‘We’re making lots of enquiries at the moment, Mr Porter.’ She pointed to the settee. ‘May I sit down?’
‘Yes, of course.’ He sat down again across from her.
‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Mrs Porter asked.
‘Yes, thanks.’ Allie looked up with a smile, instinctively knowing the woman would feel better if she had something to do.
‘It’s a good job I have her at the moment,’ Kelvin sighed as M rs Po rter bustled from the room. ‘My father died a few years ago now and she’s been like a rock ever since.’
‘Did she get on well with Suzi?’
‘Not really.’ Kelvin’s eyes dropped to the floor momentarily. ‘I think they tolerated each other, mostly.’
‘Oh?’
‘Mum never felt good enough. I couldn’t tell her otherwise. But Suzi had a way of doing that to people, making them feel small without trying. She always needed to be the centre of attention and, well, you know kids when they visit their nan. She spoils them and Suzi didn’t like it.’
‘I thought that’s what nans were for,’ Allie smiled kindly, noting the box of neatly piled toys in the corner of the room. ‘I wanted to ask you a few more things about Suzi. About Joseph Tranter, too.’
Allie watched him nod his head in recognition, waited for a reaction. But the mention of Joseph’s name didn’t stir up any kind of emotion.
‘I’m not much for the bloke but I got on quite well with him, despite Suzi’s attempts to make me do otherwise.’
Allie nodded. ‘Divorces often leave couples unable to communicate without becoming angry.’
Kelvin shook his head at this. ‘She tried to twist Jayden against him, too – that’s the elder boy, their son.’
‘That’s a shame.’ Allie paused. ‘How did she do that?’
‘She’d often bad-mouth him, try to stop Joe having access – you know, the usual nonsense. But, like I mentioned, I always found him okay.’
‘When was the last time you saw Mr Tranter?’
Kelvin frowned. ‘A couple of weeks back. It would have been on a Sunday, when he picked Jay up. He sees him every other weekend; collects him on Sunday morning and drops him off around six the same evening. As far as I can see, he dotes on the boy. I’m sure he would have seen him more if Suzi had let him.’
‘And how do you think he felt about your wife?’
‘Jay or Joe?’
‘Both, really. How was she with them?’
‘Jay’s a good kid, considering his earlier upbringing.’
‘And Mr Tranter?’
‘I’m not sure they ever got on that well. Two big egos together – it doesn’t work, does it?’ Kelvin’s shoulders rose up defensively. ‘From what Suzi told me, he used to knock her about a bit. I think that’s why she’s insecure now. It was all an act – I loved her for it but hated it too.’
‘She was a little difficult at times?’ Allie hoped to sound sympathetic rather than probing.
Kelvin smiled tenderly. ‘She often tried my patience.’
‘Do you think Joe still had a lot to do with Suzi?’
‘Personally I think he was glad he was out of it but he still wanted to see his son. Although he was always badgering Suzi for cash. She was always bailing him out for something or other. We used to argue about it all the time. But she defended him, saying he’d helped her get to where she was today.’ Kelvin shrugged. ‘I didn’t like it, but what could I do?’
‘And you, Mr Porter? How did you find Suzi?’
‘Sometimes lovely, sometimes crazy, depending on her mood.’
‘Did it not bother you what she did for a living?’
‘Not really, but she hadn’t been getting much work in lately. Said they were always going for younger models now. She’d been doing lingerie ads only for the past couple of years.’
‘You mentioned in your statement that you’d been arguing. Was Suzi in a bad mood when you left the house?’
‘She’d come home from work feeling sorry for herself. She was going to come to the club and have a meal with me but as soon as she got home, she
‘Yes, of course.’ He sat down again across from her.
‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Mrs Porter asked.
‘Yes, thanks.’ Allie looked up with a smile, instinctively knowing the woman would feel better if she had something to do.
‘It’s a good job I have her at the moment,’ Kelvin sighed as M rs Po rter bustled from the room. ‘My father died a few years ago now and she’s been like a rock ever since.’
‘Did she get on well with Suzi?’
‘Not really.’ Kelvin’s eyes dropped to the floor momentarily. ‘I think they tolerated each other, mostly.’
‘Oh?’
‘Mum never felt good enough. I couldn’t tell her otherwise. But Suzi had a way of doing that to people, making them feel small without trying. She always needed to be the centre of attention and, well, you know kids when they visit their nan. She spoils them and Suzi didn’t like it.’
‘I thought that’s what nans were for,’ Allie smiled kindly, noting the box of neatly piled toys in the corner of the room. ‘I wanted to ask you a few more things about Suzi. About Joseph Tranter, too.’
Allie watched him nod his head in recognition, waited for a reaction. But the mention of Joseph’s name didn’t stir up any kind of emotion.
‘I’m not much for the bloke but I got on quite well with him, despite Suzi’s attempts to make me do otherwise.’
Allie nodded. ‘Divorces often leave couples unable to communicate without becoming angry.’
Kelvin shook his head at this. ‘She tried to twist Jayden against him, too – that’s the elder boy, their son.’
‘That’s a shame.’ Allie paused. ‘How did she do that?’
‘She’d often bad-mouth him, try to stop Joe having access – you know, the usual nonsense. But, like I mentioned, I always found him okay.’
‘When was the last time you saw Mr Tranter?’
Kelvin frowned. ‘A couple of weeks back. It would have been on a Sunday, when he picked Jay up. He sees him every other weekend; collects him on Sunday morning and drops him off around six the same evening. As far as I can see, he dotes on the boy. I’m sure he would have seen him more if Suzi had let him.’
‘And how do you think he felt about your wife?’
‘Jay or Joe?’
‘Both, really. How was she with them?’
‘Jay’s a good kid, considering his earlier upbringing.’
‘And Mr Tranter?’
‘I’m not sure they ever got on that well. Two big egos together – it doesn’t work, does it?’ Kelvin’s shoulders rose up defensively. ‘From what Suzi told me, he used to knock her about a bit. I think that’s why she’s insecure now. It was all an act – I loved her for it but hated it too.’
‘She was a little difficult at times?’ Allie hoped to sound sympathetic rather than probing.
Kelvin smiled tenderly. ‘She often tried my patience.’
‘Do you think Joe still had a lot to do with Suzi?’
‘Personally I think he was glad he was out of it but he still wanted to see his son. Although he was always badgering Suzi for cash. She was always bailing him out for something or other. We used to argue about it all the time. But she defended him, saying he’d helped her get to where she was today.’ Kelvin shrugged. ‘I didn’t like it, but what could I do?’
‘And you, Mr Porter? How did you find Suzi?’
‘Sometimes lovely, sometimes crazy, depending on her mood.’
‘Did it not bother you what she did for a living?’
‘Not really, but she hadn’t been getting much work in lately. Said they were always going for younger models now. She’d been doing lingerie ads only for the past couple of years.’
‘You mentioned in your statement that you’d been arguing. Was Suzi in a bad mood when you left the house?’
‘She’d come home from work feeling sorry for herself. She was going to come to the club and have a meal with me but as soon as she got home, she
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