Free Angel on the Inside by Mike Ripley Page A

very short suede skirt that showed an awful lot (proportionately speaking) of very shapely, well-tanned bare leg that ended in multi-coloured high heeled Cacharel sandals with white flowers on the straps.
    On reflection, maybe I wouldn’t go into so much detail for Amy.
    â€˜Yesterday it was the police, first thing in the morning when I turned up for work, as if that wasn’t bad enough,’ she started after her first sip of tea.
    I nodded sympathetically, hiding my smug expression behind a bone china teacup.
    Well, I mean: a few roses, a free ride in a taxi, a comfy armchair in nice surroundings and a cup of orange pekoe and she was answering questions I hadn’t even asked yet. God knew what would happen when the Madeira cake arrived – she’d probably ‘fess up to one or all of the recent Heathrow robberies.
    â€˜They were in with Amy for hours. Taking statements , they said.’
    â€˜And this would, of course, be about ...’
    I didn’t make it a question, just trailed off with a wave of the teacup and quite a bit of sage nodding.
    â€˜Yes, you’re right,’ she said, nodding with me. ‘Keith Flowers – what an awful person to stalk Amy like that. And you had no idea, did you?’
    She put down her cup and saucer and reached a hand out, placing it on my knee. I saw no reason to do anything but let it stay there, but out of the corner of my eye I saw a pair of waiters talking together out of the sides of their mouths whilst staring at Debbie. They were probably betting how long it would be before I asked if they rented rooms by the hour. I was going to disappoint them. I knew already that they didn’t.
    â€˜It did come as something of a shock,’ I said, with just the right touch of pathos.
    â€˜She was only trying to protect you, I think.’ She gave a shudder and her grip on my knee tightened. ‘God, what an odious human being. He kept after her even though she took out that restraining order. How on Earth did a creep like that ever get to meet Amy?’
    Probably at their wedding, I thought, but I said nothing. It was clear to me that Debbie didn’t know that the odious Mr Flowers was in fact the first Mr Amy May. Debbie had to know about the restraining order because it covered the office, but Amy hadn’t told her everything. Still, she’d told her more than she’d told me.
    A plate of cakes arrived and Debbie’s eyes lit up.
    â€˜I shouldn’t,’ she said demurely as I offered.
    â€˜Nut allergies?’ I suggested, straight-faced.
    â€˜I was thinking of my figure,’ she said automatically, eyes on the plate.
    â€˜So are half the males in this room,’ I said, gesturing grandly around the large open plan foyer. ‘You’ve nothing to worry about.’
    â€˜Thank you, kind sir.’ She grinned and helped herself, but there were spots of blusher on her cheeks that hadn’t been put there with a brush.
    â€˜The police. You were saying,’ I prompted.
    â€˜Oh yes. They were only doing their job, I suppose, but it did seem to take ages , and afterwards Amy was on the phone for about an hour, even though she knew one of the buyers was waiting to see her and it was making her late for the 10.30.’
    â€˜The 10.30 what?’ I tried.
    â€˜The 10.30 management meeting. She never did make it. I had to cover for her. When she came off the phone, she just grabbed her bag and shot off. The security desk said they saw her hailing a cab on Oxford Street.’
    Which would give her enough time to get home and modify the diary on her computer at 11:38:08.
    â€˜Has she said what spooked her? I presume she was upset by something that had been said.’
    â€˜Well, as upset as Amy ever is. You know what she’s like. But didn’t she tell you about it?’
    â€˜I didn’t actually see her last night, and this morning she was up and gone before I was –