hesitate. ‘It was on my clothes.’ But it was the smell that was worst, filling my lungs, leaching through my clothes onto my skin. After calling the police, I’d rushed upstairs, ripping off my clothes and standing under the shower, scrubbing myself frenziedly, unable to get rid of it. ‘I’ve left my clothes soaking upstairs.’
‘We need to take a sample and run some tests.’ She nods towards the young PC accompanying her. As I watch him, he bends down to collect a sample of the blood.
I look at her, uncertain. ‘What kind of tests?’
‘We need to ascertain if it’s human or animal.’ As she speaks, I’m light-headed, not wanting to think about the origin of it. Then she looks at the flowers. ‘It used to be symbolic, didn’t it? Mixing red and white flowers? They mean blood and tears.’ She pauses. ‘Can you think of anyone who’d want to upset you? Or harm you, even?’
Unable to speak, I stare at her, horrified.
She goes on. ‘It doesn’t matter how long ago. Sometimes people store away grudges and let them fester. It could be a friend, work colleague, even a family member – and it can happen years later, but sometimes, all it takes is a single unrelated event to take the lid off and bring the whole lot to the surface.’
Her brown eyes appear thoughtful. When I got to know her better, it was what I liked about PC Page. The way she thinks. But in this instance, she’s wrong. I lead a peaceful life. As a herbalist, I work in synergy with nature; extract the magic contained in petals, bark, leaves, roots, seeds, with artistry, subtlety, alchemy. Working according to a healer’s code, my intention is only to do good, a philosophy that extends into my personal life. I shake my head. ‘I don’t have any close family. And I work alone. I’m a herbalist. My workshop is in my garden. I really can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt me.’ I watch her face to see if she believes me.
She hesitates. ‘It’s also possible someone’s using you to get at Matt. There could be something in his life you don’t know about. Even the most unlikely people can be pushed by extreme circumstances to behave completely out of character – I don’t mean Matt, necessarily, but maybe someone he knows. Or maybe someone from his past that he hasn’t told you about.’
‘If there was anyone like that, I’m sure I’d know.’ Shaking my head, I speak firmly, because she doesn’t know him like I do. ‘You have to trust me on this one.’
She glances around, her eyes lingering on a framed photo of Jess and me. ‘Is that your daughter?’
I nod. ‘Jess – she’s at uni – in Falmouth. It was taken when I was interviewed for a magazine a couple of years ago. They were writing a series of pieces about women running their own businesses and they wanted to feature a herbalist.’
She studies it for a moment. ‘Is Matt her father?’
I shake my head. ‘Her father and I divorced when she was five.’
Frowning slightly, she goes on. ‘Is there any chance your ex might have something against you and Matt being together? Or about Matt being a father figure in Jess’s life?’
‘That’s hardly likely. Dominic – my ex-husband – left me for someone else. Ever since, he’s had little time for Jess. He’s still in her life, but only sparingly.’ There’s bitterness in my voice, but there’s no point in hiding the truth. Everything is on Dominic’s terms, his daughter’s needs have always come second to his own.
She looks thoughtful. ‘Do Matt and your daughter get on?’
Her question takes me by surprise. ‘They’ve always got on fine – when she’s here. At the moment, she’s away at uni. Matt’s more significant in her life than her father is. She’s excited about our wedding – all Jess wants is for me to be happy.’
‘And there’s no ex on Matt’s side who might be jealous?’
I shake my head. ‘He hasn’t been married before. His last relationship became difficult, but it ended a long time ago. Mandy, his ex, has moved on now. He was on his own for quite a while, until he met me.’
‘How long have you two known each other?’
‘Getting on for a couple of years.’
Surprise flickers across her face. ‘So fairly recent.’
‘When you meet the right person, you know, don’t you?’
But she doesn’t respond. ‘It’s still possible that there’s an innocent explanation and he’ll turn