Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox

‘Some of us can’t afford a car at all, never mind a new one.’

      ‘Huh! You wouldn’t think so. I had a hell of a job trying to park this morning. It wasn’t so long back that I could pick and choose where I parked. Lately it seems to me like every man and his dog is buying a car … and here’s me thinking it was the privilege of the rich and famous.’

      ‘Oh!’ she teased him back. ‘So you’re rich and famous now, are you?’

      ‘I can’t complain!’ Like his brother Tom, he had amassed a healthy bank balance since he had returned from the war, though he wouldn’t call himself rich. ‘I dare say me and Tom are well off by most standards,’ he admitted. ‘But it didn’t fall into our laps, far from it! We’ve worked hard for it.’ He lapsed into silence for a time, then added, half to himself, ‘We’ve both paid the price, though … Instead of Tom spending more time with his kids and wife, he was always on the move. I’ve no doubt but that he regrets every second lost with them.’ He shook his head. ‘Jesus Christ! What does money mean when compared to happiness?’

      Lilian asked the same question everyone had asked at some time or another since the tragedy. ‘Do you think they’ll ever catch the man who ran them off the road?’

      ‘Well, they haven’t caught him yet,’ Dougie answered angrily. ‘If you ask me, the trail’s gone cold.’ He wondered about it all. ‘Strange that …’ He finished thoughtfully, ‘… Why would anybody want to kill an entire family?’

      Lilian agreed, though she added, ‘Maybe it really was an accident after all – even the police thought that at one point.’

      Dougie shook his head. ‘Tom swears he was rammed by that other car, and I for one believe him. Besides, even if it was an accident, they should have been able to trace the other car! Instead they’ve let him get clean away.’

      Now, as he felt the anger rising in him, he changed the subject. ‘You never got married, did you?’

      Taken by surprise at his abrupt change of direction, Lilian answered warily, ‘I don’t see what that’s got to do with anything.’

      He felt the barriers go up and inwardly swore at himself for being so unfeeling. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.’

      She took a moment, then said, ‘No, I never did get married.’

      He was curious. ‘Any particular reason?’

      ‘No.’ She felt uncomfortable. ‘I just never met the right man, that’s all. And with the war, and everything – there weren’t that many to choose from …’ Her voice trailed off.

      ‘Well, take it from me,’ he warned, ‘romance isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.’ He sounded bitter about the way things had turned out; Lilian knew there was talk of a broken engagement in his past.

      They were near her house now. ‘Turn right here and straight on, then first left, Camden Street. I’m halfway down.’

      For the next few minutes they continued to chat about work, and about his latest deal. ‘I’ve been after that shopping-arcade job for months,’ he admitted. ‘It’s my biggest yet.’ He chuckled. ‘I don’t mind telling you, the boss was over the moon.’

      ‘He would be,’ Lilian remarked. ‘Making money is what makes him smile.’

      ‘Ah well, if he makes money, so do we,’ Dougie answered. ‘It’s what makes the world go round, or so they say.’

      Following her instructions, he drew up outside a terrace of small houses. ‘There you go.’ Lilian lived in the end one. ‘Safely home in one piece.’

      Thanking him, Lilian apologised for her behaviour earlier. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t too sociable before.’

      He nodded, seeming to understand. ‘It’s Tom, isn’t it?’ He knew how she felt about him. ‘You expected him to be in touch. That’s it, isn’t it?’

      She gave a nervous little laugh. ‘You know, don’t you?’

      He wasn’t sure how she might take the truth, but he told her anyway. ‘If that means do I know you worship the ground he walks on, the answer is yes.’ He studied her face for a reaction. ‘I knew about three weeks after you started working with him.’

      Shocked that he had guessed her secret, Lilian was slow to reply. ‘I suppose you think badly of me, since he was a married man and all.’

      ‘Not my business,’ he answered carefully.

      ‘I never told him, though!’ She thought it was important he should know that. ‘I never told anyone!’

      ‘Best thing,’ he agreed. ‘You know how Tom doted on his wife and kids.’

      ‘I know. But surely, now … with him being on his own … I mean with his wife and everything …’ Realising she had strayed onto a tricky subject without meaning to, she paused, a little nervous. ‘I’m sorry … I didn’t mean.’ She grew angry with herself for ever having mentioned it, but now it was out in the open she voiced the question, ‘Why didn’t they ever catch the driver who ran them off the road?’

      Dougie took a long, noisy breath. ‘God only knows they tried hard enough,’ he answered. ‘The heavy downpour soon after managed to wash away any tyre tracks. There were no witnesses, and all they had was Tom’s account of what happened. He was in no fit state to give too much of a description. The driver was wearing a hat and dark glasses, that was all he could see. The few clues they had didn’t lead anywhere.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t believe their theory that it might have been an accident.’

      Lilian was interested. ‘So you think it was deliberate?’

      ‘I think whoever did it must have planned it carefully, otherwise, as you say, why haven’t they been caught?’

      ‘But why would anyone want to kill Tom’s family?’

      ‘God knows, but you said “Tom’s family”. If they rammed his car with the intention of sending it over the cliff, the murderer must have wanted Tom dead as well, don’t you think?’

      Lilian shrugged. ‘Of course. I didn’t mean it like that.’

      Dougie reassured her. ‘But you’re right. Whatever the intention, it was a terrible tragedy. Thank God Tom’s here to tell the tale, though.’

      There was a long silence while they reflected on his words. ‘It was a terrible thing,’ she agreed. ‘I was just wondering if Tom is feeling lonely, that’s all.’ She grew braver. Unsure about whether she was saying the right thing, she suggested, ‘I was wondering if I should tell him how I feel.’

      ‘Sorry. I’m not the one to advise you about that.’ Dougie thought it was a tricky situation. He didn’t really want to get involved. ‘I’d say that was up to you.’

      Now that she had gone this far, Lilian told him what was on her mind. ‘I was thinking of going to see him … He sent his address and everything – in case of emergencies, he said. What do you think, Dougie?’

      Dougie wasn’t sure. ‘He sent me his address as well,’ he remarked. ‘I must admit, it did cross my mind to go and see him once I’d caught up with work, but, to tell you the truth, I think he’d let us know if he needed company. He’s been through a lot. He’s pushed himself hard this past year, driven by what happened and not allowing himself to come to terms with it all. Now he’s come to his senses and decided to take the time off, maybe we should give him the space he so desperately needs.’

      He had given it a good deal of thought recently. ‘If you really want my opinion, I think we should wait for him to get in touch.’

      ‘So you don’t think he’d be pleased to see me?’

      He thought about it for a minute. ‘I didn’t