passed him a note.
Beth waited. The silence was too long for Jones just to have read a few lines. Something was happening, but she couldn’t work out what. It was unnerving her. What kind of subtext were they picking up from her answers? What had they understood that she’d had no intention of saying? She was starting to perspire even harder, and the desire to get up and run almost overwhelmed her. But there was nothing to run from. They were only asking her questions that she wasn’t even finding hard to answer. It would be over soon. She’d be able to get up and walk out, knowing that she had nothing to hide and nothing to be afraid of. Dear God, she had to stop feeling so guilty and defensive …
*
‘That’s exactly how I felt,’ Georgie confided later as they swapped stories while speeding down the motorway. ‘There was a moment there when they almost had me thinking I was involved! For God’s sake, we’re talking about murder! They shouldn’t be allowed to force people to behave as though they’re guilty when they didn’t even have anything to do with it.’
‘I suppose it’s one way of trying to find out who did do it,’ Beth mumbled. Then swallowing hard she said, ‘I hope to God we never have to go through it again, but I think we will, don’t you?’
‘I think it’s more likely that you will, considering I was in the Cotswolds at the time. Just thank God for Mrs Tolstoy, eh? And that receipt.’
‘I wonder if they’ll let me have it back,’ Beth said. ‘I still need it for my taxes.’
Georgie glanced over at her, and after a moment’s uncertainty they spluttered with laughter.
‘Isn’t it weird?’ Beth said after a while. ‘The tale of two cleaners. While he’s getting caught at the scene by one, I’m at home getting protection from one. Just thank God it wasn’t today or Wednesday – I’d have been alone then, with no alibi at all.’
‘I still don’t think they’d have seriously suspected you,’ Georgie responded. ‘Like you said, they have to be tough to make sure they’re getting all the facts.’
Beth nodded, and watched a Jaguar go flying past. ‘You know what?’ she said. ‘It struck me that they think Colin might be involved in something else besides all this. Or that’s linked to it, maybe.’
Georgie frowned. ‘Like what?’
‘I’m not sure. It wasn’t clear. Something financial, maybe. Or professional, they said.’
‘Do you think he was?’
‘Not that I know of.’
Georgie hesitated, then decided to say what she was thinking. ‘What about the flat you’re buying? That must be a lot of money.’
Beth groaned and closed her eyes. ‘What’s going to happen about that now?’ she wailed. ‘We’re due to complete next week. We’ll have to pull out. Oh God, I’m going to have to sort out the removers from our house too. I’ll have to put everything in storage. Shit! I’ve got nowhere to live! Do you realize that? I’m actually homeless! And whatever profit we make from the house will no doubt end up paying his legal fees, and some.’
‘You’re not homeless,’ Georgie assured her. ‘You’ve always got a place with us, which is where you should be right now anyway, not somewhere out there on your own.’
Beth was quiet as she considered the daunting prospect of the practical and emotional nightmares she was now facing. Every minute, every hour seemed to be bringing some new problem.
‘So what about the money for the flat?’ Georgie prompted.
‘We’re taking out a massive mortgage,’ Beth answered. ‘Or we were. There’s no way I can manage it on my own. I’ll have to call the bank. Oh God, I can’t bear this. Colin, why are you doing this to me?’ Her hands were clasped over her face as she dropped her head towards her chest.
A while later she was gazing blankly out of the window as she said, ‘I wonder if he was intosomething, you know, crooked or whatever? Some kind of scam, or cult, or porn thing.’ Suddenly the
Beth waited. The silence was too long for Jones just to have read a few lines. Something was happening, but she couldn’t work out what. It was unnerving her. What kind of subtext were they picking up from her answers? What had they understood that she’d had no intention of saying? She was starting to perspire even harder, and the desire to get up and run almost overwhelmed her. But there was nothing to run from. They were only asking her questions that she wasn’t even finding hard to answer. It would be over soon. She’d be able to get up and walk out, knowing that she had nothing to hide and nothing to be afraid of. Dear God, she had to stop feeling so guilty and defensive …
*
‘That’s exactly how I felt,’ Georgie confided later as they swapped stories while speeding down the motorway. ‘There was a moment there when they almost had me thinking I was involved! For God’s sake, we’re talking about murder! They shouldn’t be allowed to force people to behave as though they’re guilty when they didn’t even have anything to do with it.’
‘I suppose it’s one way of trying to find out who did do it,’ Beth mumbled. Then swallowing hard she said, ‘I hope to God we never have to go through it again, but I think we will, don’t you?’
‘I think it’s more likely that you will, considering I was in the Cotswolds at the time. Just thank God for Mrs Tolstoy, eh? And that receipt.’
‘I wonder if they’ll let me have it back,’ Beth said. ‘I still need it for my taxes.’
Georgie glanced over at her, and after a moment’s uncertainty they spluttered with laughter.
‘Isn’t it weird?’ Beth said after a while. ‘The tale of two cleaners. While he’s getting caught at the scene by one, I’m at home getting protection from one. Just thank God it wasn’t today or Wednesday – I’d have been alone then, with no alibi at all.’
‘I still don’t think they’d have seriously suspected you,’ Georgie responded. ‘Like you said, they have to be tough to make sure they’re getting all the facts.’
Beth nodded, and watched a Jaguar go flying past. ‘You know what?’ she said. ‘It struck me that they think Colin might be involved in something else besides all this. Or that’s linked to it, maybe.’
Georgie frowned. ‘Like what?’
‘I’m not sure. It wasn’t clear. Something financial, maybe. Or professional, they said.’
‘Do you think he was?’
‘Not that I know of.’
Georgie hesitated, then decided to say what she was thinking. ‘What about the flat you’re buying? That must be a lot of money.’
Beth groaned and closed her eyes. ‘What’s going to happen about that now?’ she wailed. ‘We’re due to complete next week. We’ll have to pull out. Oh God, I’m going to have to sort out the removers from our house too. I’ll have to put everything in storage. Shit! I’ve got nowhere to live! Do you realize that? I’m actually homeless! And whatever profit we make from the house will no doubt end up paying his legal fees, and some.’
‘You’re not homeless,’ Georgie assured her. ‘You’ve always got a place with us, which is where you should be right now anyway, not somewhere out there on your own.’
Beth was quiet as she considered the daunting prospect of the practical and emotional nightmares she was now facing. Every minute, every hour seemed to be bringing some new problem.
‘So what about the money for the flat?’ Georgie prompted.
‘We’re taking out a massive mortgage,’ Beth answered. ‘Or we were. There’s no way I can manage it on my own. I’ll have to call the bank. Oh God, I can’t bear this. Colin, why are you doing this to me?’ Her hands were clasped over her face as she dropped her head towards her chest.
A while later she was gazing blankly out of the window as she said, ‘I wonder if he was intosomething, you know, crooked or whatever? Some kind of scam, or cult, or porn thing.’ Suddenly the
Similar Books
