‘Here is the timeline,’ he says, handing out laminated sheets. ‘I am beginning to think that I should start to distribute this sort of information digitally. Hard copies are very wasteful. I would like, if possible, the Thursday Murder Club to become carbon neutral by 2030.’
‘You could also stop laminating everything,’ suggests Ron.
‘One step at a time, Ron,’ says Ibrahim. ‘One step at a time.’
He knows, in his heart, that Ron is right, but he doesn’t feel able to let go of his laminating machine. This must be how America feels about coal-fired power stations.
‘I have to leave at 11.45,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Just by the way.’
‘But the meeting is until twelve,’ says Ibrahim. ‘As always.’
‘I have plans,’ says Elizabeth.
‘What plans?’ asks Joyce.
‘A drive with Stephen,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Some fresh air. Ibrahim, let’s get on with the timeline.’
‘Who’s driving?’ asks Joyce.
‘Bogdan,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Ibrahim, please, I’m holding you up.’
‘Perhaps I might have liked a drive,’ says Joyce, to no one and everyone.
Ibrahim takes charge again. He wishes he’d known they had only forty-five minutes for the meeting. His life is measured out in hours. No matter – just go with the flow, Ibrahim. He has prepared a preamble of around eight minutes’ duration concerning the nature of evil, but he will have to save it for another day and dive straight in. Frustrating.
‘To get to the heart of the murder,’ he begins, ‘it seems we have two key questions yet to answer. One, where is the heroin now; and, two, who did Kuldesh ring after he rang Nina? Am I missing anything?’
‘Why did he buy a spade?’ says Ron.
‘That is covered under “Miscellaneous Facts” on your sheet, Ron,’ says Ibrahim.
‘My sincere apologies,’ says Ron. ‘So where’s the heroin?’
‘Nina says that Kuldesh has a lock-up garage in Fairhaven?’ says Joyce.
‘He did,’ says Nina. ‘No idea where.’
‘Perhaps the heroin’s there,’ says Joyce. ‘I bet we could track it down.’
‘Perhaps,’ continues Ibrahim. ‘Or perhaps it has already been sold. I believe heroin is much in demand. Certainly it doesn’t seem as if Mitch Maxwell has the heroin in his possession. So who does?’
‘I wonder,’ continues Elizabeth, ‘if Connie Johnson might have something more for us as well, Ibrahim. We still don’t know who Mitch was supposed to be selling to.’
‘I will be seeing her on Monday,’ says Ibrahim.
‘Who’s Connie Johnson?’ asks Jonjo.
‘She’s like Samantha Barnes but for drugs,’ says Joyce. ‘Perhaps I could bake her some scones, Ibrahim. I don’t suppose they have scones in prison.’
‘Sure,’ says Ron. ‘She wants to kill me. Bake her some scones.’
‘What will you be doing though?’ Joyce asks Elizabeth. ‘While you’re out and about?’
‘Things to do, people to see,’ says Elizabeth.
Joyce’s phone rings. She looks at the display, then answers.
‘Hello, Donna, this is a pleasant surprise, I was just thinking of you yesterday. There was an episode of
Elizabeth puts the phone to her ear. ‘Yes? Mmm hmm … Mmm hmm … Mmm … hmm. Yes … yes … that’s none of your business … yes … thank you, Donna, I am most grateful.’
Elizabeth hands the phone back to Joyce.
‘Cagney or Lacey was in a bar, you see, and –’
‘Ibrahim,’ says Elizabeth, ‘are you free this afternoon?’
‘I was hoping to do Zumba,’ says Ibrahim. ‘They have a new instructor and he –’
‘You’re going to Petworth with Joyce,’ says Elizabeth. ‘I need you to speak to Samantha Barnes immediately.’
‘Well, I do like antiquing,’ says Ibrahim. ‘And I’m also very interested in heroin smuggling. The transgressive has –’
Elizabeth holds up a hand to stop him. ‘Donna has been checking my phone records.’
‘Aye, aye,’ says Ron.
‘At 4.41 p.m. on Tuesday I made a call to Samantha Barnes.’
Ibrahim looks up from his notes. ‘And?’
‘And,’ says Elizabeth, ‘Samantha Barnes’s number showed up in the phone records as Code 777.’
They are crawling along in traffic on the A23, just north of Coulsdon, but Stephen, in the front with Bogdan, seems to be enjoying the drive. He hasn’t stopped asking Bogdan questions since they left Coopers Chase.
‘There’s a museum,’ says Stephen. ‘In Baghdad. Have you been?’
This is the second time he has asked this question.
‘Have I been to Baghdad?’ asks Bogdan. ‘No.’
‘Oh, you must,’ says Stephen.
‘OK, I will,’ says Bogdan.
It was bad timing: Elizabeth wishes she hadn’t had to cut the meeting short like that. But Viktor has a tight schedule, and she must see him. And Viktor must see Stephen.
Joyce saw them all getting into the car together, and didn’t even wave goodbye, so perhaps she suspects something is awry. She hopes Joyce’s mission to see Samantha Barnes will distract her. It had been a lucky guess on Elizabeth’s part, a hunch, to have Donna check Samantha’s number to see if it came back as Code 777. Had Kuldesh really rung Samantha? To ask advice? To sell her the heroin?
