‘But he wasn’t.’
‘No.’
‘Do you know where he was?’
Sandra swallowed. ‘No.’
‘Did you ask him?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I didn’t want to know, alright?’ Sandra replied, her voice louder and more forceful. ‘Of course I knew he wasn’t going to the bloody pub all the time. I’m not stupid. I knew there was something else going on. I didn’t want details. I didn’t want names. I just wanted to know I wasn’t going absolutely bloody mad.’
‘I can understand that,’ Sara said, trying to calm the situation. ‘Did you have any theories? Suspicions as to where he might have been?’
‘With a woman, obviously. You don’t need me to spell that out for you.’
‘Which woman?’
‘I don’t know. I really don’t know.’
‘Okay. A friend? Someone he’d met in the pub? Someone from work?’
‘I don’t know. I said I don’t know. I don’t want to know, either. Even good people don’t always make the right decisions. It doesn’t make them bad people. Martin was a good person. And if you don’t mind, that’s the way I’d like to remember him.’
17
Not long after Tom’s revelation about Martin and Amie, the digital forensics specialist arrived at Allure’s offices to back up and copy their computer systems. Knowing it was likely to take some time, and with bigger fish to fry, Caroline and Dexter made the decision to head over to Amie Tanner’s house for a surprise visit.
They hadn’t planned to spend the day ping-ponging across Rutland, but they found themselves once again on the Uppingham to Oakham road, bypassing the county town before veering off towards Market Overton, where Amie Tanner lived with her family.
‘It was a bit weird, that,’ Dexter said, not long after they’d set off. ‘I mean, the way he described Amie, saying how bubbly and friendly she was.’
‘Maybe we caught her on a bad day yesterday. Maybe she doesn’t like the police. Maybe it’s her way of dealing with grief. Maybe that’s Tom’s idea of bubbly. Who knows?’
‘True. But I know you clocked it too. I could see the look on your face.’
Caroline let out a small chuckle. ‘One thing you learn quite quickly in this job, Dex, is there’s no such thing as normal. Just because you or I might describe someone in a certain way, or because we’d have our own methods of doing things, it doesn’t mean everyone else would agree.’
Dexter looked at her. ‘Is that you trying to be philosophical?’
‘Maybe. Why?’
‘Because it was terrible.’
Caroline laughed again. ‘Alright, I’ll keep it to myself next time. You’re right on one thing, though. Something doesn’t quite seem to be adding up, does it?’
Dexter put his hand on his chest in mock offence. ‘What? Secrets, rumours and hidden scandals? In Rutland? Well I never.’
‘I know. Who would’ve guessed?’
‘So what’s your theory?’ Dexter asked. ‘Amie and Martin have been shagging, they’ve had a falling out, he’s threatened to tell her husband and she’s finished him off?’
‘Nice choice of words. But I doubt it’s that straightforward. Why would Martin want to reveal all? He had as much to lose as she did. More, if you count his affair with Monique and god knows who else on top.’
‘What’s that you were saying about nice choice of words?’
Caroline smiled. ‘You know what I meant. Rare to get a woman killing a man, too, and almost never violently.’
‘I’d like to see a non-violent murder.’
‘Yes, but I mean women tend to poison or set up accidents.’
‘Sounds pretty violent to me. What if Amie was being coerced or forced into stuff like Monique was? Maybe Amie’s husband found out? Got jealous, killed Martin, Amie worked out what’d happened and decided to cover for her husband to hide what’d happened.’
Caroline chuckled. ‘I think we should probably meet him and speak to him first, before accusing him of murder, don’t you?’
Dexter made a murmuring noise in return. ‘Alright, spoilsport.’
18
They arrived at Amie Tanner’s house in Market Overton about twenty minutes later, the low sun bright in the sky as the frosty start to the day had begun to thaw.
They parked up in a bay opposite the Black Bull pub, the Church of St Peter and St Paul just visible through the bare branches of the trees between. The car fell silent as Caroline switched off the engine and the sound of the hot-air blowers suddenly stopped.
‘Walk from here?’ she said. ‘Good to get some air in the lungs. Plus we can sneak up like Cagney and Lacey.’
‘Which one am I?’ Dexter asked.
‘I’ll leave that to your filthy imagination.’
The pair walked down Thistleton Road towards Amie Tanner’s house, their hands thrust in their coat pockets as the biting cold threatened to worm its way in.
‘Christ, it’s even colder here than it was in Uppingham,’ Dexter said. ‘How’s that even possible?’
‘Because that was Uppingham. We’re up north now,’ Caroline replied with a grin.
A couple of minutes later, they reached Amie Tanner’s house and Dexter knocked on the door. They could see the edge of the TV screen through the living room window — a kids’ programme Caroline didn’t recognise. A few moments later, the door opened.
‘Amie, hi,’ Caroline said. ‘DI Caroline Hills and DS Dexter Antoine. We spoke yesterday.’
‘I know. Hardly going to forget that, am I? Can I help you?’
‘We just wondered if we might be able to pop in and have a quick word.’
‘Have you found out who did it?’
‘Not yet. We need some more information.’
Amie let out a sigh. ‘Alright. But I warn you, the place is a mess.’
They stepped inside and closed the door behind them. Dexter glanced into the living room, briefly locking eyes with Amie’s husband. ‘Morning,’ he said. ‘Sorry to trouble you.’
‘It’s fine,’ he replied. ‘I’ll keep the girls in here. They’re glued to the telly anyway.’
Amie led them through into the kitchen and gestured towards the table for them to sit. ‘Tea? Coffee?’
Caroline raised a hand. ‘We’re fine, thanks. We’ll try not to take up too
