sorry for this frightened woman. She knew Peter Bates was Patrick’s friend, and that they had a few business dealings, but she had not dreamed that those dealings would be the cause of this woman’s life being made a misery, and the reason a young woman was lying dead on a mortuary slab. Bates would have threatened her, Kate knew that; she knew him and what he was capable of. She also knew what Patrick was capable of.
‘Can you remember anything else at all? Were there any strange men hanging round, did you see anything that was out of the ordinary?’
Diana shook her head. ‘Strange men are the norm here. I got the most of it, as you can see, my flat is directly by the parking bays. The flat next door is rented by a businessman who is always off somewhere. He rarely stays there more than a few nights at a time. I had to put up with the cars in and out and the men looking in my window as they came up to the front door. I keep my blinds closed all the time now. The other residents work, they go out for the evening. They got a break from it all. I am stuck here with it all the time. I hated it, hated what they stood for. Hated that my life was invaded by their bloody whoring. My husband died and I got over it, I moved here to make a fresh start. I bought this place because it was quiet and it was pretty. I have lived here for two years and been at the mercy of those bloody girls almost from the start. I stopped taking notice of what went on after Mr Bates explained that I was not helping myself by complaining. The police ignored me, and I didn’t know what else to do. Now we’ve had all this.’
Kate and Annie looked at each other, both aware that this woman had been badly let down. ‘Can you remember the date you called the police out?’
Diana Brown smiled sadly. ‘Sixteenth of April. It would have been my husband’s sixtieth birthday.’
Kate was in her bedroom, she had showered and dressed. She caught her reflection in the antique mirror she had bought with Patrick years before and stifled the urge to smash it up. She didn’t feel like this was her home any more. It was as if everything around her was alien, she felt so out of place. She had always accepted that Patrick was a wide boy, in all honesty, it had been a big part of his attraction. But she had believed him when he said he was on the straight. She should have known better. He had let her down before. But this time she had believed him.
All those years, and they had been good years. Happy years. She had moved in with him, enjoyed his affluent lifestyle. Had felt loved, cared for. Safe. He must have been laughing up his sleeve at her. Well, not any more.
Kate checked her bags, making sure she had packed everything she needed. Satisfied she had enough, she looked around the room once more then, picking up the cases, she walked out without a backward glance.
Patrick pulled on to the drive as she was putting the cases in the boot of her car. He got out of his Bentley and walked over to her. She sensed his approach and could feel the anger inside her bubbling as he said nonchalantly, ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, Kate. I didn’t know what the flat was being used for. I just invested in a property business, that’s all.’
Kate slamm { display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1em; margin-left: 8em; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } .fmepiv1iclthe had ed the boot of her Mercedes 220 saloon, a birthday present from Patrick two years ago and, turning to look at him, said quietly and deliberately, ‘If it was with Bates, then you knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for. You always said you never trusted him, that you read the small print on every contract, and checked that there wasn’t any really small print invisible to the naked eye. I laughed with you as you said it. Well, he will have been picked up by now, and charged with everything from tampering with a crime scene,
‘Can you remember anything else at all? Were there any strange men hanging round, did you see anything that was out of the ordinary?’
Diana shook her head. ‘Strange men are the norm here. I got the most of it, as you can see, my flat is directly by the parking bays. The flat next door is rented by a businessman who is always off somewhere. He rarely stays there more than a few nights at a time. I had to put up with the cars in and out and the men looking in my window as they came up to the front door. I keep my blinds closed all the time now. The other residents work, they go out for the evening. They got a break from it all. I am stuck here with it all the time. I hated it, hated what they stood for. Hated that my life was invaded by their bloody whoring. My husband died and I got over it, I moved here to make a fresh start. I bought this place because it was quiet and it was pretty. I have lived here for two years and been at the mercy of those bloody girls almost from the start. I stopped taking notice of what went on after Mr Bates explained that I was not helping myself by complaining. The police ignored me, and I didn’t know what else to do. Now we’ve had all this.’
Kate and Annie looked at each other, both aware that this woman had been badly let down. ‘Can you remember the date you called the police out?’
Diana Brown smiled sadly. ‘Sixteenth of April. It would have been my husband’s sixtieth birthday.’
Kate was in her bedroom, she had showered and dressed. She caught her reflection in the antique mirror she had bought with Patrick years before and stifled the urge to smash it up. She didn’t feel like this was her home any more. It was as if everything around her was alien, she felt so out of place. She had always accepted that Patrick was a wide boy, in all honesty, it had been a big part of his attraction. But she had believed him when he said he was on the straight. She should have known better. He had let her down before. But this time she had believed him.
All those years, and they had been good years. Happy years. She had moved in with him, enjoyed his affluent lifestyle. Had felt loved, cared for. Safe. He must have been laughing up his sleeve at her. Well, not any more.
Kate checked her bags, making sure she had packed everything she needed. Satisfied she had enough, she looked around the room once more then, picking up the cases, she walked out without a backward glance.
Patrick pulled on to the drive as she was putting the cases in the boot of her car. He got out of his Bentley and walked over to her. She sensed his approach and could feel the anger inside her bubbling as he said nonchalantly, ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, Kate. I didn’t know what the flat was being used for. I just invested in a property business, that’s all.’
Kate slamm { display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1em; margin-left: 8em; margin-right: 2em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } .fmepiv1iclthe had ed the boot of her Mercedes 220 saloon, a birthday present from Patrick two years ago and, turning to look at him, said quietly and deliberately, ‘If it was with Bates, then you knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for. You always said you never trusted him, that you read the small print on every contract, and checked that there wasn’t any really small print invisible to the naked eye. I laughed with you as you said it. Well, he will have been picked up by now, and charged with everything from tampering with a crime scene,
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