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‘Under the plant pot by the shed.’ The shed. The missing shovel.
‘Gotcha. Plant… pot… by… shed.’
‘They could have taken the key from there,’ Sam says. ‘It’s not very well hidden.’
‘We can check that.’
They go over it a further two times. Stuart tells him they’re just trying to build a picture, but Sam has the feeling he is being tested, that they are trying to catch him out.
‘And your gran had no enemies as such?’
‘She’s in her eighties, you do realise that? She’s not a Mafia boss. This isn’t some organised hit.’
‘And you’re her only living relative?’
‘Yes. Why? What is this?’
‘OK, Sam. This is hard, I know. It’s tiring.’
It is. He feels tired. The whole thing is pointless. The burglars will be miles away by now. Burglars. Murderers.
‘Look,’ he says, ‘you’ve got fingerprints and I’ve told you everything I know over and over. I can’t do this anymore.’
‘All right. We’ll need you to come in and give a formal statement later, OK?’
‘OK. Whatever you need.’
More tea. Where is Naomi?
The doorbell chimes. Sam almost jumps from his seat. The clock on the wall says 3.30 a.m.
‘That’ll be my fiancée.’
‘Stay there.’ Maddy leaves the room, returning a moment later with Naomi, who is in pyjamas and slippers with a coat over the top.
‘Oh, darling.’ She sinks onto the sofa next to him and holds him tight, whispering into his hair that she’s sorry, so sorry, you poor, poor lamb.
He lets himself weep onto the soft fabric of her pyjamas, breathes in the fresh scent of her – soap and perfume mixed with her lovely skin, her clothes.
‘I wasn’t here,’ he sobs.
‘And she was already… she’d already gone when you got here?’
‘Yes. No. She tried to talk, but she was too… She’d gone.’ He can’t speak for the racking sobs that have overtaken him. Vaguely he is aware of Naomi asking questions, telling the police that she can’t stay long but that she’ll come back with the baby.
The sky is lightening. Naomi is asking him where the key for the safe is.
‘Sam, the police are asking. It’s in the cellar, isn’t it? I can go down with Stuart. Just tell me where the key is.’
He tells her it’s a combination, tells Stuart the number.
‘Do you know what’s in there?’ Stuart asks.
‘Er… just cash, I think. A lot of cash.’
‘OK. We need to check it.’
‘Of course.’ Sam stands up, holds on to Naomi’s arm. ‘Can you bring Tommy? I need to see him. I want him here. Can you bring him? I’ll do the safe.’
