Blind Fury by Lynda La Plante

said he used to take all her money, spend it down the bookies, and she had to hide her handbag, as he’d nick her purse and take every penny so she couldn’t feed her kids.”
    “She never mentioned Eric?”
    “No.”
    “He was a good friend—paid her fine once.”
    “Well, maybe that was before I knew her.”
    “Did you know her children were taken into care?”
    “Yeah, I knew that. She used to cry about them but reckoned that they were better off without bein’ around her husband. When he was drunk, he’d knock them about as well as her.”
    Emerald walked out of the kitchen. She snapped that if it wasn’t a problem, she was going to the toilet. Anna cleared a space around the breakfast bar, moving a stack of dirty children’s clothes and dropping them onto the overflowing laundry basket. She waited, heard the toilet flushing, and then Emerald returned.
    “This suitcase—” Anna began.
    “For chrissakes, your mob came looking for it yesterday! I told you I’ve not got it, is that why you’re back here? Didn’t you believe me? I’ve not got Maggie’s fucking suitcase.”
    “Her husband reckons that it might have had some jewelry in it, specifically a diamond ring.”
    “There was nuffink in it but shit, I told you. I never found no diamond rings, and if he’s saying they was in the suitcase, he’s a lying bastard. Christ, she didn’t even have a room of her own; she had fuck-all, and if it wasn’t for me, she’d have been sleeping rough on the street.”
    “Who else used to put her up besides you?”
    “I dunno. She used to just turn up and ask to doss down wiv me. I’ve told you all this, I told you last time you was here.”
    “The last time I was here, you brought up the fact that Margaret used to keep a record of the men she’d picked up,” Anna reminded her.
    “Yeah, I told you that she’d get the numbers off their vehicles.”
    “You said that she had friends, ex-coppers who could trace the addresses of those who ripped her off or hurt her.”
    “Yeah, but who they were, I dunno. I got no interest in hirin’ heavies to look after me, ’cause I got a bloke, and I don’t do service stations, all right?”
    “You never heard her talk of her brother-in-law, Eric Potts?”
    “No, and I never met her prick of a husband, either. All I know is what she told me about him.”
    “This notebook—are you sure you didn’t find it?” Anna pressed her.
    “Fuck me, I told you I’ve not seen it! For chrissakes, why would I lie about somefink like that? It don’t make sense.”
    “You didn’t find any jewelry in Margaret’s suitcase?”
    “No, I fucking didn’t!”
    Emerald was getting so angry her face was red, and she kept waving her hands around. Anna decided not to push it any further. Emerald hurled items out of the laundry basket until she found the tracksuit jacket, snatching it up and almost shoving it into Anna’s face.
    “I got this, this T-shirt I’m wearin’, and some other gear, and that was all. And I don’t like you accusin’ me of lying, so why don’t you get the fuck out of here. Go on—GET OUT!”
    Anna apologized as she headed down the hallway. “Thank you for seeing me. I wasn’t implying that you had done anything illegal.”
    The front door was slammed after her, and she heard the chain link being put into place.
    Alone, Emerald felt as if she was having a panic attack. She couldn’t get her breath. As she went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, she had to sit on one of her stools to calm down. She was still holding on to the track-suit top and was about to toss it aside when she felt for the book. It had been left inside the pocket since Anna had last been there, and she took it out, swearing to herself. It could have easily dropped to the floor during the interview, but then if it had, she’d have made up some excuse that she hadn’t even known it was there. Yet she did know, and she was scared that she’d lied. But it still