Imposture (DI Gardener 6)

“Hello?”

“Rosie?”

“Palmer? Where the hell have you been, you four-eyed, spineless, murdering parasite?”

“Pardon?”

“Deaf as well, are we?”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, Rosie?”

“You know bloody well what I’m talking about.”

“Have you been drinking?”

“You’ll need one by the time I’ve finished with you – if only to numb the pain.”

“Put James on, Rosie.”

“I wish I could.”

“Why? Where is he?”

“You tell me. Last I heard he was in Brussels.”

Anthony thought on his feet. “Oh, for the meeting.”

“Oh, so you actually know something about it, then?”

“We all did.”

“Michael Foreman must have suffered amnesia, then, because that beached whale didn’t have a clue what I was talking about.”

“When was that?” asked Anthony.

He thought the line had gone dead but then he realised Rosie was talking to someone else. The conversation was muffled. She must have had her hand over the receiver.

“About five weeks ago,” she replied, when she finally came back to him. “Anyway, let’s cut the bullshit, Palmer, because I know damned well that James was not in Brussels. He never even went there in the first place.”

“So where is he now?”

“What do you think I am, a clairvoyant? The last I saw of him was when he walked out of here to take a trip to Brussels with, supposedly, you lot. That was weeks ago. The police told me he’d never even left the country.”

“The police?” questioned Anthony, nearly fainting. “You involved the police?”

“I didn’t have to. They’ve continually been knocking at my door and asking me questions to which I have no answers.”

“About what?”

“What do you think, you cretin?”

“I’m not thinking anything,” replied Anthony, “I’m asking.”

“Does the name David Hunter mean anything to you?”

Anthony didn’t reply. His mind was too busy thinking of the implications.

“Cat got your tongue, Palmer? Well, let me tell you how it stands right now, shall I? They know all about the hit and run in Burley in Wharfedale, in which you lot, including my husband, almost certainly played a part. They’ve been all over my house, and taken everything they thought was connected to that accident. They’ve studied all the airports. But, I’ll give credit where it’s due, you guys are brilliant at covering your tracks, because they can’t find a damned thing, including you.”