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throw TVs out of hotel windows. These days I’d be surprised if Will Dumford could even get the window open.”
    She doesn’t pull her punches, thought Jack.
    “You weren’t around when Lizard were touring?” he said.
    “God, no,” said Gail. “I don’t look that bloody old do I?”
    “Sorry,” said Jack. “I wasn’t sure when you and Alex got together.”
    “Long after he’d finished playing. I met him on a TV show. My TV show.”
    “Then you and Alex are quite … recent?” said Sarah.
    “Married three years ago.”
    “What about the other band members — you know them?”
    “Not really. Met them with Alex in the last few weeks. Chris. Nick.”
    “How about Lauren?” said Sarah.
    “Will’s wife?” said Gail. “She came to the party. Seemed nice enough.”
    Jack drank some more coffee. This was slow work.
    “You haven’t answered my first question,” said Gail. “What makes you think Alex was, what, murdered?”
    “We didn’t say he was murdered, Mrs. King,” said Jack.
    “Murdered, suspicious — same thing.”
    “Will said that Alex would never go swimming if he’d been using drugs. And the police tests seem to indicate he had a lot in his system. Plus — in the hours before his death — he had some pretty nasty arguments with people.”
    “With that Nick Taylor, you mean?”
    “You know about that?”
    “God. Of course.”
    “You know what they were arguing about?” said Sarah.
    “Haven’t a clue,” said Gail.
    Too quick, thought Jack. She knows … and she’s not telling.
    “Guys in bands — they’re always fighting, aren’t they?” she continued.
    “Will said there might have been a problem with a girl singer — Sarinda?”
    “Oh yes,” said Gail. “The little … singer. Nick’s protégé.”
    “Protégé?” said Jack.
    “Since Lizard broke up, Nick’s tried every which way to hang onto the coat tails of any new talent breaking through. Produce them. Tour with them. Manage them.”
    “And she’s such a talent?” said Jack.
    “You’re showing your age Mr. Brennan. Sarinda B — to use her full stage name — has had more downloads in a month than Lizard had record sales. The perfect bedroom balladeer. Got her own YouTube channel, every product she endorses goes viral. I even had her on one of my shows.”
    “‘The Song Never Dies’” said Sarah. “Now I remember. That’s her song, isn’t it? Every time I turn the car radio on it’s playing.”
    “It’s a good song,” said Gail. “No. It’s a great song.”
    Jack shrugged.
    They can have their song. I have my opera.
    “Will told me that Alex didn’t want her at the party,” he said.
    “Really?” said Gail, smiling. “Ha, I can imagine that. That’s Alex all right.”
    “Didn’t like other people taking the limelight?” said Jack.
    “Didn’t like younger people taking the limelight.”
    “Ah,” said Sarah.
    “But that’s hardly a reason to kill him,” said Gail. “Is it?”
    “No,” said Jack. “Guess not.”
    “And you don’t have any other evidence.”
    “No.”
    Jack waited. He sensed she wasn’t finished.
    “And yet, you still think there’s something suspicious about his death?”
    Jack looked at Sarah.
    “We do.”
    He turned back to Gail. She seemed to be making up her mind, weighing up the pros and cons.
    “And I believe that you are wasting your time. So now, maybe—”
    “Mrs. King, do you think we could take a look at the pool?”
    Jack saw her frown. Out of the corner of his eye he sensed Sarah looking at him.
    The question had to be asked.
    “I haven’t been down there since … since it happened.”
    “I can understand that,” said Sarah.
    “So … yes.” She took a breath. “Perhaps now would be the time. I’ll fetch the key …”
    “That would be good, thank you,” said Jack.
    He watched Gail stand up from the sofa and head out of the door.
    “Tell you what, I wasn’t expecting her to say ‘yes’,” he said.
    “Me neither,” said