Scent of Death. Emma Page

school,’ Michelle told him. ‘We used to walk home together. That was all.’

      ‘They never went out together,’ Mrs Kershaw added. ‘No one could say they were at all close.’

      Michelle turned to let her mother deal with the back of the dress. ‘Joanne never went anywhere. Not after her stepfather died. Her stepbrother never gave her any pocket money. When she was turned thirteen she got herself a Saturday job, at a greengrocer’s. After that she always had a little job somewhere or other, but she never spent any of the money, she used to pay it straight into the post office. She never went on holiday, or on any of the school trips, not after Mr Lookyear died.’

      ‘Did she have any boyfriends?’

      She shook her head. ‘She didn’t have any time for boyfriends.’

      ‘Did she tell you she was going to Cannonbridge?’

      ‘No, I didn’t know anything about that. I’d hardly seen her since we left school.’ She revolved again.

      ‘Michelle’s at the College of Further Education,’ her mother told Lambert with pride and satisfaction. ‘She’s taking a commercial course, she’s doing very well.’

      ‘Was it you that saw Helen Mowbray coming out of a cafe in Cannonbridge about three years ago?’ Lambert asked Michelle. ‘And told Joanne about it?’