‘Still haven’t found the right one.’
‘Good things come to those who wait, Paul.’
‘Knowing my luck, that will probably be when I’m in my eighties!’
Jane had always had a soft spot for Lawrence. He was very amiable, willing to help others and had taught her so much about forensics and crime scenes since she’d joined the Met. She had rarely ever heard him complain, despite the stress of having to deal with dead bodies and horrific crime scenes. Few officers would have the stomach to handle what he did, day in and day out.
At Viceroy Court, the same jobsworth porter let Jane and Lawrence in through the main entrance. Jane informed him her colleague was a fellow detective, but the porter insisted on seeing Paul’s warrant card and requested that they both sign the visitors’ book.
‘What’s the purpose of your visit, madam?’
‘The same purpose as last time,’ Jane replied, walking towards the lift.
Agnes answered the door and immediately said that she hadn’t heard from Mrs. Hastings. Jane and Paul followed her into the lounge and Agnes turned to look at Jane.
‘It’s no’ good news, is it, officer?’
Jane shook her head and asked Agnes to sit down. As Jane told her about Sybil’s murder, Agnes broke down in floods of tears. When she explained that Andrew had discovered her body in the boot of the car, Agnes started wailing loudly, rocking back and forth on the sofa.
‘Would you like me to call a doctor?’ Jane asked, putting her arm around Agnes’ shoulder.
‘No, no, thank you. I’ll be all right in a wee minute.’ Agnes wiped her tears away with a tissue then blew her nose on it. ‘It’s all such a terrible shock. Who could do such a thing to Mrs. Hastings? And why? She’s never harmed anyone... She was such a kind and generous woman.’
Lawrence went to the kitchen to get some water for Agnes.
‘DS Lawrence is here to look through Mrs. Hastings’ personal belongings, to see if there’s anything that might help the investigation.’
Agnes nodded. Lawrence returned with the water and handed it to Agnes, who took a sip before addressing him.
‘All Mrs. Hastings’ paperwork is in a small filing cabinet in the spare room, out there on the left,’ she said, pointing to the hallway.
Jane took hold of Agnes’ hand as Lawrence left the room. ‘I need to ask some questions that may seem a bit probing, but it’s a necessary part of the investigation.’
Agnes nodded. Jane took it slowly, to cause as little distress to Agnes as possible.
‘How long have you worked for Mrs. Hastings?’
‘I became Mr. and Mrs. Hastings’ live-in housekeeper at their house in Coombe Hill about fifteen years ago. Andrew was there too, until he married Jo. After Henry died, they sold that house and Mrs. Hastings went to live with Andrew and Jo for about a year. I lived with my sister until Mrs. Hastings moved into Viceroy Court a year ago. She asked me to move back in as her housekeeper again.’ Agnes sipped some water.
‘Have you spoken to Andrew’s wife since Friday?’
‘Noo. I rarely have reason to phone their house, and as far as I know Jo has never rung here. Between us, Mrs. Hastings and Jo didn’t get on. They never have, really.’
‘Why was that?’ Jane asked.
‘I don’t know all the reasons, and it wasn’t my place to ask. Seems to me that Mrs. Hastings thought Jo wasn’t good enough for her son.’
‘How did Andrew feel about his mother and Jo’s relationship?’
Agnes shrugged. ‘I don’t know, I never asked him. He never said anything to me, but I can tell you that he loved and cared for his mother very much. He took her in when she was grief-stricken after her husband’s death and he dealt with the sale of the old house and the purchase of this place.’
Jane asked Agnes if she knew of anyone Mrs. Hastings had fallen out with recently. Agnes shook her head and said that Mrs. Hastings was not the sort of person who upset people. She also told Jane that Mrs. Hastings didn’t really socialize with other residents in Viceroy Court, although she still played golf regularly with friends at Coombe Hill, where she was a member. Jane made a note of the names Agnes gave her in her notebook.
‘Did Mrs. Hastings have any young female friends in their late twenties or early thirties?’
Agnes shook her head. ‘Not that I know of... But maybe at the Samaritans.’
‘Samaritans? Was Mrs. Hastings upset about something?’ Jane asked, wondering why Mrs. Hastings might need emotional support from the Samaritans.
Agnes smiled. ‘Noo, Mrs. Hastings didn’t have any problems. She was a volunteer with the Samaritans.’
Jane was surprised, but knew this could be important to the investigation. ‘Oh, right, I misunderstood you. What exactly did she do there?’
‘She was a listening volunteer for a few hours a week, at the branch in Soho. She didn’t talk about her work there, as it was obviously confidential. But I know she found the work very rewarding and she said it made her realize how fortunate she was compared to others who were suffering terrible misery.’
Jane asked Agnes if she knew the address of the Soho branch, but Agnes shook her head.
‘Do you know if she kept a timetable of the hours she worked?’
‘Aye, she did, in a date book that she kept in her handbag. She used the same date book for appointments with her friends as well. As I recall, she was at the Samaritans last Thursday.’
Having already examined the contents of Sybil’s handbag, Jane knew the date book wasn’t there. She left the distraught Agnes sipping her water and went to find Paul. He told her that he had checked the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms, but couldn’t see anything that suggested Mrs. Hastings’ murder had taken place in her own flat.
‘Well, that’s some form of relief, I guess. If it had happened here, it might have pushed poor Agnes over the edge.’
‘I’m not saying categorically that it didn’t happen here, Jane. There’s a marble floor in the kitchen and bathroom, which could easily have been cleaned up if there was blood on it. I did some KM testing, but got no positive hits for blood. While we were in the lounge, I couldn’t see any signs that areas of the carpet had been cleaned or furniture moved.’
‘Do you need more time here?’ Jane asked.
Lawrence nodded. ‘It would be helpful if you could take Agnes to the kitchen so I can have a closer look in the lounge. I removed some documents from Mrs. Hastings’ filing cabinet relating to her bank and savings accounts.’ He handed Jane an opened envelope. ‘Her will is inside. She’s left a couple of grand to Agnes and everything else to Andrew Hastings. Looking at some of her bank statements and taking into consideration the value of this place, she was more than well off.’
‘You didn’t see a date book in the spare room, did you?’ Jane asked.
‘No, and I had a good look inside the car before it was taken to the lab and it wasn’t there. Is it important?’
‘Agnes says that Mrs. Hastings kept one, but it seems to be missing. Her killer may have taken it because there was something in it about him. Also, she was a volunteer for the Samaritans, at their Soho branch.’
‘I imagine there are a few unstable people who seek help there. Could be she met up with one of them on Friday?’
Jane nodded. ‘I’ll phone Moran and update him.’
Using Mrs. Hastings’ bedroom phone, Jane dialed DCI Moran’s direct office number. When he answered, Jane filled him in about Sybil Hastings’ will, her connection with the Samaritans, and the date book.