‘Positive.’ She sits back. ‘We have uncovered new evidence linking Ms George to your husband’s death.’
‘Oh, my God.’ This time, my hand flies to my mouth.
‘We believe that while you and Holly were both out that Sunday, your husband came home. We believe that Ms George confronted Mr Price at that time, and during that confrontation, we believe that Beatrice George killed Max Price using a knife from the kitchen. Evidence suggests that the body was then concealed in the garage, under a tarpaulin. There would have been a little blood on the kitchen floor, and we believe Ms George brought in the rug from the living room to cover it. She would have seen the empty freezer and probably intended to hide the body inside, but there wasn’t enough time. We believe that was the reason she arranged to stay at the property afterwards. She probably moved the body to the freezer while you went to pick up Holly from Scarlett’s house, but she still needed to dispose of it. There’s some evidence she attempted to do that at least once. But she obviously didn’t manage it.’
I am folded in two, sobbing with relief.
‘I know this is a shock,’ she says.
‘Does that mean—’ my solicitor begins, but I speak over her.
‘What about Holly?’ I blurt. ‘Do you know if anything happened to her while she was with Teri that day? When I called the police to get her out?’
‘Yes. We’ve had long conversations with Holly. You had good reason to be concerned for her welfare. You see, Ms George – Teri – told Holly that you’d killed her father and hidden him in the freezer, and she was going to call the police to report it.Holly, understandably, got very upset. She didn’t even know her father was dead, and she realised in that moment that Teri must have done it and was trying to pin it on you. Teri wanted Holly to say she’d suspected the same, and that she was afraid of you. Teri threatened that if Holly didn’t go along with the lie, she would say Holly was in on it. She was very frightened. Teri was about to call the police, but, as you know, you called them first.’
I don’t reply. I am dizzy with relief that Holly never meant to throw me under the bus. She was left with no choice but to stay silent. I can see that now.
‘But she can tell you herself when you see her,’ Sandleford says. ‘We’re no longer pursuing charges against you. The CPS has authorised your release from custody. There’s still some paperwork that’s being processed, but you should be out of here in a couple of hours.’
I drop my face in my hands. ‘Oh, thank God.’ Then I look up. ‘Where’s Teri now?’
‘In custody,’ she says.
46
Teri
Finally, Teri sits in the interview room, ready to tell her story. She’ll make sure Kate stays in prison until the day she dies, and then get out of this dump of a town and back to her nice life in London.
She’s sad that Max died, of course. She loved him very much. They would have made a wonderful couple. But it’s no use crying over spilt milk. All she wants now is to get this part over and done with and go home.
DI Evans walks in. He’s a tall, stocky man with a crooked nose. She likes his type. Strong. Masculine. She notes that he’s not wearing a wedding ring. She gives him a sweet smile. Maybe she could fit in a little fling before she leaves town.
‘Thank you for seeing me, Detective,’ she says, as though she wasn’t asked to be here. ‘Where would you like me to start?’
DI Evans doesn’t reply. He slides two clear evidence bags across the table. Teri stares at them.
Inside one is a pair of rubber gloves, the dishwashing kind, and in the other is a small piece of paper that says,I think I love you too.
Teri frowns. ‘What are these?’
‘Do you recognise these items?’
Teri stares at the note and swallows. ‘I don’t know what these are.’
DI Evans points to the gloves. ‘These are generic dishwashing gloves. They were found under the sink at Mr Price’s home.’
‘I see.’
‘Do you recognise them?’
She makes a face. ‘Maybe. As you said, they’re the generic kind.’
‘They’ve got your DNA inside.’
‘Well, I did the washing up while I was there. I used gloves.’
‘They’ve also got traces of blood belonging to Mr Price, on the inside of the cuff.’
