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Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

Geraldine had frequently spoken to those close to a murder victim while they were still ignorant of the devastating knowledge. Probably the most difficult part of Geraldine’s job was sharing such news. What made this death particularly macabre to report was that Anne’s husband was lying right outside her house. Hoping to guide Anne back into the house, Geraldine repeated her suggestion and took a step forwards. As she did so, the homicide assessment team vehicle reached them, and a medical officer arrived.

Anne looked startled. ‘What’s going on?’ she demanded. ‘What are all those cars doing out there?’

‘Shall we go inside?’

‘No, no, I want to know who all those people are. What are they doing on the path? Please, tell them to leave.’

‘Not yet,’ Geraldine replied. ‘Those are police officers and they’re here doing their job. I have some difficult news for you. Shall we go in and sit down?’

‘No, no, what’s happened? Tell me what’s happened.’

Geraldine would have preferred to talk to Anne when they were both sitting down indoors rather than standing on the doorstep, but there was no help for it.

‘I’m afraid your husband’s dead,’ she said softly.

17

17

Anne let out a low moan and lowered her head, hiding her face in her hands. Suppressing a flicker of compassion for the bereaved woman, Geraldine was careful to keep her own feelings in check. Difficult though it was, she could not allow emotion to distract her from her observation of Anne’s response to the news that her husband was dead. She watched her closely, aware that anyone was a potential suspect in a murder investigation, and a spouse was always of particular interest. For a few minutes it was impossible to observe Anne’s reaction as she kept her face hidden in her hands. At last she looked up. Although her eyes looked slightly red, they were dry.

‘I’m so sorry. Are you all right?’ Geraldine asked, despising her fatuous question.

However many times she found herself in this position, it was always difficult to find something appropriate to say; there were no suitable words.

‘All right?’ Anne repeated angrily. ‘Of course I’m not all right. How can I be all right? You just told me my husband’s dead. Where – where is he? Where…’ She broke off, shuddering. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I’m not myself. I can’t…’

‘Not at all. It’s perfectly understandable. Now, shall we go inside and sit down?’

‘I want to see him. Please, I want to see him. Where is he?’