Page 174 of The Hallmarked Man
‘It’s me. Strike.’
‘Oh, thank God,’ said Bijou. ‘Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to have to drag you into this, but—’
‘I know about the super-injunction. I know he thinks it’s my kid.’
‘Wh – how?’
‘Because people have been fucking gossiping,’ said Strike, ‘exactly as you intended them to when you were trying to make Honbold jealous enough to leave his wife.’
‘You don’t underst—’
‘Don’t youdarefucking tell me I don’t understand,’ said Strike, his temper barely under control now he heard her loud, husky voice again, because it reminded him of the tedious hours he’d spent in her company, all in the service of two easy fucks, and of his own stupidity. ‘Now, listen to me. He’s having you followed.’
‘Andrewis?’
‘Who else?’ said Strike, keeping his voice low with difficulty, because a hardy middle-aged couple had now, most inconveniently, decided to brave the cold and sit at the next table. Abandoning hiscoffee, Strike got to his feet, shoved his vape pen back into his coat pocket and headed off in the direction of Denmark Street. ‘So there can’t be any face-to-face meetings between us, if that’s what you were calling to suggest.’
‘Oh God, oh God,’ moaned Bijou. ‘What does the person following me look like?’
‘How the fuck do I know? I’m just warning you, you need to live like an agoraphobic nun from now until you get the DNA test results.’
‘Andrew’s refusing to do a test! He’sconvincedshe’s yours!’
‘And she’s not?’
‘Ofcourseshe’s not!’
‘You’re sure about that?’
‘Yes, ofcourseI am!’
‘Because since we last met, I’ve been filled in on an unpleasant bedroom habit of yours,’ said Strike mercilessly.
‘What d’you—?’
‘Used condoms. Bedroom bin. Do-It-Yourself.’
‘Inever—’
‘That’s not what my source says, and I’m afraid I find them a lot more credible than you. I’ve also heard Honbold might have good reason to think he can’t get a woman pregnant.’
‘You mean the sulfasalazine? That onlylowerssperm count, it doesn’t make youinfertile!’
‘If,’ said Strike, ‘you deliberately got pregnant by me, because Honbold was firing blanks and you thought you’d be able to convince him the kid was his—’
‘What do you think I am?’
‘I know exactly what you are, which is why we’re having this fucking conversation. I warned you when you dragged me into your mess last time, I won’t take it lying down if this causes me even more fucking grief than it has already.’
‘You’re threatening a new mother!’ said Bijou shrilly. ‘How willthatplay in the press?’
‘You go to the press, I’ll be fighting fire with fucking nukes, so don’t youdarethreaten me with the fucking papers. Honbold’s got to take a paternity test—’
‘He says he won’t do it unless I take him to court! He’s so angry – Cormoran, please,please, I needyouto do it, so I canproveOttolie’s his—’
‘Will I fuck,’ said Strike, incensed. ‘That implies I think Imightbe the fucking father, and when word of that leaks out—’
‘How would it leak out?’
