CHAPTER TWO
Raulf looked around the assembled mourners as he and Tinker led the entourage to the burial site. He saw many faces he did not recognise and a number of the villagers that he did. After the service he thanked those who attended and invited each one to join them at Morton for some refreshment. Some declined mainly the London crowd all eager to return to their concrete fortress. Todd’s Department Head said a few words of respect after the service then enveloped by his minders, returned to the blue Bentley that stood by the church porch. Raulf never caught his name because the stiff blue pin stripped man gave none, for he moved quickly off across the gravel as an elderly gentleman came toward them.
He took Raulf by the arm and led him a short distance away, so they could talk more freely.
“Dame good man your uncle was my boy, all hush hush you know,” the old man fixed Raulf with a steady eye and a wink.
“I’ve just spoken to Mrs.Mac, I can’t come to Morton just now, some business to attend to elsewhere, thank you for the invitation, now you have your grandfathers estate to run, I’ll maybe visit you all later if I may when things have settled.”
With that he turned on his heel and spoke quietly to Carol before leaving the churchyard.
Raulf joined Carol and Tinker, and once again thanking those who remained then reiterated his invitation to them all to join them at Morton.
It was late that same night, the three of them had been joined by Mrs. Mac who had run herself into the ground serving sandwiches and cake and plying those that wanted it, beer and wine. Now she lay back on the settee with a tissue in one hand and a teacup in the other. She sighed and straightened up.
“Twas kind of Sir Hubert to come, and all the way from Wells.”
“Yes said Raulf, “But it’s not so far by car Mrs. Mac.”
“I think he came by bus up to Tetbury and a taxi from there,” Carol interjected.
“We should have offered him a lift then,” Raulf glanced at her.
“I asked but he refused, I gathered he was going on to Cheltenham for a couple of days. Well if you will excuse me Raulf I must help Mrs. Mac with the dishes.”
When they were alone, Tinker crossed poured two glasses of Entre deux Mare for them both. And sat down next to friend.
“Who found Uncle Todd Tinker and why was he out shooting?”
“Well we’ve had a plague of rabbits this season so he was out for several evenings before the mishap. Mrs Mac rang me from the house as he was late for his supper, so I went out to the woodland where he normally went for cover. That’s where I found him, the twelve bores by his side. He was nearly spent and I held his head and said I would run for help. But strangely he gripped my arm tightly. ‘That you tinker.’ So I said yes loudly so here could here me clearly through his trauma. ‘Didn’t fire, tell Raulf…. The teddy…look.’ I tried to comfort him and laid him down covering him with the jacket but he sought of sighed again and lay quite. That’s when I ran back to the cottage and told Carol to ring for an ambulance, which she did whilst I ran back to your uncle.”
“You said on the phone Carol then went roaming with a gun.”
“When I had got back to the woodland I checked your uncle, but alas he was gone, I tried not to disturb the ground around but carefully edged into the wood and found footprints, they weren’t any of ours look like army or hiking boots. It was then that I thought I saw Carol heading between the west wood and the fields. The light by this time was dim but I swear she had her camouflage jacket on and a pistol to hand. The strange thing is I’ve never seen her with a gun, she says she hates the things. Goodness knows where she stored it all this time we’ve been married.”
“Did you think it an accident…or suicide?” Raulf asked quietly.
“I don’t want to alarm you Raulf, but when I was checking your uncle I noticed his scull has been fractured, I sure it had, can’t see him knocking himself out then shooting himself.
“He could have fallen first and hit a rock.”
“You know the woodland, as kids we used to jump in the piles of autumn leaves there, that ground was soft as a mattress, and the blast as far as I could see was directly at his chest. There were some pellets embedded in the ground where I was kneeling, I’m no detective but you can’t blast a shotgun directly at yourself, your arms aren’t long enough.”
“Did Carol know this?”
“I told her about the head wound and the chest wound with the pellets on the ground, the ambulance people had asked her what the injuries were so they could prepare the crew and hospital.”
“I guess that’s why she went out looking for the culprits”. Raulf shrugged, “Well its best left to who’s ever job it is, but thanks Tinker for what you did, and to Carol to.”
As Raulf showered before turning in he thought over what Tinker had told him. He shrugged, what could he do but wait, besides he now had Morton to care for and organise, Tinker could manage the place quite capably. He was loath to give up the consulting and auditing together with the travel it entailed. Anyhow, there were professionals investigating this, including his uncle’s department, they had both the responsibility and resources. As he dried himself down a sudden thought hit him, one of those unexplained feelings he had whenever he delved into a Company’s books which often led to his turning up some skulduggery. Something didn’t quite match start doing your sum lad, he said to himself. What was he thinking when that sensation took him, his uncle and..and his parents, no, more precisely his father. His uncle and father were identical twins, at least they were alike to look at by the world at large. Father had not a enemy in the world, his sales job had been firm, secure as was his friendships. He never drank spirits, always caring toward Mother, Mum once complained that Father was too protective, too cautious for her safety, worried even about her taking a train ride by herself. Drunk driving, no way, especially with Mum in the car, double indemnity. Back came more memories of the coroners report, somewhere down in the middle was the impact report. Front of vehicle full impact into tree, engine and gearbox pushed to rear seat, backend of vehicle, damaged boot and rear guard, offside rear lamp enmeshed in crumpled rear wing. It struck a boy of twelve that he was how could a front-end collision result in extensive rear damage when no other vehicle was involved. He remembered through his veil of grief, but he remembered how he had clung to that solitary fact to absolve his father where others would not. He had held closeted within his very being throughout his teens and now his twenties.
Raulf slipped into a bathrobe and headed for his room and the cupboard where he kept his old things. O the top shelf lay his old bear now wrapped in a cotton bag. He took the bear out and examined the stitching carefully. Yes, the eye and the leg both showed Mrs.Mac’s exemplary sewing but the back was hastily done, cross stitches roughly done, his uncle’s handiwork perhaps, but why? And why his uncles concern for the bear as he lay in the woods his life ebbing away? Raulf picked up his nail scissors and snipped the thread through. With his fingers he felt inside the wood straw filling and pulled it out onto the bed. There came with it a tight wad of paper, which he unrolled and spread out.
‘Dear Raulf, I have written this for you in case anything happens to me, God forbid. I need to tell you my knowledge of you dear parents death. As you know, your father and I were identical twins and hard to tell apart. I believe he was incorrectly killed in my place, together with your mother. I cannot tell you more as I am under oath through my work for the government department I work for. I wish for you to carry on with the ownership and stewardship of Morton your grandfather’s home, and much loved by your father and myself. Further we cannot bring back those we love and what has happened cannot be retrieved, however my hope is that one day you will eventually marry, find happiness and bring more little Turpins into the estate. As you are twelve now I do not know your future but in Tinker you have a true friend, one you can trust. As for me in my world of shadows I had your Father until the crash, Hubert Pomeroy my boss, and Dick Porter who is a major serving with us. Of course Mrs.Mac who has bought us all up.
Do not dwell on my passing and if I’m well and truly alive when you discover this, if you discover it, then it would be best if we discuss the whole business together.
Finally if what I contemplate has happened, and your restless spirit needs some answers then I point you to Herbert for his advice and guidance.
Your loving Uncle Todd.’
Raulf reread the letter again and again before folding it up and placing it in his wallet. He now realised who the old gentleman was at the graveyard. Maybe Carol could help find him. Perhaps he should leave well alone, no, his uncle’s final comment seemed to cover those feelings he had nursed all those years. He would find out, use his expertise if necessary, to determine, to search for the what, the why, and the who. More importantly the who.
Raulf nodded to himself, he looked across to his dressing table in the corner where the photograph of his parents lay framed in a silver square, and he climbed into bed with anger etched on his face, he slept fitfully that night.