Dead Man's Footsteps

extortionate amount that appeared on the display, then climbed the steps up towards his level, thinking about Terry Biglow.
    Maybe he was going soft, because he actually found himself feeling a little sorry for the man – although not for his vile companion. Biglow had once had a bit of style and he was one of the last of a generation of old-school villains who respected the police, if nothing else.
    The poor bastard didn’t look as if he was long for this world. What did a man like him think as he approached the end of his life? Did he care that he had totally squandered it, contributing nothing to the world? That he had played a part in ruining countless other lives, ending up with nothing, absolutely nothing? Not even his health…
    Grace unlocked his car, then sat inside and ran through his notes from the encounter. Partway through, he phoned Glenn Branson and gave him the news that Ronnie had had a second wife, called Lorraine. Then he told him to take Bella Moy and interview the people Terry Biglow said hadbeen Ronnie Wilson’s best friends, the Klingers. Stephen Klinger currently ran a large antiques emporium in Brighton and should be easy enough to find.
    As he hung up, his phone rang. It was Cleo.
    ‘How’s your hangover, Detective Superintendent Grace?’ she asked.
    It was strange, he thought. Sandy had always called him just Grace and now occasionally Cleo did it too. At the same time, he found it endearing.
    ‘Hangover? How do you know about that?’
    ‘Because you rang me from the pub about 11.30 last night, slurring undying love for me.’
    ‘I did?’
    ‘Uh oh, memory loss. Must have been a seriously bad session.’
    ‘It was. Five hours of Glenn Branson’s marital woes. Enough to drive any man to drink.’
    ‘Starting to sound to me like his marriage is terminal.’
    ‘Yep, heading that way.’
    ‘I – ah – need a favour,’ she said, her tone changing, suddenly all sweetness and light.
    ‘What kind of a favour?’
    ‘An hour of your time, between 5 and 6.’
    ‘What do you want me to do?’
    ‘Well, I’ve just had to go and bring in a particularly unpleasant suicide – a fellow who put a twelve-bore in his mouth in his garden shed – and the Coroner’s not happy with the circumstances. She wants a Home Office pathologist – so our good friend Theobald is coming to do the PM this afternoon. Which means I can’t take Humphrey to dog training.’
    ‘Dog training?’
    ‘Yes, so I thought it might be a good opportunity for you and Humphrey to bond.’
    ‘Cleo, I’m right in the middle of a really—’
    Cutting him short, she said, ‘Your murder investigation – she’s been dead for ten years. One hour isn’t going to make a huge difference. Just one hour, that’s all I’m asking for. It’s the first day of a new course and I’d really like Humphrey to be there from the start. And because I know you’re going to do it, because you’re such a lovely man, I’m offering you a very sweet reward!’
    ‘Reward?’
    ‘OK. Dog training’s from 5 o’clock to 6… Here’s the deal. You take Humphrey and in exchange I’ll cook you Thai-style stir-fried tiger prawns and scallops.’
    Instantly she had him hooked. Cleo’s prawn and scallop stir-fry was one of the best dishes in her amazing repertoire. It was almost to die for.
    Before he had time to comment, she added, ‘I’ve also got a rather special bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc I’ve popped in the fridge for you as a treat.’ She paused and then, in a deeply seductive voice, said, ‘And…’
    ‘ And? ’
    There was a long silence. Just the hiss of static from the phone.
    ‘What’s the and ?’ he asked.
    Even more seductively, she said, ‘That’s for your imagination.’
    ‘Did you have anything particular in mind?’
    ‘Yes, lots… We have the whole of last night to catch up on as well as tonight. Think you can rise to the occasion, with your hangover and all?’
    ‘I think I could.’
    ‘Good. So, you give Humphrey a treat and I’ll give you one in exchange. Deal?’
    ‘Shall I bring some biscuits?’
    ‘For Humphrey?’
    ‘No, for you.’
    ‘Sod you, Grace.’
    He grinned.
    ‘Oh, and one other thing – don’t get tooooo aroused. Humphrey likes chewing on hard things.’

75
OCTOBER 2007
    He could have done with another Mars bar – he was starving – but Ricky didn’t want to risk leaving the car to buy one, in case he missed her. Christ, it was over half an hour since she had