‘Panic?’ suggested Strike. ‘He doesn’t want to admit he was in the vicinity of the cemetery when it happened, doesn’t want to admit he was tracking her?’
He now turned on the e-cigarette in his mouth and inhaled, frowning.
‘But if he came face to face with the killer,’ said Strike, exhaling vapour, ‘how did he get the phone off them? Was there a fight?’
‘Maybe the killer pretended they’d found the phone – you know, just lying on the ground – and Ormond said it was his and they handed it over?’
‘Think that’s more plausible than Ormond wrestling them for it,’ said Strike, nodding. ‘Assuming our big bald guy bending over the grave was the killer, they might’ve stripped off their disguise by then, so he could’ve taken them for a normal passer-by…
‘However,’ said Strike, ‘if Ormond met the killer when they were still masked up, it explains quite a lot of what he said to me when I interviewed him. Can’t remember whether I told you this, but when he talked about Anomie hiding behind a keyboard he made a gesture suggesting a mask. What if he thinks the masked person he met was Anomie? If it was, Anomie saw him in the vicinity of the murder scene, and saw him holding Edie’s phone, which leads us neatly back to “Anomie would cast suspicion on anyone else to save their own neck”. It might also explain “I’ve got no reason to say it was him”. Freud would have a field day with that one. If my hypothesis is right, Ormond has got a bloody good reason for thinking the killer was Anomie, because he came face to face with them, and so he defended himself against a charge I hadn’t made: that he had eyewitness evidence he was concealing.’
‘That hangs together,’ said Robin. ‘So Ormond’s got Edie’s phone—’
‘—but he hasn’t found her. He gets in his car and drives home. Waits. She doesn’t come back. He calls the police and fairly quickly realises she’s been murdered. He makes a snap decision to lie about his movements, scared that the tracker, and the fact he’s got her mobile, will see him accused.’
Robin checked the game again, saw that Anomie was still absent, then pointed at the e-cigarette.
‘How is it?’
‘Not as good as a real one,’ said Strike, looking down at it. ‘But I s’pose I could get used to it. Least I won’t stink your flat out.’
‘Want more wine?’
‘Thanks,’ said Strike, holding out his glass. ‘So, Nils de Jong sounds quite a character.’
‘He’s very odd,’ said Robin. ‘Like I told you, he’s kind of a – well, a hippy with fascist overtones. All that “aristocratic outlook” and the race stuff: I wasn’t expecting that at all. And I told you what he said about Edie’s death being a “fulfilment”, didn’t I?’
‘It will have been a fulfilment, for the killer,’ said Strike. ‘So what else were you doing all last night? You said you were working.’
‘I was,’ said Robin. ‘I was at Junction Road till past midnight and then I spent most of the early hours on social media. In a nutshell, Zoe’s mysterious boyfriend is Tim Ashcroft. I saw him leaving her flat last night.’
‘Ashcroft?’ said Strike, taken aback. ‘I wouldn’t have put those two together in a million years.’
‘Well, Zoe’s got – or she had – something Ashcroft likes a lot,’ said Robin, unsmiling. She now got up to retrieve the printouts she’d made before Strike arrived and handed them to him. ‘That’s what I was doing most of the night. Have a look, while I start some gravy.’
Robin left for the kitchen. The pages she’d handed Strike comprised Twitter threads, some dating back several years. He began to read.
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
Happy New Year InkHearts!
Love from The Worm
11.10 am 1 January 2011
Zozo @inkyheart28
replying to @TheWormTurning
Thanks Timothy ! And to you , I love The Worm !!!!
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
replying to @inkyheart28
Thanks, but is this cartoon not a bit old for you?!
Zozo @inkyheart28
replying to @TheWormTurning
I’m nearly 14!!!!!!
Timothy J Ashcroft @TheWormTurning
replying to @inkyheart28
ah ok I was worried we were corrupting u!
Zozo @inkyheart28
replying to @TheWormTurning
no I ‘m not that innocent
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
replying to @inkyheart28
tell me more.…
Zozo @inkyheart28
replying to @TheWormTurning
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
replying to @inkyheart28
Well I’ve followed you back, so you can tell me privately if you feel too shy in here!
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
It’s The Worm’s Birthday (well, mine)
#TheInkBlackHeart
9.14 am 1 November 2011
MrsHarty @carlywhistler_*
replying to @TheWormTurning
Happy birthday, I love The Worm so much, he’s so cute!
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
replying to @carlywhistler_*
You’re pretty cute yourself, but how come you’re tweeting at this time in the morning? Shouldn’t you be in school?!
MrsHarty @carlywhistler_*
replying to @TheWormTurning
Day off, I’m ill
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
replying to @carlywhistler_*
Well, I’m following you back because you were nice enough to wish me happy birthday x
Laura H @InkHeart<3
I would die in battle for The Worm 
#TheInkBlackHeart
7.13 pm 30 November 2011
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
replying to @InkHeart<3
The worm would die in battle for you too!
How old are you?
Laura H @InkHeart<3
replying to @TheWormTurning
omg I can’t believe you saw that!!!!!! 13
Timothy J Ashcroft
@TheWormTurning
Just finished recording next episode, big character moment for The Worm!
9.32 pm 23 December 2011
Orla Moran @BlackHeartOrla
replying to @TheWormTurning
tell us now!!!!!!!!!
Timothy J Ashcroft