Page 19 of The Hallmarked Man
‘He was after her money and I suppose he didn’t get enough of it, that’s why he’s left her! Tell her that!Tell her that from me!’ shouted Mrs Wallner, née Fleetwood. ‘He just wants an easy life! Doesn’t want to work!’
‘Decima told me you think Rupert’s in New—’
‘Heisin New York! I told him he needed to get a proper job and he did, and about bloody time too! He’s a grown man and he needs to sort out his own messes!’
‘Would you happen to have contact det—?’
‘If he hasn’t given her his contact details, it’s because he doesn’t want her to have them!’
‘But you’re confident he’s in America, are you? You’ve heard from him since the twenty-fifth of M—?’
‘It’s none of your business whether I’ve heard from him or not! It’s outrageous, sending people to pester me like this,outrageous!’
‘Decima’s simply concerned about Rupert, and she’d like to be reassured he’s—’
‘The police are satisfied as to his whereabouts, so I’ll thank Miss Longcaster to stop pestering me!Passing my phone number out!’
‘You haven’t got any concerns about Rupert’s safety, personally?’
‘Why should I have? Why should I have?’
‘I hear he was being threatened, before he went away,’ said Strike.
‘If he got involved with drugs, I’ve got no sympathy for him! Nothing to do with me! I told him, “I’m not giving you money, so don’t.Don’t ask!”’
‘Rupert wanted you to help him out, did he?’
‘I’m not paying off drug debts! I haven’t got money to pour down the drain!’
‘You’re aware that he was being threat—?’
‘I don’t doubt he was being threatened! He ought to choose his friends more carefully, oughtn’t he?’
‘As far as you’re aware—?’
‘That’s all I’ve got to say!Goodbye.’
The line went dead.
9
If you would have me better for your love,
Revert no more to these sad themes.
Robert Browning
Paracelsus
At eight o’clock that evening, Robin’s doorbell sounded.
‘Hi,’ said Murphy’s voice over the intercom. ‘I’ve got chips.’
‘Oh, wonderful, I’m starving,’ said Robin, and she buzzed him inside.
‘Fuck’s sake,’ were Murphy’s first words after stepping over the threshold and kissing Robin hello. He was glaring at the ceiling, through which the upstairs neighbour’s music was still pounding. ‘Want me to go up there and tell him to knock it off?’
‘There’s no point,’ said Robin. ‘He turns it down for twenty minutes then it starts creeping up again. He thinks people won’t notice as long as he does it gradually.’
