Murder Club - Mark Pearson [48]
‘Thank you,’ he said simply instead. ‘You have a lovely home.’
‘You can buy it if you want, it’s going on the market.’ She sat down on the sofa opposite the wing-backed chair in which the detective was sitting.
Tony Hamilton kept his face level, wondering when the decision had been made. ‘Had many offers?’
‘Not many. It’s not on the Internet yet.’
He took a sip of his tea. ‘Why did you recant your statement, Ms Hewson?’
‘Straight down to business?’
‘It’s a very serious matter.’
‘Did you see the scars on my stomach and on my breasts, Detective? I presume you have seen the photos?’
‘I did.’
‘Do you think I need telling how serious a business it is, then?’
‘Why did you change your mind?’ Hamilton persisted.
Stephanie Hewson took a sip of her tea. ‘I was shown that man’s photo. That’s not right, is it?’
‘And you are sure it was DI Jack Delaney who showed you that photo?’
She looked up at him defiantly. ‘Yes. Who else would it have been?’
‘Sergeant Bonner maybe?’
‘His assistant?’
‘Yes.’
Stephanie shook her head, flustered for a moment. ‘No. It was Inspector Delaney.’
‘Jack Delaney doesn’t remember meeting with you before the line-up.’
‘What do you mean, he doesn’t remember?’
DI Hamilton took a sip of his own tea. ‘In his recollection, he met you just before taking you through for the identity parade. Are you sure it was not Sergeant Bonner you met with?’
‘Yes, I’m positive.’
‘Was Eddie Bonner with him?’
‘I can’t remember.’
‘Why is that?’
‘Why do you think? I’m shown a photo of the man who raped me and cut me. What am I going to do: take an inventory of everybody in the room?’
‘So you do think Michael Robinson was the man who raped you, then?’
‘I was told he was,’ she replied angrily. ‘I was shown his picture. Why would somebody lie about something like that?’
‘We don’t know that anybody did. Why do you now think he wasn’t the man who attacked you?’
‘I never said that.’
‘But your statement in court this morning meant that he walked free.’
‘That wasn’t my fault.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I took an oath to tell the truth. It was your job to find the man who did this to me. Your job to find the evidence, not just make it up.’
‘Jack Delaney says he never did show you that photo.’
‘Then he’s a liar!’
DI Hamilton looked her in the eye. She was angry, no doubt about that, but there was something else in her eyes. Something that looked a lot like fear.
‘We will find out exactly what happened, Ms Hewson. You have my word on that.’
‘I couldn’t stand up in court and perjure myself, Detective. I let myself believe that Michael Robinson was the man who assaulted me. Who hurt me. Detective Delaney showed me that photo, and I believed it. I believed it because I had to. Do you understand me?’
DI Hamilton could see tears forming in her eyes. ‘No, tell me,’ he said.
‘It meant that they had the man. That he would be put away, and that I wouldn’t have to flinch at every little noise. That I could leave my house without feeling absolutely terrified that he was there again. Watching me. That he would hurt me again. If it was him, then I had some of my life back.’
‘Okay. We absolutely believe Michael Robinson was the man who raped you, Stephanie. You know that.’
DI Hamilton looked at her sympathetically, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. She stood up and took his mug from him. ‘I couldn’t lie in court. I didn’t see him clearly. It was too dark, the window was too grimy. You need to find evidence. Proper evidence.’
‘It was over a year ago, Ms Hewson.’
‘I know exactly when it was, thank you, Detective!’ she said, the anger flaring back into her voice.
Tony Hamilton stood up. ‘Of course you do, I’m