Page 84 of The Chapel of Bones

Once the three of them were settled, he began to question the unusually subdued artist.

‘You wanted to tell us something. Mind if we record this?’ Asking permission seemed a good thing to do. Make Baker feel he was in control. When he nodded, Rachel leaned over to the table by the sofa and started the machine.

Baker was clutching a plastic bag bearing the name of a national supermarket chain. He reached into it, took out a large padded book withDiaryembossed on the front in gold letters and placed it on the coffee table in front of Wesley.

‘Dale told me he’d gone up into his attic one day to have a root around. I reckon he was looking for anything valuable he could flog. Anyway, he found this a couple of days before he died and gave it to me ’cause he wanted to know what I made of it. With him being found dead, it slipped my mind, to be honest. Thenafter I’d spoken to you, I thought I’d have a look. When I read it . . . Well, you’d better see for yourselves.’

Wesley looked at the book lying between them on the table. ‘What is it?’

‘It’s Dale’s dad’s diary from around the time Carla died. He had big problems.’

‘What sort of problems?’

‘I always thought Carlo – or should I call him Jon? – was weird, but not that weird.’

Wesley was intrigued, but before he could ask any more questions, Baker stood up. ‘I’ll leave it with you. Don’t know if it has anything to do with Dale’s death, but . . . I just thought you should see it, that’s all.’

He picked up his jacket, then hesitated, as though something was on his mind.

‘What’s happened to the animals? Dale was fond of them in his own way.’ He looked at Rachel, a worried frown on his face. ‘They are OK, aren’t they? They haven’t been put down or anything?’

‘Don’t worry,’ Wesley chipped in. ‘We notified the RSPCA and they’ve made arrangements for them to be taken to a couple of zoos in the area. They’ll be well looked after.’ He didn’t add that their care would probably be a lot better than they’d received from the Gadson family.

‘I’d better get going,’ Baker said. ‘Work to do.’ He turned towards the door.

‘Thanks for coming in,’ said Wesley, knowing it couldn’t have been easy for him to abandon his long-held principles and co-operate with the police. He guessed that something he’d read in that diary had disturbed him. And he was impatient to read it for himself.

47

2 February 2011

Tina thinks it isn’t natural. Jon is Carla’s brother and they’re so close in age that they’ve always had a special bond. But now that bond has turned into an unhealthy obsession.

Maybe I have a twisted mind, but I suspect Jon’s interest in his sister might be more than brotherly. I wish his mother was still alive, because she’d know what to do. Tina’s young, only a couple of years older than Dale, so I feel I can’t ask her to intervene, although she keeps telling me that something’s not right and accuses me of ignoring what’s going on.

Tina says she caught Jon spying on Carla in the bath last night, and when I challenged him about it, he punched me, his own father. Tina says I should get professional help for him, but whenever I try to speak to him, he says I don’t understand and accuses Tina of poisoning my mind against him.

Dale’s away in the States, travelling and making his own way in the world, so I’m not inclined to bother him with this. But I need advice and I don’t know where to turn. I think the loss of his mother and my remarriage to Tina so soon afterwards disturbed the boy. Maybe it is all my fault.

4 February 2011

Tina has offered to have a word with Carla. She thinks that underneath her denials she’s actually frightened of what her brother might do next. Maybe I’ve buried my head in the sand for too long. Maybe it’s time for action. But I told Tina to wait.

I wish I could make Jon and Carla see that Tina’s no threat to them. I sometimes worry she’ll lose patience and leave. The age gap seemed irrelevant when we first met, but now I wonder whether the situation will drive her away.

6 February 2011

I have told Jon that he needs to get a place of his own. I think it’s the only way to resolve the situation. Tina says she’ll help him look for somewhere, but he shouted at her to back off, so she did. I saw the fear in her eyes and I worry this will destroy our marriage, but I don’t know what to do about it.

I caught Jon stroking Carla’s neck. She managed to break free and ran off crying, obviously terrified. I felt I couldn’t let the matter go, so I spoke to her. She said Jon had been smoking dope and didn’t know what he was doing. I think she’s torn between fear and her loyalty to her brother. One day I’m afraid fear will win out. And that’s when the real danger will begin.

‘The poor girl must have been terrified,’ said Wesley.

‘Terrified enough to kill herself in that awful way?’ Gerry wondered.

Wesley shook his head. ‘There are easier ways than locking yourself in with a hungry tiger.’ He pointed to the book. ‘We haven’t finished. What’s next?’

Gerry turned the page.