‘Yes.’
They were sitting in easy chairs, a few feet apart, nothing between them, no desk, no barriers. ‘If you need a break at any time, that’s fine, we can stop. We might be here for quite a while – we don’t want to rush things and it’s important we take the time to get everything down as you remember. Is there anything you want to ask me before we start?’
‘No,’ Sean said.
‘OK. I need you to confirm the details you gave yesterday.’ Janet went through his name, DOB and address. No surprises. ‘Thank you. Now, can you tell me how you know Lisa Finn?’
‘She’s my girlfriend.’ He rubbed his palms on his jeans.
‘And how long have you been together?’
‘Couple of years.’
‘Thank you. Now tell me in your own words what you remember from yesterday afternoon.’ Janet sat back in her seat, giving him the floor, giving him space.
‘I went round there about half three,’ he said, ‘went in and she were in the living room and she’s on the floor, like…’
Janet nodded slowly. ‘Yes, keep going.’ She was barely aware of Rachel behind her making notes.
‘She was…’ Sean rocked forward in his chair and back again, shoved his hands between his knees, a comfort pose, a response to the distress, ‘… she was dead, like,’ he said, his nose reddening. ‘I could just tell. And I rang you.’ He choked off the end of the sentence.
‘Thank you,’ Janet said. The atmosphere in the room had changed. Sean’s grief thick in the air. She waited a moment, giving him time to regain his equilibrium. Janet remained composed, neutral, empathetic and professional. This is what all the weeks of interview training had taught her. ‘Now I’m going to go through your statement and ask a little more about it. So we can get a complete picture from you. Is that OK?’
‘Yes.’ He cleared his throat. She saw his shoulders had relaxed slightly, a sign that he was feeling less threatened. Though she knew the process was fluid, his anxiety would advance and retreat as they went back and forth over the memories of him finding Lisa’s body.
‘How did you get to Lisa’s?’
‘Walked,’ he said.
‘Where had you been before that?’
‘At my place, with my cousin Benny – he lives there too. I had to sign on in the morning and then I was at home.’ He bit at his thumbnail.
‘You told me you got to Lisa’s at about half past three. Did you notice the time particularly, Sean?’
‘That’s when I said I’d be there.’
‘Which way do you walk?’
‘Down Garrigan Street,’ he said.
‘Do you remember seeing anyone on the way?’
