Why had he not alerted the police to the fact that Quine had been missing for nearly two weeks? Why had he not suspected that Quine might be dead? He had had answers to these questions when DI Rawlins had put them to him, reasonable answers, sane answers, but he found it much more difficult to satisfy himself.
He did not need to take out his phone to see Quine's body. The vision of that bound, decaying corpse seemed imprinted on his retinas. How much cunning, how much hatred, how much perversity had it taken to turn Quine's literary excrescence into reality? What kind of human being could bring themselves to slit a man open and pour acid over him, to gut him and lay plates around his empty corpse?
Strike could not rid himself of the unreasonable conviction that he ought somehow to have smelled the scene from afar, like the carrion bird he had trained to be. How had he – with his once-notorious instinct for the strange, the dangerous, the suspicious – not realised that the noisy, self-dramatising, self-publicising Quine had been gone too long, that he was too silent?
Because the silly bastard kept crying wolf … and because I'm knackered.
He rolled over, heaved himself off the bed and headed for the bathroom, but his thoughts kept scurrying back to the body: the gaping hole in the torso, the burned-out eye sockets. The killer had moved around that monstrosity while it was still bleeding, when Quine's screams had perhaps barely stopped echoing through the great vaulted space, and gently straightened forks … and there was another question for his list: what, if anything, had the neighbours heard of Quine's final moments?
Strike got into bed at last, covered his eyes with a large, hairy forearm and listened to his own thoughts, which were gabbling at him like a workaholic twin who would not pipe down. Forensics had already had more than twenty-four hours. They would have formed opinions, even if all tests were not yet in. He must call Anstis, find out what they were saying …
Enough, he told his tired, hyperactive brain. Enough.
And by the same power of will that in the army had enabled him to fall instantly asleep on bare concrete, on rocky ground, on lumpy camp beds that squeaked rusty complaints about his bulk whenever he moved, he slid smoothly into sleep like a warship sliding out on dark water.
21
Is he then dead?
What, dead at last, quite, quite for ever dead?
William Congreve, The Mourning Bride
At a quarter to nine the next morning Strike made his way slowly down the metal stairs, asking himself, not for the first time, why he did not do something about getting the birdcage lift fixed. His knee was still sore and puffy after his fall, so he was allowing over an hour to get to Ladbroke Grove, because he could not afford to keep taking taxis.
A gust of icy air stung his face as he opened the door, then everything went white as a flash went off inches from his eyes. He blinked – the outlines of three men danced in front of him – he threw up his hand against another volley of flashes.
Why didn't you inform the police that Owen Quine was missing, Mr Strike?'
Did you know he was dead, Mr Strike?'
For a split-second he considered retreat, slamming the door on them, but that meant being trapped and having to face them later.
No comment,' he said coolly and walked into them, refusing to alter his course by a hair's breadth, so that they were forced to step out of his path, two asking questions and one running backwards, snapping and snapping. The girl who so often joined Strike for smoking breaks in the doorway of the guitar shop was gaping at the scene through the window.
Why didn't you tell anyone he'd been missing for more than a fortnight, Mr Strike?'
Why didn't you notify the police?'
Strike strode in silence, his hands in his pockets and his expression grim. They scurried along beside him, trying to make him talk, a pair of razor-beaked seagulls dive-bombing a fishing trawler.
Trying to show them up again, Mr Strike?'
Get one over on the police?'
Publicity good for business, Mr Strike?'
He had boxed in the army. In his imagination he wheeled around and delivered a left hook to the floating rib area, so that the little shit crumpled …
Taxi!' he shouted.
Flash, flash, flash went the camera as he got into it; thankfully the lights ahead turned green, the taxi moved smoothly away from the kerb and they gave up running after a few steps.
Fuckers, Strike thought, glancing over his shoulder as the taxi rounded a corner. Some bastard at the Met must have tipped them off that he had found the body. It would not have been Anstis, who had held back the information from the official statement, but one of the embittered bastards who had not forgiven him for Lula Landry.
You famous?' asked the cabbie, staring at him in the rear-view mirror.
No,' said Strike shortly. Drop me at Oxford Circus, will you?'
Disgruntled at such a short fare, the cabbie muttered under his breath.
Strike took out his mobile and texted Robin again.
2 journalists outside door when I left. Say you work for Crowdy.
Then he called Anstis.
Bob.'
I've just been doorstepped. They know I found the body.'
How?'
You're asking me?'
A pause.
It was always going to come out, Bob, but I didn't give it to them.'
Yeah, I saw the "family friend" line. They're trying to make out I didn't tell you lot because I wanted the publicity.'
Mate, I never-'
Be good to have that rebutted by an official source, Rich. Mud sticks and I've got a livelihood to make here.'
I'll get it done,' promised Anstis. Listen, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Forensics have got back with their first thoughts; be good to talk it over.'
Yeah, great,' said Strike as the taxi approached Oxford Circus. What time?'
He remained standing on the Tube train, because sitting meant having to get up again and that put more strain on his sore knee. As he was going through Royal Oak he felt his mobile buzz and saw two texts, the first from his sister Lucy.
Many Happy Returns, Stick! Xxx
He had completely forgotten that today was his birthday. He opened the second text.
Hi Cormoran, thanks for warning about journos, just met them, they're still hanging round the outside door. See you later. Rx
Grateful that the day was temporarily dry, Strike reached the Quine house just before ten. It looked just as dingy and depressing in weak sunlight as it had the last time he had visited, but with a difference: there was a police officer standing in front of it. He was a tall young copper with a pugnacious-looking chin and when he saw Strike walking towards him with the ghost of a limp, his eyebrows contracted.
Can I ask who you are, sir?'
Yeah, I expect so,' said Strike, walking past him and ringing the doorbell. Anstis's dinner invitation notwithstanding, he was not feeling sympathetic to the police just now. Should be just about within your capabilities.'
The door opened and Strike found himself face to face with a tall, gangling girl with sallow skin, a mop of curly light brown hair, a wide mouth and an ingenuous expression. Her eyes, which were a clear, pale green, were large and set far apart. She was wearing what was either a long sweatshirt or a short dress that ended above bony knees and fluffy pink socks, and she was cradling a large plush orang-utan to her flat chest. The toy ape had Velcro attachments on its paws and was hanging around her neck.
Hullo,' she said. She swayed very gently, side to side, putting weight first on one foot, then on the other.
Hello,' said Strike. Are you Orlan-?'
Can I have your name, please, sir?' asked the young policeman loudly.
Yeah, all right – if I can ask why you're standing outside this house,' said Strike with a smile.
There's been press interest,' said the young policeman.
A man came,' said Orlando, and with a camera and Mum said-'
Orlando!' called Leonora from inside the house. What are you doing?'
She came stumping down the hall behind her daughter, gaunt and white-faced in an ancient navy blue dress with its hem hanging down.
Oh,' she said, it's you. Come in.'
As he stepped over the threshold, Strike smiled at the policeman, who glared back.
What's your name?' Orlando asked Strike as the front door closed behind them.
Cormoran,' he said.
That's a funny name.'
Yeah, it is,' said Strike and something made him add, I was named after a giant.'
That's funny,' said Orlando, swaying.
Go in,' said Leonora curtly, pointing Strike towards the kitchen. I need the loo. Be with you in a mo.'
Strike proceeded down the narrow hallway. The door of the study was closed and, he suspected, still locked.
On reaching the kitchen he discovered to his surprise that he was not the only visitor. Jerry Waldegrave, the editor from Roper Chard, was sitting at the kitchen table, clutching a bunch of flowers in sombre purples and blues, his pale face anxious. A second bunch of flowers, still in its cellophane, protruded from a sink half filled with dirty crockery. Supermarket bags of food sat unpacked on the sides.
Hi,' said Waldegrave, scrambling to his feet and blinking earnestly at Strike through his horn-rimmed glasses. Evidently he did not recognise the detective from their previous meeting on the dark roof garden because he asked, as he held out his hand, Are you family?'
Family friend,' said Strike as they shook hands.
Terrible thing,' said Waldegrave. Had to come and see if I could do anything. She's been in the bathroom ever since I arrived.'
Right,' said Strike.
Waldegrave resumed his seat. Orlando edged crabwise into the dark kitchen, cuddling her furry orang-utan. A very long minute passed while Orlando, clearly the most at ease, unabashedly stared at both of them.