talked.’
‘I hope to God not.’ Tim stood up abruptly and moved over to the window. He pulled open the shutters and gazed out for a moment, as though searching for something. Then he turned around, frowning, and jammed his hands deep in his pockets.
‘Is it blackmail? Is that what you’re saying?’
‘Blackmail?’
‘Was someone trying to blackmail Joe?’
Maybe the dope had dulled his brain, but thinking back to that evening he was sure Joe hadn’t said anything about blackmail. ‘I don’t think so. There were just the two emails. No threats. No demands. As far as I know, there was no follow-up.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Positive.’
Tim looked relieved. ‘Well, that’s something.’
‘But now he’s dead and in a cemetery too. It’s a bit of a coincidence.’
‘A coincidence?’ Tim shook his head. ‘I’m not with you. Loads of people visit the Brompton Cemetery, as I found out pretty graphically in a case I did recently. It’s an interesting place during daylight and as safe as anywhere. All sorts of famous people are buried there, you know.’
‘As I said, you’re the one obsessed with graveyards, not Joe. What are you getting at?’
‘My point is, Joe being there doesn’t have to mean anything.’
‘But it’s hardly close to where he lived.’
‘Maybe he was going to watch Chelsea and something happened.’
Alex gave him a withering look. ‘The season’s over.’
‘OK. Maybe he was meeting someone or just going for a walk.’
‘But why there?’ The question hung in the air for a moment before he continued: ‘Do you think . . .’ He stopped and shook his head. He knew what Tim would say.
‘What is it?’
He studied Tim for a moment, feeling suddenly foolish.
‘Spit it out.’
For a moment he didn’t answer, then he took a deep breath. ‘Well, I wondered if I should go to the police.’
Tim stared at him. ‘Jesus Christ. Have you gone stark raving mad?’
‘Isn’t finding Joe’s killer more important than anything else?’
‘Whoa, hang on a sec. Now you’re getting as paranoid as Joe. Maybe he wrote the emails himself.’
‘Joe? Why would he?’
‘Perhaps it was a wind-up. Perhaps he wanted attention.’
‘I told you, I saw one of them. And I saw how shaken he was.’
‘He was an actor.’
‘I tell you, he wasn’t faking.’
‘OK. But I don’t see why you’re trying to link the emails to what happened to him. Someone’s just having a bit of fun, that’s all.’
‘Fun? I still think—’
Tim held up his hand. ‘Let’s look at this logically. What are the possibilities? If it’s one of us, it’s a joke, although not a very amusing one, I agree. I don’t believe for a minute any of us would resort to blackmail.’
‘And if it’s not one of us?’
He frowned. ‘Well, I still don’t believe it but, for argument’s sake, if someone has inadvertently let something slip, then maybe we are talking blackmail.’
‘I swear Joe never mentioned the idea.’
‘Perhaps he didn’t want to worry you. He may have just been sounding you out. See what you’d say. Anyway, if blackmail was the intention, why kill him? What’s the point? You’d be killing the golden goose.’
He could see from the stubborn set of Tim’s mouth that there was no point arguing. Anyway, it was what he wanted to hear. His head told him Tim was talking sense – hell, none of them wanted to dig up the past unnecessarily. The link was pretty tenuous. He should ignore the stupid whisperings of his heart.
Tim was looming over him, searching his face for a reaction. Again Alex wondered if maybe Tim was behind the emails. He drained his glass and got to his feet. ‘So, you really don’t think the police should know?’
‘No, I don’t. I’m speaking here as a friend rather than in a legal capacity, of course.’ He smiled and put his arm around Alex, giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze as he walked him to the door.
‘I’ll remind you of that when I get
‘I hope to God not.’ Tim stood up abruptly and moved over to the window. He pulled open the shutters and gazed out for a moment, as though searching for something. Then he turned around, frowning, and jammed his hands deep in his pockets.
‘Is it blackmail? Is that what you’re saying?’
‘Blackmail?’
‘Was someone trying to blackmail Joe?’
Maybe the dope had dulled his brain, but thinking back to that evening he was sure Joe hadn’t said anything about blackmail. ‘I don’t think so. There were just the two emails. No threats. No demands. As far as I know, there was no follow-up.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Positive.’
Tim looked relieved. ‘Well, that’s something.’
‘But now he’s dead and in a cemetery too. It’s a bit of a coincidence.’
‘A coincidence?’ Tim shook his head. ‘I’m not with you. Loads of people visit the Brompton Cemetery, as I found out pretty graphically in a case I did recently. It’s an interesting place during daylight and as safe as anywhere. All sorts of famous people are buried there, you know.’
‘As I said, you’re the one obsessed with graveyards, not Joe. What are you getting at?’
‘My point is, Joe being there doesn’t have to mean anything.’
‘But it’s hardly close to where he lived.’
‘Maybe he was going to watch Chelsea and something happened.’
Alex gave him a withering look. ‘The season’s over.’
‘OK. Maybe he was meeting someone or just going for a walk.’
‘But why there?’ The question hung in the air for a moment before he continued: ‘Do you think . . .’ He stopped and shook his head. He knew what Tim would say.
‘What is it?’
He studied Tim for a moment, feeling suddenly foolish.
‘Spit it out.’
For a moment he didn’t answer, then he took a deep breath. ‘Well, I wondered if I should go to the police.’
Tim stared at him. ‘Jesus Christ. Have you gone stark raving mad?’
‘Isn’t finding Joe’s killer more important than anything else?’
‘Whoa, hang on a sec. Now you’re getting as paranoid as Joe. Maybe he wrote the emails himself.’
‘Joe? Why would he?’
‘Perhaps it was a wind-up. Perhaps he wanted attention.’
‘I told you, I saw one of them. And I saw how shaken he was.’
‘He was an actor.’
‘I tell you, he wasn’t faking.’
‘OK. But I don’t see why you’re trying to link the emails to what happened to him. Someone’s just having a bit of fun, that’s all.’
‘Fun? I still think—’
Tim held up his hand. ‘Let’s look at this logically. What are the possibilities? If it’s one of us, it’s a joke, although not a very amusing one, I agree. I don’t believe for a minute any of us would resort to blackmail.’
‘And if it’s not one of us?’
He frowned. ‘Well, I still don’t believe it but, for argument’s sake, if someone has inadvertently let something slip, then maybe we are talking blackmail.’
‘I swear Joe never mentioned the idea.’
‘Perhaps he didn’t want to worry you. He may have just been sounding you out. See what you’d say. Anyway, if blackmail was the intention, why kill him? What’s the point? You’d be killing the golden goose.’
He could see from the stubborn set of Tim’s mouth that there was no point arguing. Anyway, it was what he wanted to hear. His head told him Tim was talking sense – hell, none of them wanted to dig up the past unnecessarily. The link was pretty tenuous. He should ignore the stupid whisperings of his heart.
Tim was looming over him, searching his face for a reaction. Again Alex wondered if maybe Tim was behind the emails. He drained his glass and got to his feet. ‘So, you really don’t think the police should know?’
‘No, I don’t. I’m speaking here as a friend rather than in a legal capacity, of course.’ He smiled and put his arm around Alex, giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze as he walked him to the door.
‘I’ll remind you of that when I get
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