Page 47 of The Truth Will Out
“And you believed him?”
“Did I heck. Like I’ve already said, the shutters came down years ago. He was the type who rarely, if ever, opened up. I don’t think I ever saw the real him. At one point, I thought he was cheating on me because of his mood swings.”
“How long were you together?”
“Fifteen years, give or take a few months. Most of them, especially the latter ones, were spent in misery.”
“Sorry to hear that. I don’t suppose your husband mentioned Pendle House, did he?”
Katy Weller paused to think and then shook her head. “No, I don’t think he ever mentioned that name. Hang on, I do remember something, but I don’t think it was because Stephen ever brought the subject up. Was it some kind of school?”
“Yes, it was shut down years ago, mainly because of an abuse scandal. We found a document that revealed Stephen was the planning officer who signed off the redevelopment of the site.”
She clicked her fingers together. “Yes, that’s right. I pass by the luxury flats that were erected in its place when I visit my mum in the care home. It’s over on that side of town.”
“Did he ever mention anything about that development?”
“No, nothing. He never discussed his work; he always told me that it would bore me rigid. I never pushed him on it because I assumed he was right.”
“Do you know if he’d had any kind of trouble come his way in the last few months?”
“I’m so sorry, I really wouldn’t know. He was the same every day, walking around as if he had troubles galore. I gave up asking in the end, only because he always gave me the same answer: that he was fine and there was nothing wrong. He usually stopped short of telling me to keep my nose out, although sometimes he threw that into the mix, too. It was awful, dealing with his attitude day in and day out. It wasn’t a marriage; there was no intimacy, and we never spent any quality time together.”
“What about holidays? Didn’t you go away?”
“I did. With my friends. We never went anywhere as a couple.”
“Did he go away?”
“Yes, he’d frequently go on short business trips. Again, he always kept me in the dark about what they were for. I got sick of asking, and that’s when the hatred towards him crept into our relationship. I used to go out with friends and sit there, listening to them all praise their husbands for doing something nice for them. You know the type of thing, surprising them with a bunch of flowers or a weekend away somewhere. I had nothing like that in my life at all. In the end, it wore me down, and all I could think about was escaping my vile existence.”
“Was he ever violent towards you?”
“No. He had no feelings towards me whatsoever; at least, that’s the impression I got by the end of our relationship. That’s when I put myfoot down and told him I wanted a divorce. He refused to leave the house and told me if I wanted to move out, he would cover my expenses until the house was sold.”
“So, you chose that option and ended up here?”
“Yes. I know it’s not the best of places, but at least I feel safe here.”
“More than you did at home? But you told us he wasn’t violent towards you.”
She let out a large sigh. “I know. The thought was always there, and I struggled to shift it. He was a hard man to read at the best of times, even more so when the red mist descended. Before I chose to end the marriage, the angry days were becoming more and more regular. I had to call it a day, if only for my own mental health. I was existing there, not living. If that makes sense?”
“It does. Do you have a job?”
“No. He didn’t want me to work, and I was happy to go along with that, most of the time. Maybe it was the boredom that triggered me seeking the divorce. My friend has given me the option to start up in business with her. I’m mulling the offer over at the moment.”
“What type of business?”
“A new beauty treatment that is coming over from America.”
“Has she asked you to put any money into the business?” Sam asked, her mind wandering off in a different direction.
“Yes, but I’ve told her I won’t be able to do that for several months, until I receive the money from the house sale. She’s willing to wait, which I’m thrilled about.” She fell quiet and looked down at her hands clenched in her lap. After a second or two, she glanced up and asked, “Does this mean I can move back into the house now?”
Sam shrugged. “I don’t see why not. SOCO will have to examine the property for evidence over the next day or two.”
“They will? Why?”
