Not Dead Enough

media, and it was reassuring for the citizens of Brighton and Hove. Now they needed to charge him. That, of course, would do Grace’s career prospects no harm at all. And with the positive DNA results, they had sufficient evidence to secure consent from the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Bishop. But it wasn’t just charging the man that Grace needed. He needed to ensure a conviction.
    He knew he should be elated at the way it was all going, but something was worrying him, and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
    Suddenly, Glenn Branson’s voice sounded loud and clear, followed an instant later by the image of the four men in the interview room appearing back on the monitor. Brian Bishop was sipping a glass of water, looking sick as a parrot.
    ‘It is three minutes past two p.m., Tuesday 8 August,’ Branson was saying. ‘Present at this interview, interview number 3, are Mr Brian Bishop, Mr Leighton Lloyd, DC Nicholl and myself, DS Branson.’ He then looked directly at Bishop.
    ‘Mr Bishop,’ he said. ‘You’ve told us that you and your wife were happily married and that you made a great team. Were you aware that Mrs Bishop was having an affair? A sexual relationship with another man?’
    Grace watched Bishop’s eyes intently. They moved to the left. From his memory of last watching Bishop, this was to truth mode.
    Bishop shot a glance at his lawyer, as if wondering whether he should say anything, then looked back at Branson.
    ‘You’re not obliged to answer,’ Lloyd said.
    Bishop was pensive for some moments. Then he spoke, the words coming out heavily. ‘I suspected she might have been. Was it this artist fellow in Lewes?’
    Branson nodded, giving Bishop a sympathetic smile, aware the man was hurting.
    Bishop sank his face into his hands and was silent.
    ‘Do you want to take a break?’ his solicitor asked.
    Bishop shook his head, then removed his hands. He was crying. ‘I’m OK. I’m OK. Let’s just get on with all this bloody stuff. Jesus.’ He shrugged, staring miserably down at the table, dabbing his tears with the back of his hand. ‘Katie was the loveliest person but there was something inside driving her. Like a demon that always made her dissatisfied with everything. I thought I could give her what she wanted.’ He started crying again.
    ‘I think we should take a break, gentlemen,’ Leighton Lloyd said.
    They all stepped out, leaving Bishop alone, then resumed the interview after ten minutes. Nick Nicholl, playing good cop , asked the first question.
    ‘Mr Bishop, could you tell us how you felt when you first suspected your wife was being unfaithful?’
    Bishop looked at the DC sardonically. ‘Do you mean, did I want to kill her?’
    ‘You said that, sir, not us,’ Branson slammed in.
    Grace was interested to see Bishop’s display of emotion. Perhaps they were just crocodile tears for the benefit of the interviewing team.
    In a faltering voice Bishop said, ‘I loved her, I never wanted to kill her. People have affairs, it’s the way of the world. When Katie and I first met, we were both married to other people. We had an affair. I think I knew in my heart then that if we did marry, she would probably end up doing the same to me.’
    ‘Is that why you were unfaithful to her?’ Nicholl asked.
    Bishop took his time to respond. ‘Are you referring to Sophie Harrington?’
    ‘I am.’
    His eyes moved left again. ‘We’d been having a flirtation. Nice for my ego, but that’s as far as it’s gone. I never slept with her, although she seems – seemed,’ he corrected, ‘to enjoy fantasizing that it had happened.’
    ‘You have never slept with Miss Harrington? Not once?’
    Grace watched the man’s eyes intently. They went left again.
    ‘Absolutely. Never.’ Bishop smiled nervously. ‘I’m not saying I wouldn’t have liked to. But I have a moral code. I was stupid, I was flattered by her interest in me, enjoyed her company – but you have to remember, I’ve been down that road before. You sleep with someone and if you’re lucky, it’s a crap experience. But if you are unlucky, it’s a gosh-wow experience and you are smitten. And then you are in big trouble. That’s what happened to Katie and me – we were smitten with each other.’
    ‘So you never slept with Ms Harrington?’ Glenn Branson pressed.
    ‘Never. I wanted to try to make my marriage work.’
    ‘So you thought kinky sex might be a way to achieve that?’ Branson