“I guess.” Meredith gave a watery smile. “Did I tell you, my employers have shown a novel way of expressing their sympathies?”

“No. What have they done?”

“They fired me. Apparently, I no longer meet their criteria on security. They seem more concerned that I’m a lesbian than they are about me being a suspect in a homicide inquiry.”

“That’s terrible,” Lindsay protested. “They know your partner’s been murdered and they phone you up to sack you?”

“Fax, actually. I don’t even get to go in and empty my desk and say goodbye to my team.” Meredith sighed. “I suppose I should look on the bright side. I mean, it kind of ruins my so-called motive for murder, doesn’t it? If I’m supposed to have killed her to preserve my in-the-closet status, you’d think I’d have had the sense to realize that I’d be outed by the investigation.”

“It’s outrageous,” Lindsay said. “Can’t you sue them?”

Meredith shrugged. “I don’t think so. And why would I want to prolong my connection with them by one single minute? A week ago, it would have been the end of the world to lose my job. Now? It’s no big deal. I can get another job. I can’t get another Penny.” For a moment, they both sat silent, reflecting. Then Meredith straightened up in her chair. “Enough moping. How’s your investigation going? Have you made any progress?”

“Not as much as I’d have liked,” Lindsay admitted. “I found out a few interesting things. First, and this is probably the most significant thing from your point of view, there’s no closed circle of knowledge about the murder method. Penny and Baz had an animated discussion about it on the editorial floor, overheard by everybody who was close by at the time. Every one of them probably told at least one other person, and chances are it was all over the publishing world by teatime. Second, whoever killed her probably hadn’t been a regular visitor to the flat because he or she didn’t know the procedures for locking up. Third, did you know about the film and TV deal that Catriona’s been working on?”

Meredith frowned. “A TV deal? With Penny?” She sounded as thunderstruck as Lindsay had felt when she’d heard Helen’s news.

“Straight up. Galaxy Pictures in a co-production with the BBC via an independent UK production company. Three Darkliners books in nine episodes planned initially, with more if they get the audience figures. I’m told the deal’s near completion.”

Meredith shook her head. “Somebody’s feeding you a line. You know what Penny thought about adaptations. She said it was like hiring cannibals as baby-sitters. They might promise to be good, but you couldn’t be sure what they’d get up to as soon as your back was turned.”