focused on. It’s what I do when things are painful. It’s a way I’ve learned to block them out.’
‘I can understand why you’d do that.’ Dana’s voice is kind, but there’s an edge to it. ‘But this is a police investigation. Right now, it’s crucial you tell us everything.’
Chapter Thirty-Two
The following morning, when I’m taken back to the interview room, I ask for a moment with my solicitor.
‘I’ve been here three days. How much longer can they keep me here?’
Andrew Nelson looks uncomfortable. ‘If they have reasonable evidence to incriminate you in the case of Mr Roche’s disappearance, they can charge you and remand you in custody until the case comes to trial.’
As he speaks, blood drains from my face. ‘But they can’t do that. I haven’t done anything.’
He sighs. ‘Unless they’ve found new evidence, I don’t think they will keep you much longer. I will request that you are allowed to leave, but it’s impossible to guess what they’ll say to that.’ As he finishes speaking, footsteps come closer, then the door of the interview room opens.
‘Good morning.’ PC Page sits opposite me, DI Lacey next to her.
Before either of them can say anything, Andrew Nelson speaks up. ‘In the absence of a body being found, and unless you have further evidence to the contrary, my client would like me to voice very strongly on her behalf her objection that she is being held when she is clearly innocent.’
‘Noted.’ It’s all PC Page says, glancing at the notes in front of her before turning to me. ‘As it happens, we do have such evidence. Since we’ve been holding you, we’ve uncovered a potential murder weapon at the back of the drawer in your workshop table, buried under various garden items – old trowels and secateurs, packets of seeds, brown string, that sort of thing. It’s a knife, part of quite a new set in your kitchen that someone had obviously tried to clean but not well enough. As well as finding your fingerprints, there was a microscopic amount of blood on it, of the same type as Mr Roche’s. This, added to the fact that Mr Roche is still missing, a person who according to several witness accounts described you as unstable, who was frightened of what you were capable of, a man who tried to help you but whose help you repeatedly refused, I’d say the picture is getting clearer.’
Of course the knife has my fingerprints on it. Everything in my workshop does. But as she speaks, my fear escalates. Suddenly I’m terrified. They really believe they have proof I killed Matt. My body starts to shake. ‘Have you found him?’
‘Not yet. But I can’t imagine it will be much longer. We still have one or two leads to follow up.’
I stare from one to the other. ‘How can you accuse me of murder when there’s no body?’
‘If we have enough evidence, it is possible.’ The DI leans back in his chair. ‘Unless there’s anything you can prove to the contrary?’
‘I can’t prove anything,’ I cry. ‘But nor can you.’
PC Page takes over. ‘We’ve been speaking to some of your clients. They speak well of you, but one of them did say that when you delivered her order the morning after Matt disappeared, you did seem unusually agitated.’
I can’t believe how she’s turning this against me. She’s talking about Davina, and I had been anxious. ‘It’s hardly surprising. I couldn’t get hold of Matt. I was worried out of my mind.’
‘I see.’ Then she moves on to something else. ‘Amy, I went to your house today.’
The fact PC Page has been there again doesn’t shock me. I’ve become immune to the repeated invasions of my privacy by the police. The words are out before I can stop them. ‘Did you see Jess?’
‘I did, only briefly. But while it remains an active crime scene, Jess is staying with friends.’
The mention of Jess is like scraping away a layer of raw skin. Where is she staying? Is Cath still with her?
‘By the way, Jess ferociously defends your innocence.’ PC Page pauses. ‘While I was there, I went to look at your workshop. After, I was looking at your garden.’ She pauses. ‘It tells quite a story, if you look closely enough. But you don’t need me to tell you that.’
My skin flushes hot. ‘What do you mean?’
‘When you’re quite the expert on the meanings of flowers and herbs, you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed?’ There’s a slightly scathing tone