The police didn't hesitate long to break into the house. The call was clear and one of the officers heard someone crying plus a terrible smell came from inside. Fidelo nodded and within a minute the front door was open.
"It will give the neighborhood enough to talk about", he thought, " not to forget about the press".
"Where's Ben?" he asked an officer in front of him.
"No idea sir, I haven't seen him since yesterday." The smell took his breath but it didn't stop him from entering the house.
"Two of you at the back and two at the front. Keep everyone away from here, press, neighbors, let them all go back into their houses. Who doesn't obey you can take in, put on the chan is that clear? You, call an ambulance."
Mrs. Gordon was alive and as far as he could see she was fine. From the moment he saw her he couldn't help but he disliked her. She gave him the creeps and reminded him of someone he wouldn't like to be reminded of.
"You will be taken to prison."
"My leg, I need to be taken to hospital."
"You won't my dear. I have been searching for you for several days, we have been waiting for you but you.." he spat out the words, "you felt too good, too smart to talk to us but you were the first who talked to the press. You had some interesting news to share and I want answers, now! People like you can not be trusted."
"Take her to the bureau", he yelled, "no ambulance for her."
The two young officers looked shocked at the tiny, elderly lady. Her leg was at a strange angle and her knee looked scary to them.
"Be careful if you lift this murder she might stab you before you know. Better use your handcuffs. No need to worry about the leg. She won't need it where she ends up."
He stared into the dark hole behind the open door. It was clear to him what it was. A cellar. One of those old ones people used for their food or storing coal but this one was different. There was no light and the stairs were taken out. He shone into the dark and tried to see how deep it was. Jumping down was no option, way too deep plus he needed something to climb up again. The terrible scent came from the cellar but he wasn't sure it was the smell of death. He better left the door open and the other doors as well. It was still early and the press didn't drive yet.
"You found something?"
It was Ben who suddenly stood behind him. He had heard the news at the office and left the bag with what he called "evidence" behind in his car. Later he would show it to the chief.
"We need to find stairs and have a look down there", Fidelo answered.
"I'll see if I can find one. If there was one it will be here."
Ben searched downstairs while Fidelo had a look upstairs. He stared out of each window and wondered how many times that woman had stood here and had done the same. From here she couldn't see Jim's house neither his garden still she seemed to notice and know everything. She had seen people come and leave, many of them and just like the former officer who investigated the case she was sure Jim did it. He did it on purpose and to himself. "She cannot even see half of the street", he mumbled, "how can she possibly know?"
"Sir? I found one".
Ben entered the room and waited for an answer.
"How could she possibly know?" the chief inspector repeated himself.
"She got help, someone told her what to say or... do."
"She got help", Ben thought, "just like we did."
Prompt: chain
oh, terrible Mrs. Gordon. Quite a murderer ... how evil.
And how did she get where detectives can't go down? or threw them away.