drawer, and slammed the door shut.
‘Very good,’ he repeated and strode out of the room.
John looked after him, part bewildered, part relieved, part furious. What are you playing at, you old fool? You had me drive you all this way just for that ?
John followed Fleming back down the corridor. Fleming locked the steel doors, and climbed into the car, this time without waiting for John to open the door.
John wasted no time in getting back to the A12 and sped southbound. An hour into the return journey, he pulled off. Fleming looked up from his paperwork.
‘Just need to fill up, Mr Fleming,’ he said as he pulled up at a service station. He filled up and leaned back into the car.
‘I was going to get myself a Mars bar or something, sir,’ he said to Fleming. ‘Can I get you anything?’
Fleming looked up and said nothing. The expression on his face gave John his reply.
Fleming looked up again as John returned to the car, finishing off his Mars bar. Shook his head. John started the engine and returned to the A12.
After a few miles, Fleming spoke. ‘I appreciate you taking me all this way tonight, John. Especially at such short notice.’
John glanced at the rear view mirror. ‘No problem, sir.’
‘I didn’t spoil any plans you might have had for the evening, did I?’
‘No, not tonight, Mr Fleming,’ John lied, thinking of Sheila, the little redhead at his local he was planning on getting personal with tonight.
‘Well, I do appreciate it. You’ve missed your dinner, after all.’
‘I’m surprised you’re not hungry yourself, sir.’
‘Mmm? Oh, I had a late lunch, and I should be home by eleven. Will have something then.’
John and Fleming said nothing else as they drove southbound back to London.
*****
Tom drummed his fingers on the table and looked out of the coffee shop window.
‘So what now?’ Amy asked.
Tom looked back at her and shrugged.
‘I’ve no idea,’ he said as he took a mouthful of latte. ‘Not at the moment, anyway.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean I think we’d best sleep on it. Separately, I mean. Oh, you know what I mean,’ he added, blushing slightly.
Amy nodded and finished her drink. ‘But you’re not giving up?’ she asked.
‘No way. For a start, the police theory and the inquest verdict were bullshit, as far as I’m concerned. I knew Lisa: I was married to her, for Chrissake. No way did she jump in front of that train. And she was definitely worried about something when she called me. Or at least had something on her mind. Something big. And now you tell me all her stuff has gone. All of it? I’ve worked in offices where people have left. Of course someone has to take over the job they were doing but there’s always something left. Not just an empty desk.’
‘No,’ Amy agreed.
‘It might be an idea,’ Tom carried on, slowly, ‘if I spoke with her sister, Jane. She’s got access to Lisa’s place. There might be something there.’
Amy nodded.
‘Anyway,’ said Tom. ‘It’s getting late. Let’s call it a night. Like I say, let’s sleep on it, and talk tactics tomorrow.’
‘Okay,’ Amy said, picking up her bag.
‘Do you live far from here?’ Tom asked. ‘I’ll walk you home.’
‘There’s no need,’ she said as they walked to the coffee shop door. ‘I’m only five minutes away.’
‘If you say so,’ replied Tom. ‘Take it easy, and I’ll call you tomorrow. Evening, is that all right?’
‘That’s fine. Good night. Sorry to drag you all this way - for nothing.’
‘No problem. Oyster card.’
They looked at each other for a second, saying nothing.
‘Night, then,’ said Tom, as he turned and walked back to the tube station.
He crossed over the High Road again. As he got to the tube station entrance a police car pulled up sharply outside, its blue lights flashing and siren wailing. Two uniformed officers got out and ran into a newsagent's next door to the station. Tom, and a group of
‘Very good,’ he repeated and strode out of the room.
John looked after him, part bewildered, part relieved, part furious. What are you playing at, you old fool? You had me drive you all this way just for that ?
John followed Fleming back down the corridor. Fleming locked the steel doors, and climbed into the car, this time without waiting for John to open the door.
John wasted no time in getting back to the A12 and sped southbound. An hour into the return journey, he pulled off. Fleming looked up from his paperwork.
‘Just need to fill up, Mr Fleming,’ he said as he pulled up at a service station. He filled up and leaned back into the car.
‘I was going to get myself a Mars bar or something, sir,’ he said to Fleming. ‘Can I get you anything?’
Fleming looked up and said nothing. The expression on his face gave John his reply.
Fleming looked up again as John returned to the car, finishing off his Mars bar. Shook his head. John started the engine and returned to the A12.
After a few miles, Fleming spoke. ‘I appreciate you taking me all this way tonight, John. Especially at such short notice.’
John glanced at the rear view mirror. ‘No problem, sir.’
‘I didn’t spoil any plans you might have had for the evening, did I?’
‘No, not tonight, Mr Fleming,’ John lied, thinking of Sheila, the little redhead at his local he was planning on getting personal with tonight.
‘Well, I do appreciate it. You’ve missed your dinner, after all.’
‘I’m surprised you’re not hungry yourself, sir.’
‘Mmm? Oh, I had a late lunch, and I should be home by eleven. Will have something then.’
John and Fleming said nothing else as they drove southbound back to London.
*****
Tom drummed his fingers on the table and looked out of the coffee shop window.
‘So what now?’ Amy asked.
Tom looked back at her and shrugged.
‘I’ve no idea,’ he said as he took a mouthful of latte. ‘Not at the moment, anyway.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean I think we’d best sleep on it. Separately, I mean. Oh, you know what I mean,’ he added, blushing slightly.
Amy nodded and finished her drink. ‘But you’re not giving up?’ she asked.
‘No way. For a start, the police theory and the inquest verdict were bullshit, as far as I’m concerned. I knew Lisa: I was married to her, for Chrissake. No way did she jump in front of that train. And she was definitely worried about something when she called me. Or at least had something on her mind. Something big. And now you tell me all her stuff has gone. All of it? I’ve worked in offices where people have left. Of course someone has to take over the job they were doing but there’s always something left. Not just an empty desk.’
‘No,’ Amy agreed.
‘It might be an idea,’ Tom carried on, slowly, ‘if I spoke with her sister, Jane. She’s got access to Lisa’s place. There might be something there.’
Amy nodded.
‘Anyway,’ said Tom. ‘It’s getting late. Let’s call it a night. Like I say, let’s sleep on it, and talk tactics tomorrow.’
‘Okay,’ Amy said, picking up her bag.
‘Do you live far from here?’ Tom asked. ‘I’ll walk you home.’
‘There’s no need,’ she said as they walked to the coffee shop door. ‘I’m only five minutes away.’
‘If you say so,’ replied Tom. ‘Take it easy, and I’ll call you tomorrow. Evening, is that all right?’
‘That’s fine. Good night. Sorry to drag you all this way - for nothing.’
‘No problem. Oyster card.’
They looked at each other for a second, saying nothing.
‘Night, then,’ said Tom, as he turned and walked back to the tube station.
He crossed over the High Road again. As he got to the tube station entrance a police car pulled up sharply outside, its blue lights flashing and siren wailing. Two uniformed officers got out and ran into a newsagent's next door to the station. Tom, and a group of
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