BooksBarbecue
Back Rabbit Hole
Chapters (73)
  1. Rabbit Hole
  2. Also by Mark Billingham
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. Preface
  8. PART ONE
  9. ONE
  10. TWO
  11. THREE
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. SEVEN
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. THIRTY-TWO
  41. THIRTY-THREE
  42. PART TWO
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. FIFTY
  60. FIFTY-ONE
  61. FIFTY-TWO
  62. FIFTY-THREE
  63. FIFTY-FOUR
  64. FIFTY-FIVE
  65. FIFTY-SIX
  66. FIFTY-SEVEN
  67. FIFTY-EIGHT
  68. PART THREE
  69. FIFTY-NINE
  70. SIXTY
  71. EPILOGUE
  72. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  73. Back Cover

She says, ‘Right,’ then leans her head back like she’s just enjoying the sunshine for a moment or two, but I can see the cogs turning. ‘After what happened to Detective Constable Johnston, you felt you were denied the chance to give evidence against the man who murdered him. That’s right, isn’t it?’

‘I was a bit all over the place back then,’ I say.

‘You never got to play your part in getting justice for a murdered colleague.’

‘The bloke was put away. That’s what counts.’

‘How did that make you feel?’

Here we go. Feelings again. ‘Look, I know this is what you do, but I’ve got to tell you that I never worked on a single murder case where how someone felt about this, that or the other thing counted for anything. You just have to catch them, right?’

‘You’re correct, Al,’ she says. ‘How someone is feeling at a particular time is a . . . large part of what I do. I believe it can be hugely important, and so do the senior officers who have brought me in to help with this case.’ She smiles again, but there aren’t quite so many perfect teeth on display this time. ‘So I’d be very grateful if you could tell me.’

I sigh and stare across at the entrance to A&E again. Still nothing to get excited about. ‘I wasn’t very happy about it,’ I say.

‘OK, good. Thank you, Al. Now, do you think it’s poss­ible that you had similar feelings, or that those old feelings resurfaced, when you saw that the investigation into Mr Connolly’s murder had stalled? When, despite you putting it on a plate for the police, Miss McClure was getting away with it. Did you perhaps feel . . . thwarted?’

There it was, though I’d known it was coming for several minutes. The shrink was laying it all out a bit more politely than Lauren had done last night, but she was saying much the same thing. Asking much the same question.

It makes complete sense, after all. Sitting out here, the pair of us all pally in the sunshine, I don’t know if she’s going to be talking to Ilias or Bob or the rest of them, but right this minute I’m a suspect. Of course. How could I not be?

When you think about it, I’m the obvious suspect.

I understand, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

‘Can we go back inside now?’ She’s not actually a copper, so I’m guessing she can’t really refuse.

‘If that’s what you want,’ she says.

I stand up and start walking back and, once she’s managed to catch me up, I say, ‘This boyfriend of yours. Is he the kind of copper that gives a stuff about feelings?’

She doesn’t answer, so I’m guessing we’re about done.

FORTY-THREE