Chapter 55

As long as it wasn't anywhere near the Children of Job, Alice didn't care where they went, and as Poe needed to be at police headquarters for his meeting, he headed towards Penrith. The North Lakes Hotel and Spa had a cosy bar with plenty of secretive nooks and crannies. It also had free wi-fi, which meant Bradshaw wouldn't have to break the law hacking into it, something Poe was keen to avoid with Linus constantly looking over her shoulder.

Now he'd passed Alice's test, Poe expected her to open up, but for some reason she didn't want to talk. He asked her why.

‘You're Detective Sergeant Washington Poe,' she said. She switched her attention to the passenger seat. ‘And you're Tilly Bradshaw.'

‘I am,' Bradshaw said.

‘How did you know?' Poe asked.

‘Like I said, I go where I want in the Children of Job's compound. No one pays me any attention and they talk freely in front of me. You caused quite a stir yesterday.'

After a short delay, Poe said, ‘Good.'

‘You work for the Serious Crime Analysis Section, and you're supposed to be very good. You in particular, Sergeant Poe, have a reputation for following the evidence, not the story.'

‘That's not what DI Stephanie Flynn says,' Bradshaw said. ‘She says Poe is the end of a bell. Although she won't tell me what that means and she says I'm not allowed to google it.'

Alice didn't crack a smile. ‘But you have caught a lot of killers.'

‘Oh yes, lots.'

Alice turned in her seat and faced Linus. ‘But I don't know who you are,' she said.

‘My name's Linus Jorgensen and I work for the National Audit Office. I'm shadowing Sergeant Poe and Tilly, but I'm not part of their investigation.'

‘Can I trust him?' she asked Poe.

Poe studied her face in the rear-view mirror. ‘No,' he said.

‘I'm sorry, Snoopy, but she doesn't trust you,' Poe said.

‘That's because you told her not to!' Linus snapped.

They were in the lobby of the North Lakes Hotel and Spa. Poe had asked Linus to make himself scarce while he and Bradshaw talked to Alice. Linus had refused. Bradshaw and Alice were already ensconced in a dark corner. Bradshaw was making notes on her laptop.

‘And that's because I don't trust you,' Poe said.

‘Do I need to remind you I am to be given full access?'

‘And do I need to remind you that I'm triple-warranted and you're not.'

‘Meaning?'

‘Meaning if you try to interfere in my investigation, I will arrest you.'

Linus's lips flattened. He reached for his phone.

‘I don't care if you go above my head,' Poe said. ‘Not this time, Snoopy. I have a jittery witness who will have more insight into what's going on at the Children of Job than anyone else we can speak to.'

‘So—'

‘So here's what's going to happen – you're going to sit over there,' Poe pointed towards an armchair in front of an unlit fire, ‘and I'm going to speak to my witness.'

‘And what do I get?'

‘Nothing, you little twerp. This is a murder investigation, not a game of Top Trumps.'

Poe left him standing and went to join Alice and Bradshaw.