‘Yes,’ agrees Andrew Everton. ‘It’s a big coincidence. But you can trust me.’
77
Joyce
Ibrahim has everything open in front of him. Thousands of people are watching Fiona’s hacked livestream. ‘Bethany Waites’ is trending at number one on Twitter. People are sharing clips of her, posting newspaper articles from the time she disappeared. Her face is everywhere.
As is the face of Andrew Everton. The comments section is really going to town on ‘You can trust me.’ Kent Police have had to disable their Twitter account. It’s even on Sky News. They’re not allowed to show pictures, but they’re talking people through it.
So he’s admitted to the fraud, admitted to being Jack Mason’s partner, but he hasn’t admitted to the killings yet. I can’t say I expected him to. Even when there’re just two of you in a room no one wants to admit they’re a murderer, do they?
But that’s what we really want. For Andrew Everton to admit to what he has done. To tell the world the truth. To get justice for Bethany.
Elizabeth and Viktor are conferring in a corner. Whatever Elizabeth is saying, Viktor is nodding. I think it is time to send in the Bullet!
78
Behind the Viking is a closed door, which now opens. A man walks into the library. He is short and bald, and wears glasses too big for his face. What is going on here?
‘No,’ says Andrew Everton to the Viking. ‘No. It’s just you and me.’
‘This is my associate,’ says the Viking. ‘His name is Yuri.’
‘A pleasure to meet you, Chief Constable,’ says Viktor. ‘You have been a busy man.’
‘I didn’t agree to this,’ says Andrew Everton.
‘Give me one minute,’ says Viktor. ‘If you don’t like what I have to say, then I leave, and you may also leave too. You are quite safe.’
‘One minute,’ says Andrew Everton, his eyes looking for an exit.
‘My friend here, they call him the Viking, he is the genius in the room. Though you may be a genius too, Andrew. Might I call you Andrew?’
‘Certainly, Yuri,’ says Andrew Everton.
‘It is clear you are very clever, Andrew. A chief constable, congratulations. An acclaimed author, also, under the pen-name Mackenzie McStewart. I have recently read, and much enjoyed, To Remain Silent, a tour de force, in my opinion. Like John Grisham. Further to this list of accomplishments, we now discover you are a master criminal? Cop, crime writer, master criminal. I imagine the skills overlap somewhat?’
Andrew Everton nods. There is something about this man he likes. And he is right about To Remain Silent. It is very Grisham-esque.
‘Well, you are almost a master criminal, shall we say? You pulled off the robbery, very simple, very elegant, but have yet to see the proceeds. Which is where we come in. Can we track down your money? Yes, at least my friend can. Would we like to be in business with you? Again, yes, you are a powerful man, and you would be able to help us, I think, in a number of areas. Should you be willing?’
‘I would be willing,’ says Andrew Everton. ‘You get me that ten million and you can have whatever you want.’
‘We are of like minds, I see,’ says Viktor. ‘I imagined we would be. We both like money, certainly we do, but we are both moral men. We bend the rules at times, that is undeniable, but rules aren’t for everyone, are they?’
‘Agreed, agreed,’ says Andrew Everton. He is going to get his money, he can just feel it. All those years slogging away, and it’s finally going to come good. A house in Spain, a room to write in, overlooking the sea. He’ll pretend he’s signed a lucrative publishing deal, very hush-hush, and he’ll quit his job for good. This man, with his oversized glasses, is the final piece of the jigsaw.