Page 92 of The Mercy Chair

‘Why would I know?’

‘You’re an intern; go and intern me the answer.’

Linus rolled his eyes. ‘That little “VE” beside it doesn’t stand for Victory in Europe, Poe. It’s a vegan dish so it must have vegan-friendly ingredients.’

‘I’ll take the pasta to go,’ Poe told the waiter. ‘Everything else we’ll eat here.’

‘The restaurant is dine-in only, sir. If you want takeaway food, you’ll need to order from the bar menu.’

‘Does the bar food come in takeaway boxes or tubs?’

‘Cardboard boxes, sir.’

‘OK then,’ Poe said. ‘Bring our order to the table along with one empty takeaway box.’

The waiter obviously didn’t get paid enough for an argument like this. ‘Very good, sir,’ he said. ‘I’ll be along shortly with your drinks.’

Linus shook his head after the waiter had left. ‘So much hostility,’ he said.

‘Why should Tilly eat from a different menu because she’s still working?’

‘Fair enough.’ He looked at Poe shrewdly. ‘You’re very protective of her, aren’t you?’

‘She’s my friend.’

‘It goes deeper than that.’

‘What can I tell you, Snoopy? She dragged me out of a burning building, she stopped me being charged with murder, and because of the work she does – is doingnow, in fact – countless potential victims have been spared. So yes, if I feel protective, it’s because I owe her.’

‘And you think she still needs you?’

‘Needs me?’ Poe said. ‘I don’t think she’severneeded me, Snoopy. Even when we first met, she was stubbornly independent. What you won’t know is that, because Tilly didn’t have friends growing up, she’ll do anything for the ones she has now. Her friendship is absolute. There is not a thing she wouldn’t do for me or Estelle or the boss, and there is not a thing we wouldn’t do for her. And because I’m the one who tends to walk into things with one eye closed, she’s got used to watching my back.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning that you have it back to front, Snoopy. She doesn’t need my protection; I need hers.’

Poe’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and said, ‘Speak of the vegan.’

‘What’s up? I’ve ordered you a pumpkin pasta thing. Sounds disgusting, which means you’ll love it.’

She told him.

The waiter came back with their drinks.

‘You’d better make that three takeaway boxes,’ Poe said.

‘What’s happened?’ Linus said.

‘Tilly knows what those tattoos mean,’ he replied.

Chapter 80

‘I am now convinced each of Cornelius Green’s tattoos match one of the courses he ran,’ Bradshaw said. ‘We suspected as much, obviously, but until you brought that information back from All Saints Church there was still one thing that didn’t make sense. And in breaking codes like this, if one thing doesn’t work, none of it works.’

Poe was perched on the edge of the bed. Linus was standing next to the desk. He was peering over Bradshaw’s shoulder.

‘What do you mean, they match?’ Poe said.

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