Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7) (46)

Vicky shook her head and wiped tears forming under her eyes.

Erika went on, ‘Why run? Sophia had a key to your place, and you have an alibi. You were out all afternoon. You would have been recorded on hundreds of CCTV cameras in Central London, and we can confirm this. You have scores of true crime books in your flat. You do extensive research for your podcast. Statistically, you must know that only a tiny, tiny percentage of women commit violent crimes. You wouldn’t be our first suspect. I don’t think you being scared is enough of an explanation for why you ran away.’

Erika sat back and realised she’d changed gear quickly. Was she pushing too hard?

Vicky opened her mouth and closed it again.

‘Have you ever found a friend brutally murdered in your bed?’ she said, looking up at Erika and Moss with a hardness in her eyes. They both said they hadn’t.

‘Then you have no concept of what I was feeling, how I am feeling and how terrified I was!’

She sat back and crossed her arms with a sense of finality. Erika could see Vicky was shutting down and becoming angry, so she decided to take a risk and lean into this.

‘Do you know who killed Sophia?’ she asked.

‘No! No, I don’t. I really don’t.’

‘Are you aware that your sister found Sophia’s body, and she wrongly identified her as you?’ said Moss.

‘What?’ said Vicky, her head snapping up to stare at them.

‘Tess thought she’d found your body, panicked, and for the first twenty-four hours we incorrectly identified Sophia’s body as you.’

Vicky continued to stare at them with her mouth open, and then shook her head.

‘I don’t know what else to say,’ she said.

‘Do you want to ask us any questions?’

‘No.’

Erika was disturbed by her lack of curiosity. Something was seriously off. She had a real interest in crime with her podcast, but she wasn’t asking anything about the crime scene, or if they had any suspects. She’d been so scared of being blamed for killing Sophia. And then she was adamant she didn’t know who killed her. It didn’t make sense.

‘Do you know any of the men who Sophia brought to your flat?’ asked Erika.

‘I know of Dexter.’

‘What about Shawn?’ asked Moss.

‘What about him?’

‘He told us that the three of you have sex together.’

Vicky looked coldly at her.

‘You know, I don’t have to be here. I can leave at any time.’

Erika could see that despite her bluster, her hands were still shaking.

‘Is it possible that Sophia knew you were out and brought a man over without asking permission?’

‘It’s possible.’

‘What did your neighbours think about this? You live in quite a small block of flats, and everyone must see people coming and going.’

‘I don’t care what they think.’

‘And what about Charles Wakefield, your next door neighbour? You just saw him, and you didn’t ask us why he was here?’

Moss glanced across at Erika. Vicky’s face was difficult to read. She seemed to be cycling through several emotions: fear, disgust, impatience at being asked. She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it.

‘What? Vicky? Do you think he killed Sophia? Is that what you’re scared of? Please. We can only help you if you talk to us.’

‘No!’ she said, pushing her chair back and getting up. Such was the force of her reaction to the question, her feet hit the table and it upset her half-full mug of tea. Erika and Moss sat in the silence for a moment as they heard the tea splatter onto the stone floor. ‘No… No. It’s late. I’m so tired. No. I want to leave. You said that I can leave at any time. So I want to leave. Now! Please… officers… I haven’t slept properly. I need to sleep. I can go and you need to let me go now!’

Erika looked at her watch. It was gone half past eleven. She felt like they’d barely scratched the surface of what had happened, and so much was disturbing in this situation. But she’d have to be patient. They needed to coax the information out of Vicky and to win her trust.

‘Okay. Thank you, Vicky. We’ll arrange for you to go to your sister’s house.’

‘Yes. Thank you.’

‘You have to understand that you won’t be able to go back to your flat for a while.’

‘I don’t ever want to go back,’ said Vicky. ‘Now, please. I need to go.’





30





Erika drove Vicky back to Blackheath from Lewisham Row, and it was midnight when they pulled up outside Tess and Jasper’s house.

‘Vicky. I know that you don’t want to talk any more tonight—’

‘I don’t!’ she said with gritted teeth. She went to undo her seatbelt.

‘Then can I ask you to listen for just one minute? It might make you feel better.’

Vicky sat back and gave a long sigh, which made her seem younger than her twenty-seven years. Like a teenager being disciplined.

‘If you know the person who did this, I promise you, promise you that you can tell me who they are and be safe. I will keep you safe… I have spent my whole career as a police officer going up against corrupt bastards, and many times they have been corrupt bastards in the police force. Officers who have a higher rank than I do…’