“No, as I’ve said, they were all busy.”
“And you don’t find it odd that you never saw Michael Foreman other than two or three times?”
“We hardly moved in the same social circles.”
“What about the other two partners?”
“Never saw much of them either, especially Zoe Harrison. She was even worse than Michael, totally unsociable. She spoke in bullet points, if she spoke at all.”
“So there were no office parties where you could all get to know each other a little better?”
“It wasn’t really that type of company,” replied Rosie. “If it had been we still wouldn’t have talked much. The best way to speak to Zoe was either email or text, even if you were in the same room.”
“What about Anthony Palmer?”
“In all honesty, we did see a little more of Anthony. Although he was single he was more family orientated.”
“Do you know if Zoe Harrison or Anthony Palmer had family?”
“Zoe’s parents are still alive but I believe they moved abroad years ago. They left her quite a tidy nest egg, which she used to inject into the business. That was pretty much what got it off the ground.”
“Any idea where they went?”
“No.”
“What about Anthony Palmer?”
“His parents died some years back. I believe he had an aunt and uncle that he was close to, but I don’t remember him talking about them much.”
“So you wouldn’t know where they lived?”
“No, but I had the impression it was local. Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but what’s this all about? You lot have been around here countless times, asked literally hundreds of questions, taken all my electrical equipment, which I’ve replaced at my own expense. I’m sure we’ve covered everything I know.”
“Are you religious, Mrs Henshaw?”
“Religious? What the hell kind of a question is that? Am I religious? If I was, He certainly isn’t doing a very good job of answering my prayers, is He?” she replied, pointing upwards.
“Were any of them religious; your husband or his business partners?”
Rosie shook her head. “Like I said, I didn?
?t know them well enough.”
“What about Anthony Palmer? You had any contact with him?”
“You have my landline records there, my phone is tapped, so you tell me.”
“Can you please answer the question?”
“He called me last night but before you start I have no idea where from and he wasn’t on that long so I doubt you’ll have been able to trace it.”
“That was when you called him a four-eyed, spineless, murdering parasite,” said the smaller one, smiling.
“Why did you call him that?” asked the taller one.
“Figure of speech, officer.” Christ, they were on the ball, thought Rosie.
“No love lost with him, either?”