‘Can I have a few moments with my client?’ she asked the duty police officer.
He nodded and left the room.
‘What’s going on? What happened?’ she asked as soon as the door was closed.
‘She’s bloody mental, that’s what’s going on,’ he retorted, running an agitated hand through his hair. ‘We had a row. She accused me of having an affair.’
Kim’s heart jolted. ‘Does she know about our friendship?’
‘No, I’m sure of it. Anyway, what’s that got to do with anything? I’m allowed to have friends who are members of the opposite sex.’
‘Yes, but if she’s as paranoid as you’re always saying—’
‘Two business colleagues going out for drinks sometimes after work is hardly proof of an affair!’ He shook his head. ‘She doesn’t know, I’m sure of it. How could she?’
‘Okay.’ Kim sat down next to him at the small table and opened up her briefcase, pulling out a notepad. ‘Give me your side of the story, from the beginning.’
‘What do you mean, my side of the story? Don’t you believe me either?’
‘Of course I do. I just meant, fill me in on the argument before she called the police.’
He sighed, relaxing a little. ‘Okay, I’m sorry, I’m in a state.’ He drew a breath. ‘I was in the bathroom, straightening my tie, and she suddenly stormed in and started on me. She was having a go because I hadn’t put the bins out last night. I told her it was no big deal, I’d do them before I left for work. But that wasn’t good enough. She was banging on about how I should do it now, this minute, in case they came early. It was pathetic and I told her as much. She started shrieking at me not to talk to her like that... like she was stupid.’ He hesitated. ‘Then she pulled out a hotel receipt she’d obviously found in my wallet. It was for that breakfast you and I had in London last week.’
‘Oh, no.’
‘Yeah. I told her that we’d needed to meet up really early before I got my train to Manchester and that it had been easier to stay in London for the night, but she was having none of it. We ended up having a huge row, and next thing I know, she’s storming out into the hall and screaming at the kids that I hit her. She’s mental.’
‘Oh, Ed. Why hadn't you just told her you were staying in London overnight?’
‘Because she’d have thrown a wobbly and we’d have had another row. I know I should have, but it was easier to say I was taking the train straight from work.’
‘What happened then?’
‘I went out into the hall at the same time as the kids came running out of their bedrooms to see what was going on. Then our neighbour banged on the door because he’d heard the noise, and she ran downstairs to answer it. And...’
‘What?’
Ed hesitated and she could see he was picking his words with care. ‘He saw the blood on her face.’
‘Blood? How did that get there?’
‘Don’t ask me. She must have knocked her head on something—maybe she tripped on the landing. She looked a mess, and of course he looked at me as if I was some sort of monster. I’d had it by then—I walked out as she was phoning the police.’ He shrugged. ‘The rest you know. They picked me up from the office.’
‘Oh, Ed... it doesn’t sound good.’
‘You think I don’t know that? I’m so bloody fuming.’ His eyes glinted. ‘I know I’ve said it before, but I’ve had enough. I’m leaving her and I’m taking the kids with me.’
‘Look, calm down. It’s not as simple as that, you know it isn’t. Especially when they take into account her previous accusation.’
‘But she withdrew that charge, didn’t she? Couldn’t make it stick. I’m not leaving the kids with her. I don’t trust her.’
‘If you take them away from her illegally, it will be you they come after.’
‘Just let them try.’
It was bravado talk, but it was dangerous. ‘Ed, you need to keep a level head. That sort of talk won’t get you anywhere.’
He took a deep breath but she got the impression her words were slowly getting through to him. He exhaled. ‘I know. You’re right.’ His eyes met hers. ‘You mean a lot to me, Kim, you know that. You do believe me, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do. I know you wouldn’t do a thing like that.’
‘No matter how bad the cards might look stacked against me?’
Her hesitation was imperceptible. ‘No matter how bad.’
He took her hand in his and squeezed it, his expression relaxing. ‘I knew I could rely on you, and that means more to me than anything. I’m going to beat her at this, but I’m not a solicitor for nothing. I’ll do it through the courts and mince her. Show her that I’m not going to play her stupid games any longer.’
He was angry, justifiably so, but Kim couldn’t ignore the trickle of unease she felt at his words. She’d known Ed for five years now and they’d been close work colleagues even before it had recently started drifting into a closer relationship, but she knew how single-minded he could be when he got a bee in his bonnet. She’d often joked that few people would get the better of him when he put his mind to something and she knew how much his children meant to him. She almost felt sorry for Serena—even if the woman had brought it on herself.
They both looked up as there was a knock on the door and it opened.
‘Alright if we have a few words now?’ PC Harry Briscombe asked, coming into the room.
‘Before we start this,’ Ed said, ‘where are my children?’
Harry took the seat on the opposite side of the table. ‘They’re at school. Your wife rang a friend, who picked them up.’
‘Right.’
That seemed to relax him a little and Harry decided he’d jump right in before the man got too comfortable.
‘Your wife has made a very serious allegation against you, Mr Hamilton.’
‘Tell me something that doesn’t surprise me. It’s not the first time she’s falsely accused me.’
‘So you deny the accusations?’
‘Of course I do.’
‘Why would your wife lie, do you think?’
Ed’s gaze didn’t flinch. ‘I don’t know. It’s something she does. Her changes in mood can be quick and unpredictable—and if she wants something badly enough, she just goes for it. The truth counts for very little at the time.’ He paused, then added, ‘Just so you’re aware, I’m filing for divorce on the grounds of her unreasonable behaviour and I’ll be going for custody of my children. They’re the only reason I’ve stayed in my marriage as long as I have, but after today, I’ve realised there’s no point trying to go on. God knows what she’ll accuse me of next.’
He seems to have it all off pat, Harry thought, and he could just picture this man’s ruthless performance in court. Was it because he believed what he was saying, or because he’d spent time preparing his defence? Whichever, his words made Harry only too aware of the man’s confident expertise in delivering his message, compared to Harry’s own inexperience—and it was unnerving to put it mildly.
‘Yes, well if that happens, it’ll be a bit further down the line,’ he responded calmly. ‘In the meantime, I’m afraid it’s you having to defend yourself against your wife’s allegations of domestic violence that we’re dealing with here. What do you have to say about that?’
‘What can I say? It’s her word against mine, isn’t it? And she’s lying. She’s done it before and if I don’t put a stop to this now, she’ll do it again.’
‘Your wife tells us that the reason she dropped the charges six months ago was because you held her head under the bath water and threatened to drown her.’
The woman at his side gasped, her eyes flying to Ed in horror, but Harry kept his gaze firmly fixed on the man he was interrogating. His face was pale and he could see a little tick working in the corner of his mouth, but apart from that, he was holding himself rigid, his expression giving nothing away.
‘Another lie,’ he said calmly.
‘How do you account for the bruising to your wife’s cheek—the blood that your neighbour witnessed pouring from her nose?’
‘I can’t account for it. I didn’t lay a finger on her. Maybe she stumbled into the banister on the landing or as she ran down the stairs?’
‘So you admit she was running away from you? Why would she do that if she didn’t feel threatened?’
‘Because someone was knocking on the door—she was going to answer it.’
‘Wouldn’t you agree she must have felt threatened if she was prepared to open the door to a relative stranger and let him see what was going on?’
‘I’d argue that it could have been for more manipulative reasons. Maybe she wanted to be able to call him as a witness if she needed him.’
‘You seem to have an answer for everything, Mr Hamilton.’
‘I’m used to asking questions and looking for answers, Constable Briscombe. It’s what I do.’
There was an air of belligerence about him that got to Harry. A smart-arse lawyer, who thought he knew everything, was his impression; but he held himself in check, knowing he needed to be impartial at this stage of the proceedings. There was a slim chance that things might not be quite as they seemed, and that the man could be feeling justifiably angry.
‘My client has been living under some stress with his wife for a while,’ the solicitor at his side put in, perhaps realising that Ed’s attitude wasn’t doing him any favours. ‘Although today’s events have come as a shock to him, you can see he’s had plenty of time to think about their situation in general, and sadly he’s come to the conclusion that for the sake of their children, the marriage must end.’
‘Ah yes... Ms Kimberley Simpson, I believe?’
Harry switched his penetrating gaze to encompass her and though she smiled at him, he could tell it was forced.
‘Yes, that’s right. I work with Mr Hamilton and I’ll be representing him.’
‘I’m not so sure you will be, Ms Simpson.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘According to Mrs Hamilton, she claims to suspect that you and her husband are having an affair, and as such, you could be called upon as a witness should the matter go to court. I think, in the circumstances, Mr Hamilton might be advised to choose a new solicitor to represent him.’
The woman looked as if she’d been punched in the stomach. ‘What! Ed and I are work colleagues and friends. And that is all.’
It didn’t take being a policeman for Harry to suspect that she was being somewhat economical with the truth. Her darting look in Ed Hamilton’s direction gave away more than she realised.
His gaze shifted from one to the other of them. ‘I’m afraid a lot of these cases are based on one person’s word against another’s. At the end of the day it will boil down to who comes up with the best witnesses and who the jury believe, should it go to Court.’
He could see that had unnerved Edward Hamilton and couldn’t suppress the small stab of satisfaction that he’d rattled the man. And what he was about to say next was going to knock him off his perch even more.
Now...’ He looked at a piece of paper on his desk. ‘I’m afraid for the time being, Mr Hamilton, I think it would be in everyone’s best interest if you were to stay somewhere else for the time being? Your wife’s requesting a Restraining Order preventing you from seeing either her or the children until this matter’s settled. She’s asked us to organise a lawyer to act for her.’
‘What? She can’t do that—I have rights.’
‘The court will decide what rights you have—’
The words were barely out of his mouth before Ed Hamilton had jumped up from his chair, a look of sheer fury on his face. ‘Are you charging me at this point, or am I free to go? If I’m not allowed to have Kimberley as my solicitor then I need to find another one. I’ll have my signed statement in your office later today.’
Harry returned his gaze steadily. ‘I have one more question, before you go,’ he said. ‘Your wife says you argued over a receipt she found showing you’d been staying in London when you’d said you were going to Manchester? Is that the case?’
‘It was part of the argument, yes. I had a business breakfast.’
‘Your wife seems to think you were meeting another woman?’ Harry was careful not to look at Kimberley Simpson as he said the words.
‘I know she does, but she’s wrong. Kimberley had an important meeting that day with a doctor who’s being sued for malpractice, and she needed my input. I stayed at the hotel, but she didn’t. You can check that out for yourself if you want... it was the Hunter’s Hotel in Piccadilly. They’ll confirm the reservation was for one, even if the breakfast was for two.’
Which didn’t necessarily mean Kimberley couldn’t have slipped in unnoticed, Harry thought, standing up and bringing the interview to a close.
‘I think we’re about done for now,’ he said pleasantly. ‘Your wife will be taken to the hospital to be properly examined and once we have the opinion of the doctors with regards her injuries, we’ll be back in touch to let you know where we go from here.’
‘Fine. But if you press charges, you’ll be making a big mistake. My wife’s a compulsive liar—you wouldn’t be the first man to be taken in. Come on, Kim, I need some fresh air.’
After they’d left, Harry moved over to the window to watch them exit the building. There was no substance to the man’s veiled insinuations at all—he hoped he was a better cop than to be taken in by a pretty face. But if there was truth in her accusations, then despite the fact he was prepared for resistance from his boss, he intended seeing it through to the end. He wasn’t going to stand by and let her be bullied out of pressing charges.
CHAPTER FOUR
OUTSIDE ON THE PAVEMENT, Kim cast Ed a concerned look. ‘Are you okay?’
‘What do you think?’
‘I’m sorry. It’s so horrible.’
‘I should have seen it coming. She’s been spoiling for a fight, the last couple of weeks. I should have recognised the signs from last time.’
‘What do you think she’ll do?’
‘Oh, she’ll get her penny’s worth out of it and then she’ll drop the charges I expect. She can’t afford to let them run—she needs my income too much.’
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and Kim felt her heart go out to him. ‘Do you really think she’ll drop the charges?’
‘Yeah. I’ll calm her down like I did last time—except that this time, I’ll file for divorce and apply for custody of the kids in return for her getting a comfortable living. I think she’ll agree. She doesn’t want to work, so she needs my money.’
Unwittingly, Kim remembered what the Constable Briscombe had said about why she’d dropped the last set of charges, and she found herself trying to visualise that scene. Could she imagine Ed doing something like that? Holding someone’s head under water in anger? The thought made her feel sick.
‘It won’t be an easy ride though,’ Ed added. ‘I know that. She’s so unpredictable. I was reading about narcissistic psychopaths the other day—how they love-bomb you one minute and then treat you like shit the next—it’s her to a tee. Except these days, there’s not much love-bombing going on, and I’ve had enough. I’ve always worried about the effect it would have on the kids if we split up, but now I think it would be worse for them if we stay together. You can understand that, can’t you?’
‘Of course I can. It’s been obvious for a while that things aren’t right between you.’ They’d reached Kim’s car and she flicked the remote. ‘Are you coming back to the office?’
‘Only to pick up my car. I need to get some stuff from the house before I’m banned, and there’s something I want to do.’
Kim cast him a worried look. ‘Is that wise... going back to the house when they’ve told you not to?’
Ed’s lips tightened ominously. ‘They haven’t issued any Restriction Order, yet so they can go whistle if they’ve got a problem with it.’
‘Where will you stay?’
He shrugged. ‘I’ve got a couple of mates who I know would put me up but I’m not sure I want to involve them at the moment. I’ll probably ask my parents.’
‘I’ve got a spare room you can use if you want.’
The offer was out before Kim knew it, and she bit her lip, knowing she would probably have done better to hold her tongue.
‘It’s nice of you to offer, but I don’t really want to involve you in all this, either.’ His gaze held hers steadily and he seemed to be saying so much in that look. ‘We’ve become good mates over the last few years and sometimes I’ve been tempted to take it further, but... it wouldn’t have been right, and I wasn’t even sure you felt the same.’
The last sentence seemed to hover in the air between them, more a question than a statement. It was what she’d been longing to hear for what felt like an eternity and she was about to say as much, when her attention was caught by the sight of Serena emerging from the police station. She spotted Kim and Ed at the same time as they spotted her, and her eyes filled with rage as she ran over to Kim’s car and yanked open the passenger door. She completely ignored Ed sitting in the passenger seat, her gaze fixing accusingly on Kim instead. Kim bit back a gasp at the bruising on her face and swollen eye.
‘You know what? You’re welcome to the bastard because this time I’ve had enough. But take a long, hard look at my face before you decide to step into my shoes. Because I’m telling you now, it’s not a nice place to be. As for you Ed, this time I’m going ahead with the charges and you won’t bully me into dropping them. They’re taking me to the hospital now to check my injuries, so you’d better get a good defence prepared.’
Before either of them could respond, she drew back from the car and slammed the door shut. In front of them a police car had pulled in, and with a final, almost pitying look at Kim, she opened the passenger door and climbed in.
Behind Closed Doors Page 2
