'So' Harry began, 'now we have the simple matter of finding out what these two people had in common.'

'And why somebody would want to kill them' interjected Nikki, helpfully.

Harry nodded. 'And who that person is.'

'And where they are.'

'Hmmm.'

Nikki and Harry were mulling over their new case back at the Plymouth lab with two large cups of tea.
DCI Noakes had insisted on pulling out a large glass-sheet board to document the investigation, adding photos and details in gratuitously colourful writing.

Nikki looked from one photo to the other – they were rather ignominiously labelled 'STEVE HEBDEN' and 'PILLOWCASE WOMAN'. She was struck by how little they had to go on in each case. Both bodies had been meticulously cleaned, and their only similarity seemed to be a parallel taste in bedlinen.
Hardly foolproof evidence.

'We really need to get an ID on our Jane Doe.' Nikki noted, seating herself at an available desk.

'DCI Noakes is taking a look through missing persons to see if anything turns up there.'

Nikki slumped in her chair, defeated. 'So there's nothing we can do.'

Harry looked over. 'Are you okay?'

'No, I slept appallingly. My bed is incredibly, incredibly uncomfortable.'

'Ah. You're missing your incredibly large, comfortable bed at home. These ones probably haven't seen quite as much action as yours, though.' Harry grinned cheekily.

Nikki scanned the desk for something weighty to throw, but most good-size objects seemed to be secured to the desk itself. Nikki wondered whether the previous owner of this desk had as much trouble with their colleagues as she did.

She was pulled out of her brief reverie by the arrival of a Lab technician. 'Your results from the rape kit' she announced meekly, shyly placing the folder on an empty desk before departing. Harry watched her leave before picking up the results.

'You think she's intimidated by us posh London types?' he asked.

'No' countered Nikki. 'I just think people here aren't as accustomed to seeing your big ugly mug as Leo and I am.'

Harry began to smile, but suddenly his face shifted.

'Harry?'

He crossed over to the board and checked something, before quickly turning around, triumphant.

'Looks like we have a lead on our mystery woman.'

Nikki sat up 'Mother? Sibling?'

Harry shook his head. 'Lover'.

*****

'So Steve Hebden was cheating on his wife?' asked Nikki, still a little shocked.

'Yep. There was no suggestion of rape, so sex appeared to be consensual. And there was evidence that there had been quite a prolonged relationship.'

'Blimey' Nikki breathed. 'I don't know why, but as Leo's godson I'd assumed he'd be almost saintly, you know?'

They were in a police vehicle, travelling down to Totnes with DCI Noakes to meet Steve Hebden's wife, Sonya. Harry felt a small burden of guilt that they might be the bearers of such bad news to his widow.

DCI Noakes swivelled round in the passenger seat to face the pathologists.

'She's been an utter wreck, apparently. Completely trashed her apartment, they've had to have a carer in to help her deal with the grief. We've got twenty minutes, tops.'

Harry nodded. 'Any word on whether she knew about the affair?'

'We haven't put it to her. There were definitely no previous suggestions of adultery – but she wasn't really in a fit state to explain much to us, really'.

The car passed through a leafy suburban district, each of the lawns well-kept and distinguished by leafy well-maintained hedges.

'Nice area. Bit out of the city though.'

'Mmm. Didn't know Accountancy paid so well. It's an expensive district.'

Harry shifted in his seat, slowly tugging at the seatbelt. 'Our boss suggested that there might be money in the family.' He paused. 'Could be a possible motive?'

Noakes shook his head. 'There's been no activity on his bank cards since Saturday. Zip, zilch, nada. Besides, you said the ferocity of the attack and the use of a knife suggested more personal motive?'

Harry opened his mouth to speak, then quickly shut it again, trying to think of a less vapid point.

'Well' continued Noakes, 'if money is involved in some way, my money's on the Missus. Don't think she works. Might have got bored, being a kept woman.'

Nikki continued to stare out of the car window, partially to offset her terrible car-sickness caused by the incredibly bendy roads, and partially to avoid being caught up in this slightly testosterone-fuelled debate of motives.

'I mean.. it's possible that money was getting tight..' Noakes continued, regardless. 'I mean, it is a recession. Maybe there wasn't much money going spare.'

On the horizon, the Hebden house came into view. 'There was money going spare all right' noted Nikki, as the other two leaned over to look out of the window.

*****

Nikki had never seen such an imposing house in all her life.
A giant red-brick-and-marble behemoth, its great pillars alone were as tall as the suburban houses they'd passed earlier. Beautifully maintained trees and shrubs lined the gravel pathway leading up to a wide-basined grey stone fountain, intricately carved with Grecian gods and goddesses.

'Blimey' murmured Harry, as he stepped out of the car. Noakes nodded in awe. 'Told you there was money in the family.'

A thin, pale young woman stepped into view, seeming almost minuscule compared to the huge columns that stood beside her. The DCI led the pathologists up the ornate marble stairs to the inlaid-bronze front door.

'Mrs Hebden? I'm Detective Inspector Noakes, this is Doctor Alexander and Doctor Cunningham'

The woman swallowed and gripped the handle of the door. Nikki watched her knuckles whiten.

'Won't you come in?' Her voice was surprisingly powerful, belied by the petite body.

As they walked through a decadent wood-panelled hall, Nikki was sure she could hear a phone ringing somewhere, aside the loud ticking of an ancient grandfather clock. The house smelled of leather and wood fires and old books, and Nikki was surprised by good condition the house was in, considering its apparent age.
The original decadent dormer windows with their flowing sash windows had been carefully maintained, and as a result the atmosphere in the living room was rather stuffy and too warm. There was also a certain deadening effect the house had – Nikki couldn't hear any outside noise at all. The oppressive finery that surrounded them seemed to her a little suffocating.

'Won't you sit down?' asked Mrs Hebden, indicating towards a seated area of deep satin sofas.
Harry felt strange being invited to sit down by a woman nearly ten years his junior, though her youth didn't show – she seemed gaunt and in the pale light, appeared twice her age.

DCI Noakes seemed to debate with himself how to open the conversation.
After a pause, he swallowed and began, 'I'd just like to say that I was so very sorry to hear about your husband'

Mrs Hebden looked at the carpet and ran her hand back and forth along the arm of the sofa.

'Mrs Hebden? I wanted to...'

'Sonya.' Mrs Hebden looked up suddenly. Harry caught a blaze of pale-blue eyes. 'Please call me Sonya.'

'Sonya' said Noakes, nodding. He seemed to try to speak again, but deflated, and resorted to staring out of the window.

Nikki sat forwards, and she noticed Sonya Hebden's wide eyes shift to her instantly.
'It's an incredible house you have here' she said, as Harry nodded in agreement.

'Thank you' said Sonya, her eyes never leaving Nikki's. 'It's been passed down through my family for a long time. My father always did a great deal to preserve it.. it was his pride and joy.'
She paused. 'He'd be disappointed to see what's happened to it now.'
Sonya's eyes returned to the carpet, lifting only slightly as the phone started to ring again in the distance.

Noakes seemed encouraged by this attempt at communication.

'Mrs Hebd.. sorry, Sonya, I was wondering..' he reached into his pocket and procured a photograph. 'Do you recognise this woman?'

Sonya Hebden carefully scanned the photo as Harry watched her large, pale eyes for any sign of recognition. She seemed to slump a little, somehow to becoming even smaller.

'Who is she?'
The powerful voice was suddenly a whisper.

'Just a line of investigation we're pursuing' stated Noakes, putting the photo back into his pocket.
'Now, Sonya, we have to ask you a few...' he was interrupted as the phone began to ring again.

'Sorry, do you want to answer that?' he asked, a little irritably.

Sonya shook her head, and visibly tensed. Nikki noticed her begin to run her hand along the chair's arm more fervently.

'Sonya, where were you on Saturday night?' asked Noakes

She remained quiet for a moment.

'Sonya?'

'HERE.' Her response was loud and abrupt, startling Nikki a little.

Noakes raised his eyebrows and took out a notebook. 'Here?'

Sonya nodded repeatedly, her eyes still not leaving the carpet.

'And where was your husband?'

No reply

'Sonya, where was your husband?'

Nikki noted Noakes harsh tone, and gave him a reproving look, which he ignored.

Sonya continued to stare at the carpet.

Noakes bunched his hand into a fist in exasperation.
'Sonya, I need you to tell me..'

'OUT' her small body began to sway with the force she exerted on the chair arm.

'Out?' repeated Noakes

'Out, he's always OUT, on SATURDAY, always, he's OUT'
She began to rock herself violently, forwards and back.

'Always?' Noakes began to write this down, but was interrupted by Harry getting to his feet.

'I think she's having a panic attack'
Sonya's tiny body was shuddering, her face now deathly pale.

Nikki quickly moved over to where Sonya sat and tried to break her gaze, which was still focused on the same patch of beige carpet. She could hear her still whispering the word 'out' over and over again.

'She's hyperventilating'

Harry knelt down in front of Sonya. 'Mrs Hebden? Sonya? Can you hear me?'
Sonya made no response, continuing to shake violently, still audibly murmuring 'out.. out..'

Noakes was sat in shock, watching the scene unfold. Nikki turned to him.
'Call the carer.. and find a paper bag!'

Noakes stood slowly, nodding. 'Call the carer.. right.'
He took two steps towards the door and paused, watching the tiny woman shake uncontrollably for a few seconds, before remembering himself and running out into the hall.

*****

As they walked down the imposing stairs once more, Noakes paused and took a backward glance at the house.
'Phew. Glad to get out of there.'
He took a deep breath and continued down the stairs 'What a bloody waste of time..' he muttered.

Nikki rounded on him. 'That was your fault. Your line of questioning was completely ridiculous!'

'My fault?' asked Noakes loudly, opening his palms wide. 'She's clearly unbalanced. Woman's deranged.'

Nikki stopped walking and turned to him. 'Deranged?' she took a step towards him, but Harry caught her arm. 'She'd just lost her husband!'

'Easy Nikki' Harry soothed, placing his hand on her other shoulder and turning her back towards the car. When she'd walked a few steps, he turned back to Noakes. 'I have to agree though. That was appallingly handled.'

Noakes gestured wildly back to the house. 'You saw what she was like!'

'She was grieving!'

Noakes shrugged. 'I still have both my parents. I've never really lost anyone. I don't know how to deal with grief.'

'You're lucky.' Said Harry, turning away in disgust.

Nikki took his hand and the two walked back to the police car, away from the shadow of the old, quiet house.

Thanks so much for each and every lovely review :) I'm having a great time writing this - feels like a very worthwhile way to avoid my History of Art essay! L xx