Does that name mean anything to you?”

“No,” I lied, shaking my head. There was nothing that could tie me to Graham, so he had nothing to implicate me.

“Well, unless someone comes forward with new information about his death, we only have Mr Frank’s word to go on.”

“And what’s that worth?” I asked, slamming my hand down on the table, annoyed that he couldn’t see what a sham Ellis’ report was. “Tell me, if he’d really seen my brother and Gwyn murder that man, why didn’t he come in here at the time to report it? Why wait until today? I’m sure if I saw someone being beaten to death, the first thing I’d do is call for help. I certainly wouldn’t wait more than a week. And if Gwyn and Lee had beaten him that very same day, to the extent he feared for his life, why was he at work all week? There’s plenty of people who will have seen him without a scratch on him. Have you asked around? Is the word of a drunkard so valuable? It’s clear that he’s making these accusations out of spite, and you’re just happy to go along with it because it makes your job easier than doing any actual police work.”

By the end of my rant I was raised out of my seat and leaning over the table, shouting in the inspector’s face. Even as I was doing it, I knew I shouldn’t, but I just couldn’t stop. I had to make him see that Ellis was lying.

“Mr Jacob!” the officer shouted, annoyed at my disorderly conduct. “If you have nothing further to add, I suggest our time here is done.”

“One more thing,” I said, settling down again and calming my tone. I only had one more card to play, and I prayed that it would be enough to tip the balance. “You never did find out who started the fire in the Miners’ Hall, did you? I know you checked Gwyn’s alibi and confirmed he had nothing to do with it. But who tipped you off, Inspector Phillips? Who tried pinning it on Gwyn? Who lied about his whereabouts?”

I leaned back and folded my arms, not expecting an answer. I didn’t want or need one. I just needed to jog his memory so that he could start putting the pieces together. Any doubt I could instil had to be better than nothing, and it showed a pattern of Ellis targeting Gwyn.

The inspector didn’t like my insolence, that much was clear. “Good day, Mr Jacob. ”

“Will you be arresting Ellis for assaulting me?”

“I said, good day, Mr Jacob.” He rose up and opened the door for me, and I stood for a moment just staring at him, before finally storming out.

“Come on,” I said to Mair, who was waiting at the reception. “We’re done here.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked as I bounded down the steps onto the pavement outside. “What were you doing in there?”

“I reported Ellis. I thought it would help, but now I think I’ve just made everything worse.”

“They can’t believe him, surely? They must know it’s all lies.”

I marched up the main road, and Mair struggled to keep step with me. “What do we do now?” she asked.

“We have to go and play nice with Mr Awbrey,” I said. “He’s the only one left who might be able to help.”