of a sudden, Bill’s number-one hit – the song he’d written for Josie – pulsed through the distant speakers.
When the opening notes of “Ain’t No Escaping My Love” rang out, Angelica started to scream. And she didn’t stop. She went on and on. I thought my eardrums were going to burst but I didn’t move. Neither did Graham. We were welded to the spot by the hideous sound.
Luckily the noise had the opposite effect on Bill. The room where Ruby’s body was being kept was directly overhead, so he must have heard Angelica’s outburst loud and clear. About thirty seconds later he pushed past us into the room, closely followed by Tessa, his constant shadow.
Bill looked at Sizal, appalled, then turned his attention to the screaming woman. Tessa, meanwhile, felt for Sizal’s non-existent pulse before pulling out her mobile to summon Doctor Psychondakis yet again.
Taking his ex-wife by the shoulders, Bill lifted her to her feet, gave her a gentle shake and said softly, “Angel? Hey, what’s happening?”
Angelica clamped her mouth tight shut. Her eyes flicked open and locked onto Bill’s. There was a moment’s silence. Then she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, her face against his neck, just the way Josie had done the night before. She looked terribly old and tired as she answered wearily, “Natural causes.”
Bill seemed both horribly embarrassed and totally guilt-stricken. “Say that again, babe?”
“Sizal. He’s allergic. He carries an EpiPen. All his clients know that. He’s supposed to inject himself if he gets stung, but guess what? He left it in his room. Stupid of him, wasn’t it? And now he’s died of natural causes, just like the others. Accidents. All accidents. No one can prove anything, can they?”
Bill glanced around the room, caught my eye and flushed scarlet. Angelica was digging herself into a hole and we both knew it. Give her five seconds, I thought, and she’ll confess to taking the EpiPen, whatever that was. But Bill wasn’t going to give her the chance.
“Hey, babe, you’ve had a shock. Finding him like this – it’s enough to upset anyone,” he soothed. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Come on, let’s get you settled down. We’ll ask the doctor to give you something. Help you sleep. You’ll feel better then. Tessa will sort Sizal out.” He started to lead her away but then we heard the clicking of heels tottering unsteadily down the corridor and suddenly Josie was there in the doorway.
Wearing a skimpy swimsuit on the beach or by the pool is one thing, but wearing it indoors is different. It was like seeing her standing there in her bra and pants. None of us knew quite where to look.
Josie gasped, horrified, when she caught sight of Sizal. “What happened?” Her eyes darted from the ugly red swellings on his face over to the wasp banging against the window. “Did he get stung or something? Oh my God, is he dead?”
“Yes,” I said.
Angelica laughed. It was high and hard and manic. “He lost his EpiPen. Silly, silly, silly Sizal.”
When Josie saw that Angelica was hanging onto Bill’s hand, her face changed. “Can’t we get rid of her?” she said frostily to her husband. “You don’t have to be Mr Nice Guy any more, Bill. Put her on a plane back to England.”
Bill looked as if there was nothing he’d like more, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be so harsh. “She’s ill,” he sighed. “I can’t just kick her out. There’s no one to take care of her. She might do herself some damage.”
Angelica looked at Bill. “I might,” she said faintly. “Yes. That would be best, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, for God’s sake!” exploded Josie. “Just go home. You wanted to stop our wedding and you failed. Look,” she said, dangling her left hand – complete with shiny new ring – in front of Angelica’s face. “
I’m
Mrs Strummer now. Get over it.” She slapped Angelica’s fingers away from Bill and put her arm
When the opening notes of “Ain’t No Escaping My Love” rang out, Angelica started to scream. And she didn’t stop. She went on and on. I thought my eardrums were going to burst but I didn’t move. Neither did Graham. We were welded to the spot by the hideous sound.
Luckily the noise had the opposite effect on Bill. The room where Ruby’s body was being kept was directly overhead, so he must have heard Angelica’s outburst loud and clear. About thirty seconds later he pushed past us into the room, closely followed by Tessa, his constant shadow.
Bill looked at Sizal, appalled, then turned his attention to the screaming woman. Tessa, meanwhile, felt for Sizal’s non-existent pulse before pulling out her mobile to summon Doctor Psychondakis yet again.
Taking his ex-wife by the shoulders, Bill lifted her to her feet, gave her a gentle shake and said softly, “Angel? Hey, what’s happening?”
Angelica clamped her mouth tight shut. Her eyes flicked open and locked onto Bill’s. There was a moment’s silence. Then she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, her face against his neck, just the way Josie had done the night before. She looked terribly old and tired as she answered wearily, “Natural causes.”
Bill seemed both horribly embarrassed and totally guilt-stricken. “Say that again, babe?”
“Sizal. He’s allergic. He carries an EpiPen. All his clients know that. He’s supposed to inject himself if he gets stung, but guess what? He left it in his room. Stupid of him, wasn’t it? And now he’s died of natural causes, just like the others. Accidents. All accidents. No one can prove anything, can they?”
Bill glanced around the room, caught my eye and flushed scarlet. Angelica was digging herself into a hole and we both knew it. Give her five seconds, I thought, and she’ll confess to taking the EpiPen, whatever that was. But Bill wasn’t going to give her the chance.
“Hey, babe, you’ve had a shock. Finding him like this – it’s enough to upset anyone,” he soothed. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Come on, let’s get you settled down. We’ll ask the doctor to give you something. Help you sleep. You’ll feel better then. Tessa will sort Sizal out.” He started to lead her away but then we heard the clicking of heels tottering unsteadily down the corridor and suddenly Josie was there in the doorway.
Wearing a skimpy swimsuit on the beach or by the pool is one thing, but wearing it indoors is different. It was like seeing her standing there in her bra and pants. None of us knew quite where to look.
Josie gasped, horrified, when she caught sight of Sizal. “What happened?” Her eyes darted from the ugly red swellings on his face over to the wasp banging against the window. “Did he get stung or something? Oh my God, is he dead?”
“Yes,” I said.
Angelica laughed. It was high and hard and manic. “He lost his EpiPen. Silly, silly, silly Sizal.”
When Josie saw that Angelica was hanging onto Bill’s hand, her face changed. “Can’t we get rid of her?” she said frostily to her husband. “You don’t have to be Mr Nice Guy any more, Bill. Put her on a plane back to England.”
Bill looked as if there was nothing he’d like more, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be so harsh. “She’s ill,” he sighed. “I can’t just kick her out. There’s no one to take care of her. She might do herself some damage.”
Angelica looked at Bill. “I might,” she said faintly. “Yes. That would be best, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, for God’s sake!” exploded Josie. “Just go home. You wanted to stop our wedding and you failed. Look,” she said, dangling her left hand – complete with shiny new ring – in front of Angelica’s face. “
I’m
Mrs Strummer now. Get over it.” She slapped Angelica’s fingers away from Bill and put her arm
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