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‘That’s everything I could get on the Kevin Pirbright shooting.’
‘Cheers,’ said Strike. ‘How’s our counterfeiting friend doing?’
‘Arrested,’ said Wardle, raising his pint in a toast, ‘and I think he’s going to be persuadable into dobbing in the higher-ups, as well. You might well have secured me a long-overdue promotion, so dinner’s on me.’
‘I’d rather you paid me in kind,’ Strike replied.
‘Knew you hadn’t booked this place on a whim,’ sighed Wardle.
‘Let’s order and I’ll explain.’
Once they had their starters, Strike asked the favour he’d come for: Wardle’s assistance in accessing census records the general public couldn’t.
‘Why the interest in this Chapman Farm?’
‘It’s the headquarters of the Universal Humanitarian Church.’
‘Oh,’ said Wardle. ‘That place. April went to one of their meetings a few years ago. A friend of hers from yoga class got interested in it and took her along. The friend ended up joining. April only went the once, though.’
Wardle chewed and swallowed before adding,
‘She was a bit weird about it, afterwards. I took the piss and she didn’t like it, but I was only saying it because I never had any time for the woman who took her. She was into crystals and meditation and all that shit. You know the type.’
Strike, who well remembered Leda’s intermittent phases of chanting cross-legged in front of a jade Buddha, said he did, and asked,
‘April thought there was something in it, then, did she?’
‘I think she got defensive because she knew how much her yoga friends got on my tits… probably shouldn’t’ve been an arsehole about it,’ Wardle admitted, chewing morosely. ‘So, which census records d’you want?’
‘All from ’91 onwards.’
‘Bloody hell, Strike.’
‘I’m trying to trace ex-members.’
Wardle raised his eyebrows.
‘You want to watch yourself.’
‘Meaning?’
‘They’ve got a reputation for going hard after people who try and discredit them.’
‘So I’ve heard.’
‘What trumped-up reason do I give the census office? They don’t give out information easily.’
‘So far I’ve got coercive control, physical assaults, one allegation of rape and a good bit of child abuse.’
‘Christ almighty. Why not chuck in murder and get the full set?’
‘Give me time, I’ve only been on the case two days. Speaking of which: this shooting of Pirbright—’
‘Same gun used in two previous drug-related shootings. I wasn’t on the case, never heard of the bloke until you rang me, but I’ve looked over the stuff,’ said Wardle, nodding at the file. ‘Looks pretty clear cut. He’d have to have been out of his head, the state of his room. Have a look at the photo on the top.’
Strike pushed away his empty plate, opened the folder and took out the picture.
‘Shit.’
