can’t remember. I was just driving.’
‘Were you alone?’
Reluctantly, Henry shook his head.
‘No.’
‘Who else was with you?’
Henry didn’t answer.
‘Who was with you?’
Henry glanced over Ian’s shoulder.
‘You’d better come in.’
Ian perched on the edge of a chair and took out his notebook as Henry gave him the details. The account was rather garbled but Ian gathered that he had been with a woman he called Della on Friday evening.
‘What’s her full name?’
Henry shook his head. He had only known her as Della.
‘Where did you meet her?’
Henry mentioned a lap dancing club in Margate. Ian had never been there but he had heard the name, and knew it had been investigated for under-age prostitution.
‘Where does Della live?’
‘How the hell should I know? She didn’t invite me round for afternoon tea. Look, it wasn’t a regular thing or anything like that. I’ve only seen her the once, and that was on Friday evening from around eight till about ten. I went straight home and then Mark came in just after I’d come in and put the telly on.’
Ian was busy scribbling notes.
‘What time did you leave the club?’
‘We weren’t at the club.’
‘Where did you go?’
Ian was trying to be patient, but it was hard work eliciting a straight response from Henry. He persevered, trying to keep his questions short and simple to answer.
‘We were in the car. We drove out of town.’
Although Ian kept his expression fixed, it wasn’t lost on him that there might be no CCTV evidence to back up Henry’s story. It was unbelievably convenient for the main suspect in a murder investigation. Ian hoped the woman wouldn’t back up Henry’s account of the evening, if she even existed.
‘Where can I find this woman?’
‘Ask for her at the club.’
As Ian left, he passed a surly young man in the hall. As tall as Ian, with untidy black hair, he peered out through his fringe like a bashful girl.
‘You again,’ Mark said, although they hadn’t met before.
When Ian expressed his condolences, Mark turned and scurried away. Ian called after him and he stopped, halfway up the stairs, and looked round.
‘We’ll be coming back to ask you about your movements on Friday evening.’
The young man disappeared up the stairs without a word.
20
‘I T IS NEARLY TIME ,’ the leader said. ‘We have been working towards this day, waiting for you to carry out your sacred task. You were chosen to serve us. With Martha out of the way, the house will be in your gift. You will donate it to the cause as a token of your commitment, and your place at my right hand will be assured.’
The knowledge of his actions terrified him.
‘What if someone finds out?’ he stuttered. ‘What if the police discover what I’ve done?’
‘Have faith and you won’t fail,’ the leader interrupted, gazing earnestly into his eyes. ‘There is no need to fear. You have the power to make it happen. This is your chance. Remember, every true disciple strives to prove himself worthy. For some, fulfilment takes years to achieve. Seize this opportunity while you can. It has not been offered to you by chance. It may not come again.’
He understood then that he was being tested.
‘I won’t fail you,’ he assured the leader, but the words were more for himself than anyone else.
It was true he had made it happen. There had been no other choice, if he was to prove himself a worthy disciple of the one true leader. And as the leader had promised, it had been simple in the end. After all his preparations and worries, the sacrifice itself had been simple. The knife had slipped so easily into her flesh, he had almost laughed as he thrust harder, ignoring her cries, her wild staring eyes, her fingers clawing at the air. Her fear was no longer his problem. He had completed his mission and the leader was pleased.
‘Your place in the afterlife is guaranteed,’ the leader had assured him, with a bright smile.
‘So can I
‘Were you alone?’
Reluctantly, Henry shook his head.
‘No.’
‘Who else was with you?’
Henry didn’t answer.
‘Who was with you?’
Henry glanced over Ian’s shoulder.
‘You’d better come in.’
Ian perched on the edge of a chair and took out his notebook as Henry gave him the details. The account was rather garbled but Ian gathered that he had been with a woman he called Della on Friday evening.
‘What’s her full name?’
Henry shook his head. He had only known her as Della.
‘Where did you meet her?’
Henry mentioned a lap dancing club in Margate. Ian had never been there but he had heard the name, and knew it had been investigated for under-age prostitution.
‘Where does Della live?’
‘How the hell should I know? She didn’t invite me round for afternoon tea. Look, it wasn’t a regular thing or anything like that. I’ve only seen her the once, and that was on Friday evening from around eight till about ten. I went straight home and then Mark came in just after I’d come in and put the telly on.’
Ian was busy scribbling notes.
‘What time did you leave the club?’
‘We weren’t at the club.’
‘Where did you go?’
Ian was trying to be patient, but it was hard work eliciting a straight response from Henry. He persevered, trying to keep his questions short and simple to answer.
‘We were in the car. We drove out of town.’
Although Ian kept his expression fixed, it wasn’t lost on him that there might be no CCTV evidence to back up Henry’s story. It was unbelievably convenient for the main suspect in a murder investigation. Ian hoped the woman wouldn’t back up Henry’s account of the evening, if she even existed.
‘Where can I find this woman?’
‘Ask for her at the club.’
As Ian left, he passed a surly young man in the hall. As tall as Ian, with untidy black hair, he peered out through his fringe like a bashful girl.
‘You again,’ Mark said, although they hadn’t met before.
When Ian expressed his condolences, Mark turned and scurried away. Ian called after him and he stopped, halfway up the stairs, and looked round.
‘We’ll be coming back to ask you about your movements on Friday evening.’
The young man disappeared up the stairs without a word.
20
‘I T IS NEARLY TIME ,’ the leader said. ‘We have been working towards this day, waiting for you to carry out your sacred task. You were chosen to serve us. With Martha out of the way, the house will be in your gift. You will donate it to the cause as a token of your commitment, and your place at my right hand will be assured.’
The knowledge of his actions terrified him.
‘What if someone finds out?’ he stuttered. ‘What if the police discover what I’ve done?’
‘Have faith and you won’t fail,’ the leader interrupted, gazing earnestly into his eyes. ‘There is no need to fear. You have the power to make it happen. This is your chance. Remember, every true disciple strives to prove himself worthy. For some, fulfilment takes years to achieve. Seize this opportunity while you can. It has not been offered to you by chance. It may not come again.’
He understood then that he was being tested.
‘I won’t fail you,’ he assured the leader, but the words were more for himself than anyone else.
It was true he had made it happen. There had been no other choice, if he was to prove himself a worthy disciple of the one true leader. And as the leader had promised, it had been simple in the end. After all his preparations and worries, the sacrifice itself had been simple. The knife had slipped so easily into her flesh, he had almost laughed as he thrust harder, ignoring her cries, her wild staring eyes, her fingers clawing at the air. Her fear was no longer his problem. He had completed his mission and the leader was pleased.
‘Your place in the afterlife is guaranteed,’ the leader had assured him, with a bright smile.
‘So can I
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