probably turn in her grave if she knew I was there. But who knows, I might change my mind.’
Fiona sipped her coffee and rested her chin on her hand. ‘Why do you want to see Scott?’
‘I also wanted to talk to you.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. You knew Amanda well, didn’t you?’
‘Because she had carnal knowledge of my husband, didn’t mean that I knew her. She’d been here numerous times, but it was just, you know, friendly dinners with some of the film people Scott was working with. I’d cook up a big pot of chilli and open lots of wine.’
‘It must have been very difficult for you.’
Fiona dropped her cookie-friendly act and stared hard at Anna. After a moment she turned away.
‘Well, it wasn’t very pleasant. I mean, I’ve got over it now, but it was a horrible time. She used to call him here, had this simpering little voice. I felt sorry for her, but that was before I knew what was going on. She always looked as if she was going to keel over she was so thin, but man, she could drink like a fish, hardly ever ate anything. She would down glass after glass; I don’t know how she could stand up. I couldn’t believe it, of all the women, she would be the one. But she was so needy and men always fall for that act, don’t they?’
‘It must have been very difficult for you.’
‘You already said that once! And yes, it was. It can’t be easy for anyone when their husband walks out, and especially when it’s front-page news before I was even told he was intending to run after her. I have three children under seven and it was stressful enough even when he was living here because of all his work commitments. Having the fucking press camping out on my doorstep was a bloody nightmare for me and the kids.’
‘Did you see Amanda over this time?’
‘You must be joking. If she’d come here I would have scratched her eyes out!’ She sighed and then laughed. ‘I must sound like a suspect and to be honest, I’d have liked to throttle her. In some ways, when I knew what had happened to her, I even thought she got what she deserved, but in reality . . . It’s sad, she was so young.’
‘I have to ask you this, Fiona. Where were you at the time of Amanda’s murder?’
Fiona looked startled and then said that she had been at home with her children and the nanny.
‘Did you ever see Amanda wearing this?’ Anna showed her the photograph of the gold cross.
‘Is it a crucifix?’
‘Yes, gold, with a gold chain.’
Fiona stared at the photograph and then passed it back.
‘I doubt she would wear something like that,’ she commented. ‘In fact, I don’t ever recall her wearing jewellery. She was always in skimpy T-shirts and mini-skirts – you know, showing off the skeleton frame. She had her tits done, I think, as they stood up like ice-cream cones.’
‘When was the last time you saw her?’
Fiona took her coffee cup to the sink and rinsed it out.
‘Maybe a few months ago. I was at a nightclub and she was there with Colin O’Dell and she smiled and waved at me as if nothing had ever happened between us. It made me so furious, but I didn’t go and pour a glass of wine over her, which I would have liked to do. I just turned my back.’
‘Was your husband still seeing her?’
She returned to the table.
‘I doubt it. She dumped him and he was in a real state and guess whose shoulder he came back to cry on – mine ! Mindblowing, isn’t it? He walks out, leaves me and the kids, and tells all the press he’s never been so in love and that he wanted to marry her, and then . . . expects me to welcome him back with open arms. Men!’
‘Is he living back with you now?’
‘No, he fucking isn’t. He comes and goes with the excuse of seeing the kids. We’ve got a parents’ day at school tomorrow so that’s why he’s here. We are not back together and we won’t be – ever. I can’t forgive what he put us all through and he knows it; it’s over. He was the love of my life. Shit,
Fiona sipped her coffee and rested her chin on her hand. ‘Why do you want to see Scott?’
‘I also wanted to talk to you.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. You knew Amanda well, didn’t you?’
‘Because she had carnal knowledge of my husband, didn’t mean that I knew her. She’d been here numerous times, but it was just, you know, friendly dinners with some of the film people Scott was working with. I’d cook up a big pot of chilli and open lots of wine.’
‘It must have been very difficult for you.’
Fiona dropped her cookie-friendly act and stared hard at Anna. After a moment she turned away.
‘Well, it wasn’t very pleasant. I mean, I’ve got over it now, but it was a horrible time. She used to call him here, had this simpering little voice. I felt sorry for her, but that was before I knew what was going on. She always looked as if she was going to keel over she was so thin, but man, she could drink like a fish, hardly ever ate anything. She would down glass after glass; I don’t know how she could stand up. I couldn’t believe it, of all the women, she would be the one. But she was so needy and men always fall for that act, don’t they?’
‘It must have been very difficult for you.’
‘You already said that once! And yes, it was. It can’t be easy for anyone when their husband walks out, and especially when it’s front-page news before I was even told he was intending to run after her. I have three children under seven and it was stressful enough even when he was living here because of all his work commitments. Having the fucking press camping out on my doorstep was a bloody nightmare for me and the kids.’
‘Did you see Amanda over this time?’
‘You must be joking. If she’d come here I would have scratched her eyes out!’ She sighed and then laughed. ‘I must sound like a suspect and to be honest, I’d have liked to throttle her. In some ways, when I knew what had happened to her, I even thought she got what she deserved, but in reality . . . It’s sad, she was so young.’
‘I have to ask you this, Fiona. Where were you at the time of Amanda’s murder?’
Fiona looked startled and then said that she had been at home with her children and the nanny.
‘Did you ever see Amanda wearing this?’ Anna showed her the photograph of the gold cross.
‘Is it a crucifix?’
‘Yes, gold, with a gold chain.’
Fiona stared at the photograph and then passed it back.
‘I doubt she would wear something like that,’ she commented. ‘In fact, I don’t ever recall her wearing jewellery. She was always in skimpy T-shirts and mini-skirts – you know, showing off the skeleton frame. She had her tits done, I think, as they stood up like ice-cream cones.’
‘When was the last time you saw her?’
Fiona took her coffee cup to the sink and rinsed it out.
‘Maybe a few months ago. I was at a nightclub and she was there with Colin O’Dell and she smiled and waved at me as if nothing had ever happened between us. It made me so furious, but I didn’t go and pour a glass of wine over her, which I would have liked to do. I just turned my back.’
‘Was your husband still seeing her?’
She returned to the table.
‘I doubt it. She dumped him and he was in a real state and guess whose shoulder he came back to cry on – mine ! Mindblowing, isn’t it? He walks out, leaves me and the kids, and tells all the press he’s never been so in love and that he wanted to marry her, and then . . . expects me to welcome him back with open arms. Men!’
‘Is he living back with you now?’
‘No, he fucking isn’t. He comes and goes with the excuse of seeing the kids. We’ve got a parents’ day at school tomorrow so that’s why he’s here. We are not back together and we won’t be – ever. I can’t forgive what he put us all through and he knows it; it’s over. He was the love of my life. Shit,
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