‘I can’t remember now. Early afternoon. I don’t clock watch these days. It was after one. I have lunch at twelve thirty every day. I’d gone up after my sandwich to iron some clothes. That reminds me, he had the radio on quite loud or maybe it was an audiobook.’
‘Did you see anyone coming or going that day?’
‘Only Kain. I could only see him from the bedroom but he was wearing his baseball cap. He always wears a baseball cap.’
‘Did you see his face?’
‘No, just the top of his hat. He was loading something into Maura’s car, then he drove off.’
‘And when was this?’
‘It was dark. I was going to bed at this time but again, I don’t know the time, but it was after ten. I was closing my curtains. That’s why I looked out.’
‘Are you sure it was Kain Pickering?’
‘Are you saying it couldn’t be? It had to be him; he was wearing Kain’s hat.’ She sipped her tea. ‘You make a good tea.’
‘Thanks,’ Jacob replied with a smile.
‘I only saw the hat and I assumed it was Kain. It might not have been him but if it wasn’t him, who else could it have been and why would they be wearing his hat?’ She shrugged.
‘Did you see any other cars parked outside that aren’t normally parked outside on that day?’
She shook her head. ‘No, only those belonging to the neighbours.’
‘Did Kain have any visitors?’
‘No, I never saw anyone visiting him. Maura said he’d been married but they split up about two years ago. She didn’t mention any friends of his, only that he stays in all the time and drinks.’
‘You mentioned to our officer that Kain threatened you and said that he’d make you wish you were dead.’
Joyce swallowed. ‘He scares me, I won’t lie. He has these intense blue eyes, really cold and I’m short. I always feel like he’s towering over me. I had the nerve to stand up to him, for Maura. I told him that his behaviour was upsetting her, and stressing her out. I asked him when he was going to stop drinking. She was eighty when he moved in. That’s too old to be putting up with his problems. Maura had such a big heart but it was a broken one. It was like he wanted her to have a heart attack so he could have her house. I’d hear him shouting at her when the windows were open. She was my friend and I saw her becoming a shadow of herself the longer he stayed. That’s why I said something and it really got to him. He did say he’d make me wish I was dead. I don’t know what he had planned for me but I knew to keep my mouth shut from then on when it came to him.’ She paused. ‘Lindy came one day; I caught her before she knocked and I told her all this.’
‘And what did she say?’
‘She said she’d deal with him.’
‘And how was she planning to do that?’
Joyce pressed her lips together and raised both hands. ‘I have no idea.’
‘When did you last see Lindy?’
‘At Maura’s funeral. That was three weeks ago, at the crem. It was a beautiful service. Maura would have been proud of Lindy. I didn’t go to the wake. Kain kept staring at me. I felt uneasy, so I left them and came home instead.’ Joyce’s eyes started to water up.
‘I’m really sorry for your loss. It sounds like you were really close to Maura.’
‘I was. I think it’s only just hitting me that she’s gone. She didn’t deserve all she’d been through over the last few months.If Kain has done something and that’s why you’re here, bear all what I’ve said in mind. I think Maura would still be here if it wasn’t for him.’ Joyce took a deep breath and continued. ‘Maura used to love Gordon, too. I think that’s why Gordon was trapped in her house. We used to joke that some people did car shares, but we did a cat share, and I was happy to share Gordon with her because she loved him as much as I did. I wasn’t happy when Kain kept letting Gordon in. Gordon vanished last Friday and on Saturday, I knocked on Maura’s door. I really didn’t want to confront Kain and have to accuse him of taking Gordon to upset me, so in a way I was relieved when he didn’t answer. It’s been quiet there ever since but I did have some odd dreams. I kept thinking I heard Gordon crying sometimes in the early hours, but then I just thought it was the music that Kain always had on, day and night.’
Gina knew that the cat had probably been meowing for help once it realised it was trapped, but the radio would have masked its cries. ‘I’m glad he’s okay now. I know this sounds like an odd question but did Maura have a small blue teddy bear?’
‘No, Maura was one of these people that hated any clutter. I have some teddies and she used to joke that I was a soppy softie for having them.’
‘Did you have a small blue teddy bear?’
‘No. Why?’
‘I’m so sorry, I can’t say much about the investigation, only that it’s relevant to the case.’
