Chapter 10
Ten
Gina
As Gina left the team taking photos and collecting evidence from Mindy’s house, she stepped outside with O’Connor. Before they’d even walked up the neighbour’s path, the woman flung the door open and let them in. ‘So, what’s happening over there?’ she asked.
‘There’s been an incident and we need to ask you a few questions?’
‘Of course, take a seat.’ The woman pulled her dressing gown cord tighter and sat on the single chair while Gina and O’Connor took the settee.
‘When was the last time you saw your neighbour, Mindy Carson?’
‘This afternoon. I’d just come home from work and she was leaving the house.
She had her rabbit in a basket, said she was taking him for a groom.
I poked my fingers through the slats and stroked his nose.
She said how cold it was, then she got in her car and left before I could say anything else.
I wanted to speak to her about something but she was gone in a whoosh so I didn’t get the chance.
I’ve knocked a couple of times but she doesn’t answer, which is totally weird. ’
‘What time was this?’
She shrugged and began twirling a piece of her sandy coloured hair.
‘Erm, let me think. I got home about four. It must have been about four fifteen.’ The neighbour paused.
‘I’ve been trying to speak to Mindy for a couple of weeks but she keeps herself to herself.
I wondered if she was running from something or someone.
I’ve met her brother. He came to look at the house several months ago.
When she moved in, I thought, I’m single, she’s single – I thought we could be friends, but she didn’t seem to want that. ’
Gina couldn’t help but think of Mindy’s ex. With any luck, Carmen would soon be at the station awaiting interview. ‘What did you want to speak to her about?’
‘Is she in trouble? Has she done something wrong?’
‘No, she’s missing.’
The woman’s lips parted as she took that in. ‘I see.’ She frowned and continued. ‘I was a bit concerned about the men.’
‘The men?’
‘Well, there’s one who comes regularly. I never get a good look because it’s always at night but I hear them, well… I hear the headboard knocking. She has a man in her life but he doesn’t stay for long. Soon after, I hear her front door slam.’
‘Is that why you wanted a word?’
‘Goodness, no. She’s entitled to a love life. It doesn’t exactly go on long. It was the other three men. They creep me out. I once saw two outside her house. It looked like they were just walking past the back gate, on the footpath, but they seem to peer over for a bit too long.’
Gina waited for O’Connor to catch up with the notes and she continued. ‘When was this?’
‘There’s one man who goes around the back, that’s been going on two, maybe three weeks.
The other two I saw peering over the fence was only three or four days ago.
I wish I could remember exactly when these things happened.
It was late. I saw them out of my bedroom window.
At first, I thought they were looking up at me, and then I thought, why would they be?
My light is off. It was around eleven at night.
’ She paused. ‘It was Wednesday. I remember thinking I had to be up early the next day and I was annoyed I couldn’t sleep. I had to be up at six.’
‘Were the two men together?’
‘Yes. I saw them whispering to each other.’
‘Can you describe them?’
‘I only had the moonlight to see with and a slight glow coming from Mindy’s house so not exactly. They were stocky and broad-shouldered. That’s all I could tell. They had woolly hats on and thick coats. It was a cold night.’
‘Did you call the police?’
‘No, again, with the man that comes and goes around the back and the one that she has sex with, I err…’ She looked down.
‘I was worried that Mindy had issues, maybe with money which is why I wanted to speak with her. I didn’t know if they were clients, I mean I thought she might be doing some sex work on the side and I didn’t want to get her into any trouble. ’
Gina let out a slow discreet breath. She thought of the knife and the greasy marks on the back-door window. Mindy was scared. Gina knew this wasn’t about sex work. ‘Tell me about the man who comes around the back?’
She nervously tapped her feet on the carpet a couple of times. ‘Again, he’s always wrapped up in a hat and an overcoat. He comes really late, more like in the early hours. He never looks up but, I don’t know…’
‘What are you thinking?’ Gina could tell that something was whirring in the neighbour’s mind.
‘I couldn’t swear that it was a man, come to think of it.’
Gina waited for O’Connor to make a note to ask about Carmen’s whereabouts last Wednesday.
‘It could’ve been a lean man, though. I don’t know.’
‘Did you hear a knock at the back door?’
‘No, but I did open the window slightly and I thought I could hear the sound of a key in the lock. It was when Mindy was home so I thought she’d given him or her a key.
’ The neighbour looked to the side and bit her bottom lip.
‘Mindy had a damaged window. It wouldn’t shut properly and the man who owns her house was meant to come over and fix it.
She said something to me about it in passing, while getting in her car.
I don’t know where I’m going with this.’ She let out a laugh and waved a dismissive hand.
‘What I heard wasn’t anyone going through a window.
It was definitely someone unlocking the back door. I think I’m just scaring myself now.’
Gina took a moment to think. She wondered if that’s when whoever sent Mindy the video of herself in bed with the eagle thighed man had managed to originally get in and take a spare back door key and got a duplicate cut.
It was a possibility that was worth considering at this point.
There was a chance that Mindy didn’t know this person was entering her house.
‘Can you describe the man who turns up at the front door?’
‘Him, yes. I’ve even said hello to him as I’ve left.
He’s about my height, that’s five eight.
He has a nice smile, thin lips, white, mid-thirties, with a cockney accent.
I can see why she’s attracted to him.’ She huffed out a breath.
‘I hate to sound like a gossip because it’s really none of my business. ’
‘Mindy is missing. If you do know something, it’s important that you tell us.’
‘I get so disappointed in men these days. The dating pool is dire.’ She bit her lip again and continued. ‘He was wearing a wedding ring.’