Take Two

CHAPTER 68

Richards climbed into the Lexus and took out a cigar. ‘You are not going to believe this,’ he said. He opened the window, bit the end off the cigar and spat it onto the pavement. ‘I’m not sure I believe it myself.’ He lit the cigar.

‘Believe what, boss?’ asked Halpin.

Richards blew smoke out through the window. ‘It’s her sister.’

‘Her sister?’ repeated Halpin incredulously.

‘Her name’s Jenny.’

‘I didn’t know she had a sister.’

‘Neither did I,’ said Richards thoughtfully.

‘She didn’t mention it?’

‘It didn’t come up.’ He blew more smoke through the window. ‘She’s a twin.’

‘A twin?’

‘Like two peas in a pod,’ said Richards. ‘Jenny’s a bit blonder and a lot more Australian, but other than that they’re pretty much identical.’

‘Australian?’

‘She flew in this morning. Carolyn was supposed to be at the airport to meet her.’ He saw the curtains twitch at the front window. ‘We should move on, she’s watching us.’

Halpin indicated and pulled away from the kerb. ‘Is she a problem, this Jenny?’

Richards turned to look at Halpin, frowning. ‘In what way?’

‘She’s realised her sister’s gone missing. And you turn up at her house at midnight. If she tells the cops, they might put two and two together.’

‘No reason for them to,’ said Richards. ‘I said I knew her sister and was just passing by.’

‘At midnight?’

‘She seemed to buy it, I don’t know why the cops shouldn’t.’

‘I’m just saying. We don’t want to be on their radar, that’s all.’

‘What are you saying? You want to go back and do her as well?’

‘I’m not saying that at all, boss. If anything, I suppose you going around there makes you less of a suspect. I mean, why would you do that if you knew she was dead?’

‘Exactly,’ said Richards.

He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, then he looked across at Halpin. ‘You are one hundred percent sure that trunk’s at the bottom of the North Sea?’

Halpin looked offended, opened his mouth to reply, and then stopped himself. ‘You’re joking, right?’

Richards grinned. ‘Of course I am, you soft bastard.’