doing. “I try to keep a clean patch, and this sort of thing is not good for Cambridge. The press are going to love it, especially if it involves private investigators and public sex.” She stared at me and I didn’t care for the way she linked the two things.
“The press won’t get anything from me, it’s your lot you need to worry about. And Mrs Greene didn’t die because of something I did,” I added, mainly for my own benefit. She said nothing, but studied the forensic team carefully removing Mrs Greene from the cabriolet into a black body bag, removing the belt that had been used to strangle her. I could now see that it had a brass buckle and tried to remember whether Al Greene had been wearing it when he’d been in my office.
“There must have been people up here who saw her.”
“You weren’t one of them, were you?”
“No. I was not. The case was over, as I’m sure the husband has told you.”
“You may have become infatuated with her, George. She was quite pretty, wasn’t she?”
“I was at home,” I said, alarmed at the direction this was taking.
“Alibi?”
“Do I need one?”
She ignored me and spoke to someone about getting the car picked up.
Stubbing came over and ignored me as well.
“We’re ready when you are, ma’am.” Brampton nodded at her and turned to me.
“Don’t go anywhere, George, we’ll need to take a statement and some DNA and see any other details you’ve collected while you were following her. Stubbing will liaise with you.” Stubbing leered at me as if Brampton had promised me to her sexually.
“I can’t wait,” I said.
“Play nice, George,” Brampton said. “By rights we can just seize your computer and files. But I prefer we all be singing from the same hymn sheet.”
“Come by the station first thing tomorrow,” Stubbing said, as if I worked for her. They walked over towards the unmarked car, one a cheap imitation of the other. Arse-licking Stubbing opened the door for Brampton. I obviously wasn’t getting a lift into Cambridge. Stubbing closed the door on Brampton and shouted to me, “You can go back with Mrs Greene, get one last gawp at her.”
She got into the driver’s seat and I watched her have a good laugh with the driver at my expense. As the car pulled out she stuck her hand out of the window and made a wanking gesture at me below window level where Brampton couldn’t see it.
5
I TRAVELLED INTO CAMBRIDGE IN THE BLACK VAN THAT TOOK Mrs Greene to the morgue at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, upfront with the driver and his mate. From there I had to catch a bus into town, cursing Stubbing all the while.
Jason was sitting at his mother’s desk when I got into my office; he was logged onto her computer and moving the mouse about on its mat. It was one of those mats you could slot your own picture into and Sandra had put a photo of Ashley in it, a little brown kid with curly hair and a mischievous smile. Jason, on the other hand, was a pale long-limbed youth with wavy brown hair that he had to push back to see the screen. He was so engrossed he didn’t look up when I crossed to my desk. He wore his usual jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, always with the hood down. I sat at my desk and looked at my cold coffee, contaminated with Stubbing’s spit.
“I hope you’re not surfing for porn,” I said.
“I’m updating your virus software, and your system is riddled with malware. And another thing, when’s the last time you did a backup?”
“Ask your mum.” This is why I didn’t have a computer myself at work; I just couldn’t be bothered with all that stuff.
“I’ll do one now.” As he worked he wittered on about the importance of backups, and the technicalities involved, but I wasn’t listening. When I didn’t say anything he said, “You can thank me later.”
“Have you been here long?” I put the lid on the cold coffee and placed it in the bin; I wasn’t ready to exchange bodily fluids with Stubbing.
“Yes,” he