Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7) (10)

‘Ivanova?’ asked Erika.

‘It’s Bulgarian. Upstairs on the second floor is an elderly lady, a Mrs Wentworth. She lives alone at number four, directly above Vicky’s flat. She says she didn’t see or hear anything tonight. She was in bed by eight.’

‘She’s very hard of hearing, and a bit doddery. We really had to hammer on her door before she heard us,’ added Robbie.

‘She told us that flat five, the one above Charles Wakefield, is vacant, and in number six, opposite her, lives a businessman called Ray Fontaine. He’s away most of the year working in China,’ said Amer.

‘Okay. What about the top floor?’ asked Erika.

‘The whole of the top floor is a penthouse flat, owned by a Henrietta Boulderstone, who also owns the building. There was no answer at her door.’

Erika watched as the SOCOs carefully loaded the stretcher containing Vicky’s body into the back of the mortuary van, ready to take it to the morgue. Moss and Peterson were standing at the steps of the police support vehicle with Tess, who was watching her sister’s body, her eyes wide. She had a blanket around her shoulders.

‘Good work, guys,’ said Erika, turning back to Amir and Robbie. ‘If you can cross-check all that info is correct, that would be great.’

It was coming up to eleven pm but the road was busy with police cars and support vehicles, and every light in the surrounding houses was on.





It was quiet and warm inside the police support van. In one corner there was a small seating area with a table, and Moss slid into the booth beside Erika. They were both facing Tess, who sat opposite, cradling a plastic cup filled with tea.

‘Thank you for your patience,’ said Erika. ‘Would you like some more tea?’

‘This is my third cup of tea. What are doing about my…’ At this point her voice broke and she pressed her eyes shut. Tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘My sister,’ she finished with a hoarse whisper.

‘I have an excellent forensics team working inside the flat. We have officers talking to the neighbours and searching the area. And we’ll shortly take this all back to the station and set up a full incident room,’ said Erika. ‘Are you happy to have an informal chat? I know it’s late, but we find that people often forget things after the crucial first few hours.’

Moss picked up a box of tissues and offered it to Tess. She took one and wiped her eyes. She nodded.

‘Earlier this evening, when I was passing the block of flats, I heard you scream from inside. How long had you been in your sister’s flat before you found her?’ asked Erika.

‘I’d just literally arrived. Key in the lock, opened the door, switched on the lights and…’ She swallowed. Eyes wide. ‘I saw her lying there, and I screamed. I haven’t screamed like that for… I don’t know if ever.’

Erika nodded sympathetically.

‘I checked my watch when I heard you scream. It was just after eight fifteen.’

‘Yes. I left the house just after eight. I only live around the corner.’

‘Did you see any neighbours, or anyone on the street when you arrived?’

‘No.’

‘Had the front door been forced open?’

‘No. I used my key to open the door.’

‘Did Vicky share any fears with you about her safety in the lead-up to tonight?’

‘What? No… No.’ Tess shook her head insistently.

‘How well does she know her neighbours in the building?’

‘They’re all old. She’s closest to the girls who live opposite. The Bulgarian sisters. They’re not great friends or anything, but they’re the only ones who are close to her age, twenty-seven.’

‘That’s Maria and Sophia Ivanova?’

‘Yes. They both work long shifts at the hospital and Vicky’s at home a lot, so she’ll often take in parcels for them. Their mother sends them stuff from home, Bulgaria. That’s how she got to know them.’

‘What can you tell us about Charles Wakefield who lives next door?’ asked Erika.

She looked up at them. There was a pause, and in the silence, Erika wondered if Tess has heard the commotion outside when they arrested him.

‘He’s a strange man. Vicky told me a few times that she’s caught him listening outside her door.’

‘Did Vicky ever talk about him specifically doing anything that she felt was threatening?’ said Erika, taking care not to lead with her questioning. Tess looked down at her hands, thinking.

‘No…’ she said, finally. ‘No. She just said he was a bit odd. Creepy.’

‘What do you know about him?’

‘Not much. He lives alone…’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘You don’t think he did this to Vicky?’

‘At this stage everything is a question,’ said Erika. ‘Did Vicky have a boyfriend?’

The use of the past tense seemed to hit Tess, and it looked like she needed a moment to recover.

‘Yes. Shawn. Shawn Macavity. They’ve been on and off since they graduated from college six years ago. He lives in Forest Hill.’

Erika hesitated; she didn’t know how far she could probe so soon after seeing the brutality of the crime scene.

‘Tess. There was a knife missing, a large paring knife in the kitchen.’