Tide of Death

'We've had the handwriting analysed, Mrs Thurlow. It is your handwriting.' Uckfield opened a folder in front of him.

'It can't be,' she declared.

Horton watched her as Uckfield spread out the four letters on the table in front of her. They were encased in plastic evidence bags. Her eyes slowly ran over them. When she looked up he saw confusion.

'I didn't write these.' Horton saw the first signs of doubt creep into Otton's eyes as he too studied the letters. Uckfield said, 'How long had you and Culven been planning to murder Roger? Three months, six months, a month? The fog must have been a blessing. Did it hasten your plans?'

'I don't know what you're talking about.' She appealed directly to Horton, who kept his face devoid of any expression.

If he were a betting man he'd say she was telling the truth. There was no other evidence to connect her to Culven. Their questioning of Culven's neighbours had produced no sightings of a woman and there was not a single fingerprint of Melissa Thurlow's in Culven's house, or on these letters.

Uckfield was pressing on. 'You and Culven plotted to kill your husband and when Culven had carried out your wishes, you killed him. You had no further use for him. All you wanted was to be free of your husband.'

Melissa shook her head frowning. 'I can't believe this. It's all utter nonsense, I keep telling you.'

'No. I'll tell you.' Uckfield leaned forward across the desk and Melissa instinctively recoiled. 'You met Culven at Horsea Marina on Friday night. Either you, or Culven, then suffocated Roger, whilst he was under the influence of the drug, Hypovase, which you put into his bottled water.'

She paled, but with shock or fear? Horton wondered.

Uckfield continued, 'Culven then took the Free Spirit through the lock whilst it was on free flow so that no one would see him. It was foggy so there was hardly anyone about anyway, and he motored down the Emsworth Channel to Warlingham where he put your husband's body in the tender kept on board and then took him ashore in it. He dragged Roger up to the tower and dumped him. He then took the Free Spirit back to a nearby mooring and came ashore where you met him, by car, and you spent the night together.'

She was shaking her head looking wretched. Horton thought Otton looked as though he was about to have a heart attack. Every now and then, as Uckfield had ran through his story in a matter of fact voice, Otton had opened and closed his mouth like a fish, but no sound had come from it.

Uckfield leaned back in his seat; he clasped his hands behind his head and went on in a conversational tone. 'On the following Tuesday you called Culven using your husband's mobile phone. We've checked the records. You arranged to meet him on the beach at Eastney. Once there you walked along it together and when Culven's back was turned you strangled him. What did you use? Couldn't have been easy, although Culven didn't look a strong man. Then to slow things down for us you cold-bloodedly bashed his face in.'

'No!' she shouted explosively.

Uckfield ignored her. He leaned back across the table and said softly, 'You have no alibi for Tuesday night, a car, your car was seen parked.'

'This is preposterous!' exploded Otton, 'What evidence do you have?'

Not enough, Horton knew. He kept his eyes on Melissa.

Uckfield ignored the lawyer. 'We know why you killed your husband, Melissa. Can't say I blame you in a way, a man with perversions like that.'

Her body stiffened and she clasped her hands tightly in her lap.

'I know it takes all sorts,' Uckfield continued, 'but not only was your husband a transvestite but he was also into pornography, the kind that would make your eyes water.' Uckfield sneered and almost laughed. 'What did he ask you to do, eh? Had you got fed up with his sexual demands? A jury wouldn't blame you. We'll show them the magazines, the filth that he liked looking at.'

Her eyes flickered to Otton and back to Horton. It was Horton she finally appealed to. 'What's he talking about, inspector?'

'We found magazines on your husband's boat,' he replied. 'They depicted sex scenes including bondage, and those involving both children and animals.'

'I don't believe you!' The colour drained from her face, her body swayed first forwards and then against Otton who put out his hands to hold her.

'A glass of water for my client,' Otton barked and Kate, at a nod, from Uckfield slid out of the room. 'My client needs a break, chief inspector. She's in no fit state to answer any further questions.'

Again Uckfield ignored him. 'Is that why you killed him, Melissa, because you found out about him?'

'No, Roger wasn't like that.' Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her face so pale that it was almost transparent.

Uckfield laughed. 'You expect us to believe that!'

She lifted her eyes and her face looked pinched with pain. 'Roger wasn't interested in sex…' She faltered and Horton was left filling in the blanks. He was beginning to see.

She swallowed hard. The door opened and Kate put the water in front of her. She was trembling so much that she had to lift the plastic cup with both hands.

Otton said, 'I think that's enough for now.' Uckfield slammed the table with his hand. 'It is not enough. Enough is when I get to the truth.'

With an effort she said, appealing to Horton, 'I am telling the truth.'

'I think not.' Uckfield sat back again. 'Why did you drug him?'

Horton didn't think she could go any paler but she did.

Slowly she said, 'I didn't know what the tablets would do.'

Horton thought Otton was going to have a seizure.

'Melissa, please,' Otton begged. She ignored him. 'I don't know how he got to the tower or why he was dressed the way he was.'

Horton spoke for the first time. 'Why didn't you simply divorce him?'

'You wouldn't understand,' she replied wearily.

Uckfield rose and said dangerously quietly. 'We understand that you, along with your lover, plotted and murdered your husband and then you murdered your lover.'

A flash of anger from her now, perhaps one final effort to convince them.

'That's not true. I have to make you understand. After the death of my father I was lonely and upset and Roger was kind. I thought he loved me but he didn't, he just loved my money and the status it brought him.' Her eyes looked back down the years. In them Horton saw an empty life.

'Roger wanted a wife with class and breeding,' she continued. 'He wanted to climb the social ladder; marriage to me gave him that. Sir Randall Simpson, my father, was very wealthy. But my friends soon got tired of Roger. I used to watch them cringe at his crude jokes and his constant bragging. I saw pity in their eyes. Poor Melissa, she's really got taken in and landed herself with a right one. So I stopped asking my friends round. Soon I didn't have any. I wasn't going to divorce Roger because that way he'd get his hands on my money, or rather my father's money. And if I had got divorced everyone would pity me and if there's one thing I can't stand it's being pitied. So Roger and I came to an arrangement. I would see he had enough money for all the things he wanted, like his boat, if he left me alone.'

Uckfield was staring at her in disbelief. He towered over the interview table. 'So you started an affair with Culven.'

She swivelled her eyes up to him. 'How many times do I have to tell you? There was no affair?' It was as if she had used up her last reserves of energy. She fell back in the chair, a dejected figure.

Otton, tight-lipped, said, 'Chief Inspector, my client is exhausted, as you can see. I insist on a break.'

Uckfield ignored him. 'I've applied for a warrant to search your house. We can wait for that or you can help speed things up by giving us permission now.'

'I've got to stay here? What will happen to Bellman? I've left him in the house.'

Horton said, 'We can take care of that. Is there anywhere you would like him to go? A friend or neighbour?' She was shaking her head before he had finished speaking.