Page 83 of The Scene of the Crime

‘That was a pretty good deal for property worth about a thousand pounds.’

‘He wanted more, but I got him down. I wouldn’t have bought the stuff if I’d known it was stolen.’

‘Can you describe the man who sold it to you?’

‘Short guy in his fifties with grey hair.’

‘And would you be able to recognise him again?’

‘I might . . . I’m not sure.’

‘OK, we’ll move on then. Have you ever been on Wanstead golf course?’

Palmer laughed. ‘I’ve never played golf in my life.’ Jessica picked up that he now appeared more confident.

‘What about walking around it?’

‘I’ve never been anywhere near it.’

Baldwin interjected. ‘May I ask what playing golf has to do with the reasons for my client’s arrest?’

Anderson smiled. ‘Just curious, that’s all. What were you doing last Sunday night and Monday morning, Liam?’

Palmer shrugged. ‘I was at home watching TV and playing games on the Xbox and the PlayStation until the early hours. I got up Monday at about midday.’

‘Did anyone visit you at your flat on Sunday or Monday?’

‘No. I was on my own.’

‘Did you go out at all?’

‘Not on the Sunday. On Monday I went to the pub at lunchtime, had a couple of pints and a burger, then went home to bed and left for work at about eight fifteen.’

‘Which pub?’

‘The Bell on the High Road.’

‘Did you leave your work at all during the night, specifically between one and three a.m.?’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course I am. If I did and customers came along, they’d complain to the manager that no one was there to serve them.’ He was adamant, but Jessica could tell he was edgy now.

‘Have you checked the till receipts?’ Baldwin asked.

‘Yes, we have, and there were no sales between two and three a.m.’

‘It’s not unusual for zero sales at that time of night. I never left work and had nothing to do with that car being set alight,’ Palmer said, looking even more agitated.

‘Where exactly was the car found?’ Baldwin asked.

‘On Wanstead golf course, about a mile from the garage. We did a test run from the garage by car at thirty miles an hour. We were there within two minutes. The quickest route back on foot took twenty minutes. Driving to the dump site, setting the car alight and walking back could all be done in under half an hour.’

‘I can’t walk that fast. I’ve got foot drop,’ Palmer snapped back.

‘What’s foot drop?’ Anderson asked.