an overdose. And why would they? But now I’d like to know if any of them had traces of Dexedrine in.”
“Jesus,” McCullough said. “That could be a lot of work….”
“But I think it needs doing,” said Jonah. “If we had that, we’d have definite cause of death.”
Linda sighed. “You’re right. And I guess I’m finished with my normal day’s work, and was fondly thinking of getting home before midnight….”
“You’re wonderful,” Jonah said, and hung up before she could argue.
* * *
—
KEEPING TRACK OF Stavely at bus stops was difficult. At the first three, there was traffic coming the other way, so she’d had an excuse to tuck in behind the bus and watch who climbed off. At the fourth, there had been nobody coming the other way and she’d had to make her way round it, and then pull in a quarter of a mile farther down the road.
She’d overtaken the bus and then let it past several times, until they were in the city center proper. She was beginning to worry that they would reach a bus-only area and she would be stumped, but he had climbed off on Commercial Road just before it turned the corner onto Above Bar Street, and she was able to crawl along ahead of him and pull into the Frog and Parrot car park just round the corner.
She strolled toward the car-park entrance, and saw him walk past along the street. It was easy enough to turn the corner and fall into step behind him. But then she almost walked into him when he turned suddenly to enter the big John Lewis.
It wasn’t a good move from the perspective of someone tailing. Department stores with multiple exits were hell. She’d tried to follow a fake suspect through one during her training and had lost them within minutes.
She pushed open the first set of doors and stopped just inside it, trying to find him again. The displays weren’t tall, and as she scanned them, she saw him bending over the top of one of them.
He was in the kitchenware section, which struck her as bizarre. She couldn’t imagine Stavely browsing crockery in his spare time.
She ambled in his direction, trying to walk round behind him to keep out of his sight. She followed the aisle and walked round in front of the tills until she was standing over his shoulder.
She was entirely unprepared for him swinging round and facing her. His eyes met hers, and she felt the animal sense of fear that usually only hit her when she was facing up to a violent offender.
There was what felt like an endless moment while he stood like that, and then he muttered, “Excuse me.” His eyes cut away, and he stepped round her, making his way toward the tills.
She turned to watch him, not quite able to believe that he hadn’t recognized her. That he wasn’t about to do a runner or try to attack her. But then, she realized, he’d never actually met her. She was just a random woman to him, and not an officer who had peered at him through the one-way glass.
He was focused on the counter, and stepped forward quickly to one of the free checkout assistants. He was holding out a thin plastic packet with a protruding handle, and she was slow to realize that it was a large kitchen knife. And only at that point did she realize she’d left her phone sitting on the passenger seat of her car and couldn’t call this in.
* * *
—
JONAH ONLY JUST remembered to make the promised coffee before he barged back in on Coralie. He put it down carefully enough in front of her, but that was the last of the care he was happy to show her.
“I don’t think you’ve been telling us the truth, Coralie,” he said, and then he sat, not bothering to pull his notes out again.
“What do you mean?” she asked in a small voice.
“You’ve come in here with a sudden and convenient story about Andrew Mackenzie, a man who produced zero reaction in you before,” he said. “You’ve previously arrived to point the finger at Connor Dooley, and suggested doubts about Brett Parker. Are you attempting to misdirect us alone, or are you being used by another member of the group?”
Coralie’s cheeks flushed a hot red. “I’m not. All I’m trying to do is tell…is tell the truth when nobody…nobody else will.”
“That doesn’t quite wash,” Jonah argued, and then immediately