Page 73 of Final Betrayal

‘Get it yourself,’ he said, and stomped in the other direction.

‘Boyd!’

But he had disappeared around the corner. Shit. She needed him on her side. With no sign of McMahon’s new recruit, she’d have to look for Kirby to sit in. Then again, maybe she could let Dowling stew for an hour. She checked the time. No. It would have to be now.

Once they were seated and Kirby had made the introductions for the recording, Lottie began.

‘So, Conor, nice to have you back with us.’

‘Don’t you have to read me my rights or something?’ He sniffed away a bubble of sweat that had gathered at the end of his nose.

‘Would you like to take off your coat? It’s warm in here.’ It galled her to be nice to this piece of scum who had robbed an old man and beaten him up so badly in his own home that he’d died not twelve months later. It was ten years ago, but as her mother would say, a leopard rarely changed its spots.

‘I’m fine, thanks.’

‘Nice to see you’ve found your manners.’

‘Fuck you.’

‘Ah, normal service.’

Lottie leaned back in her chair and tapped the buff folder on the desk with the tip of her pen, as if there was startling evidence between the covers. There was nothing. But he didn’t know that.

‘Tell me where you were last night.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I asked nicely?’

‘None of your business.’

‘You’re not going to start that again, are you? I can detain you for six hours initially. And if we charge you, what will your poor disabled mother do without you to care for her?’

‘She did fine all the time you had me locked up. And I won’t be here one hour, let alone six, because I’ve done nothing wrong.’

‘Louise Gill was found murdered this morning. You know who I’m talking about. Louise Gill who along with Amy Whyte gave witness against you in that trial.’

She watched his face carefully. Checked for signs of guilt. But all she saw was his skin pale beneath his ginger freckles and his lips begin to quiver.

‘This is some kind of sick joke. You’re perverted, that’s what you are.’ He straightened himself in the chair.

‘No, I’m not. Louise is dead. Brutally murdered along with another young woman. So that’s four bodies in a few days. And two of them link back to you.’

‘You’re trying to stitch me up.’ He turned his attention to Kirby.

Lottie thought the detective might have fallen asleep. His eyes drooped and his arms were folded, his chest moving rhythmically up and down. She nudged him with her elbow and he turned to look at her.

‘What?’

‘Are you listening?’ she whispered.

‘Course I am.’

‘This is a joke,’ Conor said.

Lottie slapped the table. Kirby jumped. Conor remained still as a statue. ‘Look, smart-arse. Tell me where you were last night.’

‘At home.’

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