Free The Unkindest Cut by Gerald Hammond Page B

presence once again on this day after her wedding. But truthfully she knew if she wasn’t here at the station that she’d be doing some other chore, which would probably involve a lot more physical effort, so she was perfectly happy to put her brain to some good use in helping the investigation along.
    â€˜That’s much appreciated, thank you.’ Ian showed his appreciation and lead her back down the corridor and through a plain door labelled ‘Interview Room 1’.
    Inside was sitting DS Bright and another man, this one probably in his mid to late sixties, with a weather-beaten complexion and the brown leathery skin that comes with working outside most of your adult life. He also had the large and work-hardened hands to go with the impression that Jane had of him so far as a manual worker of some sort.
    â€˜This is Mr Mowatt. He is also a witness in this investigation and I’d like to conduct a joint interview with the two of you now, in the hope that you can remind each other of any significant details.’ Fellowes introduced the man to Jane and gestured to her to sit down on the other side of the table from the older man and DS Bright. After going through the legal procedure for recording an interview, Detective Fellowes was ready to begin the next round of questions.
    â€˜Mr Mowatt, why were you at Ledbetter’s garage earlier today?’ Fellowes began.
    â€˜Well, I needed to get some petrol, didn’t I, for my Monday job up at Hay Lodge. There’s strimming and mowing of the lawns that’s got to be done early, so I was getting prepared and I hates filling up on a Sunday afternoon with all the commuters – they get on my nerves.’
    â€˜OK, Mr Mowatt, thank you. And what did you see as you were leaving the garage shop?’
    â€˜Well, I was just coming out the door of the shop when a person came out of nowhere and sneaked in through the door behind me. It was odd because the person had a hat pulled down very low over their head, so I couldn’t see their face at all, and they were all hunched over like as if they didn’t want to be recognized, which I thought was also a bit strange. It got me thinking as I was walking over to my car, so I turned round, but by then the person was almost inside the shop and all I could see was a plaster on the back of his neck. I then just thought I was being silly to suspect anything and anyway I wanted to get home in time for the beginning of the racing on TV, so I thought no more about it until you called me to say there’d been a robbery and had I noticed anything strange. Well, that’s about the gist of it. Hope I’ve been helpful,’ Mr Mowatt added.
    â€˜You have, thank you, sir.’ DS Bright answered on behalf of Inspector Fellowes who wasn’t reacting and seemed instead to be in the process of mulling things over in his mind. ‘Any memory of what the person was wearing at all, sir?’ DS Bright took the opportunity to get in some questions of his own.
    â€˜Hmmm, well, jeans, like everyone does nowadays, and a white top. Oh, and old scruffy-looking trainers. I always looks at a person’s shoes. That’s what got me wondering about him, really. The shoes looked uncared for – made him look untrustworthy.’ Mr Mowatt was pleased with this supposition of his and waited for Ian to jump on this nugget of information. But Detective Fellowes was still engrossed in thought, so Mr Mowatt sat back disappointed and had to wait.
    A minute of silence later and Ian was ready to ask his next question. ‘And how do you think the culprit arrived at the petrol station, Mr Mowatt? Did you see any type of vehicle that didn’t seem to belong to other people filling up?’
    â€˜Well, there was no one else there as I left, mine was the only car in the forecourt, but I did notice a bicycle propped up against the wall, very new-looking it was too, so it could have been his, but I