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‘So where’s the Panda now?’ says Gis. ‘If it was rented someone must have missed it – if not straight away then surely by now.’
‘OK, DC Sargent, can you get on that?’ I say. ‘See if Robin Tierney hired that car, presumably from Heathrow when she first arrived? And if so, did the rental company ever get it back?’
Asante raises a hand. ‘Just one more thing, sir. If I’m right and Kate really was at the house that night, I doubt she walked all the way from Broadway.’
Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?
‘Good thought. Let’s check local taxi firms. There can’t be that many in the area.’
They’re starting to gather their things now but I stop them. ‘Before you go. Whether DS Asante is right about this or not – though for the record, I think he is – I don’t believe either DaisyorKate went to the house that day with the intention of killing Robin Tierney. None of this was planned, none of it was premeditated. And that means they’ll have made mistakes –’
‘Like leaving that burner phone behind,’ says Ev, nodding.
‘Right. And that may not be the only one.’
‘They didn’t make any mistakes last time, though, did they,’ says Stillwell. ‘Though, to be fair, thatwaspremeditated.’
I turn to her. ‘Actually, you’re wrong.’
‘Really?’ says Quinn, frowning. ‘As in –?’
‘As in a key piece of evidence that was instrumental in convicting Sharon Mason: the gloves. Kate Madigan planted Daisy’s blood on those gloves, wrapped them in newspaper and dumped them in a skip.’
‘So –?’
‘So, during the trial DC Everett, as she then was, came to me one day and said it was nagging at her how odd it was that the newspaper in question was theGuardian.She pointed out – quite rightly – that the Masons would never have bought theGuardianin a million years.TheDaily Mailwas definitely the paper of choice in that house.’
Ev has gone red, and even Gis looks taken aback, though I’m not surprised – this is the first time the rest of them have heard about this.
‘I should have trusted her instincts, but I overruled her. And I was wrong. If I’d spent even five minutes considering whether there was anyone in Daisy’s life who might have been aGuardianreader, I might – just might – have come up with Kate Madigan. And if I’d done that, none of this would have happened.’
I take a breath. ‘And Robin Tierney would still be alive.’
***
Phone interview with James Timms, Cotswold Cabs, Broadway
1/08/2024, 4.25 p.m.
On the call, DS C. Gislingham
CG:Mr Timms, is it? I’m calling from Thames Valley Police. Detective Sergeant Gislingham.
JT:What’s all this about, then?
CG:Would you have your records for June 15th to hand, by any chance?
JT:Are you accusing me of something?
CG:No, I’m just asking for your help, so if you wouldn’t mind –
JT:OK, OK, keep your hair on, there should be something here.
CG:It would have been sometime that evening, going from Cherry Tree House in Broadway to Hescombe.
JT:Hold on.
[sound of keyboard]