Page 164 of The Hallmarked Man
‘Anything new on that getaway car?’ asked Strike. ‘The Peugeot?’
‘Oh, yes, I nearly forgot,’ said Kim. ‘They think there was a couplein it. I assume some expert’s managed to enhance pictures of it from CCTV cameras that were actually working. It looks like a man and a woman.’
‘Right,’ said Strike. ‘Well, cheers, this is going to be a huge help.’
‘You’re welcome,’ said Kim, still smiling, but she didn’t get up.
‘Um, would it be OK if I have a quick private word with Cormoran, Robin?’
Robin was surprised to find her hackles could rise any higher, but as it turned out, they still had plenty of room to elevate.
‘Of course,’ she said, trying to sound gracious as she got to her feet. She supposed she, too, ought to congratulate Kim on the extra information she’d got out of the police, but as Kim had acted until this point as though Robin was entirely invisible, she couldn’t bring herself to do it, but simply left the room, closing the door behind her.
‘Sorry,’ Kim said to Strike, once Robin had gone, ‘but I thought you’d probably rather nobody else hears this.’
‘Hears what?’
‘Bijou Watkins is being followed by Farah Navabi’s agency, on Andrew Honbold’s instructions.’
Strike simply stared at her. The sentence contained components that didn’t appear to fit together.
‘Farah’s still keen on me joining her,’ said Kim. ‘She rang last night and told me you’re going to be hounded out of business by bad press.’
Ignoring a sudden burning sensation behind his navel, Strike said,
‘Andrew Honbold hired Farah Navabi? The woman who bugged his office?’
‘She said all that stuff about him being a “good, good man” on the stand, and cried about how she was coerced by Patterson and he lapped it up. So he’s hired her to follow Watkins.’
‘Why?’ said Strike. ‘Why’s he having her followed?’
‘I don’t know, but Navabi seemed to think it might be a problem for you.’
‘OK,’ said Strike, ‘thanks for the tip.’
Kim got up.
‘And we’re good about the Midge thing, right?’
‘Yeah,’ said Strike, who just wanted her to leave. ‘Fine.’
Kim left the room. Robin reappeared in the doorway.
‘Everything all right?’ she asked, because Strike’s expression was now strangely shut down.
‘Yeah, fine,’ said Strike again, checking his watch. They still had a good bit of time before lunch with Decima. ‘Actually – could you give me another moment? Need to make a phone call.’
48
Along the path that the Moon travels are nine conspicuous Stars…
Albert Pike
Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
Robin withdrew again. To her displeasure, Kim was taking her time about leaving the office, standing beside the door and fiddling with the contents of her shoulder bag. As Pat’s chair was empty, Robin assumed she was in the bathroom on the landing. Kim looked round, and said, smiling,
‘Didn’t want to do that, but he had to know.’
