Unnatural Wastage by Betty Rowlands Page B

know.’
    â€˜That was on Saturday, shortly after you discovered Ms Tremaine’s body,’ Haskins reminded him. ‘At the time you were – understandably – in a state of shock. We’re hoping that now you’ve had time to recover you may be able to recall something that slipped your mind at the time . . . something that could help us find the lady’s killer.’
    â€˜I’ve been over it in my mind enough times and nothing new has come up.’
    â€˜Just the same, I’d like to run through it with you once more,’ Haskins insisted.
    Wilkins gave a resigned shrug. ‘All right. What do you want to know?’
    â€˜It’s a bit public here,’ Haskins objected. During their brief exchange two people had walked by on their way to the car park; each had raised a hand and greeted Wilkins while casting unmistakably curious glances at the detective as they passed. ‘Why don’t we go to your place?’
    Wilkins shrugged, pushed the machine into an open garage that housed among other items the trolley he used for transporting bags of waste, and closed the door. He remained silent as he led the way to his flat, but the minute they were inside with the door closed behind them, and before Haskins had time to utter a word, he said in a hoarse, unsteady voice, ‘I swear to God that I didn’t do it!’ He rubbed sweating hands on his jeans and gazed at Haskins in obvious terror. ‘I can guess what some of them have been saying among themselves and it’s true she gave me a hard time once or twice, but I never laid a finger on her. You must believe me!’
    â€˜Take it easy, Mr Wilkins,’ said Haskins. ‘No one’s accusing you of anything, but the fact that you discovered the body makes you a key witness. We need all the help we can get in tracking down Ms Tremaine’s killer. Now, why don’t we go and sit down and talk calmly?’
    â€˜If you say so.’ Wilkins led the way into his sitting room and slumped into a chair. ‘OK, let’s get it over with.’
    â€˜We have reason to believe,’ Haskins began, ‘that she had, shall we say, differences of opinion with a number of people at Sycamore Park and inevitably there has been a certain amount of gossip. Several witnesses have referred to occasions when she has been heard criticizing various members of the maintenance staff, including you, for the way they carry out their duties. You said just now that she “gave you a hard time once or twice”. Would you like to be a little more specific?’
    â€˜She was always picking on me.’ Wilkins stared at his feet. ‘I’d only been here five minutes and she started telling everyone I wasn’t up to the job and the estate didn’t look half as good as when the previous chap was here.’
    â€˜Did you get any other complaints?’
    â€˜In the early days, one or two people pointed out things that Jeff – the previous caretaker – used to do that I wasn’t doing.’
    â€˜For example?’
    â€˜Things like sweeping up the area round the skips after the council men had emptied them. I said I thought that was the council men’s job but the people just laughed and said things like “you’re joking”, so I’ve done it ever since.’
    â€˜Did you mind being told off for things like that?’
    â€˜It wasn’t telling off; not in that case. I was new to the job and they were just being helpful.’
    â€˜Did you feel Ms Tremaine was just being helpful?’
    Wilkins raised his eyes. ‘Not at the time,’ he said slowly, ‘and now I come to think of it, she might have been trying to prove something to herself. She’d been here longer than most of the other residents and she acted like she knew more than everyone how things should be done and she upset quite a few people. Just the same,’ he added with a