Sandra and Esther walked over to a table by the window in the cafe that Gerry had told Michelle to go to. After about 5 minutes a tall, slim woman with thick brunette hair down to her waist walked over she looked like she was in her early 40's. Sandra and Esther stood up.
"Michelle Bell?" Sandra enquired.
"Yes, yes are you Gerard's colleagues?" Sandra and Esther looked at each other at the mention of 'Gerard' as a sign of acknowledgement that they mustn't call him 'Gerry' to anyone else.
"That's right" Sandra answered and indicated for Michelle to take a seat in the chair opposite.
"So shall we start at the beginning?" Esther said once Michelle had taken off her expensive looking trench coat and sat looking at the drinks menu.
"Right, OK," Michelle started. "Well it was 10 years ago when Ella died. It was the 30th August 2005 and the police think she died at 2.30 in the afternoon. She had been shopping with two friends that morning and had invited them back at 12 but they only stayed for about an hour. She lived on her own so no one, except whoever did this to her, was there at the time she died. I know she was in an unhappy relationship but she was happy during the two months before her death. She met a lovely lad called Gregory who had a good job and wanted the best for her. It was wrong of her to have an affair, I know, but I don't blame her. Dom is a nasty piece of scum and deserved what she did, although she claims he never knew. Look where that got her."
"I'm sorry" Esther said.
"I know this isn't easy for you" Sandra comforted "but how did Ella actually die?"
"Oh!" Michelle exclaimed. "How silly of me to leave out the main thing. What am I like!?" Sandra and Esther smiled at her encouragingly."She drowned in the bath, face down." Michelle swallowed deeply and then said "I fou- I found her.

After a waitress had taken orders of 2 latte's and a cappuccino Sandra was keen for Michelle to carry on talking.
"So where were you when the death occurred? At 2.30." She asked.
"At home." She said bluntly.
"Alone?" Esther carried on the questioning.
"Yeah, I'm divorced, Ewan, Ella's father, and I split when she was 2 and haven't had much contact since. I was supposed to be Meeting Ella at hers before going out for a meal, only when I got there.." she tailed off.
"What time did you get there?" Sandra asked
"4.00. Maybe a few minutes before."
"And that's the time you found.." Esther began to ask.
"Found her, yeah." Michelle clarified.

"Cappuccino?" The smiling young waitress came with their drinks.
"Yeah thanks" Michelle said taking the frothy mug. The waitress laid down Sandra and Esther's lattes and left.
"Can you tell me about Dominic Coleman?" Sandra said to Michelle who was staring into mug, slowly stirring her drink.
"Oh yeah. Dom, well he was no good. I don't blame him for how he was, he had a hard upbringing you know? At first I thought Ella might turn him around but after a year I knew that wouldn't happen. He was violent, never with Ella but with his friends and anyone who got in his way. He boasted about how much damage he had done and how all these people deserved it. Ella was scared if she left him he would hurt her. And he did."
"Why do you think that the he knew about Ella seeing Gregory?" Sandra asked.
"Why else would she be dead? It's an obvious motive, especially when you know what Dom's like. Maybe he saw them or maybe one of her friends told him? I don't know but I'm sure he killed her."
"What are the names of the two friends Ella went shopping with?" Esther suddenly remembered.
"Maria Phillips and Lydia Smith."
"Have you got phone numbers and addresses for them?" Sandra wanted to know.
"No idea, haven't seen them for years." Michelle Bell replied.
"OK well thanks for your help, we will be in touch if we need to talk to you again." Sandra said getting up.
"It was Dom." Michelle said looking into Sandra's eyes. "Oh give my love to Gerard!" Sandra half laughed and said she would. Esther and Sandra headed back to Gerry's apartment to discuss the meeting with him and Brian.