Page 65 of The Stranger in Room Six
‘Yes,’ he says. ‘I heard about that.’
He speaks in a clipped, matter-of-fact tone, making it clear that he loathes me.
‘Do you know how terrifying that was?’ I ask, riled by his lack of empathy.
‘And do you have any idea how awful it is for your girls to know that their mother murdered their father?’ he retorts. ‘Or how difficult it is to sit opposite my brother’s killer?’
‘Is that why you’re here?’ I ask. ‘To tell me how much you hate me?’
‘Actually, I’ve come to talk about the house. It transpires that Gerald made arrangements in his will to leave the house to Karen when Elspeth turned eighteen.’
I’m speechless. How could he have snatched the roof from over our heads? Didn’t he care about us at all? If not me, surely his own daughters?’
I thump my fist on the table. ‘That house was in Gerald’s name for business reasons only. He always said it would go to me if anything happened.’
‘Well, I’m afraid that isn’t the case.’
My guilt now turns to fury. Gerald leaving the house to this woman has changed everything.
‘Are you aware they had a son together?’ I ask.
It’s clear from Derek’s face that he isn’t, so I tell him everything. ‘The girls mustn’t know,’ I say firmly. ‘It would be too much for them to deal with.’
He nods. ‘I agree.’ Our eyes meet and for a second, we are bound together by one thing: our desire to protect Gillian and Elspeth.
‘Karen has sold the house now,’ he says quietly. ‘I’ve tried to communicate with her through the solicitor but she hasn’t replied. Thankfully the girls have the savings from the joint account, and they can continue living with me for as long as they want.’
‘Thank you,’ I say, numbly trying to take this in. ‘Where is Karen now?’
Her name still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
He shrugs. ‘I’ve no idea. The solicitors aren’t allowed to give me details. I wondered if she might have tried to make contact with you.’
‘No. If she had, I’d have given her what for.’
He shakes his head at my words.
‘Why are you really here, Derek?’ I ask. ‘You could have told me about the house in a letter.’
He sighs heavily. ‘I suspect you didn’t mean to kill Gerald. You’re not that kind of person. Elspeth has told me somethings about this place and, well, how you’ve changed. I’ve been worried about how you’re coping, so I thought I would see for myself.’
I’m so surprised by this about-turn that I almost let down my guard. But if I stop pretending to be tough, I won’t be able to manage. ‘I’m fine,’ I say staunchly. ‘Don’t worry about me. But there is one thing. Is thereanyway you can persuade Gillian to visit?’
He shakes his head. ‘She’s adamant that she never wants to see you again.’
I expected as much but still it feels as if someone has stabbed me through the heart.
Derek stands up, brushing down his trousers as if to remove prison germs. He glances around the hall, at women talking to children, husbands, partners, mothers; the distaste is plain on his face. Linda Wall is sitting opposite a man, both of them crying. Despite the way she’s treated me, my heart goes out to them.
‘Look after yourself, Belinda,’ he says before walking away. His sudden kindness scares me. If Derek is concerned, then I really am lost.
As I’m escorted back to my cell, I pass a notice on the corridor wall.Could you become a Listener?it says.Could you help with other people’s problems?
The guard sees me looking. ‘It does good things, that listening scheme. The chaplain runs it with some of you lot. It seems prisoners are more likely to come along if they think that one of theirs is there too.’
‘But how can I give advice to others? I’ve killed someone.’
‘From what I hear, it’s more listening than telling,’ the guard replies, with a kindness in her voice. ‘Sometimes prisoners just need to let their feelings out in a safe space.’
