Gift Wrapped by Peter Turnbull Page A

be a bit of a mess now, darlin’, but I could pull in those days. Caesars Nightclub. Do you know it?’
    â€˜No,’ Yellich and Ventnor both replied in unison.
    â€˜Lucky you two.’ Muriel Bond smiled. ‘It’s where all the lost and the desperately lonely go and it’s there that we met. James ... James ...’ She sighed. ‘He was just what I was looking for; he was just the opposite of Shane. Shane was large and muscular; James was small and slight. Shane had a rasping voice; James had a smooth, soft voice like a television newscaster. Shane was all beer and cigarettes; James was a little wine and no smoking at all. Shane was football; James was art galleries and museums. Shane was rock music from his youth; James was classical music. Shane would boast about the times he’d been drunk and the fights he’d been in; James wanted to know me as a person. I was on the edge of Shane’s life but I felt at the centre of James’s. James was like a ray of sunlight into my dark little world and he made me feel so very special; he made me feel as though I really mattered. James rented a flat for us, a little self-contained flat in a large house ... it was what was originally the downstairs living room of a large old house, but we had a double bed and a little cooker and a TV, a couple of easy chairs and it had a solid lock on the door. We’d meet there, we would ... but James kept the keys ... I couldn’t keep them in case Shane found them. We were careful like that – really very discreet, but sometimes we’d go out for the day. Once, one day in the summer, we went to the coast. James made an excuse not to be at work ...’ Muriel Bond’s voice tailed off and she looked downwards to her left.
    â€˜Something?’ Yellich asked gently. ‘You’re remembering something?’
    â€˜Yes ... yes ...’ Muriel Bond took a deep breath. ‘Yes, you see, it was at the coast that day that we were rumbled and it was the end for us. Shane was at sea; we went to Bridlington and we were walking along the promenade at Brid when we met a neighbour and his wife. I mean, one of my neighbours ... not one of James’s neighbours.’
    â€˜Oh, no ...’ Yellich sighed, ‘I think I know where you are going.’
    â€˜Oh, yes, darlin’.’ Muriel Bond forced a smile. ‘Oh, yes ... oh, yes ...’ She took a deep breath. ‘Well, what can I say? I knew it was the end. We just glanced at each other, me and my neighbour, as we walked past each other, two couples arm in arm, but a really evil gleam crossed her eyes. Really evil. He looked uncomfortable but his wife looked like a little girl on Christmas morning opening up her presents under the Christmas tree. I told James that she’d find some way of telling Shane. I knew that her man wouldn’t say anything but I also knew that she would ... evil cow that she is, downright evil. I knew she’d let Shane know somehow; it would be anonymous but she’d do it. We didn’t know what to do but Shane wasn’t due back for a few weeks – he was deep-sea fishing in the White Sea – so we carried on seeing each other. I was never worried for James but I knew Shane would have it in for me. I always thought that Shane would keep it between me and him so as to keep the police out of it. I just didn’t know how angry he’d get with me, and I never thought he’d go after James at all, never thought that ... never did think that, so help me I didn’t. Murder him and then bury him. I never thought he’d do that.’
    â€˜So,’ Yellich asked, ‘what happened?’
    â€˜Well ... it was just as I thought; in fact, it was worse than I thought: the neighbour played a sly trick,’ Muriel Bond explained. ‘Shane had been back for about three weeks and nothing was said. He was getting ready to go to sea again and I was beginning to think that