Friday, 12 June 2026

In the village of Oakvale-On-Roe – (010) Solicitors and Alibi’s

 

Later that day they made contact with Erin Hope and arranged for her to be interviewed on Wednesday morning at Nettlebridge Police Station and when she arrived, she was accompanied by her Solicitor Addison Smillie.

Sitting opposite them in the interview room were DI Steve Cutler and DS Steph Baldwin.

Once the tape was running Steve addressed the Solicitor

“I find it slightly ironic that you are representing the person suspected of being your employer’s killer”

“Well to set the record straight the firm I work for represents Dominic Mackay” she said “And I’m choosing to represent Miss Hope against the ridiculous supposition that she has committed murder”

“I agree” Steve said

“You agree with what?” Addison asked

“That it’s a ridiculous supposition that she has committed murder” he said

“Then why the hell are we here?” Erin asked

“Because someone has gone to great pains to make us think that you did” Steve replied “So we need your help”

Erin and Addison conferred briefly then Addison said

“Miss Hope is prepared to help, but this had better not be a trick”

“It’s all on tape, I promise, we just want to find the person or persons responsible for the crime, and we can prove that by first proving that you didn’t do it”

“So, what do we need to disprove?” Addison asked

“Your blonde hairs were found on the pillow in Dominics bed and DNA confirms the match” Steph said

“They are definitely Erin’s?” Addison asked

“100 %”

“But I’ve never even been in his room” Erin said

“I’ve never even been upstairs”

“So where would you go when you arrive at the house?” the DI asked

“Straight to his office to get instructions for the morning” Erin replied

“And if he wasn’t in his office?” DI Cutler asked

“I would go to my desk in the outer office” she replied

“Was he often absent from his office when you arrived?” Steph asked

“Oh yes, and often I wouldn’t see him until lunchtime”

“Would Kitty the housekeeper necessarily know you were there?” DI Cutler asked

“No, I often wouldn’t see her until 11 when I’d go to the kitchen for a coffee” Erin replied

“So, you could have been working in the office unseen with no one to verify you weren’t upstairs killing Dominic?” he asked and Addison was about to interrupt

“If you had not been otherwise occupied” he concluded and the two women blushed

“Was there any other DNA found in the bedroom?” Addison asked

“No” Steph replied

“What about fingerprints?”

“There were no prints anywhere in the room” the DI said

“But a handbag was found by the bed” he added and pushed a copy of an image towards her “And your fingerprints were on the contents”

“Only the contents?” Addison asked

“Yes” the DI replied

“That’s my bag” she said “It was stolen on a night out at a Club in Nettlebridge” 

“What date was that? And what Club?” Steph asked

“It was last Friday at the Velveteen Vixen” Erin said

“Any idea when you last remember having it?” Steve asked

“It would’ve been after 10, but I can’t remember any more precisely than that” she replied

“We also found this in the handbag” the DI said and showed them a copy of the letter

“I’ve never seen that before, and I certainly wasn’t having an affair with him” Erin said indignantly, and after exchanging a look with her brief she added “I’m gay”

The DI and the DS already suspected that was the case as the Velveteen Vixen was a gay club.

“Were there any prints or DNA on the letter?” Addison asked

“We are still awaiting the forensics back on it” the DI replied

“So, is that all?” Erin asked

“No, there’s just one more thing, the housekeeper, Kitty, says that she saw you at 10am kneeling on Dominic’s bed in a state of undress” he said

“Well, it wasn’t me” Erin said and then there was a hushed exchange between her and Addison    

“I have an alibi” she said and blushed

“She was with me” Addison stated

“And do you have an alibi from midnight to 10 am?” Steph asked

“I refer you to my previous answer” Addison said coyly

“Ok one final question” the DI said, “Why weren’t you at the house this morning?”

“Because we only got together at the weekend and didn’t want it to end so I texted Dominic on Sunday night to say I had to take a day’s leave and apologized for the short notice” Erin said and showed the officers the text on her phone

“Well, when we’ve got into his phone we’ll check it out” 

“The code is 4764 if that helps” she said 

“That’s very helpful” he said

“Now I have one more thing to ask of you”

“What is it?” Erin asked

“Well as the killer or killers want us to believe you are guilty, I want them to believe that we are still entertaining the idea, so what I want to do is to release you on police bail

“We are agreeable” the two women echoed

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