Page 17 of The Mercy Chair

‘I’ll get your wellies, Tilly,’ Poe said. ‘And Snoopy, you shouldn’t have come to Cumbria without outdoor clothing.’

‘But you said there wasn’t time for me to go home and get—’

‘That sounds like a “you” problem.’

Poe’s sturdy boots had thick treads, and Bradshaw had bought her wellingtons under his guidance a couple of years earlier. He had insisted she spend decent money, which she had. She was therefore able to stay upright on the wet and slippery slope. Linus, with his smooth-bottomed Italian loafers, fell over twice.

To his credit he didn’t complain, even when Poe pointed and laughed.

Nightingale met Poe at the outer cordon. She was wearing the works: white paper barrier suit, forensic gloves, overshoes and a face mask. She ducked under the tape and removed her mask and gloves.

They shook hands. Poe didn’t introduce Linus and Nightingale didn’t ask.

‘Complex scene?’ Poe said.

‘Not really. Just a lot of it. Whoever did this used whatever rocks were lying around and they all have to be identified. I doubt we’ll find the killer’s DNA on them, but I’m checking anyway.’

‘Any new information?’

‘Not since we spoke.’ She looked at Linus. ‘Can we talk in front of him?’

‘Yes,’ Linus said.

‘Absolutely not,’ Poe said.

‘The arrangement was—’

‘You don’t have an arrangement with me, sunshine,’ Nightingale cut in. ‘If Poe says we don’t talk in front of you, then we don’t talk in front of you.’

‘Wait over there,’ Poe said.

Linus folded his arms. ‘This is public land and I’m not moving,’ he said.

‘Can we talk in the outer cordon, ma’am?’

‘That’ll work,’ Nightingale said. ‘Mr Intern, if you—’

‘I’m not an—’

‘—set one foot inside this cordon without my express permission, I’ll have you arrested.’

‘You might want to write that down in your little tablet,’ Poe said.

Chapter 13

‘Why don’t you like Linus, Poe?’ Bradshaw said when they were inside the outer cordon and out of earshot.

‘Because I don’t trust him, Tilly.’

‘I thought you said he was an intern?’ Nightingale said. ‘What’s not to trust? You tell them to fetch your dry cleaning, they fetch your dry cleaning. You want a coffee, they get you a coffee. UnlessThe Devil Wears Pradawas total bullshit.’

‘What’s that?’ Poe said.

Nightingale grinned. ‘You still don’t have a television then?’

Poe told her about the audit and the supposed reasons behind it.

‘But the case we had two summers ago was rooted in terrorism, surely?’ Nightingale said. ‘I remember all the arrests that followed. The main players were all convicted under Terrorism Act offences. And the reason I know this is because I gave evidence at the trial.’

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