Wild horses wouldn’t have stopped me. ‘Of course I will, sir. When’s it effective from?’
Knox smiled. ‘Now,’ he said. ‘You’re in charge of the Barry Sevringham case. Here’s what we’ve got so far.’
Iversson
I never meant to kill her, that’s all I can say. I’m going to be pleading not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, or whatever the defence is these days. There was no way I was in the right frame of mind when I bashed her head in that night. I’d been driven mad by her constant shagging of other men, and women, plus the fact that she didn’t care one fucking whit that I knew about it. And that Johnny Hexham reckoned he had girlfriend problems! He should have hung round with Elsa for a few days. She went through bodies like an overworked mortician. In the end, it just got too much, I snapped, and the rest is history. It was bad what I did, and I feel terrible about it, but I’m not the only villain in all this. She brought a lot of it on herself. And that Fenzer did smack her around a bit earlier on that night, I saw him do it. I heard that he often hit women, so he got what he deserved as well, didn’t he?
Anyway, who the fuck ever said life was fair? Not Max Iversson, that’s for sure. Never has been, never will be.
Epilogue
Max Iversson was charged with the kidnapping of Krys Holtz, and is currently in custody awaiting trial. He has also been charged in absentia with the murder of Elsa Danziger, and is the subject of extradition proceedings being brought by the German government.
Neil Vamen was charged with murder, extortion and importation of Class A drugs, and is currently awaiting trial. None of the charges relate to the events covered here.
Jack Merriweather is being held in a segregation unit at Belmarsh Prison, London, where he too faces charges relating to the importation of Class A drugs. He is to be the prosecution’s main witness in the trial of Neil Vamen and six of his associates.
Elaine Toms was charged with the attempted murder of Max Iversson but was granted bail and promptly absconded. She is currently at large.
Jean Tanner has a new boyfriend and as yet faces no charges in connection with either the murder of Shaun Matthews or Craig McBride. Police are keeping a close eye on the boyfriend’s health.
Asif Malik remains at SO7, where he’s concentrating his investigation on several north London crime families who have had something of a bonanza since the collapse of the Holtzes.
And me, well, I’m a DI again, and at least halfway back to the position I was in a year ago.
You see, there is justice in this world. It’s just that sometimes it can take a long time to show itself.
Acknowledgements
Briefly, I’d like to thank the following people for their help in getting this book to where it is now: Selina Walker, my editor at Transworld; Amanda Preston, Amelia Cummins, Vanessa Forbes, Luigi Bonomi, and everyone at my agent’s, Sheil Land Associates; all those at New Scotland Yard Press Office who’ve provided invaluable technical assistance with their customary efficiency and courtesy; and last but most definitely not least, my long-suffering wife, Sally, who’s always been there to provide encouragement and support. As well as the occasional much-deserved kick up the arse.
I raise my glass to you all.
ALSO BY SIMON KERNICK
The Crime Trade
A Good Day to Die*
*forthcoming
DIE TWICE. Copyright © 2006 by Simon Kernick. Foreword copyright © 2006 by Lee Child. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
ISBN 0-312-35981-0
EAN 978-0-312-35981-2
The Business of Dying was originally published in Great Britain by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers, in 2002
The Murder Exchange was originally published in Great Britain by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers, in 2003
First St. Martin’s Griffin Edition: May 2006
eISBN 9781466873193
First eBook edition: April 2014
