‘Are you sure about this?’
‘Perfectly.’
‘But the doctor signed you off for a couple of weeks. And he said if you still didn’t feel up to it, you could have a sick note for a bit longer.’
Adele was perched on the end of the double bed in the room Matilda had moved in to. Matilda sat at the table in her best working suit, applying a small amount of eye make-up.
‘I don’t want to take any more time off. I’m fine.’
‘You know, you really should have that tattooed on your forehead.’
‘What?’
‘I’m fine. It’s your reply to everything.’
‘That’s because it’s true.’
‘Really? So you were fine when you found Ben Hales hanging in your hallway?’
‘Well, no, not then, but you didn’t ask.’ She grinned at her through the mirror. ‘Now, however, I’m fine.’
‘Aren’t you still knackered from the half-marathon? I am,’ she said, rubbing her left calf.
‘Nope. I’m fine.’
‘There’s that f-word again.’
‘Adele.’ Matilda turned in the seat to face her best friend. ‘Do you want to know why I’m fine? It’s because of you. If it hadn’t been for you welcoming me into your home and looking after me I would have probably joined Ben Hales on the end of his rope. However, I’m still here. I’m alive, and that’s thanks to you.’
Adele was just about to smile when suspicion took over. ‘Flattery isn’t going to convince me, you know.’
‘Blimey, I can’t say anything, can I?’
‘Matilda, take the rest of the week off, at least.’
‘And do what? No offence but staring at your living room walls all day isn’t exactly stimulating.’
‘Go out.’
‘Where?’
‘I don’t know. Into town. Shopping at Meadowhall. Go and see your parents.’
Matilda rolled her eyes. ‘You’ve just given me three perfectly good reasons for returning to work.’
‘What about that noose in your runner’s pack?’
‘Probably a sick joke. You know what people are like.’
‘Matilda,’ Adele called out as Matilda passed her friend and headed out of the room. ‘I doubt Valerie will allow you back on the case.’
‘I called her last night and we’re going to have a chat when I get in. I need to see this through, Adele,’ Matilda said as she made her way down the stairs.
‘But what about this business with Ben Hales? Won’t you need to be questioned? That’s not going to do you any good.’
‘You said yourself it was a suicide. There’s not going to be a hearing or anything.’
‘Matilda—’
‘Look, Adele.’ Matilda stopped in the hallway and turned to her worried friend. ‘I have so many questions running around my head and I need to get them answered before I go completely insane. The only way I can do that is by returning to work.’
‘Can’t you do it over the phone? Give Sian a ring, or Christian. They’re more than capable. Ask them what you want, and they’ll look into it for you.’
‘I know you’re thinking of me, but trust me, I’m absolutely fine.’
Matilda could feel Adele studying her, glaring into her eyes trying to find evidence that she was far from fine. Matilda quickly turned away. ‘Besides, Rory texted yesterday telling me Faith and Kesinka went on a double date with their boyfriends. I need all the gossip.’ She gave an exaggerated laugh.
‘You hate station gossip.’
Matilda sighed.
‘OK,’ Adele conceded. ‘Personally, I think you should take more time off, but I know it doesn’t matter what I, or anyone else, says. Just, take care, won’t you?’
‘You make it sound like I go running around with guns. I’m not in the Counter Terrorism Unit.’
‘Just promise me you won’t work too hard.’
‘I have no intention of working too hard.’
‘Are you limping?’ Valerie asked as Matilda entered the office.
‘I think I’ve got a blister on my right foot from the half-marathon.’
‘Oh yes. Congratulations,’ she said, though the tone of her voice suggested she didn’t mean it. ‘Scott said you made good time.’
Matilda smiled. ‘He has to say that, doesn’t he?’
‘Did you know you made the newspaper?’ Valerie slapped down a copy on the desk.
The front page had a picture of Matilda running. It wasn’t a flattering picture; her hair was stuck to her red face and sweat was dripping down her forehead. The headline next to it wasn’t flattering either:
‘DARKE RUNS FROM SERIAL KILLER DUTIES.’
‘I expected something like this. Danny Hanson was at the race. He took this picture on his phone.’
‘I’ve called Kate. I told her you were running for charity. I mentioned your husband. She’s going to run an article in this evening’s edition stating that. A quote from you will go a long way to appease the people of Sheffield.’
‘What?’ Matilda’s face went as red as when she was running. ‘You want me to give an interview about my dead husband? No bloody way.’
‘Just a few lines. It won’t take five minutes.’
‘Absolutely not. I’m proud of running the half-marathon. I trained long and hard for it. We all did. I’m not justifying my actions to anyone.’
‘Matilda, public trust in us is at an all-time low at present. If they see you as some kind of charity runner that will help.’
‘No. You can tell Kate anything you want, but I’m not giving an interview. She can piss off. Let her write whatever she likes. We’re not on duty 24/7, you know. We’re entitled to some time off.’
Matilda stood up and left the room before she said something to her boss she would definitely regret.
Before Matilda could be welcomed by everyone in the briefing room, Christian ushered her into her tiny office and closed the door behind them.
‘You look like you’ve aged five years,’ Matilda said with a smile. ‘In-laws still with you?’
‘What? No, they went home last weekend, thank God. It’s about the case. It’s something James Dalziel said while you were away. I was going to call you but decided not to. Unfortunately, my mind has been thinking of nothing else and the thought’s mutated and I just …’
‘Christian, try breathing,’ she said, calming him down.
He took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself into the chair opposite Matilda’s desk. ‘We got talking about Danny Hanson and we wondered if he was the killer. I mean, nobody could understand why a junior reporter was being contacted when there are so many other journalists he could call. Then, James Dalziel said due to how the killer was able to locate Brian Appleby and Katie Reaney that maybe the killer was a police officer, maybe even someone on this team,’ he said quietly.
‘Blimey, he’s certainly hedging his bets, isn’t he?’ Matilda smiled. ‘One minute it’s a journalist, the other it’s a police officer. What do you believe?’
‘I don’t know,’ Christian said, scratching the worry on his forehead. ‘I honestly can’t see it being Danny Hanson, but the alternative is one of us, or worse, both. I’ve been going out of my mind.’
‘You should have called me.’
‘I know. It’s like when you thought one of the team was talking to the press. You didn’t want to believe it, but you couldn’t help it. I was the same. Is one of them, out there, a serial killer?’ he whispered.
‘You know more of the team better than I do. What do you think?’ Matilda asked.
‘I really don’t know. I mean, look at Rory, look at Scott. Can you honestly see one of them killing someone? I certainly can’t.’
‘No. Me neither,’ Matilda mused.
They both fell silent.
‘You know I said my mind has mutated things?’ Christian broke the silence.
‘Yes.’
‘What if the killer isn’t someone on the team. What if the killer is James Dalziel?’
‘What?’
‘He could be saying all this to detract suspicion from himself. We’ve only got him telling us what to look for and we’re taking what he says as gospel.’
‘Jesus, Christian.’ Matilda blew out her cheeks. ‘Maybe you should take some time off.’
‘I know. What are we going to do?’
‘We need to bring someone else on board with this; someone a bit more level-headed.’
At the same time, Matilda and Christian both said, ‘Sian.’