Page 104 of The Hallmarked Man
‘Who would you say that was most like?’ asked Strike.
‘What d’you mean?’ said Todd, frowning.
‘Which of them would you say would be most likely to put the wrong email down by mistake? Pamela or Kenneth?’
‘I dunno,’ said Todd, but then he added, ‘Ken, probably.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘’Cause… I dunno, ’e can be a bit careless. ’E’s a good guy, though, Ken,’ said Todd, as though Strike had been suggesting the contrary. ‘There’s nuffing wrong wiv Ken.’
‘But you think he could have made a mistake?’
‘Anyone can make a mistake,’ said Todd.
‘True,’ said Strike. ‘Would you happen to know anything about an unsigned email sent from Ramsay Silver to a man called Calvin “Oz” Osgood?’
‘No,’ said Todd, looking Strike fixedly in the eyes. ‘Why?’
‘Ever used the computer there yourself?’
‘No, I already told you that,’ said Todd, still unblinking. ‘I’m the cleaner. What would I be doing on the bloody computer?’
‘Not a crime, is it, using a computer?’ said Strike. ‘You don’t know a man called Osgood, then? Or “Oz”?’
‘No,’ said Todd pugnaciously. ‘I don’t.’
‘Nothing else you remember about Wright? Anything he might’ve let slip?’
‘He wasn’ gonna let anyfing slip, was ’e?’ said Todd.
‘But he told you he’d gone to look at Temple Seventeen.’
‘Lyin’, probably,’ said Todd. ‘Wan’ed to look up all abou’ silver.’
‘Well, this has been very helpful, thanks,’ said Strike. ‘Just a couple of things—’ He flicked back a page in his notebook. ‘Why did you call William Wright a “silly tit” earlier?’
‘What?’ said Todd.
‘You said “it’s on her” – Pamela – “if the silly tit was using the computer”.’
‘Well, what was she upta, always leavin’ Wright in charge while she naffs off?’ said Todd. ‘Silly mare. ’Oo buggers off an’ leaves a fief in charge?’
‘But why “silly tit”?’ said Strike.
‘Well – bloody stupid to go lookin’ up stuff like that, at work.’
‘Stuff like what?’
‘Like… wha’ever that website was. What was it?’
‘Abused and Accused,’ said Strike.
‘Just silly, tellin’ your employer you bin up to somefing.’
‘The people on that website all claim to be innocent,’ said Strike.
Todd’s only response to that was a faint ‘huh’.
