“The only way I’d get rid of it is for one of those nice new electric hybrid thingies,” I said. “But good luck finding a charging station around here.”
Simon scoffed and then pulled a face. “Riz was passionate about installing those.”
“He drove a gas-guzzling SUV.”
“He was complicated.”
Ain’t that the truth? I mulled over the idea that had occurred to me earlier. I decided to go for it. “We should search his house.”
Chapter 18
Honestly, he was such a drama queen.
The way he carried on. It was like I’d said we should sacrifice Mungo to the gods to find the killer.
“It’s illegal,” he said, spitting feathers he was so outraged.
“I take it that you don’t have a key?”
More feather spitting. “So, youdohave a key?”
“The police have already looked at everything there,” he said as he pulled up outside my house. This conversation had already been going around in circles for fifteen minutes. Honestly, reader, be glad I skipped ahead.
He got out of the car and, without even stopping to ask if he could, unlocked my front door and let himself in. “Just move in, why don’t you?” I muttered.
He was already feeding Kennedy – delirious to see us, obviously – when I followed him in. “Can you feed the cats, too?” I asked. He nodded. The cats, it will shock you, had neither the inclination, nor, it seemed, the physical energy, to greet us on our return. I gave their entangled fluff a nudge on the chair they were curled up on and received a chirp of displeasure in response. Good, still alive.
Simon sat on my sofa, Kennedy between his legs, looking again through the papers I’d been reading on the way to Marina’s.
“Neuberger searched his flat already.”
“Neuberger’s a dick,” I countered. “We know what we’re looking for.”
“Which is?”
“Mmm, dunno, stuff?”
“Oh my God,” he said and put his hands around Kennedy to steady himself. “You’re not even taking this seriously. Remember when someone broke intoArabella’s house? They never managed to get Tarquin to admit to it.”
I went very quiet.
“Oh my God,” he said.
“Yeah …”
“Oh my God!” he said for a third time, really taking the Lord’s name in vain, here. “It was you?” His eyes were bulging. I shrugged.
“It worked,” I said.
He went silent for a few minutes. And then he paced my living room. And then he went upstairs to the toilet for several minutes, where I heard him pacing in there as well. And then he went out to the garden to pace there too. And then he came back inside.
“If you don’t stop fucking pacing, I am going to kneecap you,” I said. “And you’ve seen what I did to Tarquin, you know I can.”
He looked at me with an expression of wonderment. Oh yeah, never explained to him how I know how to do that. How a nice guy like me could fire guns like that. Well, that’s not a story for right now.
“If you’re not keen, I’ll do it myself.” I put my hand out. “Give me the keys, and I’ll go tonight. I’ll have a mosey and report back.”
He shook his head. “It’s stupid. Unsafe.”
