Page 33 of We Chase Shadows

What does Korbin have for her? What if she solves this case single-handedly while Steve and Rosie are flying around the world? What if solving this murder turns out to be easy? Steve would be proud and relieved, Rosie would be annoyed that the fun was over.

‘Toodle pip,’ she says to Lee, and leaves to meet Korbin.

Time to hear his big secret.

18

‘I swear to God I will kill the guy,’ says Steve, after Tony has told him his story. ‘I will put a bullet in his head.’

‘No, Steve, I’m going to kill him,’ says Felicity. ‘I’m going to tear him to pieces with my bare hands.’

‘You can both kill him,’ says Rosie. ‘Shoot him and tear him to pieces with your bare hands.’

‘I will rip out his throat for you, Tony,’ says Felicity.

‘While he’s still alive,’ says Steve.

‘Thanks, both,’ says Tony, propping himself up a bit more. ‘Where did you park, Steve? In the end?’

‘The senior registrar let me use his space,’ says Rosie. ‘Big fan.’

‘He thought you were Joan Collins,’ says Steve.

‘Still, £4.50 saved is £4.50 saved,’ says Tony. ‘You didn’t have to come. I said to Felicity, don’t make a fuss, they’re busy people. Well, Rosie is busy, I said that, and Steve has a cat.’

Steve nods. Although nothing would have kept him away from this man and this room, once he’d heard the news. That said, he is looking forward to seeing Trouble later and spoiling him. Who else has he got to spoil?

Steve and Rosie had been driving home when he got the call. Rosie had taken it because Steve was driving. And Steve was driving because Rosie is insufficiently respectful towards the Highway Code, believing it to be voluntary and very much ‘for other people’.

‘I’m so sorry, mate,’ says Steve. ‘I can’t believe you’ve been caught up in this.’

‘Honestly,’ says Tony, ‘it’s quite nice to be involved. Painful, but nice. Can something be painful and nice?’

‘A really big sneeze?’ suggests Steve.

‘That’s a good one,’ says Tony. ‘Or like when you’ve eaten ice cream too quickly and you have a terrible headache, but then you reach that bit where you know it’s about to stop.’

‘That’s another good one,’ agrees Steve. ‘Or –’

‘For Christ’s sake,’ says Felicity. ‘Just tell him you care about him, Steve.’

Steve looks at his friend Tony, lying on the bed pretending not to look scared. Like the two of them are just friends chatting in the pub one summer lunchtime.

‘Or pulling off an old plaster,’ says Steve, and Tony nods. Steve can’t make it any clearer to Felicity than that, surely?

‘How are you going to catch him?’ Felicity asks. ‘Eriksson?’

That’s better, thinks Steve, a question about the case rather than about caring for people. Cases are about thinking and analysing. Caring for people is about doing things. Easier to think in life than to do.

‘We’ve just been visiting a suspect,’ says Rosie. ‘Vern Blackwood’s ex-wife.’

‘And?’ says Felicity.

Rosie shrugs. ‘She said she didn’t know Jakob Eriksson, but I think she was lying.’

‘Where does she live, Steve?’ asks Tony.

‘Rickmansworth way,’ says Steve.