Page 28 of Fortune's Ashes
‘You think it was your interference that caused the woman to be stabbed?’
‘I do. If I hadn’t been there and revealed my identity, it might never have happened.’
‘I see. Do you wish to continue keeping this Cassandra power secret?’
Once Barnes knew about it, I could never take the knowledge back, and I still hadn’t told Lukas. I wanted more time to think about it first. ‘I’d like to keep it to myself unless I absolutely have to divulge it.’
‘That may prove problematic.’
No shit. I shrugged to show that I accepted that. ‘But I didn’t hurt Alan Cobain,’ I said earnestly. ‘I’ve never met the man and I’ve never spoken to him.’
Barber checked his watch. ‘Will he resurrect in nine and a half hours?’
‘Honestly?’ I said. ‘I have no idea.’
There was a knock at the door and DSI Barnes appeared with another detective whose face I vaguely recognised. ‘Are you ready?’ she enquired.
Barber and I nodded. Barnes sniffed and took one of the chairs opposite us. The other detective did the same and introduced himself as Detective Inspector Michael Katling. From the hard look in his eyes and the way he held himself away from me, it was clear that he wasn’t fond of supes. It wouldn’t be my first time dealing with a supe-phobic detective but even so I sighed inwardly.
Barnes started the recording, introducing herself and everyone else in the room. She gave me a small smile. ‘You have had a long and difficult day, detective. You shouldn’t have been on duty after what happened this morning on Baker Street, but I must commend you first for your actions in stopping a violent criminal. If you hadn’t been there, it would have been much worse.’
So Barnes was going to play good cop. It wasn’t a surprise. ‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I can assure you that what happened this morning doesn’t relate in any way to what happened tonight.’ Barber shot me a side glance. I ignored it.
Katling regarded me without blinking. ‘What did Alan Cobain say to you the last time he spoke to you?’
Idiot. ‘I have never spoken to Alan Cobain.’
‘He was compiling a case against you. In fact, over the last twenty-four hours, he has made vigorous efforts to bring his case to light.’
I remained calm. ‘I’m aware of that, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have never spoken to the man.’
‘His solicitor states that you approached him earlier today.’
‘I saw Phileas Carmichael in the street and I went to speak to him on another matter. Until then, I had no idea that he was acting for Cobain.’
‘I find that very hard to believe.’
I didn’t shy away from his gaze. ‘Be that as it may, it’s the truth.’
‘You do realise, DC Bellamy, that even if Alan Cobain resurrects as a result of his phoenix powers, you can still be charged with his murder.’
‘Except,’ I said distinctly, ‘that I didn’t murder him.’
Katling pressed ahead. ‘But you were at the scene.’
‘Technically I wasn’t,’ I said. ‘I was outside the property where Cobain died. I didn’t go inside it.’
He leaned back in his chair and watched me. ‘So why were you outside the property?’
Barnes shifted in her seat and I glanced at her. ‘I received an anonymous tip off that there was going to be trouble.’
‘That Alan Cobain was going to be doused in petrol and set alight?’
‘No. I was told that there would be trouble. There were hints that there would be a fire. When I realised that the tip-off alluded to Phileas Carmichael’s office, I suspected that it might involve Alan Cobain but I had no actual evidence to prove it.’
‘You told me that the tip-off came by phone,’ Barnes said softly. ‘But notyourphone. We’ve checked the phone records for Supe Squad. No calls were placed there after three-thirty today. Where did the information come from? How did you receive it?’ Her tone was earnest; she wanted me to give her the answer, to prove that I wasn’t culpable.
I cleared my throat. Before I could say anything, Jon Barber stepped in. ‘DC Bellamy will not answer that at this moment.’
