“Are you kidding?” Alex expostulated. “For a kickoff, I’m under age. I’m only seventeen. Soon as they started asking me what I was doing there, I’d be right in the shit. Besides, in my game, you have to be discreet. The word goes round that you blab to the police about where you’ve been and who with, you might as well be dead. Anyway, think about it. Who’s going to take the word of a rent boy?”

What he said made sense, Lindsay thought. Her head was buzzing with the possibility that this was the break she needed. But she had to check that it wasn’t Jackie he’d seen leaving the flat. She chose her words carefully. “I suppose you followed the case in the papers?”

“Of course I did.”

“So you must have realized that your evidence would have helped the police nail Jackie Mitchell. They’d have been so glad to get someone backing up their version that they wouldn’t have probed too closely into what you were doing there.”

Alex looked at her as if she were extraordinarily stupid. “Don’t you understand? The woman I saw wasn’t the one they did for it.”

Lindsay’s heart lurched. This really was what she’d been waiting for. “What did she look like, then, this other woman?”

“What’s it to you?” Alex asked, suddenly suspicious again.

“Just nosy,” Lindsay lied.

“Well, she was wearing one of them ski caps so I couldn’t see her hair. The weather was hellish that day, I remember I got soaked waiting for the bus. But I’d know her again anywhere, sure I would,” he said.

“Well, was she tall or short? Thin or fat?” Lindsay pushed.

“I don’t know. I’m not very good at describing people. She was just ordinary, I suppose. But what’s the big deal anyway? Oh, wait a minute. You weren’t thinking Harry had anything to do with it?” Laughter bubbled in his throat. “Come on! He hasn’t got the bottle for that.”

Lindsay took a deep breath. Before she could say more, the doorbell rang insistently. “That’ll be Harry,” she said.

“You go. I’ll get his stuff,” Alex muttered.

Lindsay returned moments later with an irritated Harry. They entered the room to find Alex pulling a plastic bag out from under his mattress. He turned to face them and gave Harry a grin. “Hiya, Dirty Harry,” he said cheekily.

“You little shit!” Harry spat. “You scumbag! How dare you steal my things.”

“Now, now, Harry, mind your language. There’s a lady present. Don’t give me a bad time or the deal might just be off.” Alex had clearly begun to enjoy himself.

“You . . .” Harry trailed off as Alex wagged an admonishing finger.

“All right, boys, let’s cut the posturing. Harry, money on the table. Alex, open the bag and let Harry have a look through it.”