Alice leaned down and swept the hair from in front of Saffy's eyes, kissing her forehead affectionately. "No. I'm sorry."
"Will he be home soon?"
Tamara watched Alice's chest inflate as she took in a deep breath, hugging the girl tighter, but she didn't answer the question.
"Come on. Let's get you back upstairs to bed."
Alice shuffled to the end of her seat, not wishing to put her daughter down. She stood up, with difficulty, which was unsurprising as an eight-year-old child, however slight, was heavy. Promising to be back once Saffy had settled, the two of them left the room.
Tamara sipped at her coffee, which was awkward with the dog attached to her but he seemed disinclined to move. Hearing movement upstairs, she glanced up at the ceiling, wondering how long Alice would be. Not that it mattered. She was really only here to get an insight of what she was like away from the pressures of an interview room. The other members of the team arguably knew her better, through Tom obviously, but as for herself, she'd actively avoided socialising with partners. It wasn't that she didn't like spending time with people, she did, but it was an environment she didn't feel comfortable in. When she was with Richard, she found it a breeze to do so. The two of them would never be joined at the hip, as most couples were at social events. It was a regular occurrence for them to arrive at a function and not see each other again until they went home. Maybe that was what made them different to other couples. Maybe that's another reason for their split being a good thing.
But now she would socialise alone. Not easy when everyone else has a partner. And they were lovely, as far as she could tell. Becca was good for Eric. It seemed a good fit for him to be dating a primary-school teacher. She was steady, reliable, and kind. Much as he was. Cassie could usually be relied upon to arrive unattached, easing Tamara's sense of awkwardness, but even she appeared to be embarking on a new relationship, although she was being very coy with the details. Alice was good for Tom too, that was obvious. She was strong, confident and yet vulnerable at the same time. Tom needed to care for someone, to be a saviour of sorts. Such levels of empathy were what drove him, which was one reason why he made a decent detective. Alice and Tom Janssen. They were a good fit. It annoyed her, which was a ludicrous notion but one she couldn't avoid.
Were her emotions colouring her judgement? Is this why she was considering Alice both as a suspect and at the same time listening to her instincts that told her there was no way this woman could commit such a violent act? After all, she spent her life caring for others in her role at the hospital, and her spare time bringing up a daughter who seemed as secure and grounded a child as there could be. That was only achieved through parenting with love and kindness. But then Harold Shipman dedicated decades to healing the sick whilst killing others in the most cold and calculating manner. Alice wasn't like that. But this didn't mean she couldn't have killed Adrian Gage. And she was lying.
A car passed by outside. The dog lifted his head from her chest, looking towards the window. He climbed off her unceremoniously and onto the sofa and then the floor. He trotted into the kitchen, stopping at the French doors to the garden. She looked at him and he barked, turning to the door and shuffling his paws excitedly. Tamara got up and went over to the door. Fortunately the key was in the lock. The dog shifted his weight from one side to the other, scratching at the frame as she unlocked the door. She cracked it and he ran out into the garden.
Rather than sit down again, Tamara waited for the animal to do his thing and come back. Her eyes scanned the kitchen. It was far cleaner and tidier than her own. She told herself that was because she cooked from scratch every night and when it came to vegan food, you had to be creative with a lot of ingredients to make the most of it, otherwise the dish could be bland and flavourless. That created a mess. At least it did when she made it.
There were a few bits of paper on the end of the breakfast bar. Opened letters. One was a utility statement alongside a school lunch menu by the look of it. Her eyes lingered on a blank envelope; she swore she recognised the handwriting. Sounds of the night carried through the open door and she quickly closed it, listening for movement upstairs. All was quiet. Picking up the envelope, she saw it was already open and addressed to Alice but only by her first name. This must have been hand delivered, left somewhere for her to find or given directly to her. She recognised the style of the letters A and the I in the name from the notes Gage made on the maps in his work backpack. Teasing open the envelope, she saw there was only one slip of folded paper inside. She removed it carefully, her eyes flitting towards the hall, half expecting Alice to appear and catch her at any moment.
It was the briefest of notes. It said I am so much better at writing than talking… I will make it up to you and Sapphire. I only need one more chance. The future is ours. It was signed All my love, as always, A x.
"He left that on my car last week," Alice said.
Tamara was startled. The shock passed quickly, shifting to embarrassment and shame having been rumbled snooping.
Alice was staring at her, arms crossed, a stance that only increased Tamara's growing discomfort.
Chapter Twenty-Six
"I'm
