Free Evil in Return by Elena Forbes Page A

towpath with his bicycle just before five o’clock. If he had been on his way to meet Anna, maybe that explained why, according to Maggie, he had made an effort with his appearance. But the journey from Maida Vale to Kazbar in Earl’s Court would take about half an hour or so by bike. There were roughly two and a half hours unaccounted for. He must have been going somewhere else first. ‘Do you have any idea what he was doing before he was supposed to meet you?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Why had you arranged to meet?’ Minderedes asked, looking up from his notebook. ‘Hadn’t you finished interviewing him?’
    She gave him a weary look. ‘I had some more questions.’
    ‘Why didn’t you go to his boat as before?’ Tartaglia asked.
    ‘Is it important?’
    ‘I’m just curious. Why the change of venue?’
    ‘No big deal. He suggested coming my way for a change, but I didn’t want him in my flat so I suggested here.’
    ‘Why not your flat?’
    ‘It’s too small to entertain. Anyway, I like to keep my business and personal lives separate.’
    She spoke emphatically. Although not convinced after what Maggie had told him, he accepted the statement at face value for the moment. First, he wanted to establish the basic chronology of what had happened between her and Logan. He also needed to get her to loosen up and lower her guard.
    ‘So when was the last time you saw Mr Logan?’
    ‘About a week ago.’
    ‘Which day?’
    ‘Friday, I think.’
    ‘I’ll need you to be more precise.’
    With a theatrical sigh, she pulled out a BlackBerry from her bag, tabbed through it. ‘Friday, as I said. I had a lunch meeting that day and I went over to see him straight afterwards. I got there about three, before you ask.’
    ‘So, what did you talk about?’
    ‘About him. About his life. That’s why I was there.’
    ‘What time did you leave?’
    ‘Around seven, I guess. I was going out, so I went home to change.’
    Again, she spoke matter-of-factly. He found her lack of emotion curious, wondering if it really was genuine. She uncrossed her legs and stretched forwards to pick up her coke. As she lowered her gaze and took a long, slow sip, he studied her for a moment, noting the curve of her slender shoulders, the sheen on her skin, the small tattoo just above her ankle, wondering how to get through to her. Unless Logan was sexually abnormal, he must certainly have found her attractive. Had there been a mutual connection, or had she merely been using Logan? From the little he had seen of her, his money was on the latter. If so, he pitied Logan.
    ‘You seem very unmoved by what’s happened. Don’t you care?’
    She glanced up at him and he caught a wariness in her eyes, as though she hadn’t anticipated the question. ‘What do you want me to do? Burst into tears? I’m not a hypocrite.’
    ‘But he was murdered. It was a violent death. Surely that must mean something to you?’
    She put down her glass and carefully folded her arms. ‘Look, I’m very sorry Joe’s dead but he wasn’t a close friend or anything.’
    ‘You’re sure about that?’
    She held his gaze. ‘Yes.’
    He didn’t believe her but he had nothing to confront her with except Maggie Thomas’s suspicions. She had slipped off her flip-flops and was tapping her bare foot on the floor impatiently. She reminded him of a spoilt child, used to getting her way, and it angered him. He took a deep breath.
    ‘OK. Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you first meet Mr Logan? How did you persuade him to let you interview him?’
    ‘I tried the usual channels first, but when that didn’t work, I wrote him a letter care of his publisher.’
    ‘Just a letter?’
    ‘And copies of a few interviews and articles I’d done, plus some general background info on me. I didn’t know if they’d pass it on, or if he would read it, but about a month later, he called me. He said he wanted to meet and talk first. He wanted to suss me out, see if we got on, before