Blood on the Marsh (DI Susan Holden 3)

‘Not even just to help her sleep, maybe?’

‘I’ve told you before. No.’

‘Are you absolutely sure, David?’

Jaz made a guttural noise that signified disgust. ‘He’s said no, he means no. He’s a good lad. He wouldn’t have hurt his Nan.’

‘I know it’s difficult,’ Holden said, trying to be sympathetic.

But Jaz Green had had enough. ‘No you fucking well don’t. You’ve no idea what it’s like for him. I certainly don’t know, and I’ve known him since he was little.’ The two women eyed each other.

It was David who interrupted. ‘Are you going to lock me up?’

Holden turned towards him. ‘No. In fact, Jaz can take you home.’

‘Are you going to lock Mum up?’

‘Would you like to come and visit her tomorrow?’

David stood up, ready to go. ‘I visit her on Wednesdays and Sundays,’ he said, and he walked towards the door. Jaz got up and followed him out.

‘We found some interesting things in your flat, Bella.’

‘What were you doing there? You can’t just walk into my flat and—’

‘We had a search warrant, Bella, so we have every right to turn your flat upside down if we so wish.’

‘Well, fuck you.’

The woman sitting on Maureen’s left flinched perceptibly. Holden hadn’t come across Ms Althea Potter before. She was dressed the part – dark suit, white blouse, discreet necklace and earrings – but Holden sensed a fragility in her.

‘We found this, for example, in your kitchen bin.’

Fox leant forward and placed a polythene evidence bag on the table. Inside was a small white cardboard box, with a printed label on it.

‘Haven’t you got better things to do than go through my rubbish?’

‘On the label it says temazepam.’

‘So?’

‘We found traces of temazepam in Detective Constable Wilson’s bloodstream.’

‘Did you, now.’

‘My guess is you added it to the cup of tea you made for him.’

‘Really?’

‘Because you wanted him to go to sleep so you could go and find David.’

‘And my guess is that you haven’t got any proof for any of this. And besides, your detective constable is OK isn’t he? He just had a nice long sleep.’

Holden gestured with her right hand, and Fox placed another polythene bag on the table with another white box inside it. ‘We also found this box in one of your drawers. It once contained morphine capsules, though there’s only one left now.’

This time Bella said nothing. She turned briefly to Ms Potter for support, but the solicitor was writing something on her notepad.

‘Did you give the rest of it to Nanette Wright? Did you put it in her flask?’