Chapters (78)
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Prologue
- 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
- 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
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Remarkable Praise for Nicci French
- Also by Nicci French
- About the Publisher
“That’s the whole point. You’re right. People have been involved with each other in different ways. So why would they keep it so secret? Did Danny tell you about it when you interviewed her?”
“Look, Jude, can I just say that you still haven’t established that there is a relationship between them. And even if you did establish it, I don’t think it would matter.”
“But why would they go to the trouble of concealing it? What’s the motive of that?”
“Motive? What are you talking about? People have strange reasons for doing things. Or they do things for no reason at all. Or for reasons they can’t explain.”
Jude didn’t know how to reply. She picked up her coffee but when she took a sip it had gone cold and horrible, or maybe that was just the way she was feeling.
“So how’s the inquiry going?” she asked finally.
“I can’t comment on that.” Leila spoke in a brisk tone.
“I wasn’t asking for a comment like at a press conference. I just wanted to know how it was progressing.”
Leila started to say something and then thought better of it, and when she spoke her tone softened.
“When we have anything to announce, we’ll announce it.”
“So it’s not progressing.”
Jude saw a flash of anger in Leila’s gray eyes. The detective shifted in her chair as if preparing to get up and leave. She picked up her phone, which was lying next to her glass of tea.
“I think I’d better . . .”
She stopped suddenly and Jude saw a new interest in the detective’s expression. She put her phone back on the table and leaned across, reaching toward Jude’s face. Jude flinched slightly. She thought the detective was going to touch her face but instead she touched the little wooden ornament on her neck.
“Where did you get this?” she said.
“I saw it when I was going through Liam’s bag in the house in Norfolk. It fell on the floor and I took it. As a kind of souvenir.”
“You mean, you stole it?”
“No, no, I just took it. I wasn’t thinking about it like that.”
Leila frowned. “Are you telling me the truth? You found it? Liam didn’t give it to you?”
Jude was confused. What did it matter?
“Why would I be lying? My version makes me sound worse.”
When Leila spoke it was like she was talking to herself. “I’ve seen this before.”
“Where?”
“Never mind.”
“Liam made it. He made one for himself and for his family. For Dermot and for his mum and dad.”
The detective seemed lost in thought once more.
“So,” she began, speaking slowly, “if you hadn’t taken it, we would have found it in his things.”