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DCI Dexter didn’t seem impressed by the photos when Maggie presented herself and her phone at the police station. He asked her, “What am I looking at again?”
Maggie said, “My neighbour’s shed, and the branches behind it. Can’t you see the ends of them? How they’ve been partly sawn through?”
“You keep telling me that, but I still don’t understand. Do you normally spy on your neighbours?”
“No. Those branches came from the tree Harvey fell from. Someone cut them on purpose.”
The detective gave her a cool look. “Your neighbour perhaps? It’s not illegal to trim a tree in your garden.”
“But these branches are not from his tree.” Maggie sighed with irritation. “I keep telling you the same thing. I can’t make myself any clearer. I think the person who killed Harvey cut the branches so that Harvey would fall, and then it looked like Harvey fell accidentally.”
“But he did fall accidentally.”
Maggie waved the phone. “He didn’t! And now I have proof. Are you going to send someone around to have a look at the tree?”
“My officers have already looked at the tree.”
“Well, they need to have a better look.” She held her phone up to him. “Don’t you think this is suspicious?”
“Not really. I’m not wasting manpower on a wild-goose chase.”
“It’s not a wild-goose chase. It’s an interfered-with tree case.” She pulled a face. “Or a vandalised tree case. Would you call it vandalism?”
“I’m not putting a label on anything. Did you speak to your neighbour about these branches which were found on his property?”
“No, Joseph’s not in.”
“Did he allow you onto his property?”
“No. But he won’t mind.”
“I see. Do you have a contact number for your neighbour?”
“I do. Why do you want it?” Maggie asked. “Don’t you believe what I said about him? That he wouldn’t stuff branches behind his shed. He’s too tidy for that.”
“Can I have his number? I’d like to confirm your observations with him.”
“Sure.” Maggie gave the inspector a narrow-eyed look. “I don’t know why you don’t believe me.” She gave him Joseph’s number.
DCI Dexter took the number, and walked away from her to make his call. He came back five minutes later. “It appears you were telling the truth.”
“I told you I was. Are you going to send someone round to have a look at the tree, and those branches?”
He gave her a smile. “I’m going to investigate the tree myself.”
“You are? When?”
“Right now. You can have a lift in my car, Ms Kelburn.”
“I’ve brought my car. Did you find a treasure box in the tree when you looked at it earlier?”
He raised one eyebrow in question. “A treasure box? In the tree?”
“Yes. Elliott might have put one there. But it could be disguised as an apple. Or a piece of chewing gum.”
“Chewing gum?”
Maggie nodded. “We can have a look for it now. I’m not climbing the tree, though.”
To Maggie’s extreme discomfort, DCI Dexter drove behind her all the way home. Every time she checked the rear-view mirror, she saw him looking directly at her. It was unnerving. She drove as carefully as she could, almost like she was taking her driving test again.
When she arrived at her house, DCI Dexter parked right behind her. As soon as she got out of her car, Maggie heard a peculiar noise. When she realised what it could be, she cried out, “No! Not now!”
She dashed down the driveway and into the back garden. She was aware of DCI Dexter running behind her.
She came to a sudden stop. The event taking place in front of her matched the deafening noise.
She turned her distressed face to the inspector. “It’s the council. They’re cutting the trees back.”
He nodded. “I can see that.”
Maggie looked back at the group of men wearing bright yellow jackets. They were hacking away at the tree which Harvey had fallen from. Violently hacking at it, and now, only half of it remained.
DCI Dexter stated the obvious. “There goes your evidence of a murder, Ms Kelburn.”