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‘No.’
‘And you hadn’t been in any other rooms before you went into the study?’
‘You’ve already asked me that. No.’
‘What happened when the police arrived?’
‘I shouted that the door was unlocked and they should come straight in. As soon as they were in the room I told them my father was dead, that it was a murder and that they needed to secure the scene.’
‘Which they did?’
‘They knew what they were doing.’
‘When were your hands bagged up?’
‘An hour or so later.’
‘And other than touching your father’s neck with your left hand when you checked his pulse, you hadn’t touched anything?’
‘I knew not to,’ she said. She then mumbled something he didn’t catch.
‘Say that again, Estelle.’
‘I said I didn’t touch anything as I didn’t want to disappoint you. I’m not stupid, I knew what it looked like. And I knew at some point it was likely you’d be asking to see what had happened. I didn’t want you thinking I’d panicked. I didn’t want you thinking less of me.’
Poe was lost for words. ‘Why would I think less of you?’ he said eventually. ‘You’d just found your father’s corpse. There was a bullet hole in his head. If you can’t panic then, when can you?’
Doyle said nothing. Poe noticed the nape of her neck had flushed red. He decided to move on. ‘We’ll circle back to that,’ he said. ‘When were you arrested?’
‘Around eight p.m. That chief inspector you mentioned read me my rights. Uniform handcuffed me and I was brought here in a van.’
‘Were you in the house the whole time?’
‘No, I was waiting in a marked police car.’
‘They brought you back here and swabbed you? Took your clothes?’
Doyle nodded.
‘And when they asked who you wanted informed of your arrest, you didn’t say a solicitor, you said me?’
She nodded.
‘Why?’ he asked.
‘I’m in trouble, Poe. And the fact you’ve been asking questions about where my car was parked, about the state of the fire, means it’s even worse than I imagined. I called you because you’re the only person I trust.’
‘You don’t trust Northumbria Police?’
‘I don’t trust them not to accept the first explanation that presents itself.’
Poe put his notebook in his pocket and stood up. ‘I’ll speak to DCI Tai-young Lee,’ he said. ‘See if I can get her to consider bail. I’ll start working on what they have.’ He checked his phone. Still nothing from Bradshaw or Flynn. ‘Tilly is coming up to help. I’ll be back to see you as soon as the evidence has been laid before you. We can go through each bit then. Is there anyone you want me to contact?’
‘No, thank you, Poe.’
She stood up, too. Didn’t seem to know what she should do next. Poe knew he shouldn’t hug her, that Tai-young Lee would be furious, but he knew Doyle needed it. Needed the human contact.
Plus, he wanted to level the playing field a bit.
