‘Shipshape,’ he said.
‘Yes, you could say that.’
He lit a cigarette, and gestured that it was okay as they were in the smoking zone. ‘I’ve cut back and I’m going to have some acupuncture to give up.’
‘Good.’
‘So, what else?’ His light tone had altered. He was very quiet, his eyes boring into hers.
‘I went to see Gail’s children, but you beat me to it.’
He nodded.
‘Ella Sickert and her son have been reunited.’
‘Immigration have such a backlog, they could be waiting for a year.’
‘I think she wants to go home.’
‘I don’t blame her. This country sucks.’
Anna nodded and sipped her wine.
‘So — what else?’ Again she felt the undercurrent, and found it hard to meet his eyes.
‘Spit it out, Anna. I know you paid a visit to Doctor Salaam.’
‘I just wanted to find out.’
‘I know what you wanted to find out; you also called on Mike Lewis and Barolli.’
‘Yes.’
‘Went back to the station.’
‘Yes.’
‘So, after this extensive runaround, what have you—’
They were interrupted as their number was called out; a waitress carrying their salads appeared. Langton held up the spoon.
‘Thank you,’ he smiled. He ordered two more glasses of wine to be brought with their main course, plus a bottle of still water. He picked up his knife and fork, and tucked into the salad.
Anna could hardly touch hers; her stomach was in knots.
‘So tell me — what have you been so busy beavering around after?’ He pushed his half finished salad aside and drank his wine.
Anna haltingly went over the facts she had unearthed for the defence team representing Idris Krasiniqe.
‘Lemme tell you something: Idris Krasiniqe took the guilty plea over Carly Ann—’
‘But he didn’t kill her.’
His hand shot across the table and gripped hers tightly. ‘Let me finish: we know he worked as Camorra’s henchman/drug dealer along with his brother; we know they were both illegal immigrants. Christ, we are not even sure if that’s their real name — right? Right?’
‘Yes, I know that.’
‘Idris was trying to decapitate her, trying to cut off her hands, so she wouldn’t be identified, correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘Now, even if he was high on drugs, terrified of Camorra, afraid for his brother — whatever reason you want to give — he was still fucking involved in her murder. He said he saw Camorra strangle her after he had raped her and after he himself had been forced to rape her — so she was what? Tied up on that fucking stone slab? His brother was forced to watch, injected with that shit Jimson weed so he wouldn’t know what time of day it was. You want me to go on?’
She nodded and picked at her salad.
‘Okay: watching the attempted decapitation were Rashid Burry and Camorra. Idris gets picked up, the two guys piss off and the Range Rover disappears. You still with me?’
‘Yes!’
Langton began to tick off on his fingers the next events: Idris Krasiniqe withdrew his statement; he said he did not know who the other two men were, and claimed that he, and he alone, killed Carly Ann. ‘Now, you tell me, Anna: why would he do that? Why would he go down for a murder you say he didn’t commit?’
‘Fear for his brother maybe?’
‘Eamon Krasiniqe was picked up for dealing drugs to kids outside a school. He resisted arrest and, at his trial, asked for eight offences of drug dealing to be taken into consideration, as well as one attempt to kidnap a fourteen-year-old girl.’
‘Did it ever occur to you that both of the brothers were terrified of what Camorra would do to them?’ Anna asked. ‘At least locked up, they were free of him. As it turned out, Eamon was got at, and we know how.’
Langton shook his head. ‘But Idris held back information; he held up our entire enquiry into Carly Ann’s murder. If he’d given us Rashid Burry and Camorra’s names at the start… He lied: he had information and yet kept his mouth shut. Not until he was trying to save his brother, did he give up what he knew. Now, if you want to play runaround with his defence to get a retrial, go ahead; to me, the scum can serve out his sentence.’
‘But he didn’t kill Carly Ann.’
Langton snapped, ‘My point is, for Chrissakes, that he knew who did!’
‘So are you now saying that Rashid Burry and Camorra were at the hostel when you went there?’
‘Yeah. If Idris had given up their names, look at the trail of death we might have stopped. Gail’s kid was twenty-four months old, for God’s sake — fed to the pigs! Does that sit all right with you?’
‘No, of course not.’
‘Then let Idris Krasiniqe rot in hell.’
The waitress called their spoon number again and brought over the steak and chips. She removed the dirty cutlery and crockery, and laid out two sets of steak knives and clean forks.
‘Thank you, and the wine?’
She said it was just coming.
Langton picked up some ketchup and proffered it to Anna, who shook her head.
‘Rashid Burry was murdered,’ Anna said quietly.
‘Yes, neatly wrapped in the trunk of the Range Rover that Camorra, because he couldn’t drive an automatic — ha ha — never used.’ Langton cut into his steak, and ate a large mouthful.
‘So, Rashid — you recognized him, didn’t you? The gold teeth?’
Langton nodded. ‘That’s pretty obvious; yes, I did.’
‘Did you also recognize Eugene Camorra as being the man who attacked you on the stairs?’
He didn’t look at her, but sliced another piece of steak. ‘No.’
‘You didn’t recognize him at Emmerick Orso’s house in Redhill?’
‘No.’
‘At what point did you…’
‘Did I what?’
‘Recognize him?’
‘I didn’t.’
Anna picked up the salt and sprayed a little over her chips. ‘So Eugene Camorra was not the man who attacked you?’
Langton said steadily, ‘Let me tell you: if, after what I have been put through, I came face to face with the man who had done it, I’d react. You can bet your sweet arse I’d react; I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off him.’ He gestured with his knife. ‘Your steak okay?’
‘Yes, it’s fine, thanks.’
Langton smiled at the waitress as she brought two fresh glasses of red wine and took their two dirty glasses away. He watched Anna as she picked at the steak. ‘There’s a rumour I’m earmarked for the corporate ladder. I’ll have to do the friggin’ homework, but Chief Superintendent sounds like it’s about time. What do you think?’
Anna shrugged. ‘Sounds good.’
He mimicked her. ‘Sounds good.’
‘Well, it does. I hope you do get promotion.’
He lifted the bottle of water to ask if she wanted some, then he poured another glass for himself and slowly screwed the cap back on. All the while he looked at her; until eventually she was forced to turn away. He was still the rakish, handsome man she had loved; she still loved his lanky body, his hands, the way he laughed. Tanned and fit, he was even more attractive than ever, but he was now, as he had often been, someone she didn’t know. It was like dining with a stranger.
‘I’m sorry, but I have a headache,’ she said. ‘I’d like to go home.’
Whilst Langton paid the bill, she walked to the car and sat waiting. She watched him strolling towards her and leaned over to open the passenger door.
‘You go ahead; I think I’ll just walk for a while.’ He tapped the roof with the flat of his hand and walked past her, crossing in front of the car to head along the riverbank.
She saw him limp just a fraction. He seemed unconcerned, looking at the ducks, until she couldn’t stand it a moment longer. She got out of her car and slammed the door shut.