Chapter 58
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Judith Patterson watched the news conference on TV in her small flat.
Her eyes widened when Anthony Winstanley stepped out onto the stage.
He looked like a completely different person.
Her heart was filled with the agony of losing her daughter, of the thought of her killer never being found, but now it took on the weight of sadness and sympathy for Anthony.
This was an innocent man. The death of her daughter had led to him being wrongly imprisoned.
She’d said, and thought, some very wicked things about him over the years.
The fact he’d been innocent all this time was difficult to comprehend. She felt sick.
She watched the conference with tears streaming down her face.
Anthony obviously wanted to be anywhere else in the world other than where he was.
They shouldn’t be putting him through such an ordeal.
She was sure he just wanted to return home and go to sleep in his own bed.
She wanted to reach into the TV and hug him, and, above all, tell him how sorry she was.
Her phone rang.
She leaned forward without taking her eyes from the screen and picked up the receiver.
‘Hello?’
‘Judith. It’s Geoff.’
Judith’s mouth dried. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d spoken to Geoff. She didn’t even know if he had her number. She didn’t have his.
‘Hello Geoff,’ she said. ‘How … how are you?’ She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to answer. Did she want him to be blissfully happy with a new life and a new family, or did she want him to be living in torment like she was?
‘I’m … are you watching the press conference?’ He dodged the question.
‘I am.’
‘Anthony looks so different.’
‘He doesn’t look like the same man, does he?’ Judith asked.
‘No. He lied, then. DI Bishop. He lied to us.’ Geoff’s voice was full of anger.
‘He did.’
‘Have you spoken to anyone from the police?’
She cleared her throat. ‘Yes. I’ve called a few times. I spoke to Freya Sloan. Remember her?’
‘Yes. Of course.’
‘She’s a detective inspector now.’
‘Good for her.’
‘They’re reopening the case. I’m not sure what they can do after all this time. There are no witnesses to interview again, but she said they’re not giving up. They’re still looking for Alice’s killer.’
‘That’s good.’
Judith didn’t say anything, and a painful silence developed.
‘How are things with you?’ Geoff asked.
‘They’re fine,’ she said, looking around at her dingy flat. ‘You?’
‘Fine.’
‘Still in South Shields?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you … I mean, is there … are you with anyone?’
It was a while before Geoff replied. ‘Yes. Lisa. We’ve been together about three years.’
‘Oh. Good. I’m glad.’
‘How about you?’
‘No. I’m on my own. Well, I mean I’m single.’
‘Oh.’
Again, the dark silence grew.
‘I still think about you, Judi.’
‘We have a lot of history.’
‘We do. Some good times.’
‘Lots of good times.’
‘Remember when we were watching Opportunity Knocks and there was that man on doing an impression of Shirley Bassey and Alice got up and started doing one? She had the expressions, and the hand movements spot on,’ Geoff said, laughter in his voice.
Judith laughed. She often spent many an empty evening remembering the good times.
That particular memory had eluded her. She laughed as she was taken back to that Saturday night in winter, sitting in front of the television with the curtains drawn and the fire on.
Alice jumped up from the sofa and began singing ‘Goldfinger’. Judith had almost wet herself laughing.
‘I remember,’ she said. ‘I had tears streaming down my face.’
‘She did a good Cilla Black, too.’
‘She had a good ear for voices,’ Judith said with a big smile. She looked over to the sideboard at the far side of the room where several framed photos of Alice were on display. The smile gave way to tears. ‘I miss her.’
‘I do, too.’
‘I don’t think I can go through all this again; a new investigation.’
‘I’m here for you, Judi. Any time,’ Geoff said.
She wiped her eyes. ‘I’m going to get off, Geoff. I’m due at work soon.’
‘Oh. OK. Can I call you again?’
‘Yes. I’d like that.’
‘Me too. I’ll call you at the weekend.’
‘All right,’ she smiled. ‘Bye Geoff.’
‘Bye Judi.’
Judith ended the call. She placed the receiver back on the phone and sat back. She looked at the television. The news had turned to a different story, something political which didn’t interest Judith in the slightest.
She took a deep breath and sighed. She had no idea what was going to happen next. She only wished the pain would go away.