She nodded as she pulled a blanket tighter around her shoulders.
‘In your own words, can you tell me what happened?’
She wiped her forehead with her arm. ‘I’d had a lot to drink and wasn’t feeling well. I’d been sick and all I wanted to do was go to bed. Holly’s room was next to mine on the first floor. When I passed her door, it creaked slightly and I wondered why it wasn’t locked. That’s when…’
‘It’s okay. You’re really helping us. I know this is hard.’
A tear slid down her cheek. ‘I pushed the door open. There was blood smeared on the drawers next to the door and I thought she’d hurt herself. I saw she was in bed so I called her name. She didn’t answer. Then I thought she was asleep but I had to check that she was okay. I went over and shook her but still she didn’t answer.’ Francesca paused and swallowed. ‘I turned the lamp on and saw blood smeared all over her face, and her eyes, they were glassy and staring at me but she wasn’t moving. I ran out to the corridor and screamed for help. No one was around. I somehow managed to reach reception and told them what had happened. I felt really sick again but I passed out. I can’t remember much after that, until the ambulance got here.’
Francesca tried to stand but fell back onto her bottom. ‘Someone killed Holly. I don’t want to be here. I just want to go home.’ The woman folded her arms and bowed her head.
‘I know you don’t and I’m so sorry you’ve been through this tonight. Did you see anyone else in the corridor or around by the stairs?’
‘I don’t think so. It was just me.’
‘Did you touch anything else apart from the lamp?’
‘I can’t remember. I think I touched some of the furniture.’
Gina glanced at Francesca’s hands. Not a speck of blood on them, but her hands were a little make-up smeared. ‘Francesca? Would you mind if we took some swabs and fingerprints from you for elimination purposes? We also need your dress and shoes. I’m sorry to have to ask you for these but you went into Holly’s room. We need to catch whoever did this to her.’
She turned to face Gina.
For a second Gina thought she might object. She had to consider that at the moment they had no suspects and Francesca Carter was the first person to arrive at the scene. She hadn’t seen anyone else on the way there or back.
‘’Course.’
‘Do you know anyone who would want to hurt Holly?’
‘No, she was our friend and she never said she had any problems with anyone. She would have said something. We were all close.’
‘We?’
Francesca wiped her watery eyes. ‘Me, Holly, Kerry and Lilly. We’ve been friends since school. The Awesome Foursome.’ She let out a teary smile.
‘Was she seeing anyone?’
‘She never said but she hadn’t been spending much time with us lately.’
‘Did anything happen tonight that seemed out of the ordinary?’
She shrugged. ‘No, only that a bit of trouble broke out. Some gatecrashers had got in and were helping themselves to the free bar. Holly wasn’t a part of that. I think I saw her outside. I went outside as I felt nauseous. She was talking to someone but I didn’t see who it was.’ Her brow furrowed.
‘Could you tell me anything at all about that person?’
‘It was a man. He was wearing trousers and a shirt.’
‘Did you catch his hair colour? Colour of his suit or shirt? Height or build?’
‘No. I felt really sick. My mind was elsewhere. Charlie, my other half, was a bit fed up with me as I’d been doing shots so I had that on my mind. As I said, I ran out to throw up and the man Holly was talking to faded into the shadows. I only wish now I’d properly looked. Do you think he could have been Holly’s murderer?’
‘We don’t know all that has happened as yet. Forensics are still in the room at the moment. You’ve been really helpful but we’ll still need a formal statement off you. PC Kapoor will come back in and talk to you about that.’
She nodded. Gina waved at Keith from the crime scene crew. He hurried over. ‘Would you be able to take swabs from our witness while I catch up with Bernard? She went into the victim’s room. Take PC Kapoor with you too.’
‘Will do.’
‘I’ll leave you in the capable hands of the paramedics and our forensics expert, Keith. If you remember anything else, please call me.’ She handed Francesca a card as Keith and the ambulance crew took over.
