Morgan stopped herself from responding. ‘Do you know his name?’
‘Stan, he seems like a nice enough man and Saul had a soft spot for him. Saul was such a good man; he was a very loyal man, which is why he probably put up with Olivia all these years. He doted on those girls.’
‘Saul seemed like a good guy.’
‘He was.’ She sniffed.
‘What about the girls, did they get on well with their mum and dad?’
‘Bea is an angel, such a quiet girl. She always has her head in a book. She rarely argues with either Saul or Olivia. I can’t say the same for Bronte. She’s very much like her mum. Feisty and likes the boys far more than she should. I don’t know what to do?’ Her eyes pleaded with Morgan’s for answers she couldn’t give.
‘Why don’t you go and visit Bronte? It might make you feel better to see her and it will be lovely for her to know you’re there. The only visitors she’s had are the police and Harrison.’
Helen shook her head and blew her nose. ‘Dear God, this is a complete mess.’ She stood up. ‘Thank you for being so kind. I needed to get that off my chest. I can’t say I feel better, but I feel as if a load has been lifted. You’ll let me know, won’t you, if you arrest someone? I don’t care what time of day or night it is. I can’t sleep anyway. I think you’re right. I’ll go and visit my granddaughter. She needs me more than ever.’
Morgan passed her notebook and pen across the table.
‘Of course I will; can you give me your number?’
Helen jotted it down and Morgan stood up. She opened the door for her and followed her outside. The rain had stopped as abruptly as it had started. There was the fading remains of a rainbow over the fells and she paused for a moment to take in its beauty.
Helen Taylor lifted her hand and waved to her as she drove away, and Morgan went inside to find someone to share her latest discovery with.
Upstairs she passed Amy in the corridor.
‘Did they find Stan?’
Amy nodded. ‘Ben and Abigail are talking to him now. How’s the girl?’
‘Still hanging on, they’re going to reduce her anaesthetic later. See if there’s any reaction.’
‘Ben said to let you know you can get off if you want. He said you had an early start.’
‘I’m okay, thanks. I’ve just had an interesting conversation with Olivia Potter’s mum. Apparently Olivia wasn’t quite the perfect wife; she was having an affair right up until her death, which Saul knew about. Harrison also said Saul had been in the process of setting up a business with a partner that fell through: he is either called Gary or Greg.’
‘That is interesting. We need to confirm who her lover was and speak to him and no, you won’t be okay if you spend every spare minute here. Trust me, you need to go home and chill for a bit, everything is in hand. I’ll let the boss know about the boyfriend and the business partner. You’re supposed to be working the cold case, by the way. Well done, though, I’m impressed and Ben will be too when I tell him.’
Morgan didn’t want to argue with her. She nodded and turned to walk back to her office. She slipped inside and grabbed the files she’d placed on the makeshift desk. She could go home and read them, make her notes ready to get started researching and tracing anyone who was involved with the original murders.
Twenty-Nine
Ben kept his gaze on Stan, who was sitting opposite. Abigail was taking notes. She let Ben lead the interview.
‘Did you know the O’Brien family who used to live in the Potters’ house a long time ago?’
Stan nodded. ‘Yes.’ He kept Ben’s gaze. ‘I used to do a bit of gardening for them too. They were a lovely family. It was terrible what happened to them.’
‘Don’t you think it’s a bit of a coincidence that you worked for two families who have both been murdered in that house?’
Stan slammed the palm of his hand against the table. ‘I know what you’re saying, what you’re trying to do. I had nothing to do with either of them. I didn’t do it.’
‘Do what, Stan?’
Stan shook his head. ‘Kill them. I liked the O’Briens and I liked the Potters even more. They were kind, decent people. I may