Dialogues of the Dead

m I'm going to take some excellent advice I just received. I'll check out his alibi for the night ofjax's death and once I've got that sorted, then I'll make up my mind.' She grinned back and said, 'You know, we might make some thing of you yet. Is that it? Because I'm running on library time already.' 'Tell them you were dealing with a ratepayer's research prob lem. That should ease your conscience. And to ease mine, a little bit of official business - when you were waiting to be interviewed by Sergeant Wield in the gallery, did you chat with anybody?' 'I expect so. There wasn't a rule of silence, was there? Why are you asking?' 'Well, it was just that when you went back to the library for your things, you didn't specify anyone you saw, and I wondered if you mentioned that's where you'd gone to anyone else while you were waiting.' She was lightning quick. 'So they could give themselves some kind of alibi by mentioning they'd seen me, you mean?' 'That kind of thing.' And now she was angry and he could see all his good approach work going for nothing. 'Is this about Dick? It is, isn't it?' 'No,' he protested. 'OK, he did say he saw you and you didn't say you saw him . ..' 'And that means he's lying? That he wasn't there when I was because he was in the lavatory killing Councillor Steel? For God's sake, when you lot take against someone, you really go all the way, don't you? No wonder the jails seem to be fall of innocent people fitted up by the fuzz!' She stood up, knocking her coffee mug over, and he jumped up to avoid the flood. He said quickly, 'Right idea, wrong guy. It's that novelist fellow, Penn, I'm curious about. He mentions seeing both you and Dee. Neither of you mention him.' He watched as the anger drained from her face and thought, but had the wisdom not to say, that it was fascinating the way her indignation at a possible encroachment on civil liberties didn't extend to include Charley Penn. 'No,' she said slowly, 'I definitely didn't notice him. And yes, when I chatted to Dick while we were waiting to make our statements Penn was hanging around like he usually does. But you're not really suggesting ...' 'I'm not suggesting anything,' he said. 'But we've got to cover every angle and we are looking for someone highly educated with a devious mind who gets a kick out of playing around with words.' 'Then maybe you should be raiding all the senior common rooms in the county,' she said, but without heat. 'Look, I've got to go or Dick will kill me ... sorry, I mean ... oh shit, I'm getting as neurotic as you. I'll see you on Sunday.' 'Yeah, sure. Listen, maybe we could meet up before that, do a movie or something ...' 'From what I've seen of your job a girl would be crazy to arrange to meet you anywhere but in her own warm flat,' she replied. 'You can give me a ring when you're definitely and unrecallably free. See you.' He watched her walk away, lovely carriage, head held high, with just a touch of sinuosity around the waist producing the merest hint of a sway of the buttocks. Oh, you're the girl for me, he told himself as she passed out of sight. He turned to lean over the balustrade, feeling able at will to share the warm joy flooding through his body with all the hurrying people in the shopping centre below. And found himself looking straight into the accusing eyes of Peter Pascoe, standing among the shoppers, peering up at the balcony, with his right hand pressing his mobile phone to his ear and his left waving an angry summons to descend.

W Chapter Twenty-two