And then, on the step of his office, while half of him was wondering whether he’d have to sleep where he was sitting, something floated up through his subconscious into his conscious mind. Every woman who’d hoped to make a life with him had complained about this: the way something hard and impenetrable in his brain lived forever in a problem-solving realm, no matter what was going on around him: in fact, only one woman had never moaned about it—
His mobile rang in his pocket and he pulled it out.
‘I’m in the cab,’ said Robin.
‘Good,’ said Strike, still smoking.
‘I don’t think there was anyone outside. I think I’m a bit paranoid.’
‘We got bombed. You’re not paranoid.’
‘How’s your leg, Cormoran?’
‘Fucked,’ said Strike. There was no point lying any more; he doubted he’d be fully ambulatory any time soon. ‘But on the bright side, I’ve just realised we might have a lead.’
95
But this place is grey,
And much too quiet. No one here,
Why, this is awful, this is fear!
Nothing to see, no face.
Nothing to hear except your heart beating in space
As if the world was ended.
<Moderator Channel>
<11 June 2015 00.15>
<Present: Worm28>
>
>
<Anomie has joined the channel>
Worm28: omg , at last !
Worm28: I ‘ve been wondring where everyone is
Worm28: Hartella ’s supposed to be modding with me tonite
Anomie: She’s left. She’s not coming back
Anomie: she just told me
Worm28: what ? !
Worm28: why would she leave ???
Anomie: because she’s a fucking traitor
Anomie: I’m about to send you 2 pictures and I want you to look at them carefully
<Anomie wants to send you a file>
<Click alt+y to accept the file>
>
>
>
Worm28: who are these people ?
Anomie: fuck’s sake, are you that stupid? Read the fucking captions
Anomie: have you met either of them?
>
>
>
Worm28: no
Anomie: are you sure?
Worm28: yes
Anomie: they could’ve been undercover. Wearing wigs or something
Worm28: no I ‘ve never met them
Anomie: are you lying?
Worm28: no
Worm28: why are yhou asking if I ‘ve met them ?
Anomie: they’ve been hired to find out who I am
Anomie: because Maverick wants to shut down the game
>
Anomie: why aren’t you saying anything?
Worm28: I ‘m just shocked
Anomie: are you hiding something?
Worm28: no of course not
Anomie: you’d better not be
Anomie: bad things happen to people who hide things from me
Worm28: I know you ‘re joking but don ‘t say things like that
Anomie: are you telling me what to do?
Worm28: I just don ‘t like those knid of jokes
Anomie: you’ll know I’m not joking when you see what happens to those two fucking detectives
Anomie: I’ve already warned that bitch what’s coming
Anomie: tell me the truth: did Fiendy1 meet with them? Is that why she left?
Worm28: what do you mean she ?
Anomie: Fiendy1 was a girl, you dumbass
Anomie: those detectives have worked out who some of the mods are
Anomie: he was at Hartella’s parents’ house this evening
Anomie: so tell me, has Fiendy1 met them?
Worm28: no
Worm28: I mean I don ‘t know
Worm28: Fiendy1 just disappeared
Worm28: she never told me why
Worm28: everyone’s disappearing
Worm28: we ‘re down to four mods
Anomie: three. Can’t you count?
Worm28: you , me , BorkledDrek , Paperwhite
Anomie: Paperwhite’s going to be disappearing soon, but not til it’s convenient
>
Worm28: you ‘re scaring me
Anomie: good
Anomie: if those detectives come anywhere near you, you let me know immediately
Worm28: ok
Anomie: but I might have Ledwell and Blayed them before they get to you
Worm28: Anomie don ‘t
Worm28: don ‘t make jokes like that I hate it
Anomie: you think I wouldn’t?
Anomie: because dream on if you think that
Anomie: you’ll be ok though
Anomie: as long as you stay loyal
<Anomie has left the channel>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
<Worm28 has left the channel>
<Moderator Channel has closed>
96
Work man, work woman, since there’s work to do
In this beleaguered earth, for head and heart…
If every good idea could be realised cleanly and without delay, investigative work wouldn’t be the long, hard slog Cormoran Strike knew it to be. He therefore managed to be stoic about the fact that when he called Grant Ledwell’s number the following morning at nine, he heard an international ringtone that went straight to voicemail. After leaving a message saying that he’d be grateful if Grant could call him back, he hung up, then rang Ryan Murphy.
The CID man took as seriously as Strike could have wished the news that Robin had received a death threat by telephone the previous evening, approved Robin’s decision to relocate rather than remaining in her flat, said he’d put a man back in Blackhorse Road to watch her flat, and promised to pass on news of any further Halvening arrests.
‘As a matter of fact, I’m about to interview one of your gamers. They say they’ve got information for us.’
‘She called you, did she?’ said Strike. ‘Good.’
‘How did you know it’s a woman?’
‘Because when I interviewed her last night, I advised her to tell you everything.’