Page 117 of The Killer’s Mark

‘She pulled a gun on me,’ Poe replied.

‘Where is it?’

Towler said, ‘I have it.’

‘I’ll need that; it’s evidence.’

‘Fuck off, mate. It’s mine.’

Gilliard frowned again. He did that so much he’d need his forehead Botoxed soon. ‘Did she admit anything?’

‘Apart from pulling a gun on me, you mean?’ Poe replied.

‘Yes. Apart from that.’

‘Not really. She asked for her money back, but not much else.’

Gilliard stared at Susan. ‘I hate bent cops,’ he said. ‘I think I hate them more than I hate the criminals they work for.’

‘Estelle, when’s she going to wake up?’ Poe said.

Estelle reached forward. Lifted Susan’s arm and held her wrist. Took her pulse. Counted thirty seconds. She then opened Susan’s eyelids and shone her iPhone’s torch into her eyes. Checked her pupillary reflexes. ‘She’s awake,’ she said, her voice harder than edged steel.

Susan opened her eyes. She looked groggy, although she was probably faking some of it.

‘Sir, I don’t know what’s happening, but this man assaulted me,’ she said, pointing at Towler.

‘Save it, DC Hawksworth. I know everything.’

‘I was trying to get Océane Blue’s address. That’s all. OK, I took some extreme actions, but that’s only because we know how contrary Poe is.’

‘You deleted the information that Special Agent Melody Lee put on the investigation portal.’

‘Only so—’

‘You did it under a different name.’

‘I did not, I—’

‘We watched you do it, DC Hawksworth. Miss Bradshaw showed us your financial transactions. We’ve been through the records, and every leak can be traced back to you.’

Susan glared at Bradshaw, then at Poe. Then she relaxed and smiled. ‘Seems my goose is cooked,’ she said. ‘Let’s deal.’

‘Deal?’ Poe said woodenly.

‘I want access to my safety deposit boxes and three properties of my choosing. I need a new identity and I want immunity from all charges, admitted or not, up to and including pulling an unregistered weapon on Poe.’

‘And what do we get?’

‘You get the Red Chamber.’

‘I only want the girl,’ Poe said.

‘The girl’s dead.’

The room went silent.

‘She was alive this morning,’ Poe said eventually. ‘I got proof of life.’