the taxi driver to drop us off on High Street. The pizza place was still open, so I grabbed one and then we walked back to her place. Her house is only ten minutes from there, when you cut through the backs. When we got to her place she opened up a bottle of wine, while I divvied up the pizza and she poured out two glasses. I guess you know what happened then.’
‘ You went to bed and had sex?’
Downheartedly he answered, ‘Yes. We had sex.’ Then his eyes lifted. ‘But that was it. Once the moment had gone I felt awful. I know I shouldn’t have done it. I said to her afterwards that we shouldn’t have done that. She told me not to apologise. There was no harm done, she said. We were both adults. I told her that I couldn’t stay and so I had a quick wash, told her I’d catch up with her later and then left. She let me out by the back door and I cut through the back streets home.’
‘ Did anyone see you leave?’
‘ No, not that I know of. To be honest I really was feeling shitty over what had just happened. And you know my circumstances. I didn’t want anybody seeing me there. That’s why I used the back streets.’
‘ When you say circumstances, what do you mean by that?’
He sighed, ‘That I’m married. Six years, this year. She’s going to find out, isn’t she?’
Hunter shrugged his shoulders. Resolutely he replied, ‘You don’t need me to answer that question, do you, Tom? I think you know the answer yourself. This is a murder investigation.’
He hunched his shoulders, ‘This is going to crucify her. We’ve not had a good couple of months together. Things have been a bit strained of late. We’ve just had a baby – a little girl – three weeks ago.’ He shook his head, ‘How can I have been so chuffing stupid?’
‘ Let me pull you back here, Tom. You’re telling us that when you left Gemma she was alive. Am I right?’
He looked aghast. ‘Course I am, for Christ’s sake. She was alive. She saw me out of the back door. I just said I’d be in touch. That was it.’
‘ And you never argued.’
‘ No, why should we? I hold my hands up I went to bed with her when I know I shouldn’t have done. I’m not proud of what I did, but that’s how it was. What else? Why should I harm her?’
‘ I don’t know. Maybe she wanted more from you, after you’d had sex together. Maybe she asked you to leave your wife.’
He shook his head vigorously. ‘No. Although I’m guessing she probably knew I was married she never asked me. It wasn’t like that. Jesus, you’ve got to believe me. It happened exactly like I’ve just told you. Gemma was fine about everything. In fact she gave me a peck on the cheek and said something like “if I ever needed her company again to give her a ring.” Honestly that’s exactly how it was. I’m telling you, when I left her she was alive.’
‘ Okay, Tom, what time did you leave?’
He thought about the question for a few seconds. ‘It would’ve been roughly about quarter to two. I say that because I can remember looking at my watch after we’d done it and it was just before half one. Like I’ve said, I got up had a quick wash, got dressed and then left. So at the most that was quarter of an hour.’
‘ And what time did you get home?’
‘ I guess it’s roughly twenty minutes to my house from Gemma’s, and I wasn’t strolling. I put in a bit of a jog so it could have been quicker.’
‘ Will your wife be able to corroborate this?’
Shaking his head he sighed, ‘As I said earlier, things have been strained between us. Baby blues and all that – I don’t know. She’s at her sister’s. She felt she needed a break, so she’s been there for the last couple of days.’ He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, ‘This is not going to help things with our relationship, is it?’
No more than you deserve , because instead of being at the casino with your mates you were getting your end-away with a vulnerable witness, Hunter thought
‘ You went to bed and had sex?’
Downheartedly he answered, ‘Yes. We had sex.’ Then his eyes lifted. ‘But that was it. Once the moment had gone I felt awful. I know I shouldn’t have done it. I said to her afterwards that we shouldn’t have done that. She told me not to apologise. There was no harm done, she said. We were both adults. I told her that I couldn’t stay and so I had a quick wash, told her I’d catch up with her later and then left. She let me out by the back door and I cut through the back streets home.’
‘ Did anyone see you leave?’
‘ No, not that I know of. To be honest I really was feeling shitty over what had just happened. And you know my circumstances. I didn’t want anybody seeing me there. That’s why I used the back streets.’
‘ When you say circumstances, what do you mean by that?’
He sighed, ‘That I’m married. Six years, this year. She’s going to find out, isn’t she?’
Hunter shrugged his shoulders. Resolutely he replied, ‘You don’t need me to answer that question, do you, Tom? I think you know the answer yourself. This is a murder investigation.’
He hunched his shoulders, ‘This is going to crucify her. We’ve not had a good couple of months together. Things have been a bit strained of late. We’ve just had a baby – a little girl – three weeks ago.’ He shook his head, ‘How can I have been so chuffing stupid?’
‘ Let me pull you back here, Tom. You’re telling us that when you left Gemma she was alive. Am I right?’
He looked aghast. ‘Course I am, for Christ’s sake. She was alive. She saw me out of the back door. I just said I’d be in touch. That was it.’
‘ And you never argued.’
‘ No, why should we? I hold my hands up I went to bed with her when I know I shouldn’t have done. I’m not proud of what I did, but that’s how it was. What else? Why should I harm her?’
‘ I don’t know. Maybe she wanted more from you, after you’d had sex together. Maybe she asked you to leave your wife.’
He shook his head vigorously. ‘No. Although I’m guessing she probably knew I was married she never asked me. It wasn’t like that. Jesus, you’ve got to believe me. It happened exactly like I’ve just told you. Gemma was fine about everything. In fact she gave me a peck on the cheek and said something like “if I ever needed her company again to give her a ring.” Honestly that’s exactly how it was. I’m telling you, when I left her she was alive.’
‘ Okay, Tom, what time did you leave?’
He thought about the question for a few seconds. ‘It would’ve been roughly about quarter to two. I say that because I can remember looking at my watch after we’d done it and it was just before half one. Like I’ve said, I got up had a quick wash, got dressed and then left. So at the most that was quarter of an hour.’
‘ And what time did you get home?’
‘ I guess it’s roughly twenty minutes to my house from Gemma’s, and I wasn’t strolling. I put in a bit of a jog so it could have been quicker.’
‘ Will your wife be able to corroborate this?’
Shaking his head he sighed, ‘As I said earlier, things have been strained between us. Baby blues and all that – I don’t know. She’s at her sister’s. She felt she needed a break, so she’s been there for the last couple of days.’ He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, ‘This is not going to help things with our relationship, is it?’
No more than you deserve , because instead of being at the casino with your mates you were getting your end-away with a vulnerable witness, Hunter thought
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