Sweet Little Lies (Cat Kinsella #1)(96)

‘Mainly London?’ I ask, just to say something. Asking questions makes me feel a little less isolated.

‘Mainly, but the big networks always spread it out a bit. That way, they exploit the fragmented nature of our so-called “great” British policing structure. It was definitely fragmented in those days, anyway.’

‘So what happened to knock him off his perch?’ asks Flowers.

‘SOCA, that’s what happened.’ Serious Organised Crime Agency. ‘Tony Blair’s vow to make life hell for the “Mr Bigs”. Mackie got a tip-off we were closing in on him, did a flit. Amsterdam for a while, apparently, then Spain. Not a peep out of him since.’

‘I suppose it was one of us that tipped him off?’ says a world-weary Flowers.

Parnell rubs his hands. ‘A high-ranking politician, if you believe the rumours.’

‘Bit of a risk coming back to the UK?’ suggests Craig.

‘He’s old, terminally ill. Not got a lot to lose, I suppose.’

Maryanne. This is about Maryanne, not some washed-up gangster in a Santa suit.

I look at Parnell. ‘Boss, this is all very interesting but what are we saying? Maryanne was mixed up in some sort of organised crime thing? And anyway, Patrick Mackie had retired, right?’

‘His sort never retire, they just retreat into the background. I mean, those nail bars that Nate Hicks supposedly owns. They’ve got Patrick Mackie written all over them. Nail bars, tanning salons, what have you – classic fronts for money laundering.’

Renée shouts over. ‘The Hickses both came up clean as a whistle though, nothing on the PNC. Nothing for a Gina Mackie either.’

‘They’re involved,’ says Parnell without a shadow of doubt. ‘Somehow. They have to be. We just have to pray Forensics turns something up at the house and we can worry about the “why?” later. For now, we just need something to hang our hat on. How are we going on Leo Hicks, Cat?’

Honest answer – we aren’t.

‘I’ve been on to Passport Control in Vienna. He definitely entered the country on Sunday 28th so maybe they are telling the truth about that and it’s nothing? Maybe he was sent to Saskia’s with some sort of message, he did his Billy-big-balls thing, and then he left? I managed to get hold of his head teacher – you know, in case the concert was a school thing and he could give me a location, but apparently it’s not. First he’d heard of it, actually. Kept going on and on about what a talent Leo is and how they’re hoping he’ll get into the Royal College of Music.’

‘We’ll find him,’ says Parnell, ‘it’s a matter of time. Even if Nate and Gina have stopped talking, we’ve got their phones now and they must have been in contact with him, surely? They both seem pretty hot on deleting texts but once Digital get digging, we should get something.’

‘I’ve got something!’ Across the other side of the room, Seth slams the phone down then struts a victory walk across the floor. ‘Saskia French.’ Parnell reaches for his car keys. ‘No, no, don’t get too excited, Boss, it’s not a sighting – it’s someone who thinks she worked with her in the late Nineties/early Noughties at an abortion clinic in Camden. She knew her as Sarah Finch though – very inventive – and she was a receptionist/admin type. They fired her early 2001 when she was caught taking sensitive information home, basically clients’ personal details. They thought she was maybe planning to blackmail some of them. Apparently, they didn’t call the police at the time because they didn’t want the drama – it’s hard enough for some women to visit them without hearing about that type of thing – but anyway, she just thought it was worth us knowing that if Saskia is this Sarah Finch, she’s always been a bit of a shady character.’

‘So she’s not certain it’s her?’ I say, raining on Seth’s parade which absolutely isn’t my intention.

‘Fairly sure but she wouldn’t “put the house on it”, were her exact words. I think it’s the same person though. She was able to give me a lot of physical detail – well, as much as you can fifteen years later – and I’ve just cross-checked with the extra description Naomi Berry gave to Steele for the TV appeal.’

‘What extra description?’ I ask.

I didn’t actually watch it. Couldn’t bring myself to.

‘Distinguishing features, that sort of thing.’

‘She’s not far off six feet, that’s fairly distinguishing,’ says Craig.

Seth nods. ‘Indeed, but she’s also a bit of a tattoo and piercing junkie apparently. My caller said this Sarah Finch used to have several piercings and tattoos. She’d get a little contrary when they’d ask her to cover them up on reception. That fits with what Naomi Berry told Steele about how when Saskia’s “off-duty,” she usually wears a ring in her nose, one in her eyebrow.’ He points to the deep groove under his bottom lip. ‘And a stud just here.’

An ice-cold sensation sweeps the surface of my skin. Seth’s voice fades to nothing and a sharper voice comes into unwelcome focus: Noel.

‘At a rough guess, I’d say he’s shagging that sweet-ass with the lip-stud, the one who comes in here.’

The one who stood with her back to me in McAuley’s. Tribal tattoos snaking all the way down her spine.