“When will you know?”
“Tomorrow, I hope.”
234
The food arrived. “I’m starving,” Jenny said, and the two ate in silence.
When he’d finished, Banks bought another round of drinks and lit a cigarette.
Then he explained his doubts about Paul Boyd’s guilt.
“Are you any closer to catching the real killer?” Jenny asked.
“It doesn’t look like it. Boyd’s still the closest we’ve got.”
“I can’t believe that Dennis is a murderer, you know.”
“Are you speaking as a psychologist?”
“No. As a woman.”
“I think I’d trust that opinion more if it came from a professional.”
Jenny arched her eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t bristle, it doesn’t suit you. I mean that people-men and women-tend to be very protective about whoever they get involved with. It’s only natural-you know that as well as I do. And not only that, but they deliberately blinker themselves sometimes, even lie. Look what Boyd did. If he really is innocent of murder, then he sure as hell risked a lot. And think about how Mara behaved.
Whichever way you look at it now, it comes down to Seth, Rick or Zoe-with Mara, Tim and Abha, and your Dennis running close behind.”
“All right. As a professional, I don’t think Dennis did it.”
“Just how much do you know about him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind.”
“What? Come on. Out with it. If there’s something I should know, tell me.”
Banks took a deep breath. “Would you say Osmond is the kind of person to hit women?”
“What?”
Haltingly, Banks told her about Ellen Ventner. The more he said, the paler she became. Even as he told her, Banks wasn’t sure of his motives. Was he doing it because he was worried about her association with Osmond, or was it out of pure vindictive jealousy?
235
“I don’t believe it,” she whispered.
“Believe it. It’s true.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I didn’t want to tell you. You pushed me into it.”
“It was you who made me push you. You must have known how bloody humiliated it would make me feel.”
Banks shrugged. He could feel her starting to turn her anger against him. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I intended. He could be dangerous, Jenny. And I don’t know about you, but I have problems understanding a person who rescues defenceless women from police brutality in public and beats them up in private.”
“You said it only happened once. There’s no need to go making him into a monster. What do you expect me to do? Chuck him over just because he made a mistake?”
“I expect you to be careful, that’s all. Osmond hit a woman once, put her in hospital, and he’s also a suspect in a murder investigation. In addition, he seems to think the CIA, the KGB and MI5 are all after him. I’d say that merits a little caution, wouldn’t you?”
Jenny’s eyes glittered. “You’ve never liked Dennis right from the start, have you? You’ve never even given him a chance. And now as soon as you find a bit of dirt on him, you sling it at me. Just what the bloody hell do you hope to achieve, Alan? You’re not my keeper. I can take care of myself. I don’t need a big brother to look out for me.”
She picked up her coat and swept out of the pub, knocking over her glass as she went. Faces turned to stare and Banks felt himself flush. Good one, Alan, he said to himself, you handled that really well.
He followed her outside, but she was nowhere in sight. Cursing, he went back to his office and tried to occupy his mind with work.
After a couple of false starts, he finally got through to Rick’s wife’s sister at her home in Camden Town. She sounded cagey and Banks first had to assure her that his call had nothing at all to do with the custody battle. Even then, she didn’t sound as if she believed him.
236
“I just need some information about Rick’s wife, that’s all,” he said. “Were you always good friends?”
“Yes,” the sister answered. “Our ages are close, so we always supported one another, even after she married Rick. I don’t want you to think I’ve anything against him, by the way. He’s selfish and egotistical, but then most men are.
