Kiss and Die

Chapter 89

‘Inspector?’ Michelle looked at Mann as he walked into the interview room. She twisted one hand around another. She bit her lip. She had on a plain blue t-shirt and prison trousers. Her eyes were swollen bloodshot bags. She was trembling from withdrawal. Mann felt sorry for her.

‘Sit down, Michelle.’ Mia and Ng were watching from the monitoring room outside.

‘How are you doing?’

She shrugged. Mann passed her a cigarette.

‘Michelle, another man has been murdered. His name is Peter Thorne. Ring a bell?’

She lit the cigarette and looked up at Mann. She shook her head. ‘I don’t know who you’re talking about.’

‘Can you give us any more information about the woman who you get the drugs for? The woman who gave you Max Kosmos’s wallet in exchange?’

She shook her head and dragged heavily on the cigarette. ‘I told you, Inspector, I never see her. She’s very careful about that. Never gives the instructions with the same person. Sometimes she even sends a guest up and pretends it’s a song request. She’s clever.’

‘You forgot to mention you also get her a drug called Papaverine. Any reason for that?’

‘I forgot that’s all.’

‘Do you know what it does?’

‘Yeah, I looked it up. It makes cocks hard.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me you supplied it?’

‘I didn’t think it was important.’

‘Anything else you want to tell me that may or may not seem important to you?’

She shook her head. She was getting agitated. She scratched at the skin on the inside of her wrist. She drew heavily on her cigarette.

‘You know Victoria Chan well?’

Michelle thought for a moment before answering. ‘I know her as well as everyone does. She’s been coming to the Mansions this last year. She’s been offering us deals to sign up and become part of the refurb project. She’s been a good friend. She wants to help us.’ She blew the smoke out in a disgusted groan. ‘She isn’t like some people who you think are good but turn out to be bad.’ She paused and looked at Mann. ‘Just like you, huh, Inspector? I used to look up to you. Not any more.’ Michelle looked around her. ‘I want someone else in here as well.’

‘There are cameras, Michelle. Everything is recorded.’

‘Even so, I don’t feel safe.’ Michelle looked up at Mann. ‘I talked to Lilly on the phone this morning. She didn’t go home last night. She said she’d stayed with you.’ Michelle stared hard at Mann, giving him the chance to deny it.

Mia’s eyes opened wide. She stared at Mann on the small screen and shook her head, waiting for Mann to deny it.

‘She says she stayed in your apartment last night and you had sex.’

Mann looked up at the camera. Mia stared back at him.