6
The witness was sitting on a park bench. He nodded as Gina approached and popped his phone in his pocket. His smart attire seemed unusual for a walk around the lake on a freezing cold January morning. Dark corduroys met brown boots. His blue tie and shirt underneath a charcoal grey woollen coat made him look like he was on his way to work. She glanced down at his footwear, the mud had almost reached his shins and the creeping damp soaked up the material.
‘I’m DI Harte and this is DC Wyre. Can I just confirm your name?’
Wyre blew on her fingers before snatching her pad and pen from her pocket.
The man leaned back and stared at the dull sky. ‘I’ve been through this with one of the officers.’
Gina’s attention became fixed on the sovereign ring he wore on his right hand, very similar to the one that her deceased husband Terry used to wear. She would never forget its imprint on her cheek after she’d forgotten to put his favourite shirt in the washing machine. Terry might be dead but his memory never left her and that ring was like him saying,I’m still here. She shivered.
‘Look, I know you must be shaken but I need to know what to call you.’ There was something in his tone that wasn’t sitting well with her. He was the person who discovered the body. For a person this smartly dressed, what had prompted him to head down to the shore of the lake? She glanced back at the crime scene in the distance knowing she needed to tread carefully. Right now, he was nothing more than a witness and there was no reason to suspect him of anything.
‘Otis Norton.’
‘Thank you, Mr Norton. Address?’
‘Thirteen Bloomsbury Avenue.’
‘Can you just go through how and when you saw the body? Please start at the beginning.’
He tapped his foot repetitively on the pavement. ‘Seriously? I’ve already been through all this and I’ve got things to do.’
‘And I’m sorry I’m asking you again but a woman has been murdered. Please, start at the beginning.’ A gust of wind blew an icy chill in their direction. Gina rubbed her hands together. He was beginning to test her patience.
His phone rang. He ended the call, looked at his watch and leaned back on the wet bench. ‘I got here about an hour ago. I parked back there.’ He pointed to the trees behind them that led to a path. This path fed into a gritty track that led to the lake. The very road that had no CCTV monitoring the comings and goings of people who chose to park there.
‘On Cedar Lane?’ Wyre spoke up.
He nodded. ‘Yes, my car’s obviously still there. Anyway, I walked down to the lake following the only track that leads from Cedar Lane.’ He emphasised the name of the road and stared at Wyre.
‘Go on.’
His phone rang again. He muted it and dropped it in the pocket of his overcoat. ‘I came out onto the lake and it was quiet, apart from a few joggers and a couple of people walking dogs. When I reached the path, I noticed something that looked like the shape of a human washed up. It wasn’t obvious to begin with as I was quite far away and it was a bit misty. Not being sure, I ventured down the bank to the shoreline. I walked past those fishing pegs and that clump of bushes until I reached her. I trod in the mud at the edge of the lake and reached down for her wrist hoping to find a pulse. One look at her told me she was dead.’ He stared at his boots and stopped tapping his foot.
He’d contaminated the scene. Gina knew that he would be asked to provide samples so that he could be eliminated. Something wasn’t adding up. Most people who found a body were more than happy to assist the police. He seemed like he’d had enough. Glancing back and forth like he was looking for someone wasn’t helping her to rule him out. ‘Are you waiting for someone?’
‘Erm, no. Can I go?’
Gina ignored his question. ‘You said you had something to tell us.’
‘Yes. When I found the body, I glanced back and saw someone rustling in the bushes back by the path, the one that leads back to Cedar Lane. All I could see was dark clothing but there was definitely someone there. I told your officer just as you were coming over.’
Gina glanced back. PC Kapoor was already cordoning off the spot.
‘When I caught them looking, I stared over thinking maybe that’s the murderer and I suppose I froze. It felt like they were there for ages but it must have only been a minute, maybe even less.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I have to go.’
‘Where is it you’re going?’
‘Seriously? Am I under suspicion?’
Gina felt an eye roll coming on but managed to hold it back. ‘Just take a look over there.’
The man glanced at the uniformed officers who were taking notes and speaking to onlookers.
‘We are asking everyone the same questions. You are all witnesses and we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t ask. The woman in the lake is someone’s daughter. She has friends and family. Imagine if she was a member of your family. You’d want us to do a thorough job, wouldn’t you?’ If she had a pound for every time she had to use that in her explanations, she’d be rich.
He undid a button on his coat. His face was reddening and he took a couple of deep breaths. ‘I was just walking. My wife is ill and sometimes I just need to get out of the house for some air. She’s terminally ill so you can imagine how hard things are at home. She’s been trying to call me, which is why I need to get back home. I don’t normally leave her for long.’
