Roses Are Red - Miranda Rijks Page 0,18

wealth, and quite possibly you would have had to sell your beautiful family home. On the other hand, if your husband dies, you stand to inherit the whole lot, and thanks to very generous insurance policies, you gain a further 1.75 million pounds. You also freely admit that you were at home all evening, yet you didn’t see or hear anything suspicious. Indeed, your husband had probably been dead for at least three hours before you contacted the authorities. It doesn’t look good, does it?’

‘No, no! You have it all wrong. I’m not bothered by the money; in fact, I didn’t know anything about it, at least not the insurance policies. And I wanted my kids to grow up with a father. Besides, I couldn’t hurt a spider, let alone the man I used to love.’

‘How did you learn about electrical wiring and SELV?’

‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about?’ Why are they asking me about electrical wiring? It doesn’t make any sense. Surely they can’t think that I did something to the wiring of the pool in order to electrocute Adam? That’s ridiculous.

‘Separated extra-low voltage systems. The electrical systems used in swimming pool installations.’

‘You don’t need to answer that,’ Clive Seaham interrupts.

I ignore him. ‘I don’t know anything about wiring. Adam did everything regarding the pool. He organised the maintenance, the cleaning, the heating. I don’t like swimming, so I wasn’t interested.’

‘Tell us about your relationship with Ajay Arya.’

‘I’ve known him for twenty years. We set up the business together. I met him through Marianne.’

‘And what does Mr Arya think about the affair between your husband and his wife?’

‘You don’t need to answer that, Lydia.’ Again, I ignore Clive.

‘I don’t think he knows. Or at least, if he does know, he hasn’t let on to me. Marianne asked me not to tell him. I think he would be incandescent with rage if he knew. He keeps Marianne on a tight leash as it is.’

DI Cornish raises his eyebrows. He writes something down on a small notepad and holds it under the table so that only DI White can read it.

‘Mrs Palmer, we would like to search your house. As you know, there was a forensic examination of your garden shortly after your husband was deceased, but now this is a potential murder investigation, we wish to look inside the house.’

Clive Seaham inhales as if he’s about to speak. DI Cornish cuts him off.

‘And before you object, yes, we have a warrant.’ He places a formal-looking document on the table.

‘That’s fine,’ I say, thinking, No, it isn’t. How horrible that strangers will be rifling through our things. And the children, it’s horrendous for them. I’ll have to take them away for a couple of days.

‘Thank you for your assistance. We would be grateful if you could remain in Sussex for the foreseeable future. We will be back in touch should we require any further information or if we need to question you further.’

Cornish brings the interview to a close and switches off the recording equipment. We are dismissed.

‘What does that all mean?’ I ask Clive as we step outside the police station.

‘Clearly, they have insufficient information to charge you, and they’re still on a fishing trip.’

‘So what’s going to happen next?’

‘I’m afraid I don’t know, Mrs Palmer; however, I will stay in close contact with DI Cornish. As soon as I find out any more, I will contact you.’

‘Thank you. I am very grateful for your support.’

Mia and Oliver mustn’t know that the police are going to search through our house. They are disturbed enough as it is. I need them to go away for a couple of days, and hopefully by the time they return, everything will be back to normal. As normal as it can be without their father.

I ring Bea. Oliver, in particular, loves his cousin Finlay. Mia is in awe of Bea’s eldest, Louis. At eighteen, he is – according to Mia – coolness personified.

‘Of course they can come and stay,’ Bea says. ‘As he’s finished his exams, Louis is lounging around the house doing sweet FA. Fin is at school, but he hasn’t got anything on this weekend. How about I collect your two in the morning?’

‘Thanks, Bea.’

‘And how about you, Lydia? How are you coping?’

‘I don’t know if I am.’ I swallow a sob. I don’t want to tell my older sister that I have just come out of an interview at the police station, and that the real reason I want