by Baker, John
‘Why was the murderer naked?’ Celia asked. ‘Was he a pervert?’
Sam shrugged. ‘He didn’t want to get blood on his clothes. After he’d killed the others he had a shower. Maybe he thought he’d leave less evidence.’
‘So why’d they let you go?’ Geordie asked. ‘It was your word against his and he was dead.’
‘They had the woman who drove the car, and then Conn turned up, Alice’s youngest. Apparently he was stuffed in the boot of Danny Mann’s car and she’d been driving round the Yorkshire Moors with him all day. Let him out in Whitby and the kid’d had the nous to get a taxi home. The woman with Danny was out of it, crazy.
‘And after that they had to check on the things I was saying. What clinched it, the guy was ID’d by a planeload of people flying from Oslo to Newcastle. He tackled some drunk on the plane. There’s a couple of air hostesses swear they’ll never forget his face.’
‘Don’t forget the pubic hair,’ Marie said. ‘It was a lot of work tracking that down.’
‘Don’t go into that again,’ Celia said. ‘I can’t bear the thought of men with dolls. So undignified.’
‘And it’s all over?’ JD said. ‘You’re out of the woods?’
‘Yeah,’ Sam said. ‘Apart from the shouting, the media circus, Danny Mann’s finished. Gone.’
‘He was an illusionist,’ JD said. ‘That’s what I do. Every novel is an illusion.’
‘And Ruben?’ Marie said. ‘You gonna join the firm?’ He shook his head and wiped his lips with a paper serviette. ‘Going back to Nottingham,’ he said. ‘I’ve got milk to deliver, soon as this hand is better. Plus there’s a woman interested in me. Therapist. We’d make a good match. She’s exactly what I need.’
The doorbell rang and Janet answered it. She ushered Alice Richardson into the room with her son. Sam went over and embraced her, asked how she was. He introduced everyone.
‘The river level’s falling,’ she said. ‘We took up the sandbags this morning.’ There was a tremor in her voice and she was pale.
‘Never mind the river,’ Geordie said. ‘How are you coping? You must’ve thought the guy was gonna kill you. Shock and trauma like that can make a mess of a person.’
‘I’m going to be all right,’ she said. ‘I slept last night, and I’ve got a supportive family.’ She smiled. ‘It wasn’t the best experience I’ve had.’
‘And this must be Conn?’ Janet said. ‘You had a pretty bad experience yourself.’
‘No,’ Alice Richardson said. ‘Conn’s fine, but we left him at home today with his sister. This is Dominic.’ She looked over at Sam. ‘I wanted you two to meet,’ she said. ‘You’ve got a lot in common.’
Sam and Dominic looked at each other. All the eyes in the room moved from Dominic to Sam, and then back again, searching their faces.
It was Geordie who eventually let out his breath and whispered a single word.
‘Jesus.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For their valuable and helpful criticism, comments and insights I would like to thank Anne Baker; Donna Moore; my agent Mic Cheetham and my editor at Orion, Jon Wood. Any inaccuracies or offended sensibilities are the responsibility of the writer alone.
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