Page 80 of Glasshouses

“More evidence that Lily wasn’t drunk. I don’t think we’re anywhere close to finding out what happened that night.” I drained my coffee, realising my claustrophobia wasn’t limited to being buried alive. I also did not like being locked in somewhere. While I’d been banging at the door, I was envisioning the building being set on fire and not being able to get out. At one point, I’d forced open a tiny window and was trying to work out how I could fit through it.

Vinny folded his arms, his jacket purposely a size too small, so his biceps looked like they were bulging more than they actually were. “Look, I think Lily should still be in a secure hospital. She’s unhinged. But I think you’re right – there’s more to the original investigation.”

“I went to see Terry Jones.” I filled him in on the conversation. “He warned me off digging.”

“A cover-up somewhere.”

I nodded. “What if someone else was involved with the Goodhew fire and the police knew. They were avoiding any other line of enquiry apart from Lily.”

“What’s your theory, Mac?” He stood up and stretched, flexing muscles a little too hard. I turned around and saw a woman behind me who was definitely Vinny’s type.

I stood and walked around the table, slipping an arm through Vinny’s and using his shock as an opportunity to put my hand flat against his chest.

“Mia,” he hissed.

“Just making sure you stay on task.”

He spun around. “If you want to go on a date with me, just say.”

“I really, really don’t. I just didn’t want her to suffer. It’s my job to look after the public.” We walked out of the café and towards the main stairs. “I don’t have a theory. Not yet.” But I had an idea forming.

The Fishbowl was busy for a Tuesday afternoon; Nick had been pulled away onto another case, a woman killed with her partner already in custody. It looked to be one of those quick and easy cases where the motive was clear and the suspect linked with hard evidence, in this case a neighbour who witnessed him leaving the house covered in blood.

I supposed that the Goodhew case had been the same on the surface. Lily had motive and a background that suggested she was impulsive enough to set the fire, and she had accelerant on her, even if it was only one type. Maybe I was reading too much into it, only Terry Jones had protested too much.

“Mia, there’s a call for you,” Carly interrupted my thoughts. “Andrew Smith.”

I frowned, taking the handset off her. “DS McAllister.”

“Hi, Detective. I’m sorry to bother you, but I feel like I wasted your time before and I have a few other things I need to tell you. Do you think you can come over?” His words were calm, resigned.

I looked around the office. Wrigley was nowhere to be seen, probably preoccupied with the new case or the cricket, both were possibilities. “I’ll be an hour. Will that work for you?”

“Absolutely. I’m not going anywhere.” He hung up, not giving me a chance to confirm where he’d be.

Vinny was filling his mouth with deep fried onion rings, which would be enough to save the female population on its own.

“Fancy a drive out to the sticks?”

“Can I eat my burger in the car?”

I wrinkled my nose. “I’ll wait till you’ve finished it. Andrew Smith’s called; he’s got something else he wants to share with us.”

“You’re not going off on your own again then?” His words pushed through batter and onion.

“Once was enough for today.” I also thought Andrew Smith would be different with a man there.

“Okay. I’ll drive then.” He angled the rest of the burger into his mouth and chewed it in the least attractive manner possible.

I grabbed the thin coat I kept in the office, feeling cold since I’d been rescued from the toilets by the girl who’d been looking at her phone in one of the cafés. When I got to the weekend, I promised myself, I’d spend some time outside running, processing these fears about fire and being trapped in places I couldn’t get free from.

“You okay?” He frowned at me.

“Why?”

He sighed again and shook his head. “So defensive. You haven’t argued about driving.”

“I’ll leave my car here overnight. Can you drop me off at home afterwards?”