Deep and Silent Waters

The boat slowed: they were approaching Ca’ d’Angeli. Laura looked out through the spray-misted windows and saw the creamy, fretted stone, the flying cherubs, the rows of carved, protective archangels with their outstretched hands. Even in her state of nerves she felt sudden pleasure. It was so beautiful. Yet there was something about it: a presence, a threat, as if the building were alive and full of secret malice.

‘If you say anything to Sebastian he’ll laugh at you,’ Valerie burst out.

Laura risked looking at her then. They were here now, she was safe. ‘Will he? I don’t think so. The police found traces of you on the cape, even though it had been in the water. Did you know that anything you touch or wear carries the evidence long afterwards? They’re going to test for DNA. They’ll be able to prove it was you.’

A quiver, like a wave on those grey waters, ran over Valerie’s face. ‘That’s ridiculous! I was nowhere near the place. I was in a shop, buying cheese! The woman remembered me.’

‘You may have gone in earlier, but it was you who stabbed me and they’ll prove it. You love Sebastian, too, don’t

you?’ With a leap of intuition Laura accused, ‘Did you kill Clea? She didn’t kill herself, I never believed she was the type. She was a survivor. And I don’t believe Sebastian pushed her out, either. That only leaves you. It was you, wasn’t it? You thought he’d turn to you once she was gone, but he probably never even noticed you!’

The boatman was tying up. The taxi rocked, steadied. Valerie jumped up, her hands curling as if she wanted to tear at Laura’s face. ‘We were lovers, you stupid bitch! He loved me before he ever set eyes on you. He was sick of her, disgusted by her drinking, her men, her foul mouth, couldn’t bear to look at her in the end. That day she sat on the window ledge saying she was going to jump, over and over again. Go on, then, do it! he told her. He was desperate to get rid of her.’

‘So you pushed her!’ Laura had made the accusation on impulse but the reality of it was sinking in. Clea had been murdered. Valerie had killed her. Not Sebastian. A terrible fascination filled her; this neat, orderly, competent woman was a killer. Who would ever guess? She looked so quiet and normal.

Or she had. Staring at her Laura saw through the mask to the madness within. Valerie’s mind seethed with maggots; a terrible life hidden behind the eyes, inside that skull.

‘He wanted her dead but he didn’t have the guts to kill her. I had to do it. He would have married me once she was gone – if you hadn’t come along just at the wrong time.’ Valerie lunged at her, those small hands grabbing her throat. ‘I hate you, you bitch. You won’t get away this time.’

Laura wasn’t taken by surprise. It had dawned on her that Valerie would make another attempt. Jack-knifing, her booted feet kicked upwards hard between the other woman’s legs. Valerie let go of her throat with a scream of pain and staggered back. The boat rocked wildly.

From above them Sebastian’s voice yelled. ‘Laura? What’s going on?’

The boat seesawed back and forth as the women fought. Valerie grabbed Laura’s injured shoulder. Laura screamed in pain, but fear made her violent. She hit out with her other hand, punched Valerie’s eye; felt the hard bony socket. The jar of impact travelled up her arm.

Sebastian jumped down into the cabin. He pulled Valerie away and threw her sideways. She fell on the steps, sprawled there, sobbing, then scrambled up without a word and vanished.

‘Are you okay? Did she hurt you?’ Sebastian took Laura’s flushed face between his hands. ‘What was all that about?’

The words tumbled out hoarsely. ‘It was her! She stabbed me! And she’s just tried to strangle me.’ For some reason that sounded funny and Laura began laughing, couldn’t stop. ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!’

He frowned down at her. ‘You’re hysterical. Calm down, Laura. You sound crazy.’

‘It’s her who’s crazy, not me. She killed Clea – you must have known that! You were there, you must have seen her push Clea out of the window.’

His face was totally bloodless. ‘What on earth makes you think she did that?’

‘She just admitted it!’

‘She can’t have! My God, if I’d even suspected it don’t you think I’d have told the police? I had my back to the window. Clea kept saying she was going to jump and I didn’t believe her. I was sick to the teeth of her threatening suicide. It was a battle of wills all the time, she used every weapon she could think of. There was never any peace. I was so fed up I said, “Jump, go on, do it.” I didn’t believe she would. But she did.’

‘No, Valerie pushed her! She admitted it.’

He shut his eyes. ‘Christ. Once or twice I did wonder… but I couldn’t believe it. Clea screamed “No!” all the way down. I’ve dreamt about it a hundred times. Always felt guilty, wondering if it was all my fault, if I’d somehow made her jump.’ He swallowed convulsively. ‘Valerie really admitted she pushed her?’

‘She said you had been lovers.’ She wanted him to deny it, to say it was a lie, but his expression told her that it was true.

‘Laura, I was miserable and she was there. But I never loved her, and I never told her I did. I ended it, almost as soon as it started. And I hadn’t met you then.

‘She killed Clea because she thought you would marry her if you were free.’

He went white. ‘Yes. So it was my fault. And you. You might have died the other day. She obviously meant to kill you.’

Laura’s teeth had begun to chatter. ‘I’m so cold. So cold.’

‘Shock,’ she heard him say from a long way off. He picked her up as if she were a baby and wrapped her round in one of the blankets. She shut her eyes as the boat swung round and round. Or was she imagining that?

The boatman helped him climb out on to the landing stage. There was no sign of Valerie. She must have rushed into the palazzo.