‘Given the content, I can’t say I blame him.’ She threw the journal back onto the desk. ‘What’s your point?’
‘He could be the Midnight Man.’
‘And how did you come to that conclusion?’
Sarah pointed at the journal. ‘I went to school with Elsie. Whoever sent me the letter that’s on the system seemed to know me quite well.’
‘Next reason,’ Yvonne said impatiently. ‘Thereismore, isn’t there? You’re accusing a young man of murder. You must have more than that.’
‘I do,’ Sarah said, but her reasoning was falling away, and she scratched around in her mind to retrieve all the facts which had been so glaringly obvious after she left Elsie’s house last night. ‘He’s an estate agent. He works for his uncle’s firm. He’s the keyholder for Blackhall Manor, as well as other properties around here. He could have a spare to my house for all I know. It feels like he’s been there.’ Sarah didn’t mention the tablets in her bedside table that she had stockpiled in case things got too much.
‘OK,’ Yvonne said. ‘Is that it?’
‘His fingerprints were found at Blackhall Manor and …’
‘But that relates to your previous point,’ Yvonne interrupted. ‘Given he’s a keyholder tasked with keeping an eye on the place, it would be strange if his fingerprintsdidn’tshow up. It’s in his statement. He goes in, checks the rooms for vagrants, sets the mousetraps. Please tell me you’ve more on him than that.’
I will if you stop interrupting me, Sarah thought. ‘His mum gave him an alibi, but he could have messed with the clock on the wall. She sleeps in the front room. Well, she did, until yesterday.’ Sarah glanced over her shoulder. Her colleagues had their heads down. Some were making notes, others were staring at their computers. But they had to be listening just the same. It seemed a day couldn’t pass without her being berated before her team.
‘So you were there?’ Yvonne continued.
‘I popped in for a personal visit. Elsie’s not been well.’
‘I’m not surprised, given the size of her. That woman has one foot on a banana skin and the other one in the grave. If you ask me …’
‘She’s in hospital,’ Sarah interrupted. ‘Fell down the stairs, according to Christian.’
‘Oh. I see. She’s only young. Thatisa shame.’ She pulled back her shirt sleeve and looked at her watch. ‘Anything else?’
Dammit,Sarah thought. If she was granted more access to the investigation rather than being sent out to take statements she might be more au fait with the case. ‘I think Elsie was abused by her father and it really messed her up. Christian could be the result of incest.’ She reached for the journal and opened the tear-stained page. ‘Silence, close your eyes, kneel,’scratched into the page with a heavy pen over and over again. ‘I think this is referring to abuse. Nobody helped her when she was young. It’s why she turned to food.’ Sarah sighed. The theory sounded much more sensible in her head. ‘She’s always spoken about her ex, but she’s never been married. Christian’s birth certificate doesn’t name the father. There’s no record of another man in her life.’
‘So Christian is a child of incestanda murderer because we don’t know his father’s identity?’
‘I …’ Sarah frowned as her reasoning deserted her. She hated being placed on the spot. ‘He fits the profile. He’s a loner, he’s never had proper socialisation. He’s cared for his mother all his life. I remember her from school, her parents were odd …’ A blush stained her cheeks as her argument fell away. ‘And it’s the way he looks at me, you know? Like he has a dark secret or something.’
‘So, he’s creepy – as is half the population of Lower Slayton. Is that it?’
‘He was at Angelica’s funeral. It was meant to be for family only, which raises the question – why was he there?’
Yvonne raised a manicured hand. ‘OK, Sarah, let me stop you before you embarrass yourself any further. Do you think we aren’t aware of everything you’ve told me and more?’ She did not wait for a response. ‘We’re way ahead of you.’
Yvonne wore a half smile as she spoke down to her. ‘It’s not public knowledge yet but Christian Abraham is Simon Irving’s son. Angelica was his half-sister. Hence why we’ve not rushed in to make an arrest.’
Sarah’s mouth dropped open. ‘I … I didn’t know.’
‘How would you? You’re a statement taker. You’re not investigating this case. You’ve got to be careful, throwing accusations around. Simon Irving is a powerful man.’
‘I wasn’t throwing anything,’ Sarah said, in an effort to defend herself.
‘So you didn’t just march in here with a bent-up journal and say you knew who the Midnight Man was?’
‘I … I was just trying to help.’
‘But we don’t need your help,’ Yvonne said. ‘We’re all over this.’
‘Fine,’ Sarah replied. ‘But as the DI said, all hands on deck. I need time to catch up with the case.’
‘Not necessary, but you can have an hour. Start by reading the statement I took from Elsie. While you were on a fool’s errand to the hospital, I popped out to see her. She gave me a full background of her family situation. Now, some would argue that it wasn’t needed, but in a small town like Slayton, everyone knows everyone.’ Yvonne cast an eye over the uniformed officers leaving the room. ‘Given Christian’s presence in so many aspects of the case, I pre-empted the SIO’s request for more information.’
