Banks leaned over. The photograph showed a number of high-ranking police officers standing around one central figure, who was handing over an oversized cardboard check, a big cheesy grin on his face. “Superstar Danny Caxton presents Chief Constable Edward Crammond with a check for £10,000 for the Police Widows and Orphans Fund.” The story went on to say how Caxton had helped raise the amount through personal appearances and telethons, and how he valued his relationship with the local police, what a wonderful job they did, and so on. It was dated the twenty-seventh of October, just over two weeks after Tony Monaghan’s murder and two months after Linda’s rape.

It was clearly the photo of Danny Caxton that had upset Linda Palmer the most, but the picture of the man who had raped her after Caxton nearly fifty years ago intrigued Banks even more. Tony Monaghan. Perhaps he was now investigating a murder in addition to a rape.

9

THE BAY HORSE WAS A SPRAWLING MODERN CHAIN pub on the estate, sitting beside a cluster of local shops—greengrocer, butcher, newsagent and hairdresser. When Annie and Gerry walked in that Tuesday afternoon, the place was almost deserted except for a lone figure in jeans and a black T-shirt sitting hunched over his pint in the far corner. Some music Banks would probably recognize was playing softly in the background—maybe Dire Straits, Annie thought—but other than that the pub was quiet.

When they got a little closer, he looked up at them, and Annie could see that his eyes were red-rimmed, as if he’d been crying. He had a skinhead haircut and was stockier than Annie had expected, with elaborate tattoos on the muscles of his arms. She could see some similarity in features to the images of Mimosa she had seen, the catlike slant of the eyes, the full, slightly pouting lips. On Mimosa it would all have been sexy as hell in life, whatever her age, but it made Albert’s features seem a little too feminine. If he had more hair, Annie thought, he might even be quite handsome.

Lenny had told them he had just given the news to Albert about Mimosa and left him in the pub, that he had wanted to sit alone for a while and digest what he’d heard. Annie leaned over and said, “Albert? Lenny told us you were here. We’re the police. We need to ask you a few questions. Is it OK if we sit down?”

Albert looked from one to the other. “Might as well,” he said.

Annie nodded toward the almost empty glass. “Another?”

“Thanks.”

Gerry went to the bar and came back with a pint of lager for Albert and two diet bitter lemons for herself and Annie.

“We’ll try and make it brief and painless,” Annie said. “We’re really sorry about your sister. I understand you’ve only just heard about what happened?”

“Yes.”

“Where were you?”