Chapter 34

Tiff tried to understand her feeling of foreboding as they knocked on Olivia and Logan Dench's door.

She'd been riding a strange wave of misplaced euphoria since leaving the lake. Inappropriate because a man was dead, but no less real. Penn agreed with her that something wasn't right. The feeling in her stomach hadn't been due to an overindulgence of dairy.

But Tiff was starting to realise how immersive it all was. When she was in uniform, she reported for duty and she followed instructions. She finished her shift, and although there were people still on her mind once she got home, they were not her responsibility. She had done her job, handed over and entrusted the incident to people much higher on the food chain.

But she'd been unable to un-grip this case from her mind once she got home. It was as though she'd taken responsibility for it, that it was hers and that she'd never rest until it was solved. Did the rest of the team feel that way about every case? she wondered as Penn looked at her questioningly.

She nodded as he knocked again. It had taken the same amount of time for someone to answer the door the previous day.

They heard the sound of locks and chains being opened.

‘Hello again,' Logan said, offering her a wide smile before looking curiously at Penn.

‘A colleague of mine,' Tiff explained as Penn showed his identification.

‘Ooh, CID,' he said, looking Penn up and down. Tiff could swear she saw a dismissive glint in his eye. ‘Sorry for the delay. I had headphones on, and Mom had the radio on loud in the kitchen. Do you want to come in?'

‘If you don't mind,' Penn said, crossing the threshold.

‘Mom's in here,' he said, pointing to the lounge.

He followed them in.

Olivia sat in a single chair close to the fireplace. She nodded a greeting, and Tiff sensed an unnatural stiffness in her posture.

Penn took a seat on the sofa, and Tiff sat beside him.

‘CID, Mom. Must be something important,' Logan said, closing the door before taking the other single armchair.

‘Just a few questions, if you don't mind,' Penn said.

‘Of course,' Olivia said, nodding.

‘I'm not sure what else we can tell you,' Logan offered. ‘But if you can tell us when the funeral?—'

‘We can't release the body quite yet. There are still questions around his death.'

‘What kind of questions?' Logan asked.

Tiff realised that although Penn had initially been talking to Olivia, Logan had steered the conversation so that all eyes were now on him.

‘We're not convinced his death was an accident,' Penn said.

Logan nodded. ‘Yeah, I think it was suicide too.'

‘Not the line we're going down either,' Penn responded evenly.

‘But I told you he was depressed,' Logan said, and Tiff wondered if she'd imagined the note of petulance that had crept into his voice.

‘Depression doesn't always lead to suicide, and his sister didn't think he was depressed. In fact, Esther thought he was the happiest he'd been in years, especially since meeting Olivia. He talked of a bright future between them.'

A small cry escaped from Olivia's lips as her eyes filled with tears.

‘How would she know? They barely spoke. We were closer to him than anyone.'

‘Well, actually, she didn't agree with you on that either. She said the two of you didn't get on.'

‘That proves my point exactly. We didn't get on at first. I was probably a bit overprotective of my mom, recently widowed, vulnerable. It didn't take long for me to see he was genuine. I really liked the guy, didn't I, Mom?'

‘Yes, yes, that's right.'

Tiff turned towards Olivia. ‘Had James been in any kind of trouble that you know of?'

‘How would she know that?' Logan asked.

Tiff ignored him and waited for the woman to answer.

Olivia shook her head.

‘Did he mention any arguments with anyone?'

Before shaking her head, Olivia offered the briefest of glances at her son.

Tiff turned to Logan. ‘I'm a bit dry. Any chance of a glass of water?'

‘Sorry, water's off. Burst main half a mile away.'

Tiff hid her frustration. This kid was not going to let them speak to his mother alone for even a minute.

‘Had James received any strange phone calls or visits?' Penn asked.

‘Nothing while he was here,' Logan answered.

‘Logan, I'd really like your mom to answer.'

Olivia shook her head before Logan stood up abruptly.

‘And I'd really like you both to leave. Mom is upset and grieving, and your presence is intrusive.'

Tiff looked to Olivia, but she said nothing and cast her gaze to the ground.

As they reached the front door, which Logan was holding open for them, Penn paused.

‘If your mom needs any help or support, we have people?—'

‘Mom is fine. She has everything she needs.'

Tiff swore as the door closed firmly in their faces.

‘What?'

‘I messed that up,' she said.

‘Not really. As soon as you directed a question to his mom, he was looking for a reason to throw us out. Despite appearances, he's uncomfortable with our presence and doesn't like his opinion on James's death questioned. Pretty sure he thinks we should have just accepted his word about the depression and left it well alone.'

So Penn had caught that too. But she still felt as though she'd messed it up.

‘But I've antagonised him now. He's never going to let us back in that house.'

‘He probably wasn't going to anyway, and to be honest, we have no cause to return. Let's head back to the station and regroup.'

Tiff took a last look around and then paused.

‘Okay, Penn, but just give me a minute. There's one more place I'd like to go.'