Locked In Read Free Page A

a Wednesday. We started going together at the start of the year. Yvonne had split from her husband at the end of last year and I… well I could do with losing a few pounds.’
    DC Rowlands had his notebook out and was writing while Jessica just listened as the woman continued. ‘She’d lost around eight pounds but I’d lost over a stone. I couldn’t believe it. We usually have a brew and a natter, then go to get weighed. I had texted her Tuesday morning, just some stupid joke, and she replied to say: “See you tomorrow”.’
    Stephanie paused for another sip of tea. ‘But the next day she just didn’t seem to be around. I’d texted her in the afternoon, just to check times, but I’d not heard back. Then I went round at five o’clock anyway, like usual, but there was no answer. Her car was on the road outside; it still is, so I didn’t think she’d gone anywhere. No one was answering the door though and, when I called her phone, I could hear it going off inside. I tried calling through the letterbox in case she’d hurt herself or anything but there was just no answer. I looked through the windows but couldn’t see anything, then tried the front door but it was locked.’
    ‘Does she live on her own then?’ Jessica asked.
    ‘Yes. Her husband Eric moved out not long before Christmas. He’s shacked up with some other woman somewhere and James is off at university. I’ve tried to be there for her but yeah, she’s on her own.’
    ‘Is James her son?’
    ‘Yes, only child. You should’ve seen her on the day he first went off to university. Crying ’cos her little baby had grown up.’
    ‘I don’t suppose you have any contact details for Eric, do you? We’ll need them if you do.’
    Stephanie slid her chair backwards with a screech, stretching towards a handbag on one of the counters. She reached in and took out a mobile phone. ‘Yeah, erm, I have a mobile number for him. I don’t know where he lives though. I texted him on Thursday before I called you, just to see if he’d seen her.’
    ‘Had he?’
    ‘I only got a one-word reply.’
    Stephanie held up the phone for the detectives to see the simple answer: “No”. ‘I was surprised I got that to be honest. That’s when I called you. I didn’t really know what else to do. It wasn’t like her to say nothing if she was going away and… I just felt something was wrong. You do, don’t you?’
    Jessica nodded while DC Rowlands took down the number for Eric Christensen then handed the page to her.
    ‘I guess I’m just glad it wasn’t me that found her…’ Stephanie tailed off tearfully.
    Jessica went to say something hopefully reassuring but stopped herself and thought for a moment. ‘I’m sorry, can you repeat that?’
    The woman breathed in and her sobs slowed for a moment. She took a second to compose herself then made eye contact with the police officer in front of her. ‘It’s just that, if Yvonne’s front door hadn’t have been locked, it may have been me that found her the other day.’
    Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly and leant back into her chair, feeling a slight tingle down her spine. ‘So, you don’t have a key then?’ she asked to make sure.
    ‘No. She would leave me one to watch the house if she was off on holiday but that was it.’
    Jessica offered her thanks and sympathy and told DC Rowlands to hang around to make sure Mr and Mrs Wilson were okay. She walked as quickly as she could back down the street to the victim’s house, weaving in between the parked squad cars and ducked back under the police tape, striding towards the busted front door.
    The Scene of Crime team had arrived. Usually it was only one person who attended but, on this occasion, word had obviously gone out that it wouldn’t be so straightforward. Someone Jessica didn’t recognise was wearing a white paper suit just inside the hallway, while a second person was disappearing up the stairs. The one in the hall went to say something but Jessica