AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Actually, Sheila Kennett remembered you and your mum. I didn’t want to say anything,’ she added, ‘unless you told me yourself.’
‘Ah,’ said Strike. ‘Right.’
They looked at each other.
‘Fucking terrible place,’ said Strike bluntly, ‘but nothing happened to me in there.’
He’d unintentionally placed a slight emphasis on the word ‘me’.
‘I’ve got another reason for telling you this,’ said Strike. ‘That Mazu woman. Don’t trust her.’
‘I won’t, she sounds really—’
‘No, I mean, don’t assume there’s any sense of – ’ he groped for the right word ‘– you know – sisterhood there. Not when it comes to spirit bonding. If she wants to take you to some bloke—’
There came a knock on the door.
‘What?’ called Strike, with a trace of impatience.
Pat’s monkeyish face appeared, scowling. She said to Strike, in her deep, gravelly voice,
‘There’s a woman on the phone, wanting to talk to you. Name of Niamh Doherty.’
‘Put her through,’ said Strike at once.
He moved around to his side of the desk, and the phone began to ring within seconds.
‘Cormoran Strike.’
‘Hello,’ said a tentative woman’s voice. ‘Er – my name’s Niamh Doherty? You left a message with my husband, asking whether I’d answer some questions about the Universal Humanitarian Church?’
‘I did, yes,’ said Strike. ‘Thanks very much for getting back to me.’
‘That’s all right. Can I ask why you want to talk to me?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Strike, eyes on Robin’s. ‘My agency’s been hired to investigate claims about the church made by an ex-member. We’re after corroboration, if we can get it.’
‘Oh,’ said Niamh. ‘Right.’
‘This would be an off-the-record chat,’ Strike assured her. ‘Just for background. I understand you were pretty young when you were there?’
‘Yes, I was there from ages eight to eleven.’
There was a pause.
‘Have you tried my father?’ Niamh asked.
‘Yes,’ said Strike, ‘but he declined to talk.’
‘He would… I understand if you can’t say, but why are you trying to corroborate these claims? Are you working for a newspaper, or—?’
‘No, not a newspaper. Our client’s got a relative inside the church.’
‘Oh,’ said Niamh, ‘I see.’
Strike waited.
‘All right,’ said Niamh at last, ‘I don’t mind talking to you. Actually, if you could manage tomorrow, or Friday—’
