The Suspect
“Bethany Marx?” Inspector Ruth Jacobs asked.
“Yes” Bethany said.
“I’m Inspector Ruth Jacobs and this is Sargent Brian Thomas. May we come in?”, the Inspector said.
“What’s this about? As you can see I was in the shower when the doorbell went. Its not convenient!”, Bethany said gesturing to the blue bath sheet draped around her.
The Inspector looked embarrassed, “I’m sorry Ms Marx but it really is important. It would be easier and more comfortable if we could talk inside”.
Bethany sighed, “Come in” she said, closing the door behind the 2 policemen and leading the way into a spacious lounge. “You won’t mind if I get dressed?”, she said gesturing to the large bath sheet.
“No, of course not”, the Inspector said.
“Oh this is Barney”, Bethany said gesturing towards a large yellow retriever which lay protectively holding a mammoth bone between it’s 2 front paws. “Usually he would be at the front door before I’d had chance to open it but, as you can see his whole attention is on that thing”, she said pointing to the bone.
“Is he friendly?”, the Sargent said.
“He loves people but he’s very protective of his food as you can see so I wouldn’t advise approaching him while he’s eating. Excuse me, I’ll be back in a minute”, Bethany said, closing the door behind her and mounting the stairs.
“I haven’t seen a bone that big before! My brother’s got an Alsatian. He gets marrow bones from the butcher’s but I don’t recall him getting one that large”, the Sargent said.
The Inspector tapped her fingers impatiently on the arm of her chair. “Brian we’re here to interview a potential suspect, not to discuss the size of marrow bones”.
The Sargent was on the point of apologising when the lounge door opened admitting Bethany, dressed in jeans and t-shirt.
“Can I offer you tea or coffee?” Bethany said.
“We’ll have coffee please with milk, no sugar”, the Inspector said.
The Sargent would have preferred tea, milky with 2 sugars but he knew better than to argue with his boss.
While Bethany busied herself in the kitchen the 2 detectives sat in silence, the Inspector consulting her notebook while the Sargent watched Barney. The dog showed no interest in the 2 policemen. Barney’s world was his bone. As the sergeant watched the dog’s powerful jaws broke off another piece. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of those jaws, the Sargent thought.
“Sorry to keep you waiting”, Bethany said, placing 2 cups of coffee before the detectives.
“Thank you”, the Inspector said. “We have come to ask you some questions about Mike Townley. He’s your boyfriend I understand. Is that correct?”
Bethany snorted, “He treats this place like a bloody hotel. I pay the mortgage and all the other damn bills while he does sweet fuck all”, Bethany said.
“So Mike Townley is your boyfriend?” The Inspector said.
“The word you are looking for Inspector is “was”. Michael Townley was my boyfriend until I kicked him out last Saturday. I’d had it up to here”, Bethany said looking towards the ceiling, “with his womanising and treating this place like a lodging house. The place is in my name. I told that wastrel to pack his bags and bugger off and he did”.
“Do you know where he is now?”, the Inspector said.
“No and to be honest I couldn’t care less. Probably shacked up with some silly tart, bleeding her dry just like he did to me”, Bethany said.
“Michael’s father has reported him missing. Did you know that?”, the Inspector said.
“No I didn’t know that but, so far as I am concerned Mike is no longer a part of my life. I couldn’t give a dam where he is”, Bethany said.
“None of your neighbours recall seeing Michael leave and we have several witnesses who testify to having heard you screaming, “I’ll fucking kill you”, last Saturday, 1 October”, the Inspector said.
“Are you accusing me of murdering Michael? Because, if you are I’m not saying another word until I have a lawyer present”, Bethany said, glaring at the Inspector.
“I’m not accusing you of anything Ms Marx, I’m merely trying to ascertain the facts”, the Inspector said.
“Look, Inspector have you never, in a state of anger said that you would kill someone? If everyone who threatened to commit murder actually went ahead and did it, the prisons would be full to bursting”, Bethany said.
“So you admit to threatening to kill Michael Townley?” the Inspector said.
Bethany stirred unblinkingly at the Inspector, “If you have evidence, then arrest me, otherwise I’d like you to leave now please”, Bethany said.
“I’d like to search the house. If you have nothing to hide, you won’t object will you?”, the Inspector said.
“Do you have a search warrant?”, Bethany said eyeballing the Inspector.
The Inspector hesitated. All the police possessed where the statements of 2 elderly neighbours who thought they had heard Bethany threaten to kill her boyfriend. One of them wore a hearing aid while the other was, the Inspector suspected suffering from dementia. No there wasn’t sufficient evidence to arrest Bethany Marx. A search of the premises might secure evidence enabling her to detain Bethany but, in the absence of a warrant she was powerless to act.
“OK Ms Marx we’ll leave now, but I’ll be back in the morning with a search warrant”, the Inspector said, her eyes boring into Bethany’s.
Bethany lead the way out of the lounge. Glancing over his shoulder, as they headed for the front door the Sargent witnessed the last mortal remains of Michael disappear down the throat of a large, yellow retriever.
