‘So there’s no reason why Amy would recognize you?’
‘Inspector…’ her lawyer intervened. He could see where that was heading. But Helen made her answer the question anyway.
‘No, we’d never met.’
They moved on to alibis. Hannah was at home on the night of Amy’s abduction – no witness as she was working alone on her paperwork – but claimed to have been with a client when Ben went missing. She didn’t have a secretary or assistant, so that one would have to be confirmed or denied by her client.
‘Tell me about Marie Storey.’
They hadn’t been expecting that one.
‘You treated her a few years ago, following the suicide of her husband.’
Mark had found this one. Funny how the team was slowly coming together on this case. More discussions with the lawyer, then:
‘I was assigned her case by Hampshire Social Services. Her husband had killed himself with bleach as I recall. Couldn’t cope with the cards life had dealt him. The mother, Marie, was stronger though. Had to be for Anna.’
‘You remember their names well.’
‘I’ve a good memory.’
Helen let that sit.
‘Have you seen them recently?’
‘No.’
‘Spoken to them?’
‘No. I read about their deaths obviously. I assumed in the end that it had got too much for Marie. The papers were pretty vague on the details.’
‘Why did you stop treating her?’
‘Cutbacks at the Health Trust. It wasn’t my decision.’
‘How do you view your clients? As just that – clients? Or as patients? Friends?’
‘I view them as clients. People I can help.’
‘Do you ever find that you dislike them?’
‘Never. They can be frustrating, but that’s to be expected.’
‘You really never find yourself disliking their weakness, their self-pity, their “woe is me” act?’
‘Never.’
She parried well – like a professional – and shortly afterwards her lawyer called time on the interview. They’d had to let her go. Had nothing to charge her with. But Helen didn’t mind. During the time she’d been interviewing Hannah, Mark had applied for and got a search warrant for her house and office. There was more than one way to skin a cat.
One female suspect. With links to three very different victims. Someone who knew them – and their vulnerabilities – intimately. Now all they needed was proof. For the first time since the investigation started, Helen sensed that they were finally getting somewhere.