“Okay, never mind, Dave. Sean and I will call back round in the morning, see what we can find.”
Gardener cast his eye in the direction of Anderson and Gates. “Anything from the witness statements, or any more progress with Robbie Carter’s neighbours?”
“Sorry,” sighed Anderson. “It’s a small cul-de-sac and it was too early in the morning for any of them. The people we’ve spoken to in the surrounding areas are pretty much the same: keep to themselves. Most were in bed at that time.”
“Those that weren’t in bed were working nights,” added Gates.
“Anyway, realising it was a bit of a lame duck, we drove into Sowerby to check out this mill house place she used to rent.”
“Anything?” asked Gardener, hopeful.
“Have you seen the place?”
“No.”
“Miles from anywhere,” said Anderson.
“Only reason we found it was because it had a mill; doubt we’d have found it otherwise,” said Gates.
“What you’re going to tell me is, no one was home and no one’s seen who rents the place?”
“Pretty much,” replied Anderson. “There isn’t a neighbour for miles. And you’re right, he wasn’t home.”
“But he might be back later,” added Gates. “There were fresh tyre tracks.”
“Yes,” said Anderson. “Looked like someone had been recently.”
“We also dropped in on a few of Jane Carter’s contacts from the stables,” Gates added.
“What did they have to say?”
“They all told pretty much the same story. She was well liked, always pleasant. She ran a tight ship where business was concerned, taught pupils properly.”
“Basically, everyone liked her,” said Anderson.
“What about him?” Gardener asked.
“Those that knew Robbie, or had seen him more than once found him a bit sullen, quiet. One even said they thought he was shy. He was confident when you got him on the subject of music, but other than that he had very little to say.”
“Did anyone offer an opinion of them as a couple together?”
“No,” said Gates. “If they went on nights out with her it was usually a girly thing. Most people assumed they got on all right because she never spoke ill of him.”
“There was one who offered a bit more,” said Anderson. “A woman called Cathy Smithson. She lives in Upsall, near Thirsk. There was a period about six months ago when Jane Carter wasn’t her normal self. She was a bit quieter than usual. She noticed one time that Jane struggled getting on and off the horse.”
“She say what that was?” asked Reilly.
“Cathy asked, but Jane Carter just shrugged it off as getting old. But she was quiet for about a week.”
“Could have been a problem related to her medical condition,” offered Gardener.
“What medical condition?” asked Cragg.
“We’ll come back to that, Maurice,” said Gardener. He continued to address Anderson and Gates. “I take it you have more contacts to speak to?”
“Yes.”
The SIO turned and updated the board with the name and the incident before turning back to the team.