Page 74 of Glasshouses

“Shall I go with him?” Verity said. “He doesn’t look great.”

“I think so. Play good cop.”

She smiled at me, heading out with the grace of a gazelle and the energy of one too. I looked around the living room, the space empty of personal effects, not a single photo anywhere. Andrew Smith had a son, which tallied, his explanation understandable, if not moral.

I thought back to the safeguarding lead at Lily’s school, talking about the kids Lily had been running wild with, Scarlett and Adele, although we hadn’t been able to speak to either yet. There’d been mention of kids who went to other schools, a private school had come up. Was Andrew Smith’s son one of those teenagers?

He returned with Verity and a tray with three mugs of tea. “I assumed Amanda and Micky were killed by chance; someone had broken in with intent to steal.”

“That’s not a line of enquiry. We believe someone had motive to kill Amanda.” I took one of the mugs.

“Why not Micky?”

“No leads have come from our enquiries about Micky. We think Amanda and Micky were working on something, maybe to do with Amanda’s daughter. We’ve found paperwork to suggest that Amanda felt Lily to be innocent.” I wanted to see his reaction.

He was silent for a moment, sipping his tea although it must’ve been too hot. “Amanda didn’t share her thoughts with me, Detective, on matters of her daughter. That period was a deeply traumatic time for all concerned, including Lily, and I just hope she received the treatments she needs.” It was said almost script-like, as if he had an auto-cue in front of him.

“How old is your son, Mr Smith?”

The question surprised him. “He’d be in his thirties. I’m sadly no longer in contact with him.”

“Was he appreciative of you paying his school fees?”

“As much as any teenager was. I suspect he resents not having what you’d call a normal childhood.”

I doubted whether his son had received much warmth. “What’s your son’s name?”

“Stefan, after his grandfather. Maybe not the best choice for this era. He was teased a lot when he was very young, poor lad. I should’ve done better for him.” He seemed incredibly sad. “I thought I was doing the right thing, with boarding school. It got him away from the estate where his mother lived and away from the bullies, and I hoped he’d make some good contacts to help him get on in life.”

“Do you have any other children, Mr Smith?”

“Two from my marriage. Darla and Timothy. They’re late thirties now and live in South Africa. After me and their mother divorced, she decided to return home and take the children with her. I’ve had many achievements in my life; being a parent isn’t one of them.”

“When’s the last time you saw any of your children?” I asked, curious more than anything.

“Four or five years ago. Darla and Tim call me when it’s my birthday, or Christmas, and I try to remember to give them a call on their birthdays. They’d prefer me to have a computer so we could video call or a smart phone, but as you probably know, we eschew technology, believing it to be a scourge on the environment. My children would’ve loved me to have been a hypocrite, but I am a principled man, Detective.” He had a longer drink of his tea.

“Principled enough to syphon money from the organisation you run to pay your child’s school fees? They don’t really align,” I challenged. “Did Stefan ever stay with you here?”

“On occasion. Some school holidays.”

“And he was roughly the same age as Lily Goodhew. Did they socialise together?”

“Not really. He was friendlier with her brother, the older one. He was upset after the fire, so much so that he went home to his mother early.” He drained his mug and put it onto the scratched coffee table. “I still don’t see how this relates to Amanda and Micky’s deaths.”

“It might not, but it’s helpful to get a clearer picture. What’s Stefan doing now?”

“I wouldn’t know. I wouldn’t even know how to contact him. I regret paying for that school now. The money would’ve been better served improving water storage or investing in new equipment or renewable energy to serve The Holding, but I made a decision at the time that I cannot change.”

I didn’t think he had any regrets at all; all of this was for show, but why? “And Amanda knew about the school fees?”

“She did. Whether she approved or not, I wouldn’t know because she was a professional and kept her opinions to herself. Hence I wouldn’t know about her looking to appeal Lily’s conviction.” He sat up a little straighter, not realising what he’d said.

“Mr Smith, how did you know she was looking to appeal her daughter’s conviction?”

“Because you told me.”

“I told you Amanda thought Lily to be innocent. Nothing about a wrongful conviction.”