knew now.”
Anna nodded slowly. “OK. Well…Aleksy had decided to snoop around. It was my fault, I think. I’d told him how Brett wouldn’t let me in his study. I don’t really know why I told him. It was sort of a joke about him, because he hates disorder and—you know, he’s a little bit OCD, really.” She gave a slight smile. “It’s quite endearing, and I’ve learned to fit around it. I shouldn’t have told Aleksy about the study, though. It was a mistake. He decided there must be something to hide, and when he got a bit drunk and went off to use the bathroom, he decided to go and take a look.”
Jonah watched her, finding himself intrigued by this.
“And when I found them they were arguing. I sort of guessed what it might be about because they were in Brett’s study, and I knew his business wasn’t doing so well at the time.” Anna sighed. “I got a full explanation afterward. He was so humiliated, and I think that was why he flew off the handle at Aleksy. He’d been filing false accounts. Not wildly so, but…not declaring things for tax.”
“So Brett was angry with Aleksy for checking up on his business?”
“Yes,” Anna said. “And Aleksy said it wasn’t his fault if Brett had things to hide. But I think I calmed things down. I reminded them that nothing was more important than their friendship and I reminded them they were both drunk.”
“Did anything more come of it?” Lightman asked, interjecting for the first time.
“No. Well, I texted Aleksy, apologizing, after Brett and I had spoken. I said, look, I know about it all, and it’s not ideal but I’m OK with it and I don’t think it’s going to continue. I asked him to please not mention it to anyone.”
“And what did he say?” Jonah asked.
“He said it was up to me,” she said, nodding. “But that he worried about me and if it were him, he’d be disentangling himself right away.”
“Because you’re heavily involved in the business?” Jonah said, and Anna nodded. He wondered for a moment,whether there had been more to it than minor tax avoidance. Whether Brett had been up to some serious fraud. It was worth considering whether that had been a motive for murder, but if it had been, then it hadn’t had anything to do with Aurora. “So he decided to back off as a favor to you.”
“Yes, I think so,” Anna said, going slightly pink. “I know that means I’m colluding in hiding a crime. But I’m positive it was never on any large scale, and he’s been fine for a long time now. There’s been no need for tricks.”
“Thank you,” Jonah said. “I know it’s a difficult subject.”
“That’s all right,” Anna said. “You don’t…you don’t think there’ll be any need to pursue it?”
“I shouldn’t think so,” Jonah said. “It’s fairly straightforward, and nothing to do with Aurora.”
The reality was that he could assume no such thing just now. But reassuring her seemed the right thing to do.
“Good,” she said with clear relief. “That’s good to hear.”
There were sounds of movement out in the main hall, and Anna became silent and a little tense.
“I’m back!” Brett called from the hall.
“Just in the sitting room,” Anna called. “The police came for a quick chat.”
There were padding steps, and then Brett appeared in cycling shorts, a technical top, and fingerless gloves. His hair was all spiked up with sweat, and there were patches of it on the tight top.
For a moment, witnessing Jonah and Lightman, he looked thoroughly pissed off. But then he made an effort to smile. It amused Jonah. It seemed to be part of a middle-class upbringing that you should be polite and respectful to the police. It was something that Jojo had definitely sidestepped, and Topaz seemed more than happy to ignore.
“I’m a bit…odorous,” Brett said, walking toward them. His voice and movements were both weary. “Sorry.”
“That’s OK,” Jonah said. “We’re definitely intruding. The last thing anyone wants after a long ride is the bloody cops in their house.”
The friendly tone seemed to soothe Brett. Jonah felt he was partly soothing him to make sure that Anna didn’t get in trouble. Reading between the lines of the chat, Brett could be quite critical when he wanted, and he didn’t think Anna was likely to stand up for herself.
It was an interesting dynamic to note. He had interviewed numerous lawbreakers who were somewhat abusive toward their partners.