Before It's Too Late

She must have fallen asleep but was woken by someone knocking on the front door.

The knock on the front door was unexpected and unusual. Most people rang the bell but this was a loud rapping of the door knocker. Pattie glanced at her watch. Who would be calling at half past nine in the evening?

She turned the sound down on the television and listened. The knock came again, louder and more insistent this time.

If this was her husband's idea of a joke she would be furious and would let him know in no uncertain terms. In any case he was out for the evening at one of his council meetings and wasn't usually back until well past eleven o'clock.

She went to the door and put the safety chain on before turning the latch and opening the door.

"Who is it? What do you want?"

She could see two people there, a man and a woman in uniform. The woman spoke quietly.

"Mrs Burns? We're from the police. Could we have a word? It's about your husband Raymond."

Pattie's mouth went dry. She knew that something awful must have happened. The police wouldn't be knocking on her door this late for some trivial speeding offence. Then a thought struck her. Perhaps he'd been caught drink driving and had been arrested.

"Why, what's he done?"

"Mrs Burns, could we come in please. It's important."

Pattie's hands trembled as she released the safety chain and opened the door. The woman spoke again.

"Is there somewhere we could talk?"

Pattie gestured across the hall to the library where she'd been watching the television.

"Yes, in there."

She led the way across the hall way and pointed to the sofa, sitting down in the chair she'd been using before.

"I'll turn the television off." she said fumbling with the remote.

"Here let me." the man said, taking the remote from her. It was the first time he'd spoken and he had a soft voice; kind was the way Pattie would describe him later.

The woman sat on the edge of the sofa, leaning towards Pattie.

"Mrs Burns, I'm afraid we have some bad news."

Pattie sat and began to cry silently, her tears rolling down her cheeks. The woman continued.

"Mrs Burns, I afraid your husband is dead."

Although by now Pattie had been expecting something like this the shock of the bald statement - I'm afraid your husband is dead - hit her like a hammer blow.

"How? When? He was with friends this evening at dinner at a council meeting. Was there an accident?"

The woman looked uncomfortable and shifted on the edge of the sofa, looking briefly at her companion.

"I'm afraid it's more complicated." She paused as if summoning courage to continue.

"He was with a woman and he had a heart attack."

"With a woman? In a council meeting?" Pattie searched their faces. "Is this some kind of a joke? Are you actors or something?" She rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes and cheeks and sat up straighter.

"Which woman? He couldn't have been. Raymond always has council meetings on Wednesday evenings. There must be some mistake."

"No, I'm afraid not Mrs Burns. We were called to an address by the owner of the property. Apparently, your husband had had a heart attack while he was ..." She paused, searching for an easy way to say what she had to say but there was none.

"Mrs Burns, your husband was with an escort, a prostitute, and it seems that his exertions brought on a heart attack. He was dead when the paramedics got there. I'm so sorry."

Pattie slumped back in her chair. Although she didn't want to believe it, somehow now it all rang true. She'd always wondered about the evening council meetings. What about the other councillors, didn't they have families to be with? She and Raymond had never had any children of their own, hadn't been able to, so they had no ties on their time but even so she'd wondered about the evening meetings which often finished quite late. But Raymond had always reassured her that the meetings were necessary because people worked during the day and this was the only time when all the councillors could meet together. Then a thought crossed her mind.

"But isn't it illegal, prostitution? Has she been arrested?"

"No Mrs Burns, she hasn't been arrested. She was operating from her own flat, working from home if you like, on her own, and that's legal. If she'd been soliciting or housing other prostitutes that would have been illegal but as it is she's done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" Pattie's tone was venomous. "Nothing wrong? She's killed my husband. That's what she's done wrong."

The woman police officer spoke quietly.

"I know this is a terrible shock for you. Of course, our colleagues have questioned the woman and they will be speaking to her again tomorrow but there were no suspicious circumstances, your husband died of natural causes." She paused before continuing, allowing Pattie to absorb what she'd just said.

"Is there anyone we can call for you? Family or a friend?"

Pattie shook her head disconsolately. She and Raymond had led a quiet life, keeping themselves to themselves and Raymond had always worked so hard. He was tired when he got home and said that he didn't feel like socialising, said that he couldn't be bothered with the small talk and chatter of dinner parties and the like. As a consolation they always took a couple of long holidays each year, always somewhere expensive and quiet. For a moment she thought of contacting Sally but somehow that didn't seem fair.

"No there's no one thank you."

Silence hung between them in the room.

"We can stay for a while if you'd like but one of our community officers will be in touch in the morning to help you with any arrangements you need to make."

Pattie smiled at her.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you. Now if you don't mind I'd like to be alone." She stood, signalling the end of the conversation.

"I'll show you to the door."

She led them across the hall once more and saw them out, closing the door behind them. She felt numb, empty, and leant against the door for support, her cheek against the cool oak, as if shutting out the world and what had happened. Looking about her at the hall with its grand chandelier and the sweeping staircase the house suddenly felt large and empty.

She turned off the downstairs lights, leaving just a table lamp on in the hall and then another on a table on the landing at the top of the stairs. Pattie always did this when Raymond was going to be home late and somehow she hoped that if she did the usual things perhaps it would all turn out to be a terrible mistake, that her husband would come home as usual and climb into his bed alongside hers.

They'd had separate beds for a number of years now, Raymond said he could sleep better on his own.

She undressed and slipped under the duvet, pulling it tight under her chin. Thoughts whirled through her head about her husband and what he'd been doing in that woman's flat and how often he'd been there. Perhaps there was more she didn't know about. She didn't sleep well, waking from dreams and then dozing fitfully until the daylight filtering through the curtains let her know that the new day had begun and she lay with her eyes closed, listening to see if she could hear Raymond's breathing, as if opening her eyes would make it all come true, but there was no sound, nothing, and then, when the clock in the hall chimed seven, she left the bedroom to go down stairs. The lights on the landing and in the hall were both still lit.

Raymond was not coming home, ever.

She filled the kettle to make a cup of tea wondering what to do next, as if all meaning had been torn away. Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the back door being opened as her help Sally let herself in.

"Morning Pattie, you're up early. Everything ok?"

"Hello Sally. No, not really." As she said this, tears began streaming down her face.

"I had some rather bad news last night. Raymond died suddenly while he was ..." she paused wondering how much to tell Sally "... while he was at his council meeting. He had a heart attack."

Sally stopped in her tracks.

"Oh my god, how terrible. How did he, I mean where..." She stopped, realising Pattie had already told her that. The kettle clicked as it boiled. "Let me get you a cup of tea. Oh you poor thing." and without hesitating she put her arms around Pattie and hugged her to herself."

"Oh Sally, what am I going to do?"

Sally held her, rocking her from side to side like one would with a child.

"Well for the moment you're going to sit down while I get you that cup of tea." She led Pattie to a chair and busied herself with the kettle.

For a while Pattie just sat, slumped in the chair and then she sniffed loudly, sat up straight and banged the table with her hand. Her voice was hard, sharp, angry.

"He wasn't at a council meeting you know, he was with another women when it happened, his heart attack, with a prostitute. Can you believe it? I mean the cheek of it, the hypocrisy. Do you know, I asked him about the booking for those people who want to use the swimming pool and he said it was disgusting, running around with no clothes on." She sniffed loudly again and laughed. "Ha, and do you know what he said then?" Pattie's voice was full of sarcasm and Sally looked on bemused.

"He said they'd probably be fornicating in our house." Her voice rose a few notes.

"Fornicating! That's rich coming from him when he knew full well that he'd be fucking some whore as soon as he got out of the house."

Sally listened opened mouthed. She'd never heard Pattie swear before, not so much as an 'oh bother' or 'blow' but Pattie was in full flow now and somehow it seemed all too familiar, just the way she'd been when she'd discovered what her own husband had been up to.

"The bastard, the lying, cheating bastard. It's no wonder he was always too tired to make love to me when all the time he was fucking and rutting with some tart. Too tired? Ha, I bet that's why he wanted separate beds. Well I'll show him. I'll let those people stay and they can screw each other in his bed. The bastard."

She grabbed at her tea, spilling some as she did and then slurping a mouthful before slumping back in her chair and starting to cry, great heaving sobs.

"Oh Sally, how could he do it, how could he be like that? What am I going to do?"

Sally sat next to her and put her arm round her shoulders.

"We're going to do what we always do; we're going to look after each other. You looked after me when my Billy walked out on me and now I'm going to look after you." She took Pattie's tea cup.

"Here, let me fill you up."

Pattie sniffed and smiled at her.

"Thanks Sally." She sat for a moment.

"You don't think there could have been some terrible mistake do you? That it wasn't Raymond? Could it have been someone else that looked like him perhaps?" Her voice was pleading like a child seeking reassurance.

"I mean it does happen sometimes doesn't it?"

But in her heart Pattie knew and the bitterness and anger rose in her throat again.

"I even left the bloody lights on for him in case there'd been a mistake, in case he came home. How could he do it Sally?"

Sally's answer was interrupted by the telephone ringing.

"I'll get it," she said picking up the phone.

"Sped Hall. How can I help you?"

Sally was holding the phone to her ear, nodding and then shaking her head before nodding again. She glanced at Pattie who was mouthing 'Who is it?' to her.

At last Sally put her hand over the phone.

"It's Mr Burns' office. They're wondering where he is as his solicitor is there for a meeting with him. What shall I say?"

Pattie sniffed again and stood up, tightening her dressing gown about her and pushing a strand of stray hair behind her ear. She held out her hand for the phone.

"Here, let me." She sniffed again before speaking.

"Amy?" this was her husband's secretary.

"Amy, this is Mrs Burns ... yes ... can I speak to him please?" She sniffed again and wiped her cheeks with the cuff of her dressing gown.

"Hello, this is Mrs Burns. I'm afraid I have some very bad news. Raymond had a heart attack last night and no..." She paused while the solicitor spoke.

"No, I'm afraid not. He was confirmed dead when the paramedics got to him. No, I don't know where he was when it happened. I think it's best if you talk to the police. And would you be so kind as to call by the house when you have all the information you need.... yes... thank you." and she put the phone down.

Pattie smiled grimly.

"Well, the cat will soon be well and truly out of the bag won't it." She looked at Sally.

"Well come on then, there's no use in standing around, that won't bring him back. We've two rooms booked for tomorrow night and I've an email to send. We're having six couples for an orgy soon."

Sally stood, open mouthed.

"You mean you're not going to cancel, are you sure? It's been a terrible shock you know."

Pattie smiled at her.

"No, we're not going to cancel. I'm not going to have the reputation of Sped Hall ruined by a lecherous, fifty something councillor who couldn't keep his dick in his trousers and lied to his wife. Certainly not. And I'm considering having that carved on his bloody coffin." She clapped her hands together.

"Come on, we've rooms to sort out and then I've got a meeting with my solicitor later on."

Sally noticed the 'my solicitor'. When she'd been on the phone earlier Amy, Mr Burns' secretary, had referred to him as Mr Burns solicitor. This was a side of Pattie that she'd never seen before, steely, decisive.

"I'm going to shower and I'll be with you in twenty minutes or so."

They worked well together as a team and by midday the rooms were ready. They took their lunch to the garden, sitting in the sunshine.

"Wine?" said Pattie offering Sally a glass and holding a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc ready to pour.

"Er, no thanks, not for me. I've got to go shopping later but you go ahead."

"Well," said Pattie pouring herself a generous glass, "I think I will. Cheers." she said raising her glass to Sally. And then she began to cry again.

"Oh Sally, I'm so worried. Whatever will I do? What about money? I mean having the guests in won't cover the cost of running this place." Pattie glanced round the garden and then waved her hand at the house. "It's a big place to run and then there's the swimming pool maintenance and the tennis court and of course the gardens themselves. It costs a lot of money just to keep it going."

Sally took her hand across the table.

"Ssh. It's too soon to start worrying. Best if you have a nap after lunch and then see what the solicitor has to say when he comes. OK?"

They finished their lunch and Sally tidied away.

"Right, I'm off then. Go and have a rest and give me a call if you need anything ... anything." She gave Pattie a kiss on her cheek. "I mean it, anything, call me, ok?"

It was after five o'clock when Raymond's solicitor rang the doorbell and Pattie led him through to the library.

"Did you find out everything you needed?" Pattie asked.

"Yes, the police told me everything and I can't say how sorry I am. I just can't imagine for a moment what you're going through."

"Thank you ...?" Pattie paused waiting for the solicitor to answer.

"Oh I'm sorry, It's Walter, Walter Ableton."

"Walter." She weighed his name as if reconciling it with his appearance. "We haven't met before. Do call me Pattie."

Pattie was surprised. She had imagined an older man, more like Raymond but he was perhaps only a couple of years older than she was she guessed, smartly dressed without being formal, and good looking. Not at all her mental image of the typical solicitor.

"Yes Walter, it's all been a terrible shock not least..." She paused and looked directly at the solicitor.

"Walter, I can call you Walter can't I and you must call me Pattie." She continued without pause.

"Walter, I want you to be absolutely honest with me. Did you know about Raymond and his ... about that woman?"

The solicitor shook His head.

"No Mrs Bur... no Pattie, I didn't, absolutely not. This is as much of a shock for me as it is for you."

"And were there any others?"

"I don't know. I suppose it's possible but I don't know" He reached into his briefcase and took out a couple of sheets of paper.

"I had Amy, Mr Burns secretary, print this off for me. It's a list of the properties that Raymond owns and rents out." He handed the sheets to Pattie who looked at them in astonishment, absorbing the information.

"You mean Raymond owns all these properties..." she counted quickly ..."all thirty-six and rents them out? I had no idea. Who does he rent them to?"

"Well Amy confirmed that the woman your husband was with last night was one of his tenants but I'll have to check with Amy for the others. All the tenancies are for six months with extension by mutual agreement which is quite normal and apparently he visited each tenant every six months when their rental contracts were up for renewal to check that the properties were being kept in good condition. The police have interviewed the woman Raymond was with last night and she told them that Raymond waived the contract renewal and inspection fees in return for her services if you understand what I mean.

"So her contract was up for renewal and that's why Raymond was with her?"

"Well yes and no. She told the police that apart from seeing her twice a year when the contract was due for renewal he was also a regular client of hers, at least once a fortnight."

"Once a fortnight and also when her contract was due? But that's' ..." she did the mental maths "... that's twenty-eight visits a year to this one and then there's the other thirty-five ... that's almost two a week." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Dear god, it's not surprising he had no time for me."

Walter looked rather embarrassed at this revelation but continued.

"Well yes, it is thirty-six properties but we don't know if any of the other tenants were ... well, selling their services shall we say."

They sat looking at each other, absorbing what he had said. He cleared his throat.

"Look, I know this is shocking and difficult for you but if you want to know more, to follow this up, then I think we should investigate it properly."

"You mean hire an investigator?"

"Yes."

"But how am I going to pay for all this? I only have my income from renting the rooms here and that's really just pin money."

"Well, you don't need to worry about money. There's a large amount of money in your late husband's personal account as well as the business account, and I'm not sure if you know, but you are a co-signatory on your husband's personal account so you can access any monies you need."

Pattie just shook her head.

"I had no idea, he never told me. He must have asked me to sign something sometime but I had no idea."

As Pattie was speaking her solicitor reached into his briefcase and took out a bundle of documents.

"Your husband was a very astute business man Pattie." He held the bundle of documents up.

"These are copies of all the title deeds to the properties, copies of the mortgages on all the properties and ..." He retrieved another bundle of documents from his briefcase.

"These are life insurance policies covering the mortgages on all the properties and the mortgage on Sped Hall." Pattie was about to say something but he held up his hand to interrupt her while he produced a final document with a flourish, like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat.

"And this is Raymond's will which I drew up for him a few years ago and have had in my safe-keeping. I'll have you down to my office for a formal reading once I've sorted out the probate, the life policies and all the other legal bits and pieces but in summary, Raymond nominated me as executor of his will and he left everything to you: Sped Hall and thirty-six apartments, all of which will be free of any mortgage and paying a combined net rental income from the thirty-six tenants of roughly £21,000 pounds ..." he paused for effect "... roughly £21,000 a month." He paused again to let that sink in "... and I estimate the total value of the estate to be in the region of £14 million." He paused again.