‘But not this Monday?’
‘No,’ he agreed. ‘Not this Monday. I wondered about that.’
‘I don’t suppose you notice what time she draws her curtains in the morning?’
‘Early,’ Matty said. ‘Six-thirty on the dot, even if it’s dark. She’s an early riser. In the summer, she’s out walking.’
Holly thought the boss would be pleased to hear that. It was a bit of concrete information. Matty was still thinking about Holly’s original question.
‘A car pulled up outside her house that morning. Seven o’clock, maybe. I didn’t see Constance, though.’
‘What sort of car?’
He shook his head. ‘It was still pitch black and it parked between the street lights. All I could see were the headlights and then the shape. A van or a jeep.’
‘You didn’t see anyone get out?’
Another pause. ‘I think the door of her house opened. I remember a sudden light on the path. But whether someone went in or she came out, I can’t say. Not for certain.’
‘What happened next?’
‘The car drove off,’ he said. ‘Not fast. Nothing suspicious. I thought maybe it was someone delivering to her door. A parcel. It’s that time of year.’
‘Is there anything else you can tell me? Did you see the colour of the vehicle when it drove off?’ Anything to make Vera proud of me.
He turned to her. ‘I’m sorry. I just didn’t take much notice.’
Holly was about to go when she had another thought. ‘You can see Lorna’s house from here, and you’re up early, looking out. We’re interested in Saturday morning. The day after she died, but it was before the news got out, before the forensic guys could get to her house. I don’t suppose you saw anyone go in?’
He sat back in his chair. ‘Someone was there, but I didn’t see anyone go to the door.’
‘What do you mean?’ Holly tried not to sound too excited. She didn’t want to spook him, or for him to elaborate on the facts to please her.
‘There was a light downstairs. Early. That was unusual, so I noticed. The bairn was a good sleeper and young people don’t get up so early as us old folk. I hoped there was nothing wrong, that the lad wasn’t ill.’ Matty stopped abruptly. ‘But Lorna was already dead by then, wasn’t she? They found her body at Brockburn the night before.’
Holly nodded.
‘I’m sorry.’ He sounded distraught. ‘I should have remembered last time you were here. I’m a foolish old man. I didn’t think.’
‘Really,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry about it. You’re telling me now. Do you think somebody had let themselves in before you were up, if you didn’t see anyone come in from the street?’
Matty shook his head, definite. ‘I was up before the light. Here, looking out over the village. I would have seen.’ He paused. ‘But there’s a lonnen at the back. Someone could have gone in that way.’
The way Josh Heslop always went to visit Lorna with nobody seeing.
‘Did Lorna have a laptop in the house?’ Holly asked.
‘Oh, aye. The young are always online, aren’t they? Once she got me a train ticket on it, so I could visit my nephew down in York.’
And now it’s disappeared. So we were right. The murderer went in the morning after they killed her to cover their tracks.
Holly sat for a moment in her car outside Brockburn, planning her conversation with Harriet. Part of her admired the woman, her style and her confidence. Her pragmatism. Because after all, Harriet was allowing Mark to transform the place. She’d married into the Stanhope clan, expecting a life of privilege and comfort, and now she was coming to terms with the possibility of a very different life, of sharing this place with strangers. Holly thought she’d have an empathy with Harriet which Vera would never manage. Vera’s father had been cast out by the family, or had turned his back on them. But still it wouldn’t be easy, talking to the woman about her late husband’s affairs.
Juliet opened the door to the house before Holly rang the bell. She was wearing outdoor clothes and had car keys in her hand. ‘I’ve just heard about Connie. Isn’t it dreadful?’ But despite the words she seemed distracted, unfocused. ‘Look, I’m just on my way into Kirkhill. Can it wait until later?’
‘I was hoping to speak to Mrs Stanhope.’
‘Oh!’ A moment of surprise. ‘Yes, Mother’s there.’ She raised her voice. ‘Mummy, there’s a detective here to speak to you.’
Juliet ran off down the grand steps to the drive. Holly was left standing awkwardly in the hall, not sure whether she should wait for Harriet to appear, or wander on in to find her.
At last, there was a voice. ‘Well, do you want to talk to me or not?’
Holly followed the sound and arrived into a small sitting room, with a view of the formal garden. There was a coal fire, and two armchairs pulled up very close to it. Harriet was sitting in one, almost hidden from view. She turned, but didn’t get to her feet. ‘Come on in and shut the door. This place is all draughts.’
Holly did as she was told. Harriet nodded towards the empty chair. ‘Is this about Constance? Poor woman. Have you got the killer yet?’
‘Not yet.’ Holly paused. ‘Do you have any idea why anyone would have wanted to kill her?’
Harriet seemed to consider. ‘I found her a little irritating – she was one of those rather self-righteous women with a heightened belief in their own moral superiority – but I can’t believe she would have driven anyone to murder. I suppose it must be related to Lorna Falstone’s death.’
‘Did you know that your husband was having an affair with Lorna’s mother? At the time, I mean.’ Holly tried to keep her voice sympathetic, despite the bluntness of the question.
There was a moment of silence, then an outburst of scorn. ‘Of course I did. I’m not stupid.’
‘It must have been very hurtful.’
‘Oh, please! Now
