Chapters (73)
- Rabbit Hole
- Also by Mark Billingham
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Preface
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- PART TWO
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- PART THREE
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- EPILOGUE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Back Cover
Mr Jigsaw – who isn’t called Trevor at all, but turns out to be a Colin – is sitting as far away from me as possible without actually being in a different room, and I find myself dining next to Lauren. This is, of course, a major treat. She eats with her mouth open, humming tunelessly through her nose and leaning into me when she reaches for salt and pepper and ketchup. Then ketchup again.
She says, ‘That psychiatrist the coppers brought along was nice.’
‘Was she?’ It’s a relief to hear that I wasn’t the only patient Perera talked to. But then Lauren spoils it, like she was always intending to. ‘Yeah, we had a cracking natter. Talked about all sorts of things.’
I can’t help thinking that she means all sorts of people and that what people really means is me. Her fat gob twists into that punchable smile, the one she slaps on if she’s enjoying herself and whenever she wants me to think she knows something.
What’s really annoying is that it works.
‘Pretty as well, don’t you think?’ she says.
‘I suppose.’
‘Proper lez-bait.’ Lauren nods and ladles more stew into her mouth. ‘I saw Malaika eyeing her up.’
Talking of which, I’m all too aware that Clare is watching me from the table opposite. She’s sitting with Donna and Ilias, but doesn’t seem interested in whatever those two are talking about. It wouldn’t surprise me if Tiny Tears had cosied up to Lauren as well and is patiently waiting for her to report back on our conversation once we’ve all finished eating.
‘She must have had a field day with you,’ Lauren says. ‘That psychiatrist.’
‘Must she?’
‘Course. Your thing about who killed Kevin, you thinking it was Debbie and all that.’ She leans so close that her greasy hair is like some massive spider on my shoulder and she whispers as if she’s making a dramatic announcement in a scary film. ‘Murder most foul.’
‘Oh, fuck off,’ I say.
She snorts so some stew comes out, then goes back to her dinner.
I see Tony walk up to the serving hatch and decide it might be nice to join him for a spot of pudding. I tell Lauren to fuck off again for good measure, and when I get up to leave, she picks up one of the plastic knives and jabs it aggressively at nobody in particular.
I can tell that she wants me to notice.