The next morning was busy. Langton had the press conference at Scotland Yard, and most of the team was there, so the incident room was quiet. Smiley would be brought up from the cells as soon as they all returned. Anna thought back to her first meeting with Emerald Turk. She wished she’d asked to see the other items of clothing that had been left in the suitcase, as somehow the tracksuit didn’t fit all the depressing descriptions she’d been given of Margaret.
“Do you know what time the press conference is due to end?” she asked.
Barbara looked over and shrugged. “I know the boss had a lot of journalists interested, so if there’s a Q and A session, it could go on for an hour or even more.”
Anna decided that would give her enough time to drive over to talk to Eric Potts.
She was just parking her car outside the debt collection agency’s offices when Eric appeared, carrying a coffee. She hurried toward him. “Mr. Potts, it’s DI Anna Travis.”
He glanced at her and gave an odd smile. “I know who you are. You got some news for me? It’s been a while.”
“Sorry, I don’t, but we do have a few developments.”
“I should hope so. I reckoned as I’d not heard anything and there was nothing in the press, it was all buried.”
“No, not by any means. Can I have a few words with you?”
“Got to be a few, as I’m on my way to a job. Café owes rent, and if I leave it any longer, I’ll be carrying out the goods while they’re still serving the customers.”
“It’s in reference to the last time you saw Margaret. You said you met her in a café over by King’s Cross station?”
“Yeah.”
“How did she look?”
“What?”
“You’ve told me that sometimes she looked really ragged and was always asking you for money.”
“That’s right.”
“This last time, did she want money?”
He sighed. “Look, I made it clear to her that I couldn’t go on shelling out cash to her whenever she called me, and I also said that the wife didn’t want her around. I told you this.”
“Yes, I know — but can you think back? Did she ask you for money?”
“She always did.”
“I shall ask you again: how did she look?”
Eric opened the lid of his coffee and took a sip. “She was cleaner than usual, but she’d aged. She was worn out, and she looked it.”
“Did she say she needed money?”
“Maggie didn’t have to say it. She was living at some other tart’s place, I think, or a hostel — I don’t honestly remember. I walked away from her, you know, gave her a few quid, like, and walked off. Oh, Christ, I told you all of this before. When I looked back, she was crying, and I never saw her cry no matter what was done to her.”
“Did she say anything to you before you left her?”
“No, not that I can remember.” He sounded irritated now. “She could lie, you know; things were always going to be different. She said to me that she wasn’t gonna be working the service stations, that she didn’t need to do it anymore, but it was a lie, because they found her body near one, right?” Eric straightened, turning away from Anna as he remembered something. “Hang on — she had new shoes.”
“What?”
“It’s odd. See, I didn’t want to look at her when I told her to stay away from me and the kids, so I kept me eyes down. That was when I noticed she had new shoes on, with high heels. She normally wore scuffed old things that were flat.”
“Do you think her other clothes were new?”
He suddenly lost patience, snapping, “I don’t fucking know! It was a long time ago, all right? Now I’ve got to go to work.”
Langton was in no hurry to start the proceedings with Smiley, but was having coffee and sandwiches in the incident room. It had been a big turnout for his press conference, and the assistant commissioner had also been present. Langton looked smart in a dark suit, immaculate crisp white shirt, and sober tie. He was holding forth about the number of television crews interviewing him.
Barolli sidled up to Anna’s desk and said quietly that George Clooney had handled the press like a pro.
“He loves it, doesn’t he?” he said, looking toward Langton. “You know, rumor is he’s gonna be the next murder and serious crime commander. The current one was at the conference, and they were very friendly. Langton’s certainly hands-on when there’re photographers around. I hear that those hands were all over you as well.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Barbara said she saw you and the gov in the corridor.”
Anna was furious. “She should mind her own business, and you should keep that yapping mouth shut. Maybe if you’d done more of a thorough interview with Emerald Turk in the first place, we’d have been a lot further and faster than we have been!”
Barolli stepped back as if she’d slapped him. “That was a low blow.”
“A true one, though — and don’t think DCS Langton isn’t aware of it.”
She was angry at herself for rising to the bait so quickly. It would only create more gossip.
Langton started to come over, but before he could say anything, Anna stood up, afraid he would sit on the edge of her desk. She didn’t want anyone putting two and two together and coming up with any more gossip, so she launched straight in with her latest news.
“Margaret Potts had new shoes on the last time she saw her ex-brother-in-law. She looked smarter than usual, and she might have had money, but she still took some off of him.”
“That’s not much to go on, but we do have a big development from Pete Jenkins. Mike sent over a cord and chain from Swell Blinds, and though Pete is not prepared to give it one hundred percent—”
“I’m not following you. One hundred percent about what?”
“The chain might have matched the indentations on Estelle Dubcek’s neck — it’s got those small raised dots. She’s the only victim with them, but on Anika Waleska, he thinks the cord might be one of the type used to strangle her.”
“Wow, that’s some development! On the other hand how many products are there, not only from Swell Blinds but from every other company that uses them? It’s a coincidence, though.”
“Coincidence... remember my code? Never believe in ’em.” He smiled, obviously pleased with the way things were progressing. “We had a good press conference, and there will be a lot of coverage, so I’d say Cameron Welsh will be gloating — so much of what he’s said has made us think. It might be worth another visit.”
“Apparently not. He’s gone gaga.”
“What?”
“He’s refusing to wash or eat and is causing problems with the rest of the inmates in the secure unit.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He’s probably had his few moments of fame — dragging us all there to visit him has turned his head.”
“How do you know all this?”
She flushed and could have kicked herself. “Just keeping tabs on him in case I have to go and see him again.”
“You speak to the governor?”
“No.”
“Who did you talk to?”
“Officer Hudson.”
“Ken?”
“Yes, Ken Hudson.”
Langton kept his eyes on her until she looked away, embarrassed.
“Okay, we go to interview room one in fifteen minutes. See you in there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Langton headed off, and now Mike Lewis came up to her desk. “The clock is ticking with Smiley. We’ve had him here since last night — what’s Langton waiting for?”
“Could be evidence?” she said, getting up and pointing at the board.
“You know as well as anyone here does, we don’t have enough to charge Smiley, and if that young lawyer’s worth his salt, he’ll know it as well.” Mike puffed out his cheeks. “Come on, what about the possibility that it was the same type of cord and chain, for chrissakes.”