‘It was after she stopped me that Matt disappeared.’
The DI sounds mildly irritated. ‘Would you say you’re the kind of person who believes in clairvoyance?’
Beside me, Andrew Nelson seems to stir into life. ‘I’m not sure that question is entirely relevant.’
‘Thank you,’ I mutter towards him, then turn back to the DI. ‘Should I go on?’
‘If you would.’
I continue. ‘I drove home and carried on working. Later that morning, Matt called me.’ My voice wavers. At that point, as far as I knew, our wedding was going ahead. ‘He said he was taking an American client out for dinner. He soundedflustered – and apologetic – we were trying to organise the last minute details for our wedding.’ My voice wavers again. ‘He said he didn’t have a choice.’ I pause. ‘He told me he needed to speak to me later – he didn’t say what about. Then he said,take care babe.’ I look from the DI to PC Page. ‘That’s when I suspected something was wrong.’ Watching the DI’s puzzled face, I explain. ‘Matt never called me babe. And he never said take care. Not ever. When he called me that morning, something was different.’
‘Let me get this straight.’ The DI frowns. ‘Your fiancé says take care, babe … and you interpret that to mean he’s in some kind of trouble? He didn’t give you any clue as to what it was you needed to talk about?’
‘No.’ My throat is dry, my voice husky.
‘From what we’ve been told, presumably he was planning to come home and tell you he was leaving you.’
‘Maybe.’ I stare at the table.
DI Lacey looks confused. ‘So what happened next? I’ve been going through the case notes. With regard to the meeting your fiancé had with an American client – that was later discovered not to be true, wasn’t it?’
PC Page leans forward. ‘For the record, David Avery, Mr Roche’s boss, said there was no American client. Amy knows this.’
I swallow, remembering how alien the call had seemed. ‘At the time I had no reason not to believe him.’ I stare at him, then at PC Page, because it’s true. ‘No-one’s proved he didn’t,’ I object. ‘It’s still possible there’s a client nobody knew about.’
‘According to our notes, he went for a drink with a work colleague, then spent the rest of the evening with the other woman who reported him missing. It checks out – we’ve spoken to the colleague who confirms he went to a bar with Matt.And a cab driver has also confirmed driving Matt to the woman’s address. You are aware of this?’
I shake my head. ‘I didn’t know you’d spoken to Matt’s colleague.’ But I know about the cab driver. Humiliated by his reminder, I fall silent.
‘It’s a pity your neighbour isn’t alive.’ The DI sits back. ‘She might have been able to vouch for your whereabouts.’
I nod. ‘She would have confirmed what I’ve told you.’ I often used to see her face behind unwashed windows. Then my skin prickles as I realise I’ve played right into his hands. What if he thinks Mrs Guthrie was murdered? That I had something to do with it? Suddenly nauseous, I’m desperate for the glass of water on the table in front of me, but I’m terrified they’ll see my shaking hands. ‘If she could actually see,’ I add bleakly. ‘Her eyesight wasn’t good.’
‘But she could have seen well enough to notice if your car was there or not.’ The DI doesn’t give up. ‘She noticed a van, didn’t she? Quite probably the one that delivered the flowers?’
I nod. ‘Yes.’
There’s an uneasy silence before he changes the subject. ‘So, the last morning you saw Mr Roche, what did you do after you spoke to him?’
‘Apart from making a sandwich for lunch, I was in my workshop most of the day.’
‘Can anyone vouch for this?’
I shake my head. ‘I didn’t see anyone – though my neighbours might have noticed my car parked at home.’
‘Can you tell us who your clients in Brighton are?’
‘Serenity – it’s a business in the Lanes.’ I watch as PC Page notes it down. ‘And Davina Osborne – she works from her home.’ I give her Davina’s address. ‘Both have knownme for years. They’ll be able to tell you what kind of a person I am.’
He glances at the notes on the table in front of him. ‘We have the names of two of your friends – Lara Carmichael and Catherine Bowers. Is that correct?’
‘Lara was our wedding planner – Matt had known her for years.’ I break off, not sure whether to mention how, in different ways, both of them had let me down. At least Cath is on her way to Jess. At the thought of Jess, tears prick my eyes. Summoning my strength, I pull myself together. ‘Cath is my oldest friend.’ My voice wavers.
‘We’ve spoken to Lara Carmichael before. She said that your behaviour had become quite unstable, a fact that Mr Roche had also mentioned to her. Latterly, she said you accused her of having an affair with him. Is that correct?’
It’s what I’d dreaded her saying. Leaning forward, I rest my head in my hands.
‘Ms Reid?’
