He got up from the desk and walked round behind her. She refused to turn round to face him. His voice sounded tired. “The last thing the police want is to be made fools of. In this force, we’re not stupid and we’re not bent. We are, by and large, a bunch of honest coppers doing our damnedest to dear up the messes that the inadequate, the criminal, and the plain bloody stupid leave behind them.

“If in the process we upset the likes of you, then that’s tough luck. You can look after yourself; you’re not some pathetic little wimp. So don’t expect us to fall over ourselves being nice.

“But you’ve proved that, even though you’ve done some incredibly stupid, naïve, and dangerous things over the last week, you’ve got a brain. So I’d like to know what happened tonight, and why.

“And before you start, just let me say again how bloody naive and stupid you’ve been. Just suppose Anthony Barrington had been a killer. You went off there on your own. You might like to think you’d have been able to deal with that situation, but I’m not so sure. A person who has killed has broken a fundamental human taboo. Once broken, the taboo loses all force. The next kill is easier. And if your life lies between a killer and safety, it’s not worth much. This is real life, you know, not some kind of game. You could have been as dead as Lorna Smith-Couper by now.”

Lindsay nodded slowly, feeling an enormous weariness sweeping over her. “It occurred to me afterward. I’m afraid that I get carried away when I get gripped by an idea. However, I think I’ve reached the point where I have to tell you what I think happened last Saturday night.”

21

Lindsay walked out of the police station and breathed the cold night air deeply. It tasted clean after the stuffiness of Inspector Dart’s office. She sighed profoundly, knowing that she still had work to do before she could sleep. The interview had been trying and far from satisfactory. She walked across the deserted market place to a phone box and dialed Paddy’s number. It was Cordelia who answered.

“Where are you?” she demanded. “Do you know what time it is? You said you’d be back by nine. The police have been here looking for you. I’ve been worried sick.”

Lindsay allowed herself a lopsided wry smile. “You sound like my bloody mother,” she replied. “I got caught up, that’s all. I’ll tell you about it later. I’ve got one more thing to do, and I’m not sure how long it’ll take me. Will you wait with Paddy till I get back?”

Cordelia caught the serious tone in Lindsay’s voice. “Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.