Alex puts the knife down now and leans against the counter.
`Alex, leave that for a minute, please. You don't need to pretend `“ not with me.'
She turns to face me and my heart contracts at how pale she is. I pull out a chair for her and she sits down heavily.
`We all knew he'd be released sometime. He's done eighteen years.'
`It's not enough,' she says quickly, her voice so harsh it's as if she's wrenching out the words. `After what he did. The threats `“'
I reach for her hand. `Well, let's hope the parole board agree with you.'
She pulls away from me and reaches a hand to her hair, pushing it away from her face. Her cheeks are flushed now and I can see a pulse flickering in her throat.
`Try not to let it prey on your mind `“ it's not good for you `“ or the baby.'
She meets my gaze and smiles weakly. `Easier said than done, I'm afraid.'
`I know, but I still had to say it.'
`Did Osbourne say when it might happen? If they do let him out, when could it be?'
`He thinks the hearing could be as early as next month.'
She gasps. `Before the baby? He could get out before the baby?'
`Look, even if he does `“ there's no way they'll allow him to come back to Oxford. And that's still a very big `њif`ќ as far as I'm concerned.'
I'm talking ballsier than I feel, but she knows me too well. `There's something, isn't there?' she says, searching my face. `Something you're not telling me.'
I can lie to Osbourne; I can even lie to myself. But I have never managed to lie to my wife.
`The case I've been working on. There are `“ similarities.'
`What do you mean similarities?'
`That girl who was abducted `“ the one I told you about. Faith Appleford. The man who did it ripped out some of her hair. But that's not so unusual,' I say, crashing on. `I've seen stuff like that before.'
Once or twice, maybe, in twenty years, but that's only a lie by omission. I can forgive myself that.
`You said similarities. Plural.'
There are reasons why my wife is an exceptional lawyer. Attention to detail is one of them.
`He used cable ties.' I pause. `And put a plastic bag over her head.'
`Just like last time,' she whispers.
I reach again for her hand and her fingers grip mine. `But that doesn't prove anything, you know it doesn't.'
But Alex isn't buying it, and who can blame her. The plastic bag and the cable ties were key elements of the prosecution case.
But not the main one.
I should know.
* * *
Sent: Weds 03/04/2018, 20.35 Importance: HighFrom: Sean.Cameron@hmps.gsi.gov.uk To: DIAdamFawley@ThamesValley.police.uk Subject: Prisoner ZX05566 Parrie, GDear DI Fawley,You were enquiring about visitors to the above inmate. In the last six months Parrie has received visits from the following:Ms Geraldine Hughes (partner)Mrs Ivy Parrie (mother)Mrs Hazel Cousins (sister)Mr David Chandler (solicitor)Parrie's list of approved phone numbers includes all the above, with the addition of Mr Jeffrey Parrie (brother) and Mrs Sandra Parrie (former wife and mother of his three children).If you require more details as to dates and times, please let me know.S. CameronCustodial Manager, HMP Wandsworth* * *
Adam Fawley
4 April 2018
07.50
Harrison is halfway out of his office when I get there. He looks distracted.
`I don't have much time,' he says. `Meeting with Martin Dempster.'
The Police Commissioner. Just my luck.
`Can we go into your office for a moment, sir?'
He gives me a look at that. I have his attention now.
As the door closes behind us, he turns to me. `This is about Gavin Parrie, I take it?'
Sometimes, just sometimes, I underestimate Harrison.
* * *
When the news comes on at 8.00 Fiona Blake switches on the kettle and gets two mugs out of the cupboard. She checks her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. It's not like Sasha to be this late back. If she sleeps over at Patsie's she always comes home early, so she can change for school. Fiona reaches into the fridge for milk and pours granola into a bowl. Any minute now, she thinks, I'll hear the key in the door. Any minute now she'll be in here like a whirlwind, slurping her tea, downing her food far too fast, out of the door again before Fiona can draw breath.
She's worrying about nothing. Sash will be back.
Any minute now.
* * *
It's the morning meeting. Gislingham is leaning against the one functioning radiator (sergeant's privilege). As for Fawley, he's leading from the front `“ both literally and metaphorically. Just as he's done ever since they started this bloody investigation. Gislingham isn't about to complain, but this is supposed to be one of his jobs and, to be honest, it's just a bit humiliating, especially in front of Asante. It's not that he thinks Fawley doesn't trust him, but for some reason he just can't let this case rest. Quinn still reckons he's in the middle of a domestic, and says so loudly to anyone who'll listen, but Gis has his own reasons for discounting that one. His wife saw Alex Fawley in the mother-and-baby boutique in Summertown a couple of weekends ago and was convinced she looked pregnant. Which, with the Fawleys' history, would account for any amount of anxiety displacement activity on the DI's part. Not to mention the stopping smoking and the endless Polo mints. He's got through three in the last half-hour alone.
`Did you ask this Kenneth Ashwin if he'd be prepared to give us his prints?' Fawley asks.
`Nothing doing,' says Quinn. `Started getting bolshie about not being under arrest and infringing his right to privacy so I backed off.'
`What about the other vans?'
`So far I've managed to rule out the carpet cleaners and the locksmith. Both have solid alibis.'
Fawley turns to Everett. He's starting to look irritable. `Anything from the FE college?'
Everett shakes her head. `As far as we can tell, no one else apart from the principal has any idea Faith is trans. And to be honest, I don't think it would be an issue even if they did. One of the lecturers we spoke to was wearing blue lipstick and a dress.'
`I take it you mean a bloke,' says Quinn.
`Yes, I do mean a bloke,' she says, over the laughter. `But that's the point. He didn't give a toss and no one else was batting an eyelid either. This generation `“ they can't see what all the bloody fuss is about. And as for what happened to Faith, I really can't see anyone who knows her doing that. She's just a really nice kid, trying to get on with her life.'
`What about the Basingstoke angle?' asks Fawley. Who wasn't laughing.
`I spoke to her old head teacher,' says Ev, `and she clearly had absolutely no idea Daniel wasn't still Daniel.'
`That's a bit odd, isn't it? Don't trans kids have to live as their new gender for a while before they can be eligible for treatment?'
Ev shrugs. `Perhaps she just didn't want to start doing that until she could make a completely new start. Either way, I think Basingstoke is a dead end.'
Baxter mutters something about `dead end' being the nicest thing anyone's probably ever said about Basingstoke, which raises more laughter.
Meanwhile Fawley is trying to get eye contact with Somer but after the car crash between them yesterday she's avoiding looking at him. Gis glances at Ev and she gives a tiny shrug: she clearly thinks the DI's made his own bed on that one.
`Look,' says Fawley, `I buy everything you say about this generation not caring which gender people are, or even if they have one at all, but the fact remains that Faith herself does care. She's going out of her way to keep her private life private, and that could give someone a motive. Either a motive to out her or `“'