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‘She went to Dry Riser knowing that she’d be throwing Kate to the wolves?’ says Sargent.
‘Why not?’ replies Stillwell darkly. ‘She’s got form for that sort of thing.’
But Quinn is still sceptical. ‘So how come this fabulous foolproof plan ended up going so spectacularly pear-shaped? I can’t believe a corpse was part of the deal.’
Asante turns to him. ‘I never said it was foolproof, sir. In fact, Robin Tierney was very far from being a fool – that was the whole problem: I suspect Daisy seriously underestimated her.’
Baxter frowns. ‘As in –?’
‘As in she assumed Tierney would take everything she said at face value – that she wouldn’t be clever enough to work out who “Kelsie Smith” really was. But I think she did. I think Tierney found out Daisy was behind it all and started playing her at her own game. Which turned out to be one with very high stakes.’
He glances across at Quinn. ‘We know Daisy went to the house, I’m guessing to collect her money. But what she didn’t know was that Tierney had arranged for Kate to be there too.’ He looks towards Gis. ‘I think you’re right that Tierney wanted to manufacture some drama for Dry Riser: Nick Vincent was stumping up $50k for an “explosive” story on Tierney’s sole say-so and she knew she had to deliver. And that’s what she did. I think she got both of them in the same room then dropped the ultimate bombshell: it was Kate’s own daughter who’d betrayed her.’
There’s a silence. We’re all playing it through in our heads, the anger in that room, the layers of betrayal. And somehow, from that, to one of those women buried in the woods and the other two who-knows-where by now.
Stillwell lets out a long breath. ‘Light the blue touchpaper and withdraw.’
‘Only it all blew up in Tierney’s own face, right?’ says Gis.
Asante nods. ‘Right.’
‘Oh my God,’ says Sargent suddenly, her eyes widening, ‘I bet she filmed the whole bloody thing too – imagine what Nick Vincent would have done withthat –’
‘But how come it was Tierney who ended up dead?’ says Sargent, looking at Asante. ‘I get everything you say up to that point but I can’t join the dots to Tierney getting killed. Daisy, yes – I can see Kate losing it and attacking her – but Tierney?’
‘Maybe Daisy thought Tierney had double-crossed her,’ says Ev. ‘Maybe she was going to renege on the cash. I can well see Daisy flipping out if she tried that one.’
‘OK, so then what?’ says Sargent. ‘Kate rides to the rescue yet again? Forgives Daisy for the knife in the back and calmly helps her cover up a murder?’
‘I buy that,’ says Stillwell. ‘Saint Katherine the Perpetually Put-Upon doles out absolution, sorts out the mess – and this is onehellof a mess – and yet again, off they sail into the wild blue yonder leaving no trace behind.’
‘Only this time,’ says Gis, ‘they have a cool $50k to get them started.’
‘Hang on,’ says Baxter. ‘They got rid of the body and cleaned up the scenetogether? Even after Kate realized what Daisy had done?’
‘Two spades are better than one,’ says Stillwell with a shrug. ‘And in any case, we’ve been here before, haven’t we. White Knight Syndrome, remember?’
I was about to say blood is thicker than water, but the only blood here was on their hands. Though maybe that’s the point: killing’s an even stronger tie than kin.
‘It’s a workable theory,’ I say. ‘One we need to run down. Unless and until we find a better.’
Ev and Sargent exchange a small smile. They must have missed all my catchy phrases.
‘But what about all Tierney’s stuff?’ says Baxter, still at it. ‘She must have had at least one suitcase, a laptop – that’s a lot of clobber to get rid of if you don’t have a car.’
‘Maybe they did,’ says Asante quietly.
‘You mean Kate had hired one?’
‘Possibly, but I think it’s more likely they took Tierney’s. InGary’s statement – the one he gave yesterday – he said there was a car parked on the drive at the house. A blue Fiat Panda.’
‘I was wondering about that too,’ says Stillwell.
‘Right,’ says Gis. ‘But Gary didn’t clock the reg, so there’s not much we can do.’
‘I thought Tierney was supposed to have been using one of the Stirlings’ cars?’ asks Sargent.
‘Alistair Stirling thought she was,’ says Asante. ‘But we don’t actuallyknowthat. She might have decided it was cheaper to hire her own car than get a cab all the way from Heathrow. And it would also explain why there are no ANPR pings for the Nissan Figaro that entire week, even though we know Tierney went to both Kidlington and Coventry.’