police type guy, you're going to have to say something about it, and you're going to have to come in on the other contestants, try to get under their skin. I'm sure you're all thinking what I'm thinking.'
He looked around the room. The other TV people nodded seriously.
'What are you thinking?' Light found herself asking.
'There were a few people – not me – already talking about Lol being the favourite to win. What if one of the other contestants has had something to do with her disappearance?'
He held his hands up in the air in a defensive gesture.
'Just saying,' he said. 'It sounds incredible, but you know… Just saying.'
Jericho started tapping his finger gently on the desk. Washington gave him an eyebrow.
'If you seriously think,' said Jericho, 'that they might be involved in committing a crime, do you believe that live television is the place for them to be interviewed about a possible criminal investigation?'
Washington looked curiously at him, then shared his curiosity with Morris and Jacobson. Finally turned back to Jericho and gave him a look to suggest stupefaction.
'Yes.'
20
'You all right?'
Jericho looked up. He was sitting at the end of a long table, watching the general mayhem of the television studio, a few hours before kick-off. A quick glance, and he turned back to his cup of coffee, which had been empty for several minutes. He didn't want Light looking at him like that. Like she cared. It was easier to be solitary in his discomfort.
'Yes,' he said.
'You're all right to do the show tonight?' asked Light. Drew a breath as she said it, knowing he wouldn't appreciate the question. He wouldn't want her concern.
'Fine,' he said without looking up.
'Sgt Haynes is trying to get you,' she said quickly. 'Asked me to get you to turn your mobile on.'
Jericho grunted, reached into his pocket. Light hesitated, but knew there was little point in saying anything else. She turned away, then Jericho watched her as she went, feeling guilty.
He was still searching for Haynes' number in his phone when it rang.
'Boss,' said the voice at the other end.
'I hope you've got a rescue mission in place,' said Jericho glibly. 'If you have a plan to get me out of here, now's the time to implement it.'
'You've had another Tarot,' said Haynes. 'Hope you don't mind. Recognised the envelope, knew you wouldn't be back in until Monday morning.'
Jericho let the phone drop away from his ear for a moment. Had had an immediate thought that perhaps it was connected to the seemingly absurd business with Lorraine Allison; but then, he had received the first card even before he'd known that he'd been coming on this show. Perhaps whoever had sent the card had known.
He shook his head, lifted the phone back to his ear. Haynes was saying his name, asking if he was still there. He cut across him.
'Can you come up here? Today?'
Haynes had already run through the possibilities and the consequences of making the phone call. Jericho was obviously going to want to see the card, so he would either need to DHL it up to him that afternoon, or take it up. And he had known which of those Jericho was going to suggest. And so he had already made his excuses for later that afternoon, dropped everything, and accepted that he would be driving up to London.
'Yes,' he said.
'Good.'
Jericho hung up.
*
Durrant was eating fish and chips in a small pub in a small side street in Orford. He wasn't sure why he had come here, other than the fact that he'd needed to get out of the house. Away from the girl. His hands were still shaking, although at last, now that he was onto his second pint of Thatcher's, he was beginning to feel slightly more relaxed.
Where had his cold, bloody-minded malice gone? Where was the clinical efficiency of old that would have allowed him so efficiently to pick a person's body apart, tiny piece by tiny piece? He'd assumed it was still there, all the way through his years of imprisonment. He'd assumed it was still there
He looked around the room. The other TV people nodded seriously.
'What are you thinking?' Light found herself asking.
'There were a few people – not me – already talking about Lol being the favourite to win. What if one of the other contestants has had something to do with her disappearance?'
He held his hands up in the air in a defensive gesture.
'Just saying,' he said. 'It sounds incredible, but you know… Just saying.'
Jericho started tapping his finger gently on the desk. Washington gave him an eyebrow.
'If you seriously think,' said Jericho, 'that they might be involved in committing a crime, do you believe that live television is the place for them to be interviewed about a possible criminal investigation?'
Washington looked curiously at him, then shared his curiosity with Morris and Jacobson. Finally turned back to Jericho and gave him a look to suggest stupefaction.
'Yes.'
20
'You all right?'
Jericho looked up. He was sitting at the end of a long table, watching the general mayhem of the television studio, a few hours before kick-off. A quick glance, and he turned back to his cup of coffee, which had been empty for several minutes. He didn't want Light looking at him like that. Like she cared. It was easier to be solitary in his discomfort.
'Yes,' he said.
'You're all right to do the show tonight?' asked Light. Drew a breath as she said it, knowing he wouldn't appreciate the question. He wouldn't want her concern.
'Fine,' he said without looking up.
'Sgt Haynes is trying to get you,' she said quickly. 'Asked me to get you to turn your mobile on.'
Jericho grunted, reached into his pocket. Light hesitated, but knew there was little point in saying anything else. She turned away, then Jericho watched her as she went, feeling guilty.
He was still searching for Haynes' number in his phone when it rang.
'Boss,' said the voice at the other end.
'I hope you've got a rescue mission in place,' said Jericho glibly. 'If you have a plan to get me out of here, now's the time to implement it.'
'You've had another Tarot,' said Haynes. 'Hope you don't mind. Recognised the envelope, knew you wouldn't be back in until Monday morning.'
Jericho let the phone drop away from his ear for a moment. Had had an immediate thought that perhaps it was connected to the seemingly absurd business with Lorraine Allison; but then, he had received the first card even before he'd known that he'd been coming on this show. Perhaps whoever had sent the card had known.
He shook his head, lifted the phone back to his ear. Haynes was saying his name, asking if he was still there. He cut across him.
'Can you come up here? Today?'
Haynes had already run through the possibilities and the consequences of making the phone call. Jericho was obviously going to want to see the card, so he would either need to DHL it up to him that afternoon, or take it up. And he had known which of those Jericho was going to suggest. And so he had already made his excuses for later that afternoon, dropped everything, and accepted that he would be driving up to London.
'Yes,' he said.
'Good.'
Jericho hung up.
*
Durrant was eating fish and chips in a small pub in a small side street in Orford. He wasn't sure why he had come here, other than the fact that he'd needed to get out of the house. Away from the girl. His hands were still shaking, although at last, now that he was onto his second pint of Thatcher's, he was beginning to feel slightly more relaxed.
Where had his cold, bloody-minded malice gone? Where was the clinical efficiency of old that would have allowed him so efficiently to pick a person's body apart, tiny piece by tiny piece? He'd assumed it was still there, all the way through his years of imprisonment. He'd assumed it was still there
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