‘But you’d remember him if you saw him again?’
‘I might. I can’t say for sure.’ She felt responsible, drawing attention to this guy who probably had nothing to do with the body. ‘He wasn’t the only man I saw along the beach. There was another, in combat clothes, down at the water’s edge throwing a ball for his dog.’
‘What-near the body?’
‘No. I told you nobody was there. This was further back, closer to those wooden buildings where the fish are sold.’
‘Go on,’ DC Pearce said. ‘We’re with you.’
‘I watched the dog running into the waves to collect the ball. It was a large black poodle.’
Maybe a pit bull would have impressed them more. The two detectives lost all interest in the dog owner. They didn’t even ask the colour of his hair. ‘When you saw the first man, the guy in the tracksuit,’ Hen Mallin said, ‘it was early on in the walk, you said?’
‘I think so.’
‘Not far from where you left the car?’
‘Probably.’
‘You wouldn’t have noticed if he got into a car himself?’
‘I told you. He passed me. I didn’t look back.’
‘Fair enough.’ Hen looked at her colleague. They’d run through their repertoire. ‘There’s nothing else you remember from that afternoon?’
‘I’ve told you all I know.’
They left soon after. Although something was said about thanks and cooperation, Jo felt it was only lip service. She’d had a mauling. She needed another coffee before she could face work again.
That evening one of those small cars that look as if it they’ve been sawn off at the back was parked in the spot she always used outside her flat, so she had to go looking for another place. Typical. The only space she could find was way up the next street. Serious damage to property (namely, one yellow Smartcar) was on her mind as she finished humping two bags of shopping the two hundred yards to her door.
Before she got there someone stepped out of the offending car and stood waiting for her.
Gemma.
‘Can I help with those?’
‘You’d better, seeing that you nicked my parking place.’
‘Sorry.’ Gem sounded worried, more worried than ill-judged parking warranted.
‘Problems?’
‘Mind if I come in? I’ve had a godawful week and it’s still only Monday.’
Supper would have to wait. Inside, Jo opened the bottle of merlot she’d bought for herself and carried two drinks to the sofa. The two friends sat facing the switched-off television.
‘It’s my butthead boss again,’ Gemma said. ‘You remember I was telling you about Fiona from accounts? Well, it seems I read the signs all wrong. She’s giving him the come-on now. In the last couple of days she’s appeared at work all done up like the next Big Brother contestant in really unsuitable clothes, low-cut tops and skirts a teenager would think twice about wearing.’
Jo was still feeling frayed from her session with the police and it wasn’t easy to take Gemma’s problems seriously, but she made the effort. ‘I thought she was the homespun type. That’s what you told me.’
‘And how wrong I was. That line she gave me about being embarrassed by all his interest was a load of horse hooey. She was sounding me out, making sure I wasn’t going to make a play for him myself.’
‘And what does he make of it?’
‘Laps it up, naturally. He’s starting to give her jobs that mean reporting back to him directly. Every time she comes in he sends me out on some errand.’
‘Do you think they’re at it in the office?’
‘Parallel parking? I wouldn’t put it past them. There’s some fooling around for sure, but that isn’t here nor there. What really upsets me, Jo, is that I think he’s grooming her for my job.’
‘Really?’ For all her efforts, Jo wasn’t sounding as outraged as the story demanded.
Fortunately Gemma didn’t seem to notice. ‘Yesterday she was told to take a spess-that’s a specification-from a client. That’s what I do. I should have done that.’
Jo rallied a bit. ‘Bloody cheek. Did you tell him he’s out of order?’
‘No. I’m a coward basically.’
‘You’ve got to stand up for yourself or she’ll trample all over you. If it happens again, you march into that office of his and tell him you won’t stand for it.’
Gemma shook her head. ‘I know what’ll happen if I do. My office experience up against her pulling power? No contest.’
‘The place can’t run without you.’
‘I wish that was true. I was talking to Rick and he said no one is indispensable.’
‘You’ve discussed it with Rick?’
‘We had a drink last night.’
‘And he wasn’t much comfort by the sound of it.’
‘He said the writing is on the wall. I’d better see what’s on offer at the job centre.’
‘Oh great!’ Jo’s fighting spirit surfaced. ‘Listen, Gem. Rick is way off message here. You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re practically running that firm on your own. If you want out, okay, but if you want to keep the job you’ve got to hit back.’
‘What can I do? Call in the Headhunters?’
‘Let’s think. Like you say, she’s played the sex card, and that’s got him all fired up. We give him the cold shower treatment.’
‘How?’
‘You say he’s giving her the chance to meet clients. What if she makes a mistake that costs the firm a lot of money?’
‘I’m sure she will, given time, but I can’t afford to wait for it to happen.’
‘Exactly. You help it along. I don’t know how your office works, but if, say, an order comes in for three hundred booklets it won’t look good for the fair Fiona if her paperwork says thirty thousand.’
‘I add some zeros? She’d notice. She’s trained in accounts.’
‘It’s a matter of when it’s done. You intercept the order after it’s left her and before it goes to the printer. You can find a way of doing that, can’t you?’
‘I guess I can… but it’s sneaky.’
‘Gem, I don’t get you. Don’t you think she’s being sneaky, doing you out of your job?’
Gemma looked as if the sun had come out. ‘Back of the net. Yes, I could use her computer and alter the figures at source and reprint the order. It would be simple to do.’
‘Remember, for this to work it has to be several zeros, not just one.’
‘A major boo-boo?’ Gemma’s eyes shone again.
‘Precisely. And the beauty is, she won’t know for certain that she didn’t make the mistake herself. We’ve all done that, pressed one key too hard and made a row of letters.’ Jo was surprising herself with her relish for this underhand plot.
‘Do you think I’ll get away with it?’ Gemma said. ‘I’ll be the obvious suspect.’
‘If she points the finger at you, she’s admitting she’s made an enemy of you by targeting your job. She won’t want to do that.’
‘What about Mr Cartwright? He’s going to think it was me.’
‘Let him. He won’t be able to prove a thing. And he can’t be certain it wasn’t Fiona who screwed up. The main thing is he won’t dare put any more of your work her way.’
‘I’m going to do it,’ Gemma raised a clenched fist. ‘I feel heaps better now.’
Jo, too, was much recovered.
‘I knew I could depend on you,’ Gemma said. ‘You know what?’
‘Tell me.’
‘When I top the bastard, you’re definitely on the team.’
FOUR
‘This is getting to me,’ Hen Mallin said to Stella Gregson, who was managing the mobile incident room on the front at Selsey. They were sitting on the steps in front of the open door so that Hen could smoke one of her evil-smelling cigarillos. ‘I never fancied a caravan holiday.’
Stella had worked with Hen ever since their days at Bognor police station and knew when the boss was in danger of erupting. Ten days into the investigation they still hadn’t identified the victim. ‘Things could be worse. Makes a nice change from the nick. Fresh sea air.’
‘You think so? I’m an Essex girl, raised on petrol fumes.’
‘A tough case brings out the best in you.’
‘It isn’t a case at all yet.’