electron searching for its nucleus. Given the amount of motion relative to the observer, you’d have expected him to generate a magnetic field.
‘So we’re looking for a tall bloke with dark hair, and that’s it? Talk about a needle in a woodpile! You’re looking for the weapon?’
‘Dustbins and front gardens. But I doubt we’ll find it. From the sound of it the killer was very calm and collected, so he’s not likely to have chucked the gun away in a panic.’
‘Probably a rental, anyway,’ Porson grunted. ‘I hate gun crime.’
‘I don’t think going after the man or the gun will yield anything,’ Slider said. ‘We know the victim knew the killer—’
‘We do?’ Porson said sharply.
‘Why else would he have let him in?’
‘Any number of reasons,’ Porson said, though he didn’t offer any. ‘I don’t like to see you jumping to collusions. All the same,’ he added after a beat, ‘you’re probably right. Which raises some interesting questions.’
Yes,’ said Slider. ‘It looks like a professional hit, but if he knew the killer, either he has some strange friends—’
‘Or some friendly enemies. What about this girl – the witness?’
‘I don’t think she was in on it. She seems genuinely shaken up, and her injuries are reassuringly slight. If she was involved, I’d have expected her to have been tied up, or roughed up, to establish her innocence. As it is, her story is quirky enough to sound genuine. And she seems really scared the killer will come back for her.’
‘But he didn’t know she was there,’ Porson objected.
‘I know. But he soon will. Even if she doesn’t talk—’
‘Which she will. They always do.’
‘—there’s the old couple, the Firmans. The press are going to be doorstepping them and we can’t gag them. I’ve persuaded the hospital to keep Aude in until tomorrow, so that gives us time to do a quick check on her background. After that . . .’
Porson nodded, thinking. ‘Try and persuade her to go away somewhere for a few days – parents, old aunty, whatever – and not tell anyone where she’s going. I don’t think she’s in that much danger. If she’d seen chummy’s face it’d be different, but if he’s professional he won’t risk offing a witness who only saw his boots. So, what’s your strategy visa vee the investigation?’
‘As you say, we can’t follow up the man or the weapon, so we’ve got to find out who wanted Rogers dead. That divides into the usual categories—’
‘Sex and money. My bet’s on money. It smells of money to me, and this –’ he tapped his considerable beak – ‘doesn’t often let me down. And he was getting through it all right. Clubs, champagne, big house, fancy suits.’
‘All the usual suspects,’ said Slider. ‘It’s never hard to find out where it goes . It’s where it comes from we don’t know.’
Porson actually paused in his astonishment. ‘He was a doctor ,’ he said. ‘Blimey, even GPs trouser a hundred and fifty kay these days! Never mind specialists. There was an article in the Sunday paper about these society gynaechiatrists making two and three million a year.’
‘Well, no doubt we’ll find out when his papers come over,’ Slider said.
‘ And who gets it now he’s snuffed it. Was he married?’
‘That seems to be a moot point.’
‘Well un -moot it then, quick as you like,’ Porson barked. ‘What are you hanging around here gossiping with me for?’
Atherton sauntered into Slider’s office whistling ‘I’ve got plenty of nuthin’.
‘If that’s your shorthand way of making a report,’ Slider began.
‘So far, nobody heard anything, nobody saw anything, and Rogers seems to have been a sweet old-fashioned type who did not have CCTV to back up his burglar alarm.’ He sat down in his usual spot on the windowsill. ‘My internal gypsy seer predicts we won’t find the shooter, so what now?’
‘We have to go round the back way. Up Motive Alley. As
‘So we’re looking for a tall bloke with dark hair, and that’s it? Talk about a needle in a woodpile! You’re looking for the weapon?’
‘Dustbins and front gardens. But I doubt we’ll find it. From the sound of it the killer was very calm and collected, so he’s not likely to have chucked the gun away in a panic.’
‘Probably a rental, anyway,’ Porson grunted. ‘I hate gun crime.’
‘I don’t think going after the man or the gun will yield anything,’ Slider said. ‘We know the victim knew the killer—’
‘We do?’ Porson said sharply.
‘Why else would he have let him in?’
‘Any number of reasons,’ Porson said, though he didn’t offer any. ‘I don’t like to see you jumping to collusions. All the same,’ he added after a beat, ‘you’re probably right. Which raises some interesting questions.’
Yes,’ said Slider. ‘It looks like a professional hit, but if he knew the killer, either he has some strange friends—’
‘Or some friendly enemies. What about this girl – the witness?’
‘I don’t think she was in on it. She seems genuinely shaken up, and her injuries are reassuringly slight. If she was involved, I’d have expected her to have been tied up, or roughed up, to establish her innocence. As it is, her story is quirky enough to sound genuine. And she seems really scared the killer will come back for her.’
‘But he didn’t know she was there,’ Porson objected.
‘I know. But he soon will. Even if she doesn’t talk—’
‘Which she will. They always do.’
‘—there’s the old couple, the Firmans. The press are going to be doorstepping them and we can’t gag them. I’ve persuaded the hospital to keep Aude in until tomorrow, so that gives us time to do a quick check on her background. After that . . .’
Porson nodded, thinking. ‘Try and persuade her to go away somewhere for a few days – parents, old aunty, whatever – and not tell anyone where she’s going. I don’t think she’s in that much danger. If she’d seen chummy’s face it’d be different, but if he’s professional he won’t risk offing a witness who only saw his boots. So, what’s your strategy visa vee the investigation?’
‘As you say, we can’t follow up the man or the weapon, so we’ve got to find out who wanted Rogers dead. That divides into the usual categories—’
‘Sex and money. My bet’s on money. It smells of money to me, and this –’ he tapped his considerable beak – ‘doesn’t often let me down. And he was getting through it all right. Clubs, champagne, big house, fancy suits.’
‘All the usual suspects,’ said Slider. ‘It’s never hard to find out where it goes . It’s where it comes from we don’t know.’
Porson actually paused in his astonishment. ‘He was a doctor ,’ he said. ‘Blimey, even GPs trouser a hundred and fifty kay these days! Never mind specialists. There was an article in the Sunday paper about these society gynaechiatrists making two and three million a year.’
‘Well, no doubt we’ll find out when his papers come over,’ Slider said.
‘ And who gets it now he’s snuffed it. Was he married?’
‘That seems to be a moot point.’
‘Well un -moot it then, quick as you like,’ Porson barked. ‘What are you hanging around here gossiping with me for?’
Atherton sauntered into Slider’s office whistling ‘I’ve got plenty of nuthin’.
‘If that’s your shorthand way of making a report,’ Slider began.
‘So far, nobody heard anything, nobody saw anything, and Rogers seems to have been a sweet old-fashioned type who did not have CCTV to back up his burglar alarm.’ He sat down in his usual spot on the windowsill. ‘My internal gypsy seer predicts we won’t find the shooter, so what now?’
‘We have to go round the back way. Up Motive Alley. As