might not have gone straight home, sir.'
Delaney flapped his hand and gestured her in. ''Meeting', you make it sound like a bloody sales conference, and for God's sake, come in, Constable.'
Sally walked into the built-in garage, gratefully shutting the door on the wind and rain behind her.
'What the hell happened to summer?'
'Don't know, sir.'
'Come through.'
Delaney led her through the garage up a couple of small steps and into the kitchen that lay off it. It was almost as bare as the garage. White modern units, but nothing personal, no pictures or furniture. A kettle on the countertop. A couple of mugs. A whisky tumbler. Delaney opened some cupboards, scowled and shut them again. 'Have you got any Nurofen on you, Sally?'
She shook her head. 'Sorry, sir.'
'Co-codamol? Paracetamol? Aspirin? Anadin? Ibuprofen? Panadol?'
'Don't use them, sir.'
Delaney slammed a drawer shut, frustrated, and again regretted it. 'You'll learn,' he said, wincing.
'I've got a line of coke.'
Delaney looked across at her, half hopeful, and Sally laughed. 'Joking, sir.'
Delaney nodded. 'Not funny, Constable.' There was a time when Delaney had used the stuff, and not that long ago. Only a little dab now and again, mind, a wet tip of a finger's worth, to keep him sharp. But the business with Walker and Bonner had made him more circumspect. He'd never been a user. Whiskey was his drug of choice, even using the Scottish variety lately. And cigarettes of course. The day they made them illegal was the day he resigned for good. He fumbled in his pockets and pulled out a packet. 'You got a lighter, Sally?'
'You shouldn't smoke in the house, sir.'
'It's my goddamn house.'
'Exactly. And you want to keep it nice, sir.' She smiled, taking the edge of her words. 'For your daughter's sake.'
Delaney cursed and stuffed the packet back in his jacket pocket then sketched a hand in the air. 'What do you think of it?'
Sally smiled politely. 'Very minimalist.'
Delaney opened another cupboard and found a jar of coffee. 'Not got round to sorting it out yet.'
'How long have you been here?'
'A week.'
'Just a suggestion, but maybe some furniture.'
'You any idea what this cost?'
Sally shrugged. 'Three-bedroomed house, integral garage, Belsize Park? Way out of my league.'
'An arm and a fucking leg that's what it cost me. You want to investigate serious fraud, look into the price of property.'
'You don't have to tell me.'
Delaney found a couple of mugs and poured some coffee into them. 'Karl Marx had the right of the matter, I reckon.' He opened the integrated fridge and cursed. 'No frigging milk.'
Sally smiled. 'I'm all right anyway, sir.'
'Well, you bloody would be. We'll get one on the way. Just have a seat and look shiny. I won't be a minute.'
Delaney opened the door to the lounge. Sally went through to the lounge as Delaney headed upstairs. It was a large room with French windows leading on to
