The Christmas Mansion Mystery ( Part Sixteen )

Lilly was devastated, she knew there was no choice, she would have
to give up the diamonds, there was no way she wanted the police searching her house. “Okay detective, you win, I'll get the diamonds
for you.”

She then went on to explain the reason why she handed the diamonds
to Jack Rydell, and how she had sent her son to get them back. “I never
thought Johnny would hit him over the head, I just wanted him to threaten Mr Rydell, I swear that's the truth detective.”

“Well Lilly, I admire your honesty,” said Evans, “but your son will be
under arrest I'm afraid, he's been arrested before, hasn't he? Something
to do with stealing, not a very good way to bring up your son, is it
Lilly?”

“I know detective, but I can't be watching him all the time, I'm afraid
he fell in with the wrong crowd.”

Lilly went upstairs to get the diamonds, she had hidden them in her
bedside drawer. Taking them out of their box, she studied them, thinking to herself, 'well there goes my place in France.' Putting them back in the box, she closed the drawer and made her way back downstairs.

Detective Evans told Lilly to be in touch, the moment her son returned.
Lilly said she would bring him down the station, herself personally. She
was so upset and angry at what he'd done.

It was Tuesday morning, Chief Inspector Lampard was sat at his desk,
he dialled the number for Geoff, from forensics. “Yes...hello...Geoff!”
Lampard sorted through some papers, on his desk, as he spoke on the
phone. “Inspector Lampard here. Have those finger prints, on those
kitchen gloves, come back yet?”

The voice of Geoff came back, to say yes, that the only prints to be
found on the gloves, were those of Miss Nancy Clarke and Mary Dugan. There were no other prints on the inside, or the outside of the
gloves.

Just as Lampard was putting the phone down, Detective Evans, entered
Lampards office. “Have you got a moment Graham?”

“Yeah! Sure...come in, what can I do for you?”

“I think it's more, what I can do for you.” Said Detective Evans, as he
produced the box, with the diamonds in, then proceeded to tell Lampard
everything about Lilly and the case he was on.

There was a knock at the door, John from front desk in reception, poked
his head round the door. “Ah! There you are detective Evans. There's a
lady in reception for you, by the name of Lilly, she has a young lad with
her.”

“Okay! I'll be right there. Well Graham, I hope I have been of some help to you? I'll leave you to your work.”

“Yeah! That's kind of helpful, though it doesn't solve our crime, of who
killed Mr Henvey. I'm just wondering where these diamonds came from, have you heard of any diamond robbery's?”

“No! Can't say I have,” said Evans. “Look I'd better get to reception, I've got an arrest to make.”

Lilly had given her son a good talking too, she was so angry she was
livid. “Why are you such a dead loss?” she exclaimed. “Bang goes all
my dreams and now you're under arrest, can't you do anything right?
You useless idiot.”

Johnny kept quiet, he thought it was best, he'd had enough clips around
the head, back at home. He just stood there, awaiting his fate. He had
already tried to explain to his mum, that it was the only way, he could
get the diamonds, and how it was her fault, he was in this mess.

Lilly found a seat in reception, sat down and started to cry, here was
Christmas coming up and she had nothing but misery, to look forward
to.

Detective Evans came into the reception area. “So Johnny...we meet
again. You really should start going on the straight road, otherwise
you're going to spend your life behind bars and I don't mean drinking
bars!”

He noticed Lilly crying and offered to get her a cup of tea, from the
machine, but she didn't want to know. Johnny was taken down to a cell
and poor Lilly was told she would be charged, with aiding and abetting.

This was such devastating news. She asked the detective, if she could
go back to her house, she promised she wouldn't do anything stupid,
after all, her son was now held in a police cell.

Evans said he would trust her, because she had given herself and her
son up freely, it could help her case, but that her son, was definitely a
danger to society.

It started to rain, as Lilly stepped out of the police station, she pulled up
the collar on her coat, now she couldn't even afford a taxi home, she
would have to catch the bus.

Walking along, she pictured herself in prison over Christmas, that made
her feel worse than ever. “What have I done?” she said to herself.
Suddenly the big open sky, seemed wonderful, she looked up and let
the rain fall across her face, staring at the grey clouds, her tears mingling with the rain, washing her make up away, her mascara ran
down her cheeks, she took a hankie from her pocket and wiped her face.

Lilly didn't go straight home, she decided to do something, completely
out of character. Walking across the high street, she entered the Supermarket and bought some cheap bread, then she walked to the park
and went and sat down by the lake and fed the birds, some ducks came
quacking up to the edge of the lake, begging to be fed. She smiled and
thought to herself, 'why did I never think of doing this before?'

She then made a decision, to go to the hospital, she needed to apologise
to Jack, for what she'd done. Catching the number 41 bus, all she could
think of on the way to the hospital, was what she would say to Jack.

It didn't take her long to get there, as she entered the ward, a nurse
approached her. “You look lost...can I help you?”

“Yes!” said Lilly, “I'm looking for a Mr Jack Rydell.”

“Of course...he's in the second bed down, on the right, you came at
just the right time, he's just woken up, from having a sleep.”

“Thank you,” replied Lilly, walking down towards the bed he was
lying in, wishing she'd bought him some flowers, or grapes, but it was
too late now.

Jack caught sight of her and beckoned her over. “So Lilly...how are
you?”

“Not good Jack...not good at all, but that's not why I came here. Look
I'm really sorry about what happened, I cannot believe that things have
come this far. It's all my fault, I completely take the blame, I should
never have asked you to look after the diamonds in the first place. Can
you ever forgive me?”

“Look Lilly!” I realise that you had your reasons for what you did, but
why didn't you just hand the diamonds in to the police, they could have
been stolen, you must have realised that?”

Lilly told Jack of her dream, to one day have a place in France, to get
out of the life she lived. But still Jack couldn't understand her, she came
from a different world to him. “I will forgive you this time Lilly, but I
won't be doing any more jobs for you again.”

She accepted what he said, then continued to be sorry again. It went
quiet, then Jack said, “there is one thing I would like to know, as I'm
so closely involved with this diamond business.”

“And what would that be, Mr Rydell?”

“Well, you said you were looking after the diamonds for someone,
who was now dead, so who was this person you haven't told me about
yet?”

“Well..I suppose I should tell you...he was a gentleman, by the name of
Mr Henvey...a very rich man, who sold and brought diamonds all over
the world.”

Jack interrupted Lilly. “Did you say a Mr Henvey?”

“Yes!” said Lilly.

“A Mr Andrew Henvey?” said Jack.

“Yes...but why do you sound so surprised?” said Lilly.

“I think I need to talk to the police,” replied Jack.

To be continued …...........