‘I don’t… it doesn’t sound to me as though Craig treats you very well,’ said Robin. She was ten years older than Fiona, but felt ancient as she said it. ‘Men who read all your emails and texts – I was with a man who listened to my voicemail messages and didn’t pass them on. It ended badly. But,’ she added, ‘I know it isn’t any of my business.’
‘No,’ said Fiona, ‘it isn’t.’
Robin heard the front door slam behind her as she reached the pavement. Shortly before she reached the corner, she glanced back. Fiona was watching her from the front window; Robin expected her to raise her middle finger again, but the girl’s expression was simply blank.
70
Albert Pike
On Tuesday morning, Strike sat down to eat breakfast beside an attic window fogged with condensation, and saw that Robin had emailed him overnight. Ever since she’d told him she wasn’t coming to Scotland with him to interview Jade Semple she’d chosen to email when, normally, she’d have phoned. He’d also noticed that these emails were never prefaced with a salutation.
Audio file of Fyola Fay interview attached. Important points: Dick de Lion’s real name is ‘Danny’, he comes from an island with no cars and disappeared end of May.
Fyola Fay’s partner knew the rich man ‘when he was a kid’. I’ve done some research: Craig Wheaton spent his teens in a boys’ care home partly funded by Oliver Branfoot’s trust.
Also attached, possible Land Rover.
R
Strike picked up his mobile and called her.
‘Just seen your email.’
‘Oh, right,’ said Robin coolly.
‘Bloody good work. You’ve found the link between Branfoot and de Lion.’
‘An indirect link, yes,’ said Robin, unfortunately reminded of the ‘weak link’ comment Strike had made in Ironbridge. Strike was speaking as though everything was normal between them, and even though she didn’t want any conversation in which she might become angry or, worse, tearful, his matter-of-fact tone grated. She was damned if she was going to apologise for anything she’d said at the Swan Taphouse, but she was riled by the fact that Strike didn’t seem to feel he ought to make any amends.
‘Well, I’ve just found Rupert’s friend Tish Benton, or her parents, anyway,’ said Strike.
Robin suspected this was supposed to show her he hadn’t forgotten about Decima.
‘Yes, I found her too,’ said Robin coolly. ‘She’s got an Instagram page, but it’s set to private. I’ve sent her a follower request.’
‘Great, because the parents were very suspicious when I told them who I was. I’ve left contact details and asked Tish to call me but I’m not hopeful.’
‘OK, well, there’s something else I wanted to say to you,’ said Robin. ‘I want to put surveillance on Albie Simpson-White. I don’t care how we bill for it, but I’m happy to give up free time to do it, or cover for the others while they do. I don’t feel right about spending Decima’s money to investigate all these other possible Wrights, if we’re not actively trying to get resolution for her, too.’
‘All right,’ said Strike, who sounded resigned, ‘we’ll start watching Simpson-White.’
‘Thank you,’ said Robin stiffly.
‘I had no luck with Powell’s friend Wynn Jones,’ said Strike. ‘He wasn’t at the farm. Allegedly he’s had some kind of accident with a tractor. They didn’t seem keen on telling me how to contact him, but I left a card. Don’t suppose Tyler Powell’s called you back?’
‘No,’ said Robin. She was now regretting leaving her real name on Tyler’s supposed phone. If he was alive but hiding away from persecutors in his home town, he’d almost certainly rather not speak to a private detective, especially if he suspected she’d been hired by the Whiteheads.
‘And we’ve had another one of those anonymous calls,’ said Strike.
‘The man or the Scottish woman?’
‘Man,’ said Strike. ‘Apparently he said, “Stop, or you’ll be refined like silver in the furnace of affliction.” Pat took it down in shorthand, so it’s accurate. I’ve looked it up, and it’s a rough approximation of a quote from the Bible, about Elijah.’
‘Right,’ said Robin.
Strike now clicked on the link to a second-hand Land Rover she’d sent him with her email.
‘The Defender 90 looks good,’ he said. ‘Want to go and see it?’