The Doll's House

98

It was an ambush. As soon as he opened the door, she was on to him, warrant card shoved roughly in his face.

‘Good morning, Mr Simpson. Not at work today?’

For a moment, Alan Simpson said nothing, too shocked by the sudden appearance of a police officer on his doorstep to respond. He swayed slightly as if unsteady on his feet.

‘I went to your work,’ Sanderson continued, ‘but they said you were running late. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.’

‘Not at all,’ he replied quickly.

‘Good. Because I have a few more questions for you about Ruby Sprackling. May I come in?’

A heavy silence followed Sanderson’s request. Was that fear in Simpson’s eyes? Suspicion? Sanderson gazed over his shoulder to take in the interior. It was a mess. But was it embarrassment or something more sinister that prompted Simpson to pull the door closer behind him, cutting off her view?

‘Do you have a warrant?’

‘No. But it won’t take me long to get one -

‘Then I suggest we do this elsewhere.’

Sanderson stared at him – trying to provoke a reaction with her evident irritation and suspicion, but he didn’t blink, looking straight back at her with hard, unflinching eyes.

‘It’ll create a lot of paperwork if we go to the station,’ Sanderson replied. ‘Which will take up far more of your time. It really would be simpler if I just popped in -’

‘We’ll do it at the station. Do you have a car?’

‘Yes,’ Sanderson said resignedly.

‘Then let’s go,’ said Simpson, slamming the door decisively behind him.