Day 361 - Detective

 DETECTIVE

Prompt - Detective : Write about a detective searching for clues or solving a mystery

"Not much more for us to do then.  We'll be off unless there's anything more you need to ask us? 

 And if you're going to be OK?"

"No, that's fine thanks, I'll be OK.  Bit shaken of course, but I'm going to call a friend for a chat and she'll sort me out."

Sara McKenzie wasn't so sure.  But that was the trouble with Bob, always in a rush, always wanting to get away.  Always missing things.  "We might just need to stay a bit longer.  There are a couple of things I'd like to check, if that's OK with you?"  She made sure Bob knew the question was aimed at him as much as Carol Green.

It was Carol Green who had led to them being at 14 Welton Crescent.  She was the one who'd dialled 999, said she'd found her aunt dead in her armchair.  Bob and Sara were the nearest squad car out, so they got there first, a couple of minutes before the paramedics, and ten before Sally Marshall's GP had arrived.  He'd confirmed the fact of death, and was confident the causes were consistent with suicide.  The paramedics agreed.  A coroner might want a post mortem, but in the face of such overwhelming evidence, it seemed unlikely.  The empty pills bottle was on the table beside Sally's chair, and she had sent out messages on email and Facebook that could be seen as a final farewell.  Where was the doubt?  

For Bob there was none, and he was annoyed that Sara was suggesting there was more to be done.  But he knew what she was like, and there would be no point in arguing.  best to go along with her for now. 

"What things Sair?  Don't you think we've covered it all?"  Hopeful.

"Just a couple of anomalies in my head.  Probably nothing, but best cover everything, eh?  I'll call Nira first, there was something she said that's nagging me."  Sara walked outside into the front garden to make her call.  She and Nira had met on a few call outs, had always clicked, and trusted each other.  

"Hi, Nira Sawathi."

"Nira, it's Sara."

"Hi sara, everything OK?  Did we leave something behind?"

"No, it was something you said.  And, if I'm honest, the look on your face.  When Dr Graham said  that Sally had been dead about two hours you queried it.  I know he said he was sure, but you still looked doubtful.  Why was that?"

"Oh, I'd checked the body before he got there and the temperature was way below what it would have been after that short of a time.  I reckoned she'd been dead at least twice as long as that, maybe more.  And I don't usually get these things wrong."

"No, I know.  And it's got me wondering why he was so sure.  Did you get the feeling he and Carol Green knew each other better than they were letting on?"

"Mmm, maybe.  He was quick to call her Carol."

"And I know he introduced himself as George Graham, but she seemed to latch on to the George bit pretty quick too.  Most people still tend to be a bit more deferential to doctors."

"Maybe she's not most people?  She seemed pretty casual about it all.  Her distress didn't seem to last long."

"Or seem genuine.  I think I've got a few more questions to ask.  Thanks Nira, see you again some time."

"Sure, any time.  Cheers."

Sara went back inside to find Carol and Bob discussing football.  Grief stricken she was not.

"Ms Green, can we just over the story again please?  I want to be sure I've got it all."

"Oh.  OK.  If you really need to to.  Bob here seems to think we're done."

"I'm sure Bob won't mind if we have a quick recap, to be sure of the facts.  It's all been a bit quick and you had a huge shock.  Can we sit down and you can tell me again what happened."  Sara sat down with every indication of immovability.  The others followed reluctantly, accompanied by a loud sigh from PC Robert Johns.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Just talk us through what happened.  What made you come over here?"

"I got an email from Aunt Sally saying her pains were bad and she had decided to put an end to them.  That sounded a bit odd so I called her, didn't get an answer, and decided to drive over."

"That's the email you showed me, which was sent at..."  Sara checked her notebook "14.09.  And I saw in your phone that you had called Ms Marshall at 14.37, but didn't get an answer.  Where were you when you made the call?"

"I was at home in Linton."

"Why did it take you so long to call after the email?"

"I... hadn't checked my mails I suppose.  I was busy doing some banking stuff so I was concentrating on that."

"And how soon after that did you leave?"

"Oh, probably only about ten or fifteen minutes.  It seemed a bit odd at first, then I started to worry.  Sally always answered her phone."

"And when did you arrive here?"  Bob looked on despairingly, dramatically checking his watch.  Sara ignored him.

"Couldn't say exactly.  About half three maybe?"

"So it took you about forty minutes to drive here?  Was there much traffic?"

"Yes, quite a bit, slow going.  Frustrating when I felt it could be urgent."  Sara could see Bob perk up suddenly, a sign he was beginning to think.  She paused for a few seconds, letting Carol's answer percolate.  The dead woman's niece looked uncomfortable for the first time, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't decide what was best.

TO BE CONTINUED