idea was too much. ‘Oh God, please don’t let him have been,’ she implored, ‘or this is only going to get worse. It’ll go on and on and on … I have to see him. I have to know what’s really happening. I take it Bruce hasn’t called yet?’
‘No. He will, as soon as he’s got some news.’
Beth’s head fell back against the seat as she wondered which was hardest to bear – not being in the court with Colin, or waiting to hear what had happened. She was so close to the edge now, it was probably only exhaustion that was holding her back.
Georgie glanced at her sympathetically, then pulled out to overtake a convoy of slow-moving lorries. ‘You know, I wouldn’t go worrying yourself too much over this other thing,’ she said, when finally they’d returned to the centre lane and seventy miles an hour. ‘Remember, he’s pleading not guilty, so it’s going to help their case if they can back it up with some kind of motive. That’ll mean exploring every angle just in case.’
Beth was thinking about the man with the crew cut. ‘He didn’t utter a word,’ she said, after describing him, ‘but there was something about him …’
‘There was someone sitting in on my interview like that too,’ Georgie said. ‘He didn’t say anything, just watched the whole thing and listened. I thought he was probably some kind of assessor. You know, one of those psychologist types who’s working on new interrogation techniques.’
‘Could be,’ Beth responded. The idea of there being anything sinister attached to the two men’sobservation wasn’t one she was willing to run with right now so Georgie’s answer would do. Life was already complicated enough.
After a while Georgie said quietly, ‘They seem pretty convinced he did it, don’t they?’
Beth sighed wearily. ‘Can you blame them, when from what we’ve heard so far they’ve got enough evidence to throw away the key?’
‘So why would he?’ Georgie asked.
Beth took a breath and held it. ‘I wish to God I knew,’ she said finally. ‘But if he did, I can tell you this much: it wouldn’t have been because he was afraid of me finding out about his affair, the way the press currently seem to think.’
Georgie didn’t respond to that, for knowing Colin as she did, she strongly doubted that motive too.
‘What about you?’ Beth said. ‘Why do you think he might have done it?’
‘I’ve got no idea. But if he didn’t, I just wonder how on earth he’s going to prove it when they found him right there.’
Beth’s eyes closed as though to block out the image of Sophie Long’s lifeless body lying on a bed, and Colin’s ridiculous semi-nudity as he sat beside her, having throttled her with a pair of tights. Dear God, it was so burlesque it might actually be comical were it not so tragic.
‘That could be Bruce,’ Georgie said as her mobile rang.
Beth answered it.
‘Hi, it’s me,’ Bruce said.
‘It’s Beth,’ she informed him, her insides stretching with nerves. ‘What happened?’
‘It went the way we expected.’
‘You mean –’
‘I’m afraid so.’
‘So where is he?’ she said, the words barely making it past her throat.
‘They’ve taken him to Wandsworth.’
She pictured him in a sealed prison van, travelling through the city he knew so well, unable to see out, not knowing when he would again. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she had no breath. She gulped for air, but her lungs wouldn’t work. She looked at Georgie with bulging, panicked eyes.
Georgie swerved the car fast on to the hard shoulder. ‘It’s OK,’ she said, grasping her. ‘Just take it steady. One breath at a time. That’s it. Slowly. Slowly. In. Out.’
Beth’s skin was like ice, while her head roared like a fire. Some air was getting through now, but still not enough to speak. Then her limbs started to judder.
‘Beth!’ Georgie cried. ‘Oh my God, what’s happening to you? Is it your heart?’
‘No,’ Beth managed to
‘No. He will, as soon as he’s got some news.’
Beth’s head fell back against the seat as she wondered which was hardest to bear – not being in the court with Colin, or waiting to hear what had happened. She was so close to the edge now, it was probably only exhaustion that was holding her back.
Georgie glanced at her sympathetically, then pulled out to overtake a convoy of slow-moving lorries. ‘You know, I wouldn’t go worrying yourself too much over this other thing,’ she said, when finally they’d returned to the centre lane and seventy miles an hour. ‘Remember, he’s pleading not guilty, so it’s going to help their case if they can back it up with some kind of motive. That’ll mean exploring every angle just in case.’
Beth was thinking about the man with the crew cut. ‘He didn’t utter a word,’ she said, after describing him, ‘but there was something about him …’
‘There was someone sitting in on my interview like that too,’ Georgie said. ‘He didn’t say anything, just watched the whole thing and listened. I thought he was probably some kind of assessor. You know, one of those psychologist types who’s working on new interrogation techniques.’
‘Could be,’ Beth responded. The idea of there being anything sinister attached to the two men’sobservation wasn’t one she was willing to run with right now so Georgie’s answer would do. Life was already complicated enough.
After a while Georgie said quietly, ‘They seem pretty convinced he did it, don’t they?’
Beth sighed wearily. ‘Can you blame them, when from what we’ve heard so far they’ve got enough evidence to throw away the key?’
‘So why would he?’ Georgie asked.
Beth took a breath and held it. ‘I wish to God I knew,’ she said finally. ‘But if he did, I can tell you this much: it wouldn’t have been because he was afraid of me finding out about his affair, the way the press currently seem to think.’
Georgie didn’t respond to that, for knowing Colin as she did, she strongly doubted that motive too.
‘What about you?’ Beth said. ‘Why do you think he might have done it?’
‘I’ve got no idea. But if he didn’t, I just wonder how on earth he’s going to prove it when they found him right there.’
Beth’s eyes closed as though to block out the image of Sophie Long’s lifeless body lying on a bed, and Colin’s ridiculous semi-nudity as he sat beside her, having throttled her with a pair of tights. Dear God, it was so burlesque it might actually be comical were it not so tragic.
‘That could be Bruce,’ Georgie said as her mobile rang.
Beth answered it.
‘Hi, it’s me,’ Bruce said.
‘It’s Beth,’ she informed him, her insides stretching with nerves. ‘What happened?’
‘It went the way we expected.’
‘You mean –’
‘I’m afraid so.’
‘So where is he?’ she said, the words barely making it past her throat.
‘They’ve taken him to Wandsworth.’
She pictured him in a sealed prison van, travelling through the city he knew so well, unable to see out, not knowing when he would again. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she had no breath. She gulped for air, but her lungs wouldn’t work. She looked at Georgie with bulging, panicked eyes.
Georgie swerved the car fast on to the hard shoulder. ‘It’s OK,’ she said, grasping her. ‘Just take it steady. One breath at a time. That’s it. Slowly. Slowly. In. Out.’
Beth’s skin was like ice, while her head roared like a fire. Some air was getting through now, but still not enough to speak. Then her limbs started to judder.
‘Beth!’ Georgie cried. ‘Oh my God, what’s happening to you? Is it your heart?’
‘No,’ Beth managed to
Similar Books
