She eyed him suspiciously as he introduced himself. She didn’t even try to look at his ID. ‘Been a good twenty years since I’d have been able to read anything that small.’
‘You can call Halesowen station to check, if you’d like.’
‘Don’t reckon you’re here to rape and pillage me, but if the housing association sent you, you ain’t sitting down.’
‘Why would they do that?’ he asked, taking a seat.
She tapped the cigarette box. ‘Ain’t supposed to smoke in here.’
‘Not really my area,’ Penn said, hiding his smile. ‘I’m a detective. We work on major incidents like?—’
‘It’d be just like her to report me,’ she said, leaning forward but whispering loudly.
‘But isn’t she here to help?’ he asked, leaning forward as well.
‘Pfft, help? She’s a lazy bugger, that one. She’ll park herself in the kitchen with the radio on and make an occasional noise so it sounds like she’s working, but she’s drinking coffee and looking at her phone.’
As if on cue, Penn heard the sound of two plates scraping together as though being stacked in the cupboard.
‘She doesn’t even bloody vacuum unless I’ve made a mess. Never mind the dust. She’s just damn lazy.’
Penn was tempted to mention he’d just seen the woman cleaning cigarette ends from beneath the window but decided against it.
‘Shaaaaron,’ Irene shouted, demonstrating no issue with her lungs.
The helper appeared in the doorway.
‘This nice man would love a cup of tea, and I’ll have one while you’re at it. Three sugars in mine.’
Sharon looked his way, and after a warning glance from Irene, he chose his side in this particular battle.
‘Milk, no sugar, thanks.’
‘And a couple of biscuits,’ Irene called after the woman.
‘So is this about that lot up the road?’ she asked. ‘I’ve been trying to watch, but it’s too far away.’
There was genuine disappointment in her voice. As macabre as it was, Penn could understand the fascination if she didn’t get out much. It looked like this was her window to the world.
‘Do you know anything about it?’ he asked, wondering if any news had yet reached her.
She shook her head. ‘I went to bed at eleven, and when I got up at seven, there were lots of vehicles up there.’
‘I’m afraid to say there was a serious incident last night. A woman lost her life.’
‘Oh no,’ she said as Sharon came in and lowered a tray onto the table. On it were two mugs and a plate with a selection of biscuits.
Penn thanked her as Irene took a biscuit from the pile.
‘Was it some kind of domestic?’ she asked, breaking the rectangular shortbread in half. Crumbs fell onto her lap.
He shook his head. ‘We don’t think so, but it was definitely targeted.’
He watched as Irene brushed the crumbs from her trousers to the floor. She put half the biscuit in her mouth.
‘We’re appealing for witnesses, anyone that might have seen anything at around nine thirty last night.’
‘My boy, I can barely see anything at nine thirty in the day. Someone could have come within five feet of me, and I wouldn’t recognise them again. I can make out shapes pretty well but no detail,’ she said, breaking the half biscuit in half again. Like before, she swept the crumbs onto the floor.
