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Alex fetched her a white envelope from the sideboard drawer. A
“Did he have any kind of accent?”
“I thought I could hear a bit of Geordie in the way he talked.”
“Was it strong?”
“No, but I think it was just there, in the background like. He just sounded ordinary. Not broad Yorkshire, not posh or anything, either, but just a touch of Geordie.”
“Well, there’s plenty of that around these parts,” A
“Me?”
“Yes. You must have some ideas.”
“All I know is that Michael has gone and that he’s scared. He saw it on the news, about the crash at Belderfell Pass.”
“Really? What did he say about it? Why did he mention it? Can you try to remember everything he said?” A
Alex did her best to recount the conversation she had had only an hour or so ago. “He said someone on the news was saying something about another body being found. Or parts of one.” She shuddered. “Among the animals pieces, like. He said he thought what happened at the hangar and the crash in the valley were co
“That’s interesting. Did he say why?”
“No. I asked him, but he couldn’t say. I don’t know if he even knew. It’s not every day you find a body around here, though, is it? Especially somewhere like that, and mixed in with dead animals. Is it true?”
A
“No. He never even really said that. Just that it was all co
“Co
“He didn’t say.”
“We think Morgan was killed at the hangar, Alex.”
“Michael would never do—”
“I’m not saying he did, but you have to understand that until we find him and talk to him, he’s still a suspect. Thinking about what you’ve just told me, I’m guessing that Michael may have witnessed Morgan’s murder, and then he drove off in a hurry. Whoever did it knows he was there, knows who he is and where he lives. That’s why that man came here last night asking about him. He could easily have been the man who killed Morgan.”
Alex paled. “Here, in my home? With Ian in bed? But how could they know who I am, where I live? These people? These killers? How could someone like that know about Michael’s life?”
That was a question A
But Alex wasn’t stupid. “You’re saying that he worked for them, aren’t you? That he did criminal jobs for them with Morgan. You’re saying Michael was involved.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” said A
“He wouldn’t do that. Not Michael. You just don’t understand. You don’t know him.”
“No, I don’t,” A
“You’ll put him in jail.”
“Don’t be silly, Alex. Why would we do that? I think it’s time you realized that he stands a far better chance with us than he does with whoever’s after him. People who would break a woman’s finger and threaten her child. What do you think they’ll do to Michael if they find him?”
Alex put her hands over her ears. “Don’t. Please, don’t.”
“Be realistic, Alex.”
“I can’t tell you any more. I don’t know any more. I would if I could.”
“That’s OK. I believe you. It’s late now, but what I want to do first thing in the morning is get this man’s card checked for fingerprints. If he’s a habitual criminal, there’s every chance we have his prints on file. I’ll also need you to come in and give us your own prints for elimination purposes. Then we’ll see about the sketch artist. I’ll come over early and drive you to the station after we’ve taken Ian to school. And we’ll fix it with your boss. Will you do that? Maybe you can help us with Morgan Spencer, too? We don’t have any photos or good descriptions of him.”
“OK.”
“In the meantime, I’ll see if I can get a family liaison officer to come over right now—”
“No. I don’t want a stranger in my house. Why can’t you stay? It’s a let-down sofa. You’ll be comfortable. Or you can take the bed, if you want. I’ve even got a spare toothbrush. Never been used.”
“I can’t do that, Alex.”
“Why not?”
“I . . . just . . .” A
Alex refilled their glasses. “Seriously,” she said. “I’m really scared. It’ll make me feel a lot better if you’ll stop. I don’t want to be a victim anymore, but I need help right now.”
Then the hall door opened, and a little boy stood there in his striped pajamas rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair tousled. “I can’t sleep,” he said in a pathetic little-boy-lost voice. “I had a bad dream. Can I sit up with you and watch TV?”
8
IT WAS FAR TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING FOR A POSTmortem, Banks thought as he walked down the high green-tiled basement corridor of Eastvale General Infirmary.
It would always be too early in the morning for a postmortem like this one, he thought, when he entered Dr. Glende
“Ah, Banks,” said Dr. Glende
“Pity,” said Banks. For a moment, he longed for the old days, when Dr. Glende
No chance these days. Both he and Glende
“You look a bit pink around the gills,” Dr. Glende