Nothing But Lies Read online

  ‘I’m sure that’s not true.’

  She shrugged with an impish smile. ‘I don’t know, but he often say he thinks he comes second after my horses, so all is fair. Come, I show you where you can sleep,’ she said, leading the way back into the hall and up the steep flight of stairs. ‘It is very small here, I’m afraid. Did Jo-Ji warn you? You’ll have to be in my treatment room. I hope you will be OK.’

  ‘No problem. As long as there’s room for a bed.’

  At the top of the stairs, the double bed in the first room they passed was presently occupied by another Siamese cat, curled into a ball in the centre of the duvet.

  ‘Yasu,’ Tamiko said, seeing Daniel’s glance. ‘He is always sleeping. He’s a lazy cat.’

  On the opposite side of the narrow landing, she opened a door to show Daniel a rather dated bathroom, and pointed to a second door. ‘That’s a tiny room that Karen is use for treatments, but she’s not here now. She only works in the morning.’

  ‘And Karen is …?’

  ‘Oh, sorry. Karen is a beauty therapist. She lives in the village and rents this room from us. She is a friend. She rides, too. That room isn’t big enough for a bed,’ she added, quickly, as if expecting Daniel to suggest it. ‘In here is my treatment room.’

  She opened the door into a light and airy room with a window looking out over the back garden. In the centre was an adjustable and rather firm-looking couch on which Tamiko presumably carried out her massage treatments. The air in the room carried a slight but pleasant fragrance, which Daniel attributed to a number of small candles positioned about the room, unlit at present. There was a small hand basin, a shelf that held several books on therapies he’d never heard of, piles of towels, neatly folded, and a CD player.

  He became aware that Tamiko was watching him, anxiously.

  ‘It’s fine,’ he told her with a smile.

  ‘It’s very quiet. No noise from the road. It has to be quiet for my clients. I have mattress topper to make the couch softer.’ She hesitated. ‘The only thing is – I have to keep it very clean. No fur. The cats aren’t allowed in here.’

  ‘You’re thinking of Taz? No problem. He can sleep downstairs or outside the door. You definitely wouldn’t want that great hairy goofer in here; he’s constantly moulting. It’s the breed. Some people call them German shedders!’

  Wandering over to the window, he looked out over an area of grass and mature shrubs to where, behind a large apple tree, a row of three stables stood against the far hedge. There was also a smaller wooden structure with a wire netting run. Most probably a kennel, Daniel decided. To the left of this, he could see a gate leading into a turnout paddock of perhaps half an acre that presently played host to two horses.

  ‘They yours?’

  Tamiko joined him at the window.

  ‘Yes. The bay with the white face is Babs, she I have had the longest time; the chestnut is Rolo – he’s still quite young. He belongs half to me and half to another lady who doesn’t ride anymore. She likes just to watch him jump at shows.’

  ‘He’s very handsome,’ Daniel said, responding to the pride in her voice. ‘They both are.’

  ‘Thank you. Do you ride? Jo-Ji says he thinks you do.’

  ‘A little. I can usually stay on and in some sort of control but I’m no great horseman.’

  ‘Maybe you can help me exercise them,’ Tamiko suggested. ‘Many days I have to ride one and lead one, because there is no time. I think you have no trouble to ride Babs. She is very easy. Now sometimes I ride Natalie’s horses, too. Natalie Redfern; she’s the lady who owns the horsebox you’re going to drive.’

  ‘So what happened to her? Jo-Ji said she was laid up with a broken leg.’

  ‘Yes, she have a riding accident. Her young horse was behaving badly on the road and slipped. Her leg is trapped underneath. It happen right in the middle of the jumping season; she’s really fed up.’

  ‘I bet she is.’

  Tamiko glanced up at him a little shyly.

  ‘I hope you won’t be bored.’

  ‘I’m sure I won’t. I’m rarely bored. Anyway, I needed a place to stay so we’re helping each other out.’ He didn’t like lying to her but Jo-Ji hadn’t wanted to scare her by revealing Daniel’s real purpose, if he didn’t have to.

  They went back downstairs and out to Daniel’s car, where Tamiko was introduced to Taz, who favoured her with a polite sniff and gentle wag of his tail.

  ‘You’re honoured – he’s not a tail-wagger, generally,’ Daniel told her.

  ‘Will he be all right with the cats?’

  ‘He’ll ignore them, unless they attack me, of course!’

  ‘I don’t think that’s very likely,’ she said with a flash of her attractive smile.

  Having discovered that although Daniel had plentiful experience of driving lorries, he’d never actually hauled livestock before, Tamiko suggested that he accompany her to Natalie’s yard later that day and take the box out for a trial run.

  ‘I have to go over there, anyway, to feed her horses,’ she said.

  ‘How on earth do you find time to look after her horses as well as your own?’

  ‘Oh no, I don’t have to. Not all the time. Natalie has a groom but today she has afternoon off.’

  Daniel offered to drive, and as they pulled out of Tannery Lane onto the main road through Maiden Ashton, he noticed Tamiko casting several looks over her shoulder. He made no comment until it happened again at the next junction.

  ‘Is there a problem?’

  Tamiko straightened up immediately.

  ‘Oh, no! It’s OK.’

  In spite of her denial, there was something in the air between them, and after a moment, Daniel said gently, ‘But …?’

  Tamiko stared straight ahead, biting her lip.

  ‘It’s OK. You don’t have to tell me,’ Daniel said, and the release of pressure brought the confidence he’d hoped for.

  ‘No, I’d like to. I don’t suppose Jo-Ji have say anything to you because I don’t think he thought it was anything to worry about, but a couple of times lately I have the feeling that someone watches me – follows me, even. It’s horrible. I find I always look, now, to see if he’s there.’

  ‘I can imagine. When did you first notice it?’

  ‘Three, maybe four weeks ago. I’m not exactly sure. It wasn’t until it happen a few times that I really begin to notice, if that makes any sense?’

  ‘So you’ve actually seen someone?’

  ‘Well, not exactly – I know, that sounds silly. At first it was more of a feeling, and when I turn round, no one is there. Then, a couple of times, I see a man in a hoodie at the end of the lane as I drove by. The second time, Jo-Ji was at home, and when I tell him he goes up there to look, but the man is gone, so maybe it is nothing after all. You need to turn right, just before that white house,’ she added, pointing. ‘Then it’s about half a mile, on the left side. It’s called Ashleigh Grange.’

  ‘Was he there just now?’ Daniel asked as he slowed and made the turn. ‘When we left the cottage – was that what you were looking at?’

  ‘Yes, I look but he wasn’t there. It was somebody else.’

  ‘How do you know? If he wasn’t wearing the hoodie, would you know him?’

  Tamiko looked at him, eyes wide beneath the black fringe. ‘I don’t know. No, I suppose not. I didn’t think of that. You don’t think I’m being silly, then?’

  ‘Of course not, and I’m sure Jo-Ji didn’t either.’

  ‘No. He said to take care who I opened the door to, and to try not to be alone, but it’s difficult. I mean, I have to take the horses out, and there isn’t always someone to come with me.’

  ‘Well, perhaps it’s a good thing I’m here, then,’ Daniel said as though the thought had just occurred to him. ‘I can keep an eye out for Mr Hoodie, too.’

  Although built in the local Bath stone and a period style, Natalie’s house and yard had clearly not graced the landscape for very many years
. The cut edges of the stone mullions on the house were sharp and clean, and the slate tiles on the roof were immaculate. Pale green paintwork adorned both human and animal housing and the weed-free, golden pea-shingle drive that swept up to the house also formed the central area of the stableyard, which was built on a quadrangle.

  Sleek heads appeared enquiringly over several of the stable doors as the car drew to a halt in the yard, and one of the horses neighed and began banging on his door even before Daniel and Tamiko had a chance to get out.

  ‘Samson is always hungry,’ Tamiko said with a smile. ‘I’d better feed them before we take the lorry out.’

  The feed store and tack room were accessed by way of entering a code on a keypad next to the door, and following in Tamiko’s wake, Daniel found the interior to be as clean and tidy as the yard, with racks holding gleaming leatherwork, folded rugs and shining bits and stirrups. Impressed, Daniel commented on it.

  ‘That’s Natalie’s groom, Inga. She is amazing. If it was left to Natalie, the place would be not so tidy!’

  ‘How many horses does she have?’

  ‘Too many,’ Tamiko said frankly. ‘There are three that she is competing at the moment, and five or six youngsters. She keeps buying more. The trouble is, most times it’s left to Inga to look after them.’

  ‘Why does she want so many?’

  ‘She wants a Grade A horse to take her to Olympia – that is what she dreams – and she thinks the more horses she has, the better is her chance of finding one.’

  ‘That sounds logical,’ Daniel commented.

  ‘In a way, it is. But only if you will do the hard work and the many hours. Natalie is a social … What is the word?’

  ‘Socialite?’

  ‘A socialite,’ Tamiko repeated, struggling with the consonants. ‘Yes. She is good rider, but for this sport you have also to be dedicated.’

  ‘For most sports,’ Daniel agreed. ‘But you can’t live someone else’s life for them.’

  ‘No. And she is a nice girl.’

  ‘And she lets you borrow her horsebox.’

  Tamiko opened her eyes very wide. ‘That is not why I say it!’

  He laughed. ‘It’s all right. I’m teasing you.’

  In the feed store, Daniel watched while Tamiko measured out fodder for the horses, consulting a chart on the wall, and then under her direction, helped to distribute it to the eager occupants of the yard, taking heed of such comments as: ‘Don’t let Magpie bully you, she will try to, but just push her out of the way,’ and ‘Raffa’s bucket you will need to empty and fill again, he always drops hay in his water.’

  The stables all bore brass nameplates above the doors, so Daniel was able to identify the potential troublemakers. After all the horses had been fed and watered and their droppings skipped out, he and Tamiko were able to turn their attention to the horsebox, which stood in navy and gold majesty in the custom-made, open-fronted barn that formed the fourth side of the quadrangle.

  ‘It has all the mod-cons,’ Tamiko told him as they walked towards it. ‘And Natalie puts you on her insurance.’

  ‘That’s very trusting of her,’ Daniel joked. ‘She doesn’t know me from Adam.’

  ‘Adam …?’

  ‘Adam and Eve, Adam. I mean – I’m a stranger to her.’

  ‘Oh.’ Her face cleared. ‘Jo-Ji, he vouches for you. And you were a policeman.’

  Daniel reflected that he knew many coppers he wouldn’t lend a pen to, let alone quarter of a million quid’s worth of horsebox, but he held his tongue.

  ‘Well, let’s give it a go then, shall we? Do you have the key or is it so high-tech it doesn’t need one?’

  Tamiko held out a small bunch of keys with a shiny brass fob and moments later they were in the cab, Taz settling on a blanket behind the seats, where a door led through to a compact living area.

  Daniel shook his head in wonder as he took in the opulence and sophistication of the vehicle, which compared to Fred Bowden’s workaday fleet in much the same way as a Monte Carlo yacht might to a fishing smack. The seats were the last word in comfort and amongst other things, he noted a small TV monitor positioned in one corner of the windscreen.

  ‘So we can keep our eyes on the horses,’ Tamiko said, seeing his interest.

  The lorry had a powerful engine, and once Daniel was on the open road and had learned where everything was, he began to enjoy himself.

  ‘You will have to drive a lot slower when you have horses in the back,’ Tamiko observed presently. ‘Particularly for the speeding up and slowing down. Natalie say the man who teach her to drive her first box tell her to imagine she have a grandfather clock standing in the back. Horses can’t hold on; they rely always on balance, and if they ever have a bad experience, they will refuse to go in the next time.’

  Daniel accepted the mild rebuke with an apology and moderated his speed.

  After a short while, Tamiko expressed satisfaction. ‘That is good. You learn quickly.’

  ‘Thanks. So when’s your next show?’

  ‘On Saturday in Devon. Will that be OK?’

  ‘Of course. That’s what I’m here for.’

  Back in Maiden Ashton, Tamiko had her own horses to see to. Again, Daniel did what he could to help and after they were settled, Tamiko announced that it was time she prepared the evening meal. Daniel left her busy in the kitchen, locked the door behind him and set off to give Taz the run that he was eager for, using it as an opportunity to see a little more of the village and the surrounding area.

  He knew from the map that the village consisted of a main street, which was basically a section of the B road that ran through it, roughly north to south, and three narrow side roads; two on the west side of the main street and one on the east. Tannery Lane was one of the western ones. Flanked by cottages for half a mile or so, it then ran on between fields for several more miles, dotted by one or two further cottages and farms. A footpath ran through the farmyard of one of these, which must have been a source of constant annoyance to the farmer – a burly individual who came out of a doorway as Daniel crossed the uneven concrete towards a field gate. Two border collies ran to the end of their chains and barked furiously at the interloper until a shout from the farmer sent them sulkily back into their kennels.

  ‘Mind you keep that dog under control on my land,’ he growled. ‘Had a ewe with her back end bit half off last week by a dog like that.’

  ‘Taz won’t touch your sheep,’ Daniel assured him.

  The man grunted.

  ‘That’s what they all say.’

  Following the way-markers, Daniel found his way across the farmer’s land without any damage to his sheep, which Taz regarded, as always, with supreme indifference. Nonetheless, Daniel kept him close, knowing that the farmer had cause to regard dog walkers with disfavour, even if it was only the stupidity of a few that spoiled it for the rest.

  Emerging onto a single track lane, he walked along it for a short while, back in the direction of the main road and then followed a footpath into a deciduous wood, where Taz was able to run free to his heart’s content and just be, as Daniel liked to think of it, a dog.

  Reaching the other side in due course, they found themselves crossing another field, where a few cows regarded them lazily from their position around the water trough, and then a kissing gate led to an alleyway between houses and out to the main street.

  The street was pretty much deserted. Daniel exchanged greetings with another dog walker and a middle-aged man who was lovingly washing his BMW saloon, but there was no sign of any suspicious-looking characters, hoodie-wearing or otherwise.

  Back at the cottage, he let himself in with the key Tamiko had given him, and found her in the kitchen stirring something fragrant. The two cats, Shinju and Yasu, were by the back door eating from bowls on the doormat, their tails curled neatly around their rumps, but upon hearing Taz’s nails on the tiled floor, Shinju stood up and arched her back, swearing at him with teeth bared.

  Da
niel sent the dog to lie down in the sitting room.

  ‘She will get used to him. She take no notice of Bella and Dexter.’ Tamiko wrapped her hand in a tea towel and took two plates from the oven. ‘We will eat now, yes? Jo-Ji not back until later.’

  ‘Whenever suits you. That smells wonderful,’ he said and was rewarded by a flashing smile.

  ‘It is Thai.’

  They ate at the small table in the kitchen and during the meal, with gentle probing, Daniel learned something of Tamiko’s background. Born in Japan on the island of Honshu, she had, at an early age, developed a passion for horses and riding, unfortunate in a country where usable land is at a premium, and such pastimes are as a consequence very expensive.

  ‘Have you ever been to Japan?’ she asked Daniel, and when he shook his head, she explained, ‘Much of it – about seventy-five percent – is mountainous. Almost everybody live around the coast, which you can imagine is very crowded. I don’t know from where comes my love of horses, but I have always had it. When my uncle die, he leave us some money and my father pay for me to come to English university. He thinks it will improve my chance of good employment, but for me it is the chance to study in a land where there are lots of horses and many chances to ride.’

  ‘Is that where you met Joey – I mean, Jo-Ji? At university?’

  ‘I was at university; he was working. He is older than me. I was sharing a flat with another student but then my sister arrives.’

  ‘Did she come to study, as well?’

  Tamiko shook her head.

  ‘She is not interested in study. She came to get away from home. We are a big family. I have three other sisters and two brothers. It was very crowded. When she came, Hana said she would look for work and help pay for rent, but she didn’t. She was looking for – what do you say – a good time.’

  ‘So you were supporting her.’

  ‘I tried to but I didn’t have much money myself. I had just met Jo-Ji and he told me I should be more hard with her but what am I to do? She’s my younger sister – there is only a year but because I am the oldest, I have always take care of her. I couldn’t just throw her out.’

  ‘It’s difficult,’ Daniel agreed.