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Authors: Patricia Scott
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it strapped to his ankle,” Jessica Robbins said quickly. “You must arrest him!” Martin was nodding. “Now, Sergeant!”
Peale shook his head and shrugged. “Sorry. No can do, Mrs. Robbins. Not just on hearsay. But we shall bring him in and question him again. Thank you, Mr. Robbins for giving us this information. Is there anything else he can tell us about Sandra that might help us? Anything at all, Mrs. Robbins?” he said quietly. “Did Sandra tell Martin that she was pregnant? And had an abortion?”
This last remark produced a flurried signing between aunt and nephew. Martin was agitated and shook his head.
“I don’t think my nephew knew about that, sergeant,” she said. “She didn’t tell him. But then, it wasn’t any business of his, what she did in her private life.”
It was obvious by his devastated face that Martin Robbins had not known anything about the termination. He slumped back down onto the wooden chair, its legs scraping noisily on the wooden floor, his arms firmly folded across his chest, while his aunt attempted to speak for him. Then he made a wide gesture with his hands and refused to answer any more questions. Peale wasn’t certain whether Fowler would have handled it like this. But it was too late now. He thought he’s asked all the right questions, but he hadn’t got the result he’d wanted. Instead he felt sorry for the poor bloke now.
Jessie Robbins was speaking. “I’m sorry, Sergeant Peale. Martin is so upset. He said that is enough. He can’t say anything more. He was so fond of Sandra. Her death has shocked him out of his senses. He believes that Macey is the man you want.”
But he would, wouldn’t he? Peale felt that there he hadn’t got it all. There was something else Martin Robbins was keeping back.
She shook her head and patted her distraught nephew’s shaking shoulders. He was sobbing again now. Peale felt uncomfortable and looked round for help from Gerry Coombe.
“He’s not been making much sense at all today,” Martin’s aunt said. “But he’s telling you the truth. I’ve never known Martin to tell a lie. Not ever even when he was a little boy. After he came back from the camp, he drank the whisky. It made him ill. He was so upset. And so worried about Sandra. Never went to bed at all. He doesn’t drink as a rule.”
Martin lifted his tearful face and signed the statement that had been written for him. Jessica Robbins said, “He says he’s sorry, Sergeant. It’s been a long terrible day for him. He feels that he has behaved badly. If there is anything else you need to know...”
Peale studied the tear-stained, haggard face of the young man in front of him and felt genuine sympathy for him.
“He told me he remembered little afterwards till he woke up when I came in this morning, and then you arrived with the other officer. You saw what a state he was in then. He wasn’t fit to question. But he had to tell you about Macey.”
“There are still some questions for him to answer, Mrs. Robbins. Sandra Peterson had some bird feathers in her bag and attached to her hair. We don’t know where they came from bar your aviary. Can you or Mr. Robbins explain that? We have had reason to believe that she came into close contact with the birds in your aviary recently before her death. But you said that Friday was the only day she visited the aviary. Could she have come over again while you were away, Mrs. Robbins? Ask your nephew please. It is best not to hide anything from us.”
Jessica Robbins signed this quickly to Martin Robbins, who shook his head slowly. It was plain to see that he said, “No.”
“He says he is telling the truth. But she could have visited the aviary to see the budgie again while he was working on Bell’s farm. That’s the only explanation he can offer. Sandra knew where he kept the key to open the aviary door.”
Martin looked worried. Peale felt once again that he was missing something vital here. But it didn’t
Peale shook his head and shrugged. “Sorry. No can do, Mrs. Robbins. Not just on hearsay. But we shall bring him in and question him again. Thank you, Mr. Robbins for giving us this information. Is there anything else he can tell us about Sandra that might help us? Anything at all, Mrs. Robbins?” he said quietly. “Did Sandra tell Martin that she was pregnant? And had an abortion?”
This last remark produced a flurried signing between aunt and nephew. Martin was agitated and shook his head.
“I don’t think my nephew knew about that, sergeant,” she said. “She didn’t tell him. But then, it wasn’t any business of his, what she did in her private life.”
It was obvious by his devastated face that Martin Robbins had not known anything about the termination. He slumped back down onto the wooden chair, its legs scraping noisily on the wooden floor, his arms firmly folded across his chest, while his aunt attempted to speak for him. Then he made a wide gesture with his hands and refused to answer any more questions. Peale wasn’t certain whether Fowler would have handled it like this. But it was too late now. He thought he’s asked all the right questions, but he hadn’t got the result he’d wanted. Instead he felt sorry for the poor bloke now.
Jessie Robbins was speaking. “I’m sorry, Sergeant Peale. Martin is so upset. He said that is enough. He can’t say anything more. He was so fond of Sandra. Her death has shocked him out of his senses. He believes that Macey is the man you want.”
But he would, wouldn’t he? Peale felt that there he hadn’t got it all. There was something else Martin Robbins was keeping back.
She shook her head and patted her distraught nephew’s shaking shoulders. He was sobbing again now. Peale felt uncomfortable and looked round for help from Gerry Coombe.
“He’s not been making much sense at all today,” Martin’s aunt said. “But he’s telling you the truth. I’ve never known Martin to tell a lie. Not ever even when he was a little boy. After he came back from the camp, he drank the whisky. It made him ill. He was so upset. And so worried about Sandra. Never went to bed at all. He doesn’t drink as a rule.”
Martin lifted his tearful face and signed the statement that had been written for him. Jessica Robbins said, “He says he’s sorry, Sergeant. It’s been a long terrible day for him. He feels that he has behaved badly. If there is anything else you need to know...”
Peale studied the tear-stained, haggard face of the young man in front of him and felt genuine sympathy for him.
“He told me he remembered little afterwards till he woke up when I came in this morning, and then you arrived with the other officer. You saw what a state he was in then. He wasn’t fit to question. But he had to tell you about Macey.”
“There are still some questions for him to answer, Mrs. Robbins. Sandra Peterson had some bird feathers in her bag and attached to her hair. We don’t know where they came from bar your aviary. Can you or Mr. Robbins explain that? We have had reason to believe that she came into close contact with the birds in your aviary recently before her death. But you said that Friday was the only day she visited the aviary. Could she have come over again while you were away, Mrs. Robbins? Ask your nephew please. It is best not to hide anything from us.”
Jessica Robbins signed this quickly to Martin Robbins, who shook his head slowly. It was plain to see that he said, “No.”
“He says he is telling the truth. But she could have visited the aviary to see the budgie again while he was working on Bell’s farm. That’s the only explanation he can offer. Sandra knew where he kept the key to open the aviary door.”
Martin looked worried. Peale felt once again that he was missing something vital here. But it didn’t
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