‘Yeah, and I’ve told you what’ll happen if she has any more. But that’s not why we’re here. Do you know anyone by the name of Nadine Cowley?’
He began to shake his head immediately.
‘Wanna give that a bit more thought?’ she urged.
‘I don’t know her.’
Kim took her phone from her pocket and held it in front of him. The photo was from Nadine’s Instagram account.
He shook his head but with less confidence.
‘You were at school with her.’
‘Which one?’ he shot back.
‘St James.’
He frowned. ‘Can I see it again?’
She showed him the photo again and then remembered something. ‘Brown hair, a rounder face, less make-up.’
‘Yeah, I think I remember. She was older than me, but she didn’t look like that. I’d have wanted to give her a good?—’
‘Did you have anything to do with her at school?’ Kim interrupted to save his nan any further embarrassment. ‘Did you ask her out?’
‘Looking like she did back then?’ he asked, grimacing. ‘And she was older than me.’
‘Have you bumped into her recently?’ Kim asked.
‘Nah, I’d have remembered the chick in the first photo.’
Oh, Robbie Steele was a charmer. Some lucky woman was going to be getting him in a few years’ time. But she wasn’t prepared to take his total denial at face value. He was a suspect who’d had contact with both of their victims at some stage.
‘Where were you yesterday afternoon, Robbie?’
‘Fuck off. I ain’t done nothing, so you can shove your questions up your?—’
‘He was here with me,’ Mrs Steele offered quietly.
‘Don’t say nothing, Nan. They’ll twist it and?—’
‘What time?’ Kim asked, turning to the elderly lady.
‘Well, Melissa came to do my feet at one, and Robbie let her in. He can’t watch,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘So he went to his room. He let her out at about two, then he made us a ham sandwich while we watched a bit of snooker, and I dozed off about three.’
If those timings were correct, there was no way Robbie could have been anywhere near the crime scene, although she was pleased that he seemed to be treating his nan better.
‘Melissa who?’ Kim asked as Bryant took out his notepad.
‘Newey. Got her own place in the high street. Comes here once a month. I swear, I wouldn’t lie. He was here with me.’
Kim still wasn’t totally convinced by the alibi. Even though Mrs Steele hadn’t known the exact times and her statement had completely covered him, she’d still be checking with Melissa Newey. If those timings were out just a little bit, it would give him time to get there, stab Nadine Cowley and get back again.
Robbie stood and towered above her. ‘Can you bugger off now?’
His attempt at intimidation had no effect on her.
She shifted to the side and looked around him. ‘Okay, Mrs Steele, if you wouldn’t mind just running through those times again.’
