Rest Assured (32 page)

There was a long pause. Lambert and Hook both knew that there was no need to hurry now. It was Hook who eventually prompted her. ‘Do you think Wally spied on you, when you were here with Wayne?'

She glanced for the first time in many minutes at her husband, but Matt Potts sat as if turned to stone, staring steadily through the window at the innocent world outside. ‘I think he must have done. He kept telling me how much he would enjoy telling Matt about what he called my “sexual athleticism” and how fast I could get my pants off, unless I came up with the money he wanted. And each time he taunted me, he laughed and took another drink.'

‘So eventually you stopped him doing that.'

‘Yes. I'd no intention of killing him, none at all. I just wanted to shut his filthy mouth and stop him laughing at me and taunting me about Matt. Eventually he said I could have a drink with him. He'd give me a glass and we would drink a toast to my future. When he turned away from me I grabbed the bottle and hit him on the back of the head with it. I hit him as hard as I possibly could. I only wanted to hit him the once. I just wanted to shut that filthy mouth of his. He didn't even shout or grunt. He fell on his face on the ground in front of me.'

She stopped again, staring out of the window alongside her husband, watching the Martindale boys, Nicky and Tommy, going past with their golf clubs in small bags on their shoulders, the epitome of excited childish innocence. She said like one in a trance, ‘I like children, you know. I'm quite good with them: I get them to enjoy history. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't teach.'

‘Did you think he was dead?'

‘I thought he might be, yes. I didn't want to touch him. I know that you should check the carotid artery, but I couldn't bring myself to touch him. Matt would have known what to do, but I didn't.' This time she didn't look at her husband, but spoke as if he wasn't there.

It was left to Hook to prod her forward. ‘But you knew where there was some rope.'

‘Yes. In the boatshed which was almost beside us. I think that it was because Wally had talked about Wayne and me in there that I got the idea. I thought if I could throw the rope over the branch of the oak tree and make a noose, people might think he'd hanged himself. I can see now that that was never going to work, but I couldn't think straight then. I just kept staring down at the blood seeping from the back of his head. Matt would have done something much better, but I didn't want him involved. I put the noose I'd made round Wally's neck as he lay on the ground, then hauled him up and fastened the rope around the tree. It was easy. He didn't weigh more than a child. And I'm a strong, fit woman – an athlete, as Wally had said.'

She gave a strange sound which was almost a giggle, then sat straight-backed, composing herself like a self-conscious schoolgirl. ‘I managed to do the whole thing without looking at his face. I didn't want to see Wally's face ever again. I had the crazy idea that he might still be laughing at me.'

They put her in the back of the waiting police car, handcuffed to a female officer in uniform. She turned to Lambert and Hook as soon as she was seated and repeated her words: ‘It wasn't Matt. He would have done something much better, you know.'

Then she looked straight ahead and sat fiercely upright as she was driven away.