‘I expect the time of death will be difficult to determine. If the fire was on full all night it would delay rigor mortis.’ Spencer’s voice was smug.

‘Once we get all the statements in we’ll have an idea, don’t you worry.’

Kate disliked Spencer, and knew that he knew that, and somehow it gave him an edge.

‘You hang around here and book the body, Spencer. Sir, I’m going to see how the uniforms are doing on the door-to-door. I want to speak to a couple of the neighbours myself before I interview the two who found the body. Maybe one of them will know where her exhusband is. From what I gather she had no children or immediate family. Do you want to come with me?’

‘You go, Katie, I’ll meet you at the hospital for the PM.’

‘OK.’

She was glad to leave the flat. The picture of the woman’s body was still in her mind.

At the first flat she visited, she was offered a cup of coffee and accepted gratefully. She needed something after the scene downstairs. The woman though, friendly as she was, knew nothing. Kate was sure of that within five minutes. She gave them a lead on the missing husband. He’d run off with Leonora’s friend and was now living in Canada. Kate thanked the woman and left.

She walked to the door opposite and knocked. It was opened by a large man in a string vest. Fred Borrings brought Kate into his little flat and sat her down ceremoniously. It was obvious she had been expected.

‘Now then, Miss . . .’

‘DI Burrows, sir.’ Kate smiled at him.

‘I popped down the pub just before ten last night. You get to know all the sounds in the flats like. It becomes part of your hearing, if you get what I mean; I even know what time people pull their lavatories in the evening. I can time them.

‘Anyway, I left here last night at about ten, and as I walked down the stairs I heard a door closing. It was Leonora’s. I assumed she had a visitor, ’cos I remember thinking it was unusual. She very rarely had any visitors did Leonora. Very nice woman, you know, but always kept herself to herself. No men calling, if you get my drift. Some of the women in these flates! My God, it’s like a knocking shop. But Leonora was a good woman.’

‘She never had any men friends at all?’

‘No. Used to work all the time. Scared of going out at night she was, because of the muggings around this area. We seem to get all the glue sniffers here, I don’t know why. Have to step over the little sods some nights to get up the stairs. They come in the lobbies to get out of the cold, I expect. Poor Leonora. Wouldn’t hurt a fly.’

‘You didn’t actually see anyone then?’