She shook her head and thought hard. ‘Dark shoes, I’d say, I think I would have noticed if he had worn boots, or flashy trainers.’
‘What happened next?’
‘I finished my ciggie.’
‘And you didn’t see anyone else?’
‘Nope, not a soul. It was very quiet.’
‘What did you do then?’
‘I got up and noticed my dirty coat and brushed it down, and ambled home.’
‘So you walked right past Belinda’s house?’
‘I did. There were no lights on in the house, and I....’
‘You what?’
She shook her head and grimaced and continued. ‘I know I shouldn’t have, but right there, I thought naughty thoughts.’
‘What kind of naughty thoughts?’
Corla nodded and continued. ‘You’ll think me crazy, but I imagined he was a lady’s younger lover, and he’d been paying her a night-time visit, passionate like, and they’d had a lovely time, and now she was peacefully sleeping. I was just a little jealous, I guess, and she was perfectly content, and he had a spring in his step, but in truth she wasn’t content at all, was she?’
‘No, she wasn’t. She was dead.’
‘Dreadful business. It beggars belief. Why are so many men so bloody awful?’
‘I can’t explain that,’ said Walter, glancing at Karen.
She said, ‘Women kill too. I don’t suppose you would be able to recognise him if you saw him again.’
Corla smiled.
‘Of course I could, that’s why I rang. I may be getting on a little, but my vision is perfect, 20/20, I have never worn glasses in my life. I saw him as clear as day, he paused under the light, just for a second, and he looked my way down the road, I saw his face, I’d recognise him again for sure, especially now we all know what he’s done. The filthy git, he needs to be put behind bars. I’d string him up if I had my way.... But you don’t want to know that.’
‘Just to be clear,’ said Walter. ‘We don’t yet know the man you saw was the killer.’
‘Well, who else would he be?’
‘Do you think you might be able to pick him out of an ID parade?’
‘What? Men lined up in front of me, you mean?’
‘Yes, but you could be hidden behind a glass screen if you prefer, they couldn’t see you. You’d be quite safe with us.’
‘I think that would be better.’
‘Could you do that tomorrow, say late afternoon, if we could arrange it? We’d send a car for you.’
‘Yes, I’d do that, be happy to, just so long as I received my just rewards.’
‘You would, on completion of a successful prosecution.’
Corla nodded and said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’
‘One thing I don’t understand?’ said Walter.
‘What’s that?’
‘Why has it taken you until now to tell us what you saw?’
‘That’s the funny thing. I didn’t put two and two together until I heard it on the news today, about the murder being in Berryland Avenue. To tell you the truth I’d forgotten all about it. You know what it’s like when one goes out and has a few drinks. I’d forgotten even seeing him, but then I have special powers, and it all came tumbling back. I can see his face in my mind now. If only you could see that too.’
‘Special powers?’
‘Yes, didn’t I say? I’m a medium, a spiritualist, I do fortune telling as well, and sometimes I receive ESP moments.’
‘ESP?’
‘Yes, extra sensory percep....’
‘I know what it is, I’m just not sure I believe in it, and I know that a court would never do so.’
‘What I have told you is not an ESP moment, Inspector, it’s the truth, fact, and when you put me in front of a line-up, I will point the killer out to you, just so long as he is there, of course. I am not in this for the money, I can assure you of that, though I’ll admit anything would be gratefully received.’
‘We’ll organise something.’
Corla nodded and said, ‘I know you think I am a stupid woman, but I am not. I have gifts. I could tell you a lot about yourself, you’d be surprised. After this is all over you should consider booking an appointment and come for a consultation. Would you like my card?’
Walter grinned and glanced at Karen. She was grinning too.
‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do,’ he said. ‘I’ll take your card if you take mine,’ and he pulled one from his top pocket.
‘Deal,’ she said, swapping cards.
‘So what could you tell me about myself?’ he said, reaching out and setting the empty cup on the tray.
‘Loads, Walter. Your current girlfriend,’ and she stroked her lightly pinkened lips and shook her head. ‘That won’t last five minutes.’
‘Nothing new there,’ grinned Karen.
Walter looked glum and regretted asking.
‘Anything else you can tell us?’
‘Not yet, but there could be.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Information is re-materialising all the time.’
Walter pulled a doubting face.
‘But everything you have told us so far are true actual facts, not conjecture, or imaginings, or dreams of any kind.’
‘I don’t do dreams!’ she said coldly. ‘Dreams are for ordinary people. Dreams are the devil’s work.’
Walter glanced at Karen as if to say, anything else, have I forgotten anything? She nodded and stood up and said, ‘We’ll be in touch, Mrs Revelation.’
‘Please do, and it’s “Miss” actually.’
FIVE MINUTES LATER and they were outside in the BMW.
‘Well?’ she said.
‘I thought it was going great until all that nonsense popped out about ESP, and spiritualism, and mediumship, and fortune telling, for God’s sake, and all that ragbag rubbish, it all kind of went downhill after that.’
‘You don’t believe in it?’
Walter breathed out heavy and hard and said, ‘All I believe in are checkable facts. I thought beforehand she might have been in it just for the money, and I still think that could be the case. Let’s hope she’s not a total fruitcake.’
‘I know it’s borderline weird Guv, but I thought she sounded quite convincing.’
‘You would.’
‘Was she right about your current girlfriend?’
‘Maybe, but you don’t need to be an expert to see that.’
‘And how did she know you lived
