The small golden flecks were scattered on the light brown carpet, and she didn’t even look like she was enjoying the biscuit. Penn realised that she just wanted to get the carpet vacuumed.
‘Now, if it was my hearing you wanted to interrogate, that’s another story. What time did you say again?’ she asked, frowning.
‘Between nine and ten,’ he answered.
She took another biscuit, and Penn felt his sympathies shift towards Sharon.
‘I have my last smoke at half nine, before the news comes on, and I did hear something strange. I heard footsteps running on the other side of the road.’ She closed her eyes and focussed. ‘It wasn’t a jogger cos they were like proper running. And then a car started up.’
‘So, the person running got into a car, started the engine and drove off?’ Penn asked. It was pretty much what they’d assumed had happened, but without a description, the confirmation was useless.
‘The person running got into a car, but they weren’t the driver.’
‘How can you know that?’ Penn asked as Irene opened her eyes.
‘Because the sound of the car starting drowned out the footsteps, but the footsteps didn’t pause before the car started.’
Penn said nothing.
‘Young man, I can smell your scepticism. Although my eyesight isn’t what it was, my other senses have strengthened because of it.’
Penn opened his mouth to reassure her as he didn’t want to appear rude, but she continued speaking.
‘Did you hear that click a few seconds ago?’
He shook his head. He hadn’t heard a thing.
‘It was Sharon putting the kettle back on to make her own drink, lazy bugger, but any second now…’
Her words trailed away as the kettle started boiling.
‘I’m telling you, young man, that the car started up before the runner got to it.’
Penn wasn’t sure he could disbelieve her, which led to a definite new possibility.
There had been more than one person involved.
Thirteen
‘Get the coffee on and don’t even think about a lunch break. You took that already,’ Kim said as they reached the second floor of the station. Bryant rolled his eyes in response as she continued up the stairs to the third floor to see her boss.
Despite his instruction to return, she’d taken the time to speak with a few of Ashley’s colleagues even though Ashley’s boss had insisted there was no hostility there. She had seen for herself the depth of their sadness and grief at the loss and had been satisfied there were no further names for the board.
She knocked on the door and entered. He had to be expecting her so she didn’t bother to wait for his instruction to come in.
He made no comment and beckoned her to sit.
‘I need you to do something,’ he said, resting his chin on steepled fingers.
‘Something that trumps a murder investigation?’ she asked pointedly.
‘You’re an excellent multi-tasker, Stone.’
A compliment. Oh shit, she thought, this was definitely something he wanted her to do and something she was not going to enjoy.
‘I need you to interview Martha Stout.’
‘You are kidding?’
