Chapters (23)

‘So, I wondered what might be special about Lesley,’ I said. ‘Beyond all the things I think are special about her. And, you know what? And this is going to make you laugh . . . the answer is you, isn’t it? Some special knowledge she got while you were in her head. Or maybe a connection to you. Is that it? A connection.’

And then a voice, like a breath in my ear.

If I had all the wives of wise King Sol, I’d kill them all for my Pretty Pol.

‘You better watch it, bruv,’ I said. ‘Because you and I ain’t finished.’

And I thought I heard laughter echoing out of the city, but it might have just been the traffic.

Acknowledgements

Ruth Goldsmith and Harry Shapiro of DrugScope, Nial Boyce of the Lancet Psychiatry, Bob Hunter formerly of the Metropolitan Police now keen-eyed gum-shoe and wicked piper. Andrew Cartmel for tirelessly keeping me from making a fool of myself and James Swallow for tirelessly allowing me to go on about totally imaginary people. Simon and Gillian for just letting me go on – period. John for not screaming even when he had cause. Anne Hall for being calm.

Technical Note

As keen-eyed readers will know, The Jeremy Kyle Show would have finished by the time Peter confronted Lesley in the Harrods Technology Department. I did consider substituting that day’s episode of Homes Under the Hammer but I couldn’t resist Sharon and Darren – I mean, could you?

Nightingale’s bit of French erudition is from Le Lys Rouge (The Red Lily) written by Nobel Prize winning author Anatole France and can be loosely translated as – ‘The majestic equality of the law forbids rich and poor alike from pissing in the streets, sleeping under bridges and stealing bread.’

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Rivers of London © Ben Aaronovitch 2016.

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Also by Ben Aaronovitch from Gollancz:

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Copyright

First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Gollancz
an imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ

An Hachette UK Company

This eBook first published in 2016 by Gollancz.

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The moral right of Ben Aaronvitch to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.