Talking

December 24th , 3 p.m. There were police and other related cars queued up in one of Oxford's residential streets. Aaron Norton looked out the window from behind the curtain: there seemed to be some interest in his neighbour, Donna Smith. Men and the occasional woman walked in and out of her house, some wearing a police uniform, some wearing a white protective suit. Aaron watched the scene intentionally, captivated. He was working at home today but didn't actually get much work done: too many interruptions. Elenora kept asking him to taste the food she was preparing for Christmas dinner at her parents'. She was a good cook. Aaron heard her humming a Christmas song and smiled. She was totally unaware of the fuss going on next door to which he now returned his attention. Two men wearing regular suits, like the ones he wore to work, just walked out of the house followed by a woman in a white one. They talked. With their backs turned towards him he couldn't discern what they were talking about but he did recognize one of the men. Suddenly this man turned his head towards him. Aaron quickly hid behind the curtain but knew he had been spotted.

"Shit, he's a cop" he muttered under his breath before returning to his work.

Lewis and Hathaway walked out of Donna Smith's house. There was nothing more they could do or see inside. Dr. Hobson followed them out.

"What else can you tell me, Doctor?" Lewis asked.

"You mean besides time and cause of death?"

Lewis nodded. Hathaway looked down the hall they'd just left and caught a glimpse of someone watching them from next door. But before he could check who the observer was, the doctor spoke.

"I think you're looking for a very strong man. It takes a lot of force to strangle someone with one hand while the other is used to suffocate that same person. Her assailant was probably taller."

"Strong, or angry?" Lewis asked rubbing his forehead.

"Very angry" she said, stressing the first word. "I'll know more after the post mortem."

She looked at Lewis' tired face and softly touched his arm before she left the scene. He followed her with his gaze while Hathaway turned his head towards the neighbour's house and caught a glimpse of the man watching them.

"Someone's very interested" he said moving his head towards the window.

Lewis followed his motion but saw nothing.

"You follow up on the neighbourhood canvass, then. I'll talk to the friend who reported her missing. See you back at the station."

"I'll get it!" Elenora yelled from the kitchen. She was closer to the front door and this way Aaron didn't have to get up from his work; she'd interrupted him too often already. She wiped her hands on her apron and went to the door. She heard Aaron say something about not opening it but it was too late for that.

"Hi, I'm..." Hathaway started, turning towards the now opened door.

Seeing her, he was completely lost for words.

Elenora was lost for words too. Standing in front of her was the man she'd seen on Saturday and that was in the photograph still lying on her dinner table. And he was going to introduce himself.

"What's going on?"

Aaron interrupted the bewildered silence. Hathaway was first to recover.

"I'm Detective Sergeant James Hathaway." He showed them his badge. "I'd like to talk to you about your neighbour, Donna Smith."

At precisely that moment Donna's body was carried out of the house. Hathaway noticed it from the corner of his eye and had to tear himself away from Elenora's staring gaze to see it properly. She followed his gaze, as did Aaron who'd taken place behind his wife holding her by the waist. The three of them watched the body bag being walked down the driveway, all with mixed feelings.

"Is she..." Elenora stammered.

Hathaway met her eyes again. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

Elenora's face turned pale. Her surprise and hidden happiness to find this man on her doorstep was instantly replaced by sadness. Tears welled up in her eyes but she tried to fight them. Hathaway witnessed the change and wanted to pull her close to comfort her through her obvious pain. But it was her husband that did that.

"I don't think this is the best of times to ask questions, sergeant...?" Aaron said, only pretending to have forgotten his name.

"Hathaway, sir." He took a breath hoping to clear his head. "I understand but if you could just tell me when you saw Ms. Smith last. That would be of great help."

Aaron glared at Hathaway who was still looking at Elenora. He tried to turn her into his arms so she'd get out of his sight. She let him.

"She probably doesn't remember, sergeant. My wife has amnesia, you see. I for one haven't seen Donna in over a week."

"Ella?"

Hathaway said it without thinking. And although Elenora was barely listening, she picked up on both her husband's patronizing tone and Hathaway's contraction of her name. No one ever used this one; people called her Elle or Nora but never Ella. It didn't sound unfamiliar, though. He'd sent shivers down her spine just by saying that. She turned back around.

"I do remember" Elenora said with a broken voice. "Monday morning, eight thirty. She was leaving for work. I talked to her."

"Did anything seem to bother her?"

"No, not that I know of. She didn't mention anything."

"And after that?"

"I noticed her car in the driveway the next morning so she must have gotten home." Elenora looked at her neighbour's house and the tears welled back up.

"I think that's enough, sergeant" Aaron said with a stern voice. He was getting annoyed by the fact that they seemed to forget he was standing right there, a witness to their conversation that he felt could have continued forever.

Thinking as a police officer, Hathaway didn't agree. But seeing Elenora's tear-stained face overruled his common and professional sense. He couldn't torture her any longer.

"For the moment, yes. If I can get your contact information in case I've got more questions?"

Aaron reluctantly told him what he needed to know and Hathaway left looking back one last time, only to see Aaron slightly urge his wife to go inside. She too looked back one last time catching a last glimpse of Hathaway before Aaron decisively closed the door on them.

When Hathaway returned to the station Lewis was already talking to Chief Superintendent Innocent in their office.

"Glad you could join us, sergeant" she said when he walked in.

"Ma'am" he nodded before setting himself down in his chair.

"Did the neighbourhood canvass yield anything?" Lewis asked.

"Not really. I spent my time talking to Mr. and Mrs. Norton, the neighbours. She said she saw the victim Monday morning, nothing out of the ordinary. She left by car and the next morning Mrs. Norton noticed it in the driveway so she must have come home with it. After that, nothing."

"And he?" Innocent asked. "Lewis told me you saw him watching you."

"Hadn't seen her in over a week. He's the nosey type, I think. And he's very protective of his wife" he added softly.

"Why is that important?" Innocent gave him a quizzical look.

"It's not" Hathaway responded thoughtfully, only then realizing he'd said it out loud. Innocent and Lewis shared a look.

"Just an observation" Lewis said in defence of his sergeant.

"Right." Innocent shrugged. "So we have a murder on the day before Christmas. You guys had plans?"

Both men nodded.

"Me too. And doctor Hobson just informed me she won't be doing the post mortem until after Christmas. So I suggest we leave this for a later day. Happy Christmas."

Innocent walked out of the office, leaving Lewis stunned and Hathaway who was absent-minded anyway, confused.

A/N: The next chapter will be published in about two weeks because I leave for a week's holiday in Prague tomorrow. Sorry! I hope the city will be of good influence.

Gros Bisous, Suzanne