Page 58 of Murder in the Family

MITCHELL CLARKE

Do you have any idea at what stage of the evening that conversation took place?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

The police asked me the same thing. I told them at the time that I thought it was around nine thirty. I haven’t remembered anything since then that would lead me to change that.

LAILA FURNESS

So that’s relatively early on. Could she have slipped out and come back later without anyone noticing?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

Oh absolutely. There was a crowd in the pergola round the back smoking, for a start. People were going in and out all the time.

LAILA FURNESS

And she was definitely there at the end of the evening?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

Yes, I’m very sure about that, because the police came looking for her. It must have been around eleven thirty.

MITCHELL CLARKE

But you hadn’t spoken to her yourself since nine thirty – you don’t know if her mood had changed?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

No. Though I think someone told me later she’d been looking rather pale. Before the police arrived, I mean. Clearly she was looking very distressed when she left.

MITCHELL CLARKE

You don’t know who it was who said that? About her looking pale?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

I’m afraid not. As I told the police.

LAILA FURNESS

And no one mentioned seeing her looking like she’d been out in the rain? It was raining by the end of the evening, wasn’t it?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

God yes, absolutely pouring down. But no, I didn’t. I did notice she had mud and little bits of grass on her shoes when she left. She was wearing very high heels – cream, they were, positively bridal, so I suppose the dirt stood out.

LAILA FURNESS

Wouldn’t that suggest she’d been outside?

PHYLLIS FRANKS

Well, there was that grass area at the back I just mentioned, so if she’d gone out there for a ciggie that might account for it.

MITCHELL CLARKE

And we do know she smoked.

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