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Kim’s analytical and naturally sceptical brain turned that one over quickly. The woman before her was clearly fertile, given that she’d been on her third pregnancy. It stood to reason that they’d try again; and the sex of the child was always a fifty-fifty gamble. It wasn’t a profound prediction.
‘It gave me hope,’ Betts went on. ‘I was terrified I could have no more so the hope got me through the grief.’
Kim wondered what it was in people that made them want to know their fate or gain confirmation and validation of themselves through other means. Why give that control to someone else?
‘And you say Catherine was hogging the session?’
‘Oh yes, asking all kinds of questions about her future. I mean she wanted specifics: dates, times, places and names. Sandy kept trying to move on. To be honest, I could understand if it was Emily being as forceful as Catherine. Now there’s a woman who could be forgiven for hogging the session and getting everything she could.’
‘And why’s that?’ Kim asked.
Betts waved her hand. ‘Not my story to tell. You’ll understand when you meet her.’
Kim was intrigued. Emily was the next person on her list.
Kim opened her mouth as the front door burst open.
‘Bettina, Bettina, why aren’t you answering your—’
The man stopped shouting as he entered the room. His reddened face lost none of its colour as his gaze took in the visitors inside his home.
Kim was in no doubt that this short, raging, slightly overweight man was David.
‘Who are you?’ he asked, looking at Bryant.
The baby stirred at the sound of the man’s voice.
Bettina gave him a look while rocking the Moses basket.
‘We’re police officers,’ Kim said, standing and offering her identification. ‘We’re here to speak to your wife about Sandra Deakin.’
A look of satisfaction stole over his face. ‘Why, what’s she done now? I’m going to guess at fraud. She’s taking people’s money under false pretences and you’re finally doing something about it. Am I right?’ he asked, folding his arms and leaning against the door frame.
‘David,’ Bettina hissed.
‘Sandra Deakin is dead, murdered,’ Kim said, making no effort to soften the blow to someone who clearly disliked her.
‘Oh. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said, letting his arms drop so that his hands fell into his pockets.
‘You don’t sound very sorry,’ Kim observed honestly. ‘We understand you came into contact with Sandy on Thursday night when you arrived early to collect your wife?’
‘It was a simple error. Bettina told me to collect her at eight by mistake.’
‘No, David, I didn’t,’ Betts said, stepping away from the baby, who appeared to have been lulled back to sleep. ‘I said nine. It was your mistake.’
Betts spoke quietly but firmly. David’s nostrils flared but he didn’t pursue the disagreement further.
‘That woman has put all sorts of ideas in her head,’ he said, nodding towards his wife, whose cheeks were flushed in embarrassment. ‘I’ve had all kinds of backchat from her since she started spending time with that fraud.’
‘Backchat?’ Kim asked. He sounded as though he was talking about a spirited child.
‘You know what I mean. She’s no longer the woman I married, and that bloody troublemaker has been encouraging Betts to start a business and make her own money. She’s said things to me that she would never have said before.’
Kim was surprised at how open about his marital problems he was with a total stranger. It told her he felt justified in his dislike of Sandy and was trying to recruit others to his opinion. And, of course, Betts beginning to stand up for herself couldn’t have been of her own volition, Kim mused as Betts put her hands on her hips.
‘People change, David. I’ve already explained that I have to have something for me. Sorry, officers, you don’t need to hear all this.’
On the contrary, Kim thought. The whole scene was very telling. This man was losing control of his wife and he didn’t like it one little bit.
