‘Yeah. Shouldn’t take long, but I think you’re the only person who can clarify a couple of points.’
Abigail cast a look behind her.
‘Earwiggin’, Richard?’
‘No,’ said the man. He disappeared upstairs perhaps a little faster than he’d have done otherwise.
‘All right,’ Abigail said, turning back to Strike, ‘but you’re gonna ’ave to ’urry up, ’cause my shift’s ended and I’ve got a date.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Strike.
She led him through a door to the right, which was evidently used for talks and meetings, because a number of steel-legged plastic chairs were stacked in corners. Abigail proceeded to a small table near a whiteboard at the far end, lifting down a chair for herself on the way.
‘It’s you, innit?’ she said to Strike, over her shoulder. ‘’Oo’s caused the shitstorm at Chapman Farm?’
‘Ah, you’ve seen,’ said Strike.
‘It’s all over the fuckin’ news, ’course I ’ave.’
‘I’d like to take credit,’ said Strike, also picking up a chair and taking it to the table, ‘but that’s mostly down to my detective partner.’
‘Did she get your client’s relative out, before she torched the place?’ asked Abigail, as both sat down.
‘She did, yeah,’ said Strike.
‘Blimey. You don’ wanna let
‘I don’t intend to,’ said Strike.
‘It’s gonna mean the press coming for me, though, innit?’ said Abigail, looking tense as she pulled a pack of nicotine gum out of her pocket and put a piece in her mouth.
‘Probably,’ said Strike. ‘I’m sorry about that.’
‘When Dick called just now, I fort, “This is it. A journalist’s come”… go on, then. What about Birmingham?’
‘We’ve found out your father was supposed to be taking Rosie Fernsby up to Birmingham the morning Daiyu disappeared, but he changed his plans.’
‘Rosie ’oo?’
She wasn’t at the farm long,’ said Strike. ‘Pretty girl. Dark, curvy – she was there with her father and twin brother.’
‘Oh, yeah… twins. Yeah, I remember them,’ said Abigail. ‘I’d never met twins before. I didn’t know you could have boy and girl ones… no fuckin’ education,’ she added bitterly. ‘Like I told you before.’
‘When we interviewed Cherie Gittins, she tied herself up in knots a bit about your father’s whereabouts.’
‘Found Cherie, didja? Bloody ’ell.’
‘Yeah, she was married and living in the West Country. Anyway, she seemed to attach a lot of significance to the question of whether or not your father was at the farm when Daiyu disappeared.’
‘Well, I dunno why she was confused. ’E was definitely there when the police come to say Daiyu ’ad drowned. I remember Mazu screaming and collapsin’ and ’im ’olding ’er up.’
‘When were
‘Exactly? Dunno. After Daiyu’s inquest.’
‘Had there been any question of you going to Birmingham before Daiyu disappeared?’
‘They prob’lly discussed it when I wasn’ around,’ said Abigail, with a slight shrug. ‘Mazu wanted shot of me for years, and Daiyu dyin’ gave ’er an excuse to do it. I din’t give a shit, personally. I fort it’d probably be easier to escape from one of the other places, din’t fink eiver of ’em would be as ’ard to get in an’ out of as Chapman Farm, an’ I was right.’
‘Yeah, one of my operatives got into Birmingham without too much difficulty, on an out-of-date police ID.’
‘Find anyfing interesting?’
‘A lot of babies,’ said Strike.
‘’Spect there
‘How long were you at the farm, between Daiyu’s disappearance and leaving for Birmingham?’
‘Dunno. Week or two. Somefing like that.’
‘And when you were transferred to Birmingham, did anyone from Chapman Farm go with you?’
‘Yeah, bloke called Joe. ’E was older’n me an’ ’e was one of my farver and Mazu’s favourites. ’E wasn’ going up there ’cos ’e was being punished, though, ’e was gonna be second in command in the Birmingham Centre.’
‘And it was just you and Joe who were transferred that day, was it?’
‘Yeah, ’s far as I can remember.’
Strike turned a page in his notebook.
‘You remember Alex Graves’ family? Father, mother and sister?’
‘Yeah, I told you I did,’ said Abigail, frowning.
‘Well, Graves’ father thinks your father ordered Cherie Gittins to kill Daiyu.’
Abigail chewed her gum for a few seconds in silence, then said,
‘Well, that’s the sort of stupid fing people say, innit? When they’re angry. Why’s my farver s’posed to ’ave killed ’er?’
‘To get his hands on the quarter of a million pounds Graves left Daiyu in his will.’
‘You’re shittin’ me. She ’ad a
‘If she’d lived, she’d also have inherited the Graves family home, which is probably worth ten times that.’
‘You didn’t know she had that much money?’
‘No! Graves looked like a tramp, I never knew ’e ’ad any money of ’is own!’
‘Do you think a quarter of a million would be a sufficient motive for your father to want Daiyu dead?’
Abigail chewed her gum vigorously, still frowning, before saying,
‘Well… ’e’d’ve liked the money. ’Oo wouldn’t? But of course ’e didn’ fuckin’ tell Cherie to do it. ’E wouldn’t’ve wanted to upset Mazu.’
‘Your father sent you a message, when I met him.’
