The Body in the River Read Online Free Page A

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    She smiled despite the circumstances. ‘ Mr Brookes, you obviously don ’ t know much about women ’ s habits. Tights are expensive. When we shared a room at uni, she would always take them off when she got home and if they weren ’ t laddered, she ’ d wash them and hang them on the radiator to dry so she could wear them again the next day. Alison was meticulous about her appearance; I expect she still did that. ’
    ‘ Thank you, Miss Wilson, that ’ s helpful. Did you arrange to meet again? ’
    ‘ Not exactly. She said she was going to have an early night after work, I said I would ring her in the morning; we often spent Sundays together. ’
    ‘ And did you? … ring her I mean? ’
    ‘ Yes, but there was no reply. ’
    ‘ How many times did you try?
    ‘ Three or four times during the day. ’
    ‘ Did she often work on Saturday? ’
    She shook her head. ‘ Only occasionally, when they were very busy. You know the winter is their high season, that ’ s when the rich take their trips to the tropics. ’
    ‘ What about her social life; did she have a boyfriend? ’
    ‘ No. She had one till about six weeks ago but she finished with him. He was very jealous and acted as if he owned her. ’
    ‘ How long were they together? ’
    ‘ A month or so. ’
    ‘ Was the break-up amicable?
    ‘ Not really, no. He kept phoning her. But that stopped two weeks ago, I think he found someone else. ’
    ‘ Was he a violent person? ’
    ‘ Oh no, nothing like that. ’
    ‘ Could he have gone to see her on Saturday evening? ’
    ‘ I don ’ t think so; she wouldn ’ t have let him in. Do you think it was him that killed her? ’
    Brookes smiled and shook his head. ‘ I have an open mind at the moment, Miss Wilson, I ’ m looking at all the possibilities. When she didn ’ t answer your calls Sunday morning, what went through your mind? ’
    ‘ I didn ’ t know what to think. Then I thought she may have changed her mind about the early night and gone out for a drink after work. Maybe she met someone. ’
    ‘ Would she normally have done something like that, on the spur of the moment? ’
    ‘ No, she wasn ’ t like that at all. But I didn ’ t know what else to think. ’
    ‘ Was she seeing anyone else at all, casually? ’
    ‘ No, no one. ’ She smiled wanly. ‘ When we were having lunch on Saturday at the Greedy Grape, we were laughing at the men there; you know, the posers? She was saying that she would leave men alone for a while, they were more trouble than they were worth. ’
    Brookes smiled. ‘ Yes, I know what you mean; you can ’ t live without us but we ’ re sometimes difficult to live with. What about you, do you have a boyfriend? ’
    ‘ Not steady. I ’ m seeing someone but I ’ m not that keen. ’
    ‘ Did she have other friends, anyone close? ’
    ‘ Not really; we ’ ve got lots of casual friends but no-one close. ’
    ‘ What about her colleagues at work, did she socialise with them? ’
    ‘ She used to have the occasional drink after work with the girls there, the usual thing. But nothing outside work. She and I spent most of our spare time together. ’
    ‘ Do you know anyone who would want to hurt Alison? ’
    ‘ No. Everyone liked her. She didn ’ t have an enemy in the world. ’
    ‘ And her family, were they close? ’
    ‘ Not really. Her parents live in Aberdeen; she didn ’ t see much of them and she was an only child. ’
    ‘ How did she get on with her parents? ’
    ‘ Not that well. Her mother was OK but she didn ’ t get on with her dad. ’
    ‘ Why is that? ’
    ‘ Oh, I don ’ t know, they seemed to disagree all the time; they were very much alike, strong-minded. ’
    ‘ Did he abuse her? ’
    ‘ No, nothing like that, they just didn ’ t see eye to eye. ’
    ‘ As I ’ m sure you realise, Miss Wilson, I ’ m looking for a reason someone might have killed Alison. Was she rich? Did she have any valuable possessions: jewellery, anything like