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‘But,’ he continued, ‘you might be the straw that broke the camel’s back. We know something isn’t right at the minute, so your disapproval might have just tipped her over the edge.’
‘Jeez, thanks for your support, buddy,’ she said, getting out of the car.
He hadn’t quite given her the answer she’d been after, so she was more than likely going to disregard it.
She wasn’t surprised when Rufus answered the door. She suspected that nobody was getting near his daughter without his permission.
‘Back so soon?’ he asked, stepping aside for them to enter.
Teresa was sitting at the far end of the sofa. She offered them a wan smile. Jackie appeared in the doorway from the kitchen, and Rufus sat next to his daughter.
‘May we speak to Teresa alone?’ Kim asked as Rufus took his daughter’s hand.
‘She has no secrets from me, Inspector. It’s fine.’
Kim said nothing and waited.
Teresa got the message. ‘It’s okay, Dad. I’ll be fine.’
He hesitated but tapped her hand and headed for the kitchen. Jackie closed the door behind them.
‘Teresa, I’m sorry to have to ask this, but did Eric ever get physical with you?’
Her face reddened as she quickly started shaking her head. ‘Of course not.’
Instant and passionate denial.
Kim left a silence she hoped the girl would fill.
‘Eric would never hurt me. He was loving and kind. I mean we had some good old arguments, lots of shouting on both sides, but what couple doesn’t?’
Kim nodded but still didn’t speak.
‘We both have quick tempers, so we’d clash about small stuff sometimes. I never was one to back down. We both got angry with each other, but for you to accuse him of being violent—’
‘I didn’t say that,’ Kim corrected. ‘I asked if he ever got physical with you.’
‘The answer is no,’ Teresa said testily. ‘Eric would never have punched me.’
And there it was. Given enough time, the truth would reveal itself.
‘You do know that domestic abuse isn’t just about punching and kicking?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘Firstly, it rarely starts out that way, and secondly, abuse can take many forms. Can you be honest with us? We have to consider if it could be related to Eric’s murder.’
Teresa’s mouth fell open in surprise. ‘Eric can’t be dead because he pushed me a couple of times.’
‘How many times?’ Kim asked.
‘Three, maybe four. I wouldn’t back down. He did it just to get me away from him, but he would never have hit me.’
Kim wondered if Teresa actually believed that, or if she just wanted Kim to believe it.
‘And were those pushes the only time Eric was physical?’
‘Well, no, but the other time it was an accident.’
