Commitment

Chapter Four

Eddie wasn't feeling great.

There was a gnawing ache at the back of his head, because he hadn't slept very well these last few days, and the only thing in his stomach was strong black coffee that kept him on his feet and functioning in the meantime

They had finally found Lorna McKay, she had brought in, so he and his partner Jack could speak with her.

Eddie felt a mixture of emotions at the thought of facing the woman. But he knew he had to try keep his personal feelings subdued, recalling she could be the key to getting Robert Coulter, and he had to be professional about this.

They had decided to ignore the fact they had picked her up whilst she had been  soliciting, informing that they had no real interest in charging her, as long as  she came in voluntarily, to just help them with their enquiries about their investigation. In the end she had reluctantly agreed.

Eddie and Jack entered the interview room where the woman sat on the edge of her seat, her, arms folded, as they rested on the table on front of her, looking somewhat uneasy.

As Eddie sat down in the chair facing her, he tried to appraise her with emotional indifference

But now seeing her in the flesh. it only reminded him of the likeness to Peggy McKee, and it more or less confirmed his conviction further, that the woman sitting in front of him was Paula's mother, though a part of him had hoped he had been mistaken.

Lorna Mackay, as she called herself, was not a pretty picture.

Her dyed blonde hair was tied back in a tight pony tail, her face lined and hardened with the years of drug and alcohol abuse, with deep dark shadows under her eyes. Her make up did very little to soften the harshness of the years, the fact it was rather over done, only seem to make it harsher.

Her red lipstick mouth now pulled straight in a mutinous line, as Eddie and Jack joined her and she now sat back in her chair crossing her legs in a defensive motion

"So, what's all this about then?" she demanded.

Relax Lorna, we just want to have a little chat with you about one of your old acquaintances." Jack spoke up in a friendly enough tone as he leaned forward towards her, clasping his hands together and resting them on the table

"Oh yeah?" Lorna's blue eyes flicked warily from Jack to Eddie, still looking far from relaxed, "and who would that be?"

"Robert Coulter," Eddie finally spoke up for the first time since he entered the room, whilst also leaning forward now and keenly studying Lorna's reaction to the mention of Coulter's name.

Her eyes lowered to the desk, then she sniffed, before carelessly shrugging her shoulders, "Don't know why you think I know anything, it's been a while since the last time set eyes on him, Maybe you should be pulling in that little blonde haired bimbo he married a year ago," she finished with a slight sneer.

Detecting the resentment in her voice, Eddie felt a little triumphant, this was what they had been counting on.

"So I guess your uh friendship was not an amiable parting?" he then casually probed, lounging back in his seat again.

Lorna snorted, "Amiable, is not a word I would associate around Robbie Coulter." she retorted, then realising she might be giving too much away, she eyed Eddie warily again, becoming guarded.

"But like I said, I haven't seen him in a while, and I don't intend to any time soon either" she then reiterated.

"Well then lets talk about the good old days, when you did know him, I mean if he cut you out of the picture, this is your chance for some payback" Jack suggested