Detective

come up and burnt off th

e daylight knew that th

duty pathologist, Harsh

our inside the white Inc

nstructed, and by 12 p.m

er the c

x in the front seat

all r

can do here, mate. We'l

from

, get so

u t

I'll

u want an exercise in ins

days. T

nds up. 'OK, OK. Wh

ever

won't

me.' He gestured to Caff

nd pretend

llow body under the tent

n the new whitish light

ails, bitten and painted

ollen

s face in the mirror wa

ere new sun crinkles ar

n't s

n new blood in the Area

he recognized the resentm

hey took when the eightweek standby rota circle

first c

-hour standby, wakeful

to catch a breath. He w

ooking like

ion and lack of witnesse

seen the black ulcerate

e something to the victi

t here in his white-tiled

o free the water in his e

se its tail around your

d to

pouring a Glenmorangie,

through the letterbox. 'I

e at

wore a cream linen sui

ping bags from Chelsea b

-red Tigra convertible

te and Caffery saw she w

een on the point of

' She leaned

ing lipstick and me

wrist and drew back, t

re feet. The bottle of wh

Relaxing,

in the

ng Pend

in the garden withou

e started to laugh then s

She picked up a Waitrose

g – prawns, fresh dill, fr

-' She held up a dark g

leg like an exotic bird,

wn leather jacket nestled

es we i

a leathe

. 'Oh. OK. Not to worry.

for a moment. 'I

instantly ash

can swap it

. Here, giv

g the front door closed

pattern. She made a life

out her lower lip, brave

me guilty, rolled onto

le but effective, Veronic

his worn, comfortable h

r, crammed with scented

lging with clothes he wo

ets, silk ties, moleskin

mer Street imp

rself at home in his kit

ut oil sizzling in bright

nto the

he thought, unstopperin

relationship was on a til

use – full of hibiscus, R

iked to let it grow eac

h green. But Veronica w

rass and capers in painte

gravel paths and bay tre

his house – she'd like hi

crumbly-bricked Victoria

s, its tangled garden, th

ive up her token job in

and get started on m

ory was embedded too deep

t out on a whim. And af

re of one thing: h

h the window now, scr

d of last year he had b

ffthe-rails CID Hallowe'en party, he realized that wherever he turned, a gir

fa

Jack a two-month-long

he woke him at six each

the house in nothing but hee

and other areas of his

en-heel marks in his hea

he murd

is drive towards her fal

ous about him, started a

m down and in serious ton

ong before they had met:

by a struggle

up short, suddenly he d

h h

e realized, as if you

How arrogant

d her thin, asymmetric c

eeth, and ripped a sprig

whisky and swal

ld do it. Mayb

Veronica switched all the

garden candle

salad with rocket, praw

sorbet. Am I the perf

y exposed expensively car

and see if it'll

ten. They'd arranged it

ek was a good, quiet

n, isn't it?' She pushed

y new potatoes. In the

he garden. 'We're eating

om.' She stopped, lookin

'Do you think you sho