Despite only knowing him for two days, in that short time she has come to depend on him. He seems so reliable. Not only that, something about his absence niggles at her and she is worried. Eager to get on with the investigation, she could go it alone, but decides to pay him a call and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Chapter 14

14

ARCHER SIGNS OUT A POLICE vehicle and makes her way to the Brandon Estate in Southwark where Quinn lives. Mark has given her the address and told her Quinn apparently has the most excellent view over Kennington Park. She walks towards the high rise and looks up at the vast gloomy building, counting the floors and stopping at the seventh. She can just about see what looks like a half-naked man standing on a balcony peering out over the green.

Is that Quinn?

The communal door is open so she lets herself in and makes her way up in the lift.

At the seventh floor, she gets out and sees a thin woman in her late sixties wearing a silk dressing gown and slippers, standing outside number forty-two, Quinn’s flat. She is holding a raised toilet seat and is knocking on his door.

‘Hello, is this Harry Quinn’s flat?’

The woman raises her pencilled eyebrows and looks Archer up and down. ‘Who wants to know?’

‘A colleague.’

The woman knocks harder.

Archer’s phone pings suddenly and she wonders if it’s Quinn.

Babe, sorry about the late response. Been crazy busy at work. Hope the new job is fun. See you at weekend? Dom X

Archer stares hard at the phone, unsure what to make of Dom’s message. 1. He knows she hates being called ‘babe’, 2. Since when has being a detective been a ‘fun’ job? and 3. Regardless of how ‘crazy busy’ they are, ever since their two-week fall-out last year, both of them have always made a point of contacting each other, even if it is just a text.

Harry’s voice interrupts her thoughts. ‘Clear off! There’s no one home,’ he shouts from behind the door.

The woman looks to Archer, shrugs and rolls her eyes. ‘He’s always doing this.’

‘Harry, it’s Zelda Frutkoff. I need your help. Can you open the door, please?’

After a pause the door opens and a haggard-looking Quinn appears wearing only shorts. ‘What’s up, Zelda?’

The Irishman’s eyes are red and raw and widen when he sees Archer.

‘DI Archer, what are you doing here?’ he asks.

‘I came to see if you were all right.’

Zelda interrupts, ‘Before you two get reacquainted, Harry, my toilet seat has broken again. Could you reattach it now, please? I’m a woman in a predicament.’

Quinn rubs his neck. ‘Sure. Do you want to use mine?’

‘Harry, with my knees you might as well have a hole in the ground. Besides, we’re two unattached free spirits – and the neighbours will talk.’