Stephanie Chalmers held a handkerchief to her eyes and wiped away the tears. Sara could see that she had been fond of the man, even if his behaviour on occasions had been unforgivable.
‘And you accepted it?’
‘Reluctantly. More for the children than for me, but yes, I accepted it.’
‘Ingrid Bentham?’
‘That was different. I knew he had been sleeping with her, at least that one time. I had assumed that the affair was over. I thought to get rid of her, but the children adored her, and she was reliable.
‘You regret that you did not get rid of her?’ Sara asked.
‘What do you think?’
‘There have been reports in the newspaper concerning your husband’s death.’
‘And on the television.’
‘The newspapers are speculating that you knew of your husband and Ingrid Bentham. That you encouraged the relationship.’
‘Why would they say that?’
‘Is any of it true?’
‘No. I had learnt to accept Gregory’s behaviour outside of the house, but inside the house, never. What if the children had seen the two of them? I may have my faults, but I’m still a good mother.’
Sara sat close to the window, allowing the weak sun outside to warm her back. She had not liked hospitals ever since she had spent three days in one as a child.
‘We can’t find Ingrid,’ Sara admitted.
‘I’m not surprised.’
‘What did you know about her?’
‘Nothing really. Only that she came from up north, and that she was studying in London.’
‘Family, friends?’
‘I asked once, but she said that her parents were dead. I’m not sure if it was true.’
‘You had no reason to doubt her?’
‘Not until she started sleeping with Gregory.’
‘Do you know why she would do that?’
‘Gregory was a charming man, but he was older than her. Have you seen pictures of Ingrid?’ Stephanie Chalmers asked.
‘Yes.’
‘She was a beautiful young woman. What would she want with an older man? We may be financially secure, but we are hardly rich, and besides, I was not going to let him go.’
‘We found a ring, a gold ring. Did you ever see her wearing a ring?’
‘I remember it. I asked her once about it.’
‘What was her reply?’
‘She said it was from her mother. It was the only time she spoke about her.’
‘Her father?’
‘Nothing. She would always walk away if her parents were mentioned. I don’t know what the secret was, but on reflection there was always something dark about her.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Hindsight. Most people are easy to read. You can tell from how they move, how they talk, whether they are educated or not, gregarious or introvert, willing to chat or more silent. With Ingrid, I was never sure. Almost as if she had an impenetrable veil in front of her.’
It became clear that Stephanie Chalmers was starting to fall asleep, and her children were waiting patiently outside with their aunt. Sara left them alone and went to see the hospital administration. In her sedated condition, the widowed woman could have mumbled something; something that one of the hospital staff could have sold to the newspapers.
***
Keith had remained in the office. His skills with a computer were limited, but he persevered. One of the things he intended to conquer once he retired. He knew that retirement meant another milestone in his life, and there was only one more after that: a quiet spot in the cemetery with a headstone, the only remembrance that he had ever existed. It was not as if anyone would be coming to place flowers on his resting place. As miserable as he appeared in the office, he knew that it was the one place where he felt at peace; the one place where he could feel content.
An engraved ring presented problems. It was not the easiest item to trace, and apart from the engraving on the inside, there was nothing more, certainly no indication as to who had manufactured it, and where it had been engraved.
The police database was comprehensive. If someone had spent time in prison, for instance, he should be able to check their personal possessions on the date of imprisonment, although there was no indication that Ingrid Bentham had spent time inside.
On the contrary, the woman gave every impression of being an average woman, friendly and attractive, except for one undeniable fact: she was a vicious murderer. But why?
Keith Greenstreet had encountered a few murderers over the years, arrested a few. With them, it had been easy. Virtually all had shown aggressive tendencies, or else they were in an abusive relationship, or they had a long history of criminal activity, but with Ingrid Bentham, nothing.
The woman did not fit the mould, yet her slaying of Gregory Chalmers and the attempted murder of Stephanie Chalmers indicated a savagery he had not seen before. And then, the woman calmly walks out of the door. It was as if she was two people. Keith could see severe psychological tendencies in Ingrid Bentham.
Keith realised that a criminal psychologist would be a good person for the team to contact. He would let Sara know on her return.
As much as he wanted to dislike his senior, at least in this case, he could not. Sure, she could be overbearing, pushy sometimes, but she was a good police officer, determined in her pursuit of justice. He would put aside his prejudices, outdated he knew, and give her all the assistance she required. He would also apologise for his earlier outburst when he inferred that she was not trained well enough to conduct the investigation.
***
Sean, eager and keen, had found a speech analyst; in fact, a person who trained actors in how to speak regional and foreign accents. The man was on the books, approved by the police for their use.
Sean made an appointment for one o’clock in the
