Page 113 of The Scene of the Crime

‘It sounds like you know rather a lot,’ she said curtly.

He shrugged. ‘Bits and pieces, but not the full details. That’s why I need to speak to you and other victims personally.’

‘Michelle wasn’t a victim of Cole. Well, not directly. But I need to know that you won’t speak to her. As I said, she’s in a bad way emotionally.’

‘What you tell me will be in the strictest confidence, and I won’t approach her unless I have to for the sake of the investigation.’

Chandice paused for thought. ‘Her name is Michelle De Klerk. You might know her as Michelle Belsham, KC.’

He feigned surprise. ‘Yes, I’ve come across her in court. She’s well known to the CID as a highly-respected defence barrister.’

Chandice laughed. ‘She told me the police refer to her as “that bitch Belsham”. She considered it a compliment.’

‘I have heard her called that,’ Wood conceded. ‘I didn’t know her married name was De Klerk.’

‘She’s a tough lady, Michelle, but she’s a totally different person outside of her work. Her husband, Johan, was stabbed during a burglary the other night and is critically ill in hospital.’

Wood tried to look shocked. ‘That’s awful. Now I see what you meant when you said she’s under a lot of stress. It must be very distressing for you as well.’

She sighed. ‘It is. But she didn’t tell me about it. I saw it on the news. Under the circumstances, I didn’t want to call her, so I sent her a text just saying I’m always here for her if she needs me. Sadly, I haven’t received a reply.’

‘She’s obviously focusing completely on her husband, but I’m sure she’ll contact you soon,’ he said.

‘I hope so, but somehow I doubt it. I think she’s embarrassed about what happened with Cole and now it’s awkward for her to talk to me. Which is so sad – we’ve been friends since universitywhen we studied law together, and we were each other’s chief bridesmaids.’

‘Are you also a barrister then?’

‘I wanted to be at one time, but then I decided to become a solicitor and specialise in human rights issues.’

‘Are you still practising?’

‘No. I haven’t done any legal work since I had my son eight years ago, and I also have a daughter aged six. I do sometimes wish I was still practising.’

‘What does your husband do?’

‘He’s a banker.’

Wood didn’t want to push her, but he was aware time was getting on. ‘What happened between you and Michelle that caused the falling out?’

‘Cole, to put it bluntly. Just give me a minute.’ Chandice walked out and he remained sitting on the high stool looking around at the state-of-the-art kitchen. He reckoned the massive glass-fronted fridge-freezer must have cost more than his entire one-bedroom flat. He turned as Chandice walked back in and perched herself on the stool beside him. She opened a small velvet case.

‘This is my engagement ring.’ She slipped it onto her finger. ‘The blue Ceylon sapphire is twelve carats, and the halo of diamonds around it are eighteen. The sapphire was originally in a necklace belonging to my husband’s deceased grandmother. My husband had the ring specially made for me.’

‘By Nathan Cole?’

‘Good lord, no. Garrard’s, the former Crown Jewellers, designed it. It’s quite similar to Princess Diana’s engagement ring.’

‘Can I ask how much it cost.’

‘Seventy thousand,’ she said coolly.

Wood whistled. ‘I’m definitely in the wrong business. So what happened?’

Chandice topped up their glasses with champagne. ‘You might not believe it, but I wasn’t always as slim as I am now. In fact, I was always a bit chubby, so I started dieting and going to the gym. As a result, my fingers got more slender and my wedding and engagement rings were no longer a snug fit. I told Michelle I was worried about them falling off. She recommended a jeweller her husband knew in Hatton Garden and took me to meet Nathan Cole. His shop was very impressive, with some very expensive and elegant jewellery, though I do also distinctly remember how it stank of cigar smoke.’

He was eager to get her back on track. ‘And he resized your rings?’

‘Yes, and I asked him to polish them as well. I left them with him for a few days, then I discovered a few months later that Cole had swapped the sapphire for an inferior stone.’