‘It’s not a story,’ Mike growled, ‘it’s the goddamn truth.’

‘What did you make of that?’ Palmer said, pulling the seatbelt across his body and fastening it before starting the car.

‘Not sure.’

‘Do you think he was telling the truth?’

‘I didn’t like him, but in all honesty, yes, I think that was the truth. At least his version of it.’ Barrett looked down at the notes he’d jotted.

‘We should talk to the husband again. Maybe he knew the truth and was covering for his wife.’

‘So far, Joe,’ Barrett undid the top button of his shirt, ‘I think it appears that Gerald was completely blind when it came to his wife.’ Despite calling the DI by his first name, Barrett insisted on being addressed as sir. He had rules in place and liked things just so.

‘Where next, sir?’ Palmer kept his eyes on the road.

‘Back to the station. We need to do some digging. If the victim did have an affair when she was married to Mr Williams, I want to know who with.’

‘Have we heard from forensics yet?’ Barrett pulled his tie loose and placed the palms of his hands flat on his desk. The case, although in its very early stages, was beginning to irritate him. He’d wanted to have a suspect at the very least.

‘Yes, sir,’ a young, bright-eyed sergeant answered. She wore thick black-rimmed glasses and reddish-brown lipstick, although it didn’t suit her mouth.

‘They are placing the time of death around seven pm on the night of June twenty-first. The Home Office pathologist says she died as the result of blunt force trauma to the head. Whatever was used, hit her repeatedly.’ The sergeant swallowed down the horror of the details. ‘They believe perhaps a hammer was used, although, despite a detailed search of the murder scene, no weapon has been recovered. The killer, they believe, was right-handed.’

‘Any sexual assault?’ Palmer asked.

‘No signs of sexual assault.’

‘So why remove her clothes then?’ Barrett pondered.

‘There is something else.’ The sergeant flicked through the file. ‘Some petals were discovered in the victim’s hair that could not have come from the scene.’

‘Petals?’ Palmer asked, looking incredulous.

‘Yes. Red geranium petals. Horseshoe geranium to be exact. The pathologist says he believes they were planted on the victim.’

‘What the hell?’ Palmer scratched his head. This was most unusual.

‘Carry on,’ Barrett barked, wanting to know every detail.

‘That’s about it, sir.’

‘I want you to find out everything you can about horseshoe geraniums. I want a report on my desk within the hour.’

‘Already done, sir.’ She flashed a smile at him. It still wasn’t easy being a woman in the force. It remained very much a man’s world.