“Nice patter,” said Pauline. “You two shagging each other?”
“Fuck off, Pauline,” said Laura.
Pauline raised her eyebrows. “Touché.”
Once she and Bob were on their own, Laura took her chance and asked the question that had been on her mind. “Why haven’t we been on the roof?”
“Eh? They got a roof garden? Probably no seats, but we can go when they get back if you like.”
“I don’t mean here,” said Laura. “I mean at Sheldon Oaks.”
Bob opened a bag of crisps and took a handful. “Let’s not talk about work.”
“Fine.” Laura took a big gulp of her Guinness. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No, no, no,” Bob pleaded as Laura put her phone into her pocket, moving to leave. “Why you got the hump?”
“Why haven’t we been on the roof, Bob?”
He took a cigarette from his pocket and put it into his mouth. “I have.”
“You have?”
“Yeah. On the first day. When you were finishing things with the body, I went up there.”
“Oh. Why’s there no mention of it in the file?”
“Because there was nothing to report.”
“Nothing?”
“Honestly, babe. Nothing. No footprints. It was dry. No nothing. We swept the whole fucking thing. It’s just a roof.”
“If you say so.”
Bob narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean if I say so?”
“I mean if you say so. I trust you.” Laura shrugged. “You know, some women might not like their work colleague calling them ‘babe.’ ”
Bob scanned her, checking how serious she was. “Yeah, but you’re not like that, are you? It’s just how I talk, innit?”
She shrugged again.
Uncomfortable, Bob changed the subject. “You got a light?”
Laura shook her head. He got up and went for the door.
Laura took her phone back out of her pocket. Ruby had arrived at the hotel. She’d posted a picture of a cocktail by a pool, in front of a setting sun. The caption readI guess this will just have to do for the week;-). I bet that drink’s watered down, thought Laura, telling herself she’d made the right choice to stay in town.
She went to her email. Ten from companies she really shouldget around to unsubscribing from and then something interesting: a reply from a yarn shop in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Dear DS Welsh,
Thank you for your inquiry. Most of our business is in person but we do have a few online customers. You are correct that the particular yarn you asked about is only available at our store. We have one customer in London. Her name is Polly Slaughter. We deliver to her at Sheldon Oaks, Hampstead, London NW3.
Hope this helps,
Clarissa Blount-Pulverdart
