Tumbling Down

By Marylyn Palmer

Tumbling Down is a mystery novel from new author Marylyn Palmer that takes readers into a world of misadventure, intrigue and murder. A clash of personalities and a grudge about not getting a job, lead the supervisor and deputy at a children's nursery to become arch enemies. Conflict quickly builds between the two causing problems at work and in their personal lives. When one of them is found dead, the other becomes the prime suspect.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AUK Authors
• Release date: Feb 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781849899123

Book preview

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Chapter 1

The mobile phone rang just as the detective was about to confront the killer. Jennifer turned her head towards the offending noise then back at the screen. They could damn well wait. She had been watching this TV series for the last six weeks and was not about to miss the end.

Finally, the murderer was revealed. She had caught the end of the program but the bloody consistent ringing had meant she lost concentration with what was going on. The whole thing had been spoilt. Jennifer reached over to pick up the phone, she couldn’t believe it was still ringing, hadn’t they taken the hint that she wasn’t going to answer it. Who the hell would be calling her anyway? Her family and friends knew that this was her favourite programme and wouldn’t dare to phone during it.

‘Hello,’ she said grumpily. Then a sudden worrying thought came to her. What if it was bad news about her Dad? Only last week a chunk of masonry had fallen from their building and just missed him. He had said there was more coming off and he was going to fix it. What if … her heart fluttered with fear. ‘Hello,’ she said again. This time her voice was subdued, almost a whisper, not wanting to hear her mother’s voice.

‘Jennifer?’ the voice questioned.

Jennifer recognized the voice immediately and instantly her fear and anxiety were replaced with tension and anger. ‘Yes Karen,’ said Jennifer taking a deep breath, anticipating the onslaught of criticism she knew was coming.

‘You didn’t fill in the diary.’

‘Diary?’ Jennifer was confused for a moment. Diary what diary? What the hell was she talking about?

‘The diary for Alice,’ said Karen impatiently. ‘Her parents came in after you went home and they wanted to know what she had for lunch. You were not here and I didn’t know what to tell them.’

Jennifer gripped the phone tightly. ‘I’m sorry, I did forget, but Wendy was there wasn’t she, you could have asked her.’

‘Well, it was your responsibility to fill in the diary I was not about to run round trying to find someone who could tell me what you should have written down.’

‘Karen,’ Jennifer said trying hard to keep her voice from rising as the anger grew inside her. ‘Alice’s parents are very nice, they would have understood if you said you had to ask someone. They know we are busy and don’t always remember to fill in the diary. They probably just wanted to know she had eaten lunch, as she has been off her food for a couple of days. That is in the diary if you had looked at the previous day’s entry.’

‘That is not the point,’ said Karen her voice raising an octave, ‘I didn’t want to look at the other entries, I wanted to read what it said today, but I couldn’t because you did not fill in the diary.’

‘Karen,’ said Jennifer silently counting to ten. ‘I am very sorry, we were short staffed. Cara was off sick, we had a new child that kept crying, Ali was on holiday and it was my early shift.’

‘Well, I am sure if you tried you could have found a few minutes to fill in the diary after all it is your job,’ Karen said snottily.

‘Karen,’ Jennifer said her anger inside screaming to be released, ‘I am sorry okay. It was a mistake.’ Well, said Karen in her Deputy Manager’s voice, ‘just make sure you remember next time - I don’t want to look a fool in front of the parents again.’

The line went dead.

Jennifer glared at the phone and screamed. She was sick of the woman, she never gave up. She was continually at her throat for the least thing. Last week it had been because she allegedly left the kids unsupervised when there had been two other members of staff in the room. Then there had been the incident when Karen had come into her room just after the children had finished their lunch and had told her that the dishes needed to be cleared away, not even listening when Jennifer had explained that one of the children had been ill and she was busy looking after him.

After that Karen told her that she had she had exceeded her lunch break by five minutes and was not setting a good example to the other staff. She had answered the phone when she was in the office, which apparently was ‘not her job.’ She was late handing in the planning sheet for the week’s activities. Now Karen was ringing her at home at 9.30 in the evening to have a go at her. For God’s sake, what was wrong with the woman? Jennifer felt so wound up that she could bloody well murder her.

Jennifer loved her job, the children and the rapport she had with their parents. She got on well with all the other staff and often socialised with them after work in the evenings. But, ever since Karen had joined the nursery things had changed and Jennifer wondered how long she could continue working there. The thought of leaving the nursery brought a lump to her throat and she began to cry. The bloody injustice of it all!

‘The job was mine, they should have given it to me, not you, you bitch. I wish you would just drop down dead,’ she shouted at the phone. She sniffed, wiping her nose on the back of her hand and swiping her tears away. Her lips curved into a sly smile as she imaged getting to work the next day to find her wish had come true and someone had done away with Karen. How wonderful it would be to never see Karen again or have to listen to petty criticism.

Maybe I could pay someone to murder her, thought Jennifer, glancing over at the TV thinking about the programme she had just watched. Or better still, I could do the job myself, it would be so much more satisfying.

Chapter 2

Karen slammed the phone down.

‘Was that Jennifer you were having a go at?’ asked Colin.

‘What has it got to do with you?’ replied Karen vehemently.

‘Nothing really,’ he said, ‘just that you are always complaining that no-one likes you and if you talk to all of them like that it is no wonder.’

‘I don’t talk to them all like that,’ spat Karen, ‘Jennifer just winds me up that’s all.’

‘How is that then,’ he said, ‘she seems quite nice.’

Karen glared at him ‘And what would you know. You don’t have to work with her.’

‘No, true,’ he said, ‘but phoning her up late at night can’t do anything to help. You are in a bad temper and stressed out, and I’m sure she’s not very happy now either.’

‘I am in a bad temper and stressed out because I was made to look a fool due Jennifer’s incompetence.’

‘We all make mistakes,’ said Colin.

‘What are you defending her for?’ snapped Karen, ‘it’s me you should be supporting.’

‘I am not defending her,’ continued Colin. ‘I am just suggesting you calm down and don’t get so upset over what sounds like such a trivial matter.’

‘Well, it may sound trivial to you, but you weren’t made to look such and fool and your pathetic comments aren’t helping. So if you haven’t got anything good to say then just shut up and leave me alone.’

‘Okay, okay, I was only trying to help.’

‘Yes, help her,’ said Karen. ‘You are just like everyone else. Oh Jennifer, let me help you. Oh Jennifer you are so wonderful. Oh Jennifer we love you. Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer, that is all I hear. No-one says well done Karen, or thank you Karen.’

‘Don’t be such a drama queen,’ insisted Colin. ‘You must be good at your job after all you are the deputy manager.’

‘Well, that is it, I am deputy, but no-one would know it. It’s Jennifer who everybody turns too as if she runs the place.’

‘Well, perhaps she is more approachable.’

‘God Colin, you certainly know how to make me feel good don’t you? Let’s just end this conversation now! I am fed up with talking about what Jennifer is and what I’m not.’

‘What have I said now? I was just offering up an observation.’

‘I don’t need your observation, your comments or your criticism I just want to be left alone,’ said Karen stalking off to their bedroom, curling herself into a foetal position on the bed.

She lay for a while sobbing silently into the pillow. A short while later she heard the front door click shut – Colin had gone out. She wiped the tears from her face turned to stare at the ceiling, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. When she had met Colin, she thought it would be a new start and she had found happiness and contentment at last. Her thoughts drifted to their first meeting.

She had recently started a new job and one of the girls where she worked had invited her to a twenty-first birthday party. Karen had only been working there six months and was still trying to settle in and get to know everyone. They staff were all very friendly to her, but they all seemed to fit in their own little groups. So when she had been asked to the party she had almost declined the invitation. But, she knew sitting on her own in her flat was not going to help. She needed to make friends, to get on with building a new life.

When she arrived the party was in full swing and she was unnerved to find how many guests were there. She looked around anxiously trying to find some familiar faces and was relieved when one of the girls she worked with came over to her.

‘Hi Karen, glad you could make it,’ she said.

‘Thanks,’ replied Karen, ‘there are a lot more people than I thought there would be. Are most of the others from work here too?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Katy, ‘look there’s Shauna and Rosie over there and Andie and Emma are here too. Shall we go and get you a drink?’

Karen smiled, grateful for her kindness and company.

‘Thanks, I’ve got a bottle of something. Shall I put it with the rest? And I have got a present for Patty what shall I do with that?’

They weaved their way through the crowd to a table at the back of the room.

‘Put the drink here and the present on this table over here. Patty will be having a grand opening of presents later in the evening.’

Katy took a glass from the table.

‘So what will you have to drink?’

Karen looked at the array of bottles and cans on the table. Can I just have a coke,’ she said.

‘I can put some rum in it if you want,’ said Katy.

‘No thanks,’ said Karen. ‘To be truthful I don’t drink.’

‘Very sensible too,’ said a male voice behind her.

Karen turned round to see a good-looking man in his early thirties standing there.

‘Don’t want to become a drunken idiot like someone here,’ he said looking at Katy.

‘Flipping cheek,’ said Katy grinning at him. ‘When is the last time you saw me drunk?’

‘Let me think,’ he said smiling, ‘could it have been last week, when I gave you and Andie a lift home.’

‘Ah well,’ said Katy, ‘that was a special occasion. Andie had just got a pay rise.’

The young man laughed, ‘not the best excuse I have heard, but I suppose it is quite good.’

‘This is Karen,’ said Katy, ‘she has just started working with us.’

‘I didn’t see you out celebrating with them that night.’

‘No,’ said Karen, ‘I couldn’t make it.’

‘Very wise,’ he grinned. ‘I’m Colin, by the way.’

‘He’s a friend of Patty’s boyfriend,’ added Katy.

‘And a personal taxi service,’ he said.

‘Colin owns his own taxi business,’ said Katy, ‘so we usually ring him up to get a lift home when we go out.’

‘Yes, as I said a personal taxi service.’

‘Well, I bet they are all glad you get them home safe and sound,’ said Karen.

‘I doubt they ever remember getting home the state they are in sometimes,’ he laughed.

‘We have to let our hair down after working with all those screaming kids all day - isn’t that right Karen?’

‘Yes, it is rather noisy and exhausting to say the least.’

‘Ah, but you don’t go out on the town all the time do you, Karen,’ said Colin.

‘No I am afraid I tend to spend my time unwinding by reading or watching TV. I just like the peace and quiet.’ But, it is good to get out now and again,’ she added quickly, thinking how boring she sounded.

‘Well, if you are out and need a taxi let me know,’ he said.

‘Forever touting for business,’ said Patty, joining them.

‘No,’ said Colin, ‘I am just being friendly.’

‘Well, be friendly towards me and pass me that bottle so I can top up my glass,’ said Patty.

Colin stayed with Karen for the rest of the night, she found it surprisingly easy to talk to him and before she realised it the party was ending and most of the guests had left.

‘I’d better get going myself,’ said Karen, as Katy came up to them to say goodbye.

‘How did you get here,’ said Colin.

‘By bus,’ said Karen.

‘So you need a lift home then,’ said Colin.

‘Well.. I...’ Karen was not sure whether she should say yes. Did this mean he expected to take her home and come in for a