‘I did CPR on him for ages, but nothing. I panicked. I thought he’d had a heart attack. I knew it was too late to call an ambulance so I rang Pete instead, because I was in a state. He came over – on his bike because the van was in the garage. I took him to where it happened, and we were going to ring the police then, but when I got there, the body was gone. Someone took it, and they must have dumped it in the pond that night. Then I found him the following week. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I know I should’ve said something before, but Paula … Paula’s my friend. I just couldn’t risk her thinking I had anything to do with it, because I didn’t, at least not intentionally. I think the same person killed Andrea. And whoever it was might have found out where I live and work because of that twat Iain McKinnon, and now everything’s ruined and I’m scared and I don’t know what to do…’

Gemma just gaped at her for a moment. When she’d hoped that going in as a FLO would encourage Meredith to open up about stuff she might have been hiding, she never in a million years expected this.

This changed everything.

‘Meredith … I’m sorry … I’m going to have to arrest you for withholding vital evidence. It’s unlikely you’ll be charged, but … You do understand, don’t you?’

Meredith nodded, eyes downcast. She seemed almost relieved.

37

1995
Meredith

I’d always had a terror of being broken into at night; it stemmed from my childhood, after Mum, Dad, Pete and I once came home to a burgled house after a holiday. It was when Pete and I were about thirteen. The glass in the back door had been smashed and the lock forced, and all our stuff was strewn about the place. All Mum’s jewellery had been taken, and our television. Worst of all, the burglar had taken a huge runny shit on the carpet in Pete’s bedroom. The police told us at the time that this was not uncommon. The stress of breaking in made the intruder’s bowels loose, and opening them on the floor was their little calling card. I was secretly relieved that it hadn’t happened in my bedroom – I’d never have been able to sleep in there again. I think that was partly why I liked living in the squat – security may not have been tight, but I was never there on my own.