view of the road, so you must have wondered at the number of strange men coming and going constantly. I understand the flat was in operation twenty-four hours a day. I can’t believe an intelligent woman like you didn’t put two and two together. It must have been awful finding out you were living next to a knocking shop. Men coming in and out at all hours of the day and night.’
Carmen nodded, her sharp features seemed to be closing in on themselves; she was exactly as Kate had predicted, a small-minded woman who saw herself as above the general population.
‘I don’t know what I can tell you really, there were a lot of men in and out, and obviously I knew they weren’t coming here for piano lessons { display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1em; margin-left: 8em; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } .fmepiv1iclthe had . But what could I do? The people involved, those girls, they were common, low types. I was afraid to say anything to them so I just ignored it.’
Kate nodded in understanding. ‘It must have been horrendous for you. How did the men get in, were they buzzed in by the girls?’
‘Not always, sometimes the outside door was left open, that way the men didn’t disturb us by ringing the wrong buzzers. That can be very annoying and, as you can imagine, very distressing.’
‘Why is there no CCTV? You have such a great alarm system.’
The woman nodded and then shrugged theatrically. ‘We did have it, but it was disabled a few years back. It was costing us a fortune every month, and that on top of the gardeners, you can imagine. And, in fairness, we were happy enough with the security offered in exchange. It made sense, after all, we’re in flats. We have one entrance and one exit. Why pay out for something we don’t really need?’
Kate smiled again. Annie watched her as she drew the woman out. Last night Carmen had been adamant that she knew nothing of the activities of the flat, and that she had never noticed anything untoward.
‘Who offered you the security system?’
Carmen looked uncomfortable.
‘I promise this will be off the record, Mrs Milke. But we really need to know what’s happened here. I assure you no one will get into any trouble, what security you decide on is your business. I just need to know who was behind it, that’s all.’
Carmen was worried about saying too much, but she felt that she should try and help if she could. After all, a young girl had lost her life, even if Carmen felt deep down that she had asked for it.
‘A man called Bates. He said that what we were paying for the CCTV, he could get us all a much better deal, and also make us safer in the process. He wasn’t a man who you felt would take no for an answer, if you understand me but, in fairness, he was as good as his word. We were given individual alarm systems that were on-site, as Mr Bates put it. Not something we had to rely on as a block. Even the windows are fitted with sensors, as are the doors. It really is a much better system.’
‘Did you hear or see anything on the night of the murder?’
Carmen shook her head furiously. ‘Not a word. I was asleep very early. I take sleeping pills because I find it hard to drop off these days.’
‘Do you see Mr Bates around here often?’
‘Occasionally, not regularly.’
‘Have you noticed any strange men recently, maybe regular visitors to the dead girl’s flat? Has there been anything at all of late that made you think something was odd, off-kilter? Raised voices, strange noises . . .’
Carmen snorted then, her face once more wearing its pinched look of disapproval. ‘There were always strange noises, you can imagine . . . I can’t hear anything from my bedroom, so I tend to spend a lot of time in there. In fact, now this has happened, I hope we’ll be able to get some sort of normality. I mean, you will be closing it down, won’t you?’
Kate heard the relief in Carmen’s
Carmen nodded, her sharp features seemed to be closing in on themselves; she was exactly as Kate had predicted, a small-minded woman who saw herself as above the general population.
‘I don’t know what I can tell you really, there were a lot of men in and out, and obviously I knew they weren’t coming here for piano lessons { display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1em; margin-left: 8em; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } .fmepiv1iclthe had . But what could I do? The people involved, those girls, they were common, low types. I was afraid to say anything to them so I just ignored it.’
Kate nodded in understanding. ‘It must have been horrendous for you. How did the men get in, were they buzzed in by the girls?’
‘Not always, sometimes the outside door was left open, that way the men didn’t disturb us by ringing the wrong buzzers. That can be very annoying and, as you can imagine, very distressing.’
‘Why is there no CCTV? You have such a great alarm system.’
The woman nodded and then shrugged theatrically. ‘We did have it, but it was disabled a few years back. It was costing us a fortune every month, and that on top of the gardeners, you can imagine. And, in fairness, we were happy enough with the security offered in exchange. It made sense, after all, we’re in flats. We have one entrance and one exit. Why pay out for something we don’t really need?’
Kate smiled again. Annie watched her as she drew the woman out. Last night Carmen had been adamant that she knew nothing of the activities of the flat, and that she had never noticed anything untoward.
‘Who offered you the security system?’
Carmen looked uncomfortable.
‘I promise this will be off the record, Mrs Milke. But we really need to know what’s happened here. I assure you no one will get into any trouble, what security you decide on is your business. I just need to know who was behind it, that’s all.’
Carmen was worried about saying too much, but she felt that she should try and help if she could. After all, a young girl had lost her life, even if Carmen felt deep down that she had asked for it.
‘A man called Bates. He said that what we were paying for the CCTV, he could get us all a much better deal, and also make us safer in the process. He wasn’t a man who you felt would take no for an answer, if you understand me but, in fairness, he was as good as his word. We were given individual alarm systems that were on-site, as Mr Bates put it. Not something we had to rely on as a block. Even the windows are fitted with sensors, as are the doors. It really is a much better system.’
‘Did you hear or see anything on the night of the murder?’
Carmen shook her head furiously. ‘Not a word. I was asleep very early. I take sleeping pills because I find it hard to drop off these days.’
‘Do you see Mr Bates around here often?’
‘Occasionally, not regularly.’
‘Have you noticed any strange men recently, maybe regular visitors to the dead girl’s flat? Has there been anything at all of late that made you think something was odd, off-kilter? Raised voices, strange noises . . .’
Carmen snorted then, her face once more wearing its pinched look of disapproval. ‘There were always strange noises, you can imagine . . . I can’t hear anything from my bedroom, so I tend to spend a lot of time in there. In fact, now this has happened, I hope we’ll be able to get some sort of normality. I mean, you will be closing it down, won’t you?’
Kate heard the relief in Carmen’s
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