Mrs. Oto said, 'I'd better go and see to our meal. Mr. Sixsmith, if you'd like to stay ... ?'
'No, thank you kindly,' said Joe. It was doubtless a token offer but the woman didn't make it sound token. He gave her a big smile then turned to Zak and said, That everything for now?'
That's right. I'll see you out.'
She followed him into the hallway. Starbright was standing there. No one else in the house seemed to pay him the slightest attention so Joe didn't either.
'Has that been any help?' said Zak.
'I'm working on it,' said Joe.
The front door burst open and Mary came in. She didn't speak but gave Joe a look of fury and ran up the stairs. There was no trace of a limp.
Zak said, 'So what now?'
'Don't know,' said Joe. 'All I can do is keep prodding. You want me to go with it?'
Keep it simple, keep it honest. It wasn't so much a strategy as an inevitability.
She said, 'Of course I do. You can contact me here or down the Plezz.'
Starbright said, 'You in for the night, Miss Oto?'
'Yes, I think so.'
'You change your mind, you've got the number.'
The two men went out through the door which Mary hadn't bothered to close.
'Give you a lift?' said Joe.
'Once a day's enough. Anyway, I've got my own wheels, boyo. And they'll get me where I want a sight quicker than yours.'
Joe thought this remark was merely auto-macho till he saw the Magic Mini. It was almost completely boxed in by Mary's Metro and Oto's Cavalier.
'Oh shoot,' he said. He turned back to the house to get one of them to move but a noise made him look round.
Starbright had stooped in front of the Metro and was lifting its front wheels off the ground. He took two paces backwards and set the car down.
'Get yourself out of that now, can you?' he said.
'Yeah, sure. Thanks a lot.'
'Can't have you hanging around, can we? Places to go, people to report to. Old friends to see.'
How did he manage to make everything he said sound like a threat or an accusation? wondered Joe as he watched the Welshman roll away like a boulder down a hillside.
As he got into the car he glanced up at the house. Mary Oto was watching him out of an upstairs window.
He waved.
She didn't wave back.
Eight.
'Right, Sixsmith, just give me it straight,' said Butcher.
Joe gave it straight. She listened intently, not interrupting. When the mood was on her she made a great listener.
Joe was very fond of Butcher, but there was nothing sexy in it. Not that she wasn't attractive in a cropped- hair-no-make-up kind of way, and she had the great advantage of being shorter than he was. But she didn't press his button. Maybe it was the cheroots that did it. Keeping company with someone who put out more smoke than Mount Etna wasn't his idea of a turn-on. But he admired her superior intelligence, delighted in her capacity to make him feel witty, valued her judgement, and was deeply moved by the way she cared for her clients.
She'd mock him mercilessly if he even hinted it, but when push came to shove, he'd go to the wall for Butcher.
She said, 'Joe, you must be a great pain in the arse to the police and I must say I've got some sympathy with them.'
Joe said, 'Hang about. I didn't do these killings.'
'No, you just keep finding the bodies.'
'Anyway, why so het up, Butcher? Or do you reckon someone's taken Mr. Shakespeare's advice and you could be next?'
He pointed at the notice on her wall.
She said, 'Sixsmith, I knew these people.'
'Sorry,' he said. 'But I didn't get the impression you were very close to Potter, and Sandra lies didn't come across as a big buddy either.'
'What do you mean? She mentioned me?'
'No, but when I said you'd sent me, she sort of looked like I must be damaged goods.'
