She gave him little time to answer as she started picking items up, carefully rearranging them.
“There’s no need to do that, Mary,” said Manny. “Really, you must have enough to do without looking after me.”
“Nonsense. I like helping you, you know that.”
Mary had picked up Manny’s box, the one he hadn’t yet had time to thoroughly inspect. As she turned it slipped straight into his arms.
“Honestly, Mary, there’s no need. Anyway, I can’t stay because I have to go back out and help my friend finish off.”
“See. What did I tell you? What time are you coming back?”
“Oh, I won’t be long. Two hours tops.”
“Good. When you come back, make sure you eat that casserole I’ve prepared. Just needs warming up. I can do that if you want.”
“No, Mary,” said Manny, ushering her toward the back door. “You’ve done more than enough already. But if I get back in good time I’ll come and see you later, perhaps have a nightcap with you.”
Her face brightened. “Would you really?”
“Yes, really.”
Mary strutted off with a spring in her step.
Chapter Eleven
“She’s dead, isn’t she?”
Sitting in an interview room, Robbie Carter was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Gardener could understand it: he’d had no sleep, had been surviving on only coffee, wondering as to the state of his wife. He was still dressed in jeans and the black leather jacket he had on when he came in.
“I’m sorry, Mr Carter,” said Gardener. “I’m afraid she is.”
Robbie’s arms were folded on the table, next to an empty cup. The walls were bare, no carpet, little in the way of heat or home comforts but that was the way it had to be for now. Gardener and Reilly each pulled out a chair and sat opposite. Gardener had a file in his hand, which he placed on the table in front of him.
Robbie Carter suddenly shot to his feet and slammed the palms of his hands on the metal table, causing the polystyrene cup to fall over.
“I want him caught.”
Reilly was on his feet.
“Who?” Gardener asked. It wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting.
“Whoever did this!”
“Sit down, Robbie,” said Reilly.
“Are you listening to me, copper? I said, I want whoever did this to my wife caught.”
“So do we,” said Gardener.
“And I said sit down,” Reilly repeated.
For a few seconds, the stand-off remained. Gardener did not want a showdown, he simply wanted to interview the man, to try to arrive at the truth. Gardener realised that grief affected everyone differently, but Robbie Carter’s seemed contrary to what they’d heard of him so far. Eventually the man did as asked and sat back on the chair. “It was the burglar, wasn’t it?”
“That’s what we’re here to find out.”
Reilly returned to his chair but Gardener could tell his partner was more than ready should Robbie Carter repeat his performance.
“What do you mean?” asked Robbie.