Thanks both for your kind words, I’m probably an oddball as I find this thread fascinating some lots of incredible work and sleuthing from people on here.
I can see some similarities between ED and my partner - similar personalities, tries to find the good in everyone, outwardly very happy and positive, and some health issues that cause her to strive to maximise her activities and enjoyment of life when she can.
That last point might add to an explanation as to why ED was stretching out her return date, wanting to try and get the maximum time in the mountains as she didn’t know when she could return again.
One more thing that I’ve been meaning to say on this thread, and had been mentioned before by some posters, is that we never truly know someone. We can have 20 years experience of someone but still be surprised by things they do that we consider out of the ordinary or ‘out of character’ when in fact it is in their true nature, it’s just that we have never seen their true nature (or we choose to ignore it and the other questions that might raise).
I’m so sorry for your loss too Bobblebob.
You’ve hit the nail on the head about not knowing someone. I retired a few months ago as a police officer (detective). I dealt with a lot of suicides and a lot of mispers. So many times the family were taken aback by what their loved one had done. The first question they would ask me usually was “Why?”
That would be for me to dig around and attempt to find out.
Then would come the beating themselves up.
Why didn’t they talk to me? Why didn’t I realise? What could I have done?” I would always reassure people it wasn’t their fault, that the person made their own choice and that you can never know what is really going on in someone’s head. They seem fine on the surface and underneath things are often - although not always - a lot different. Human beings are complicated.
DC will be going through hell right now. He is not a suspect clearly, and I have every sympathy with him.