‘That’s all fixed, then,’ says Zoe as she walks into the kitchen, where the others are clearing up breakfast. She has asked her boss for the day off and can take Emma and their father up to London a bit later.
‘You didn’t tell her about Alex, did you?’ Emma says.
Zoe works for a small PR agency in the West End and the owner is a good friend of both sisters. While Emma adores Zoe, she knows that her sister loves a drama and finds it hard to keep her mouth shut.
‘Don’t look so horrified, Em,’ Zoe says. ‘Of course I didn’t, I just said it was a family emergency. She didn’t ask what it was.’
‘Okay, but please don’t say anything to her tomorrow or to anybody else. I know this will all get out eventually, but I just don’t want to worry about people gossiping on top of everything else.’
Emma sees the look on Zoe’s face and braces herself for an explosion but, surprisingly, it never comes.
‘My lips are sealed. I know what you’re thinking but I can keep things to myself when it’s important. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I have locked up in here.’ Zoe taps her head.
‘Well, that’s all good,’ says Tony. ‘I’ll take Mum home now and will be back as quickly as I can.’ He ushers his wife out of the door and, soon after, they hear the sound of wheels on gravel.
A few minutes after her parents have left, the phone rings.
‘That might be John Knapton,’ Emma says, snatching up the receiver.
It’s not the lawyer, but she recognises the voice instantly – it’s the police officer who had come to the house yesterday. Detective Sergeant Barker explains to her that they now have a search warrant and will be over shortly to collect the spare car key and take away some other items.
As she puts the phone down, Emma’s throat constricts and once again she feels tears threatening. Kate takes a few steps towards her in anticipation but, as quickly as it came, the feeling passes and Emma just sighs heavily and sits down at the kitchen table.
‘I don’t know when we’ll be able to leave,’ she says. ‘The police are coming round again and I don’t know how long they’ll take.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Zoe says. ‘Why don’t you lie down for a bit and I’ll take Ben for a walk? Come on, Ben, let’s go down to the farm and you can show Auntie Zoe the calves. Mummy needs to have a snooze.’
This comes as a huge relief to Emma, who can see that Ben is getting restless, but she is feeling far too distracted to deal with him herself. She allows herself a few seconds of self-pity. How can she be a good mother with all this going on and how is she going to be able to cope with two on her own?
No sooner have Zoe and Ben set off on their walk than the sound of a car approaching puts paid to any chance of a rest.
‘That was quick,’ Kate says. ‘They must have already been halfway here when they called.’
Emma opens the door and sees the two officers crossing the driveway towards her. Detective Sergeant Barker is apologetic.
‘Good morning, madam, I’m sorry to bother you again. Is it convenient if we come in now?’
‘Yes, that’s fine,’ Emma says, standing aside to let them in.
‘Maybe it’s best to have a chat first and I’ll explain what is going to happen,’ he says.
‘Okay, let’s go through to the kitchen,’ she says, leading the way.
There is an awkward pause as Emma, Kate and the two men stand around looking at each other and then, to Emma’s relief, Detective Sergeant Barker breaks the silence.
‘Why don’t we sit down?’ he says, pulling a chair out. He turns to Emma. ‘When I spoke to you this morning, I told you we had a search warrant, but that doesn’t mean that we need to turn the house upside down. We are just looking for a few specific items, which hopefully you can help us with.’
‘Such as?’ Emma asks.
‘Just the clothes and shoes your husband was wearing on Thursday.’
Emma thinks for a second, but her mind is in such a turmoil that it is hard enough to remember what happened yesterday, let alone on Thursday last week.
‘I’ll have a look upstairs,’ she says wearily, starting to stand up.
‘Before you do that, I’d like to ask you a couple of questions, if that’s okay.’
‘Alright.’ She wonders what’s coming next.
‘We’re just trying to establish some facts to help us with our enquiries but, since this isn’t a formal interrogation, I want to make it clear that you are not under any obligation to answer if you feel uncomfortable.’
‘I understand,’ says Emma. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Were you aware that your husband was meeting Nicola Scott on Thursday evening?’
‘No, no, I wasn’t, at least not at the time. He only told me when he called yesterday morning.’
‘Were they good friends?’
‘Not particularly. We knew the Scotts quite well when we all lived in Cyprus – our husbands were both in the army – but we haven’t seen them that much in the last year or so, not until Alex bumped into Nicky at a party a few weeks ago.’
‘Since that party, were there any other occasions in the last few weeks when your husband might have had the opportunity to meet up with Nicola Scott, apart from Thursday evening?’
‘I think it’s very unlikely. Alex only occasionally spends the night in London and Thursday was the first time since the party. He told me he had a work thing.’ Emma laughs mirthlessly.
‘How did your husband seem on Friday evening and over the weekend?’
‘Completely normal. I’ve thought about it a lot and there was literally nothing to suggest that anything out of the ordinary was going on. That’s why I can’t believe what’s happening now.’
‘I see.’ The officer pauses, clears his throat and continues. ‘You don’t have to answer the next question, Mrs Worthington but, as I said, it will help to give us a clearer picture of your husband.’
‘Okay.’
‘Has he ever been violent to you or anybody else that you know of, particularly a woman?’
This time there is no hesitation and Emma answers emphatically.
‘Absolutely not. Never.’