‘How did he seem when you saw him?’
‘The usual. He was quite a shy bloke, didn’t talk much, but he was smiling and then I saw him drive the Merc into the lock-up.’
‘So when did he come in to say he was feeling unwell?’
‘Not long after. It was about ten-fifteen. He was very pale and his hands were clenched. He said he needed to call Tina because he was feeling sick and said he had a headache.’
‘Had he ever taken time off for headaches?’
‘Maybe once before, don’t really remember. I joked with him that he should watch himself, it might be swine flu. Then he used my phone in here.’
‘Did you hear the conversation?’
‘Nope. I was called out – don’t remember what for, but when I came back he said that Tina would be collecting him and taking him home.’
‘How long after that did Tina drive up?’
‘Not long. He was on the forecourt pacing up and down waiting. He got in and they drove off.’
‘And it was Tina?’
‘Yeah. She waved over as they drove out.’
‘Thank you.’ Anna stood up as Smedley opened a drawer.
‘I was asked about when Al took holidays,’ he said. ‘Did you get the details?’
‘Yes, thank you.’
‘He’d come back all tanned and his hair lightened by the sun – good-lookin’ fella.’
‘He was bisexual.’
Smedley did a classic jaw-drop and then chuckled. ‘You pullin’ me leg? Living with a hot tottie like Tina Brooks? No way.’
‘So you never had any indication that he was gay or rather, bisexual?’
‘Al?’
‘Yes.’
‘You serious?’
‘Yes.’
Smedley seemed to take it personally, shaking his head and scratching at his beard.
‘If he was, he kept that under his bonnet, not that I have anythin’ against them, but you surprise me. My wife’ll not believe it, as he was a good-lookin’ guy and strong as an ox.’
They walked out onto the forecourt and headed towards Anna’s Mini.
‘You got me flummoxed,’ Joe went on in disbelief. ‘We did used to joke about him always scrubbing at his hands – liked to be clean before he went home. And a lot of the blokes here wouldn’t mind having Tina as their girlfriend; she’s a lovely-lookin’ woman.’
‘Yes, she is,’ Anna agreed as she unlocked her door.
Smedley stood watching her driving out, still scratching at his beard and his hairy chest.
Anna didn’t go home, but returned to the station. It was eerie, walking through the semi-darkened incident room, as only the night-duty officers were there. She stood for a long time looking over the incident board and then at the lists of estate agents contacted in Cornwall. They had now acquired a photograph of the property Alan had bought. It was a medium-sized detached house with views over the beach, and a wide paved patio with umbrellas and outdoor furniture. There was a barbecue and glass sliding doors opening into a sunken lounge. It had three bedrooms, an en-suite bathroom and a high-tech kitchen with a breakfast bar. It also had a double garage and a gated entrance with a tiered rock garden.
Anna headed into her office, switching on only her desk lamp as she sat down in her chair. She dreaded making the call, but she knew she had put it off long enough. Her hand was reaching for the phone when her door opened and Langton walked in.
‘I was just about to call you,’ she said.
‘Don’t you have a home to go to, Travis?’ He drew out a chair, put his coat over the back of it and sat in front of her.
‘The same could be said of you.’
‘I know. Been up to my eyeballs. I’m tired out and my knee’s killing me. What happened today?’
‘Sadly, not a lot.’
Langton stood up and rubbed his knee, then leaned forward, placing both hands on Anna’s desk.
‘You’ve yet to prove me wrong because without a body you are still running on empty. Even more so as you still have not identified your victim.’
‘It’s not for want of trying.’ She had stood up to face him across her desk.
‘You try harder, sweetheart, otherwise I am going to have to say time is up, and I still maintain that someone close to home, by home I mean the flat where the murder happened – someone knows something.’
‘Give me a clue then, because I have interviewed every tenant, the neighbours across the street and to the side of the block of flats. I’ve interviewed the caretaker, and nobody saw anything. I have no witness.’
‘There is always a witness, remember that. How did the body get moved?’
‘I don’t know.’ She felt like shouting it at him.
‘If it was carved up, it still took time – it’d be heavy, and if you no longer have Tina as a suspect . . .’
‘I never said that.’
‘Right. If you are still suspicious of her, could she have moved it out single-handed?’
‘I am still not losing Michael Phillips as a suspect or a possible accomplice.’
Langton picked up his coat from the back of the chair.
‘Body’s got to be somewhere. If she maintains she returned to the flat after work it means the body was cut up or had to have been moved in broad daylight.’
‘I know, I know . . .’
‘But do you know why I am consenting to your trip to Cornwall?’
‘Because you agree with me that Alan Rawlins could be alive.’
‘No, I don’t agree with you, Anna, but the drug link now has to be treated as a motive. The wrecking of his Mercedes, it’s not malicious, not a vengeful act, it was done by someone looking for something and that is either drugs or money.’
‘I had thought of that, but again there’s no witness – nobody saw or heard anything – and yet it looked as if whoever did it was using a sledgehammer.’
Langton paused, shrugging into his coat.
‘Don’t take any risks, Anna. You uncover something that could be a threat to you, make sure you have back- up and contact the Drug Squad down there. Understand?’
‘I will.’
She walked towards him to see him out and he took her totally off-guard, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead. Then he opened the door, and turning back he smiled.
‘I watched you through the blinds. The lamplight made a halo around that lovely head of yours. See what you can produce from Cornwall. Let’s hope it’s not a wild-goose chase.’
‘Yes, sir. If Alan Rawlins is alive, I’ll track him down.’
He was about to say something, but then changed his mind. He had not forgotten, and probably never would, the loss of his prime suspect in the drug-related murder enquiry they had both worked on. Anthony Fitzpatrick had outwitted him, escaped arrest and was still at large. Langton did not consider with the new evidence that Alan Rawlins was anywhere in the same league as Fitzpatrick, nevertheless if he was involved in a drug-dealing racket it meant he would have contacts. Rawlins also had financial resources. He could, as Anna had suspected, have flown the coop to Florida. Fitzpatrick had managed to escape arrest after a series of murders; he was only able to do so because of his wealth.
When Langton left Anna he had grave concerns, primarily for her safety. In the morning he would begin to make certain enquiries himself.
By the time Anna got home it was after ten. Apart from the half-finished sandwich at lunch, she hadn’t had anything else to eat, but she didn’t have the energy to cook anything bar a couple of slices of toast. She took a mug of tea and sat on her bed. As she dipped the toast into the tea she thought about what she would need to pack for
