Chapter 41: Were the doors locked or unlocked?

She turned to Robert by her side and he nodded, his fingers on his watch. She returned to the witness. 'Detective, a small point but one I would like to explore with you. You told Mr Richards a moment ago that Mr Stavros had found the supermarket doors unlocked when he arrived and that he locked them for two reasons, one being that his mother was afraid the killer might return to harm her.'

'That's correct.'

'Did she tell him that?'

'He didn't say.'

'Would it be reasonable to think, if he locked the doors because she was afraid of the killer returning, that she would have locked them herself after the killer left. Surely she would have had more cause to fear his return then.'

'She was in shock. She wouldn't have been thinking logically.'

'My point exactly, Detective sergeant. Do you see what I'm saying? The evidence would have us believe she had not uttered a word, that she was in shock.'

'That's correct.'