Free Love Lies Bleeding by Geraldine Evans

— to judge from the dead man's photographs at least — seemed to have been entirely missing from Raymond's. It was attractive, certainly, but in a different way to the more strongly masculine-looking Raymond.
    Mike Raine interrupted his thoughts as he replaced the receiver. ‘You haven't said exactly why you need to speak to me, inspector. Though if you require an alibi from me’ -he gave a rueful smile that showed off his boyish good looks to advantage — ‘I'm afraid I am unable to provide one.’
    Rafferty, always suspicious of such frank and ready admissions during a murder case, said nothing as Mike Raine's secretary entered with the coffee, set it on the desk and poured. Then he suggested with a smile, ‘Perhaps you can at least tell us where you were around seven to seven thirty on Monday morning, when your cousin died?’
    ‘Certainly. Normally I'd have been at home. But on that particular morning, I was already at work at seven.’
    ‘And no one can verify that, you said?’
    ‘Actually,’ Raine's secretary interrupted, ‘Jane on reception said to me earlier that she saw you arrive on Monday morning.’
    Convenient, was Rafferty's thought. He asked, ‘Was there some breakfast meeting on the premises that required such early attendance from the receptionist?’
    ‘No,’ the secretary replied. ‘But I was on holiday that day and Jane, who often fills in for me and who lives opposite the firm, assumed Mike had forgotten to mention that he was having an early start and she rushed to get ready in case he wanted her to do some typing for him.’
    ‘I see.’ Rafferty gave a slow nod, smiled, thought again, How convenient, and turned back to Mr Raine: ‘And what were you working on that morning that was so special, sir, that it required such an early start?’
    Mike Raine frowned, and a peevish expression replaced the boyish look. ‘I'd been preparing a report on the amount of business I'd brought to the firm in the last six months. I came in that morning specially to finish it. I wanted to have it ready so that I could present it to Ray.’
    ‘To what purpose, exactly?’
    ‘To what purpose?’ Mike sat back in his black-leather executive chair and whirled it until he was facing Rafferty square on. ‘I'm afraid Ray tended to belittle my contribution. I thought if I could prove how much my efforts have increased the profits — prove it in pages of the facts and figures he relished so much — he might start to appreciate me.’
    Rafferty nodded, but he suspected there might be more to Mike's desire to prove himself to his cousin than he had admitted to; maybe they would learn what it was when they saw the solicitor.
    He wondered if Mike had been relieved to learn of Felicity's ready confession. Certainly, he now asked how she was coping, with every appearance of concern for her. He even asked if they believed she had killed Raymond.
    ‘Do you?’ Rafferty countered.
    Mike shrugged. ‘I really don't know. At first, when your officers told me what had happened, I thought it unlikely. But now I've had time to think about it, I have to say that I don't understand why she — or anyone — would confess to murder unless prompted by a guilty conscience.’ He gave a long-drawn-out sigh. ‘Poor Felicity.’ After a moment's pause, he added, ‘Poor Raymond, too, of course. I don't think they were particularly happy together. I've always been fond of Felicity. I'll do anything I can to help her. I presume she's got a solicitor to advise her?’
    Rafferty nodded. The very same solicitor who had contacted him only five minutes earlier as they drove to the Raines’ business premises, to tell him his client had retracted her confession. And although he'd been expecting it from the start, the disappearance of his nice, easy case was a blow.
    But it was something he chose, for now, to keep from Mike Raine. If Felicity or her solicitor didn't confide in him themselves Rafferty thought it might provide him with a