Free Mortal Taste by J. M. Gregson Page B

a dangerous part of the criminal world that even the police have to have specialists. The Drugs Squad are quite separate from us. I shall be in touch with them over the next few days, to try to find out whether your father’s death has a drugs connection. If you hear anything you think is useful, we’ll pass it on, of course, but please heed what DS Hook says. Don’t get involved with trying to find out where the drugs are coming from.’
    Jane Logan put an arm round each of her children and drew them close, as she had been used to do when they were much younger. ‘Listen to that, kids! One death in the family is quite enough. I don’t want to lose anyone else.’
    Lambert and Hook left them like that, seeing themselves swiftly out of the house. The memory of that touching family triptych, with the mother protective of her issue, stayed with Lambert far into the night.
    It would not have been possible to question Jane Logan further in front of her children. That was a pity, because he would have liked to follow up the one lie he was certain she had already told them.
    He watched his hands tremble as he put in the number. He had not realized he was as nervous as this: he had to make three attempts before he was satisfied that he had tapped out the right figures.
    The number rang three, four, five times, seeming to his heightened senses to take a long time to do so. He had almost given up hope of a response when the phone was picked up.
    He was too distraught to introduce himself. ‘They’ve been into the school!’ he said, his voice sounding strangely hoarse in his own ears.
    â€˜Who’s “they”?’
    â€˜You know who I mean! The police. They’ve been into the school. After lessons were over, today.’
    â€˜So what? You knew they were coming. Standard practice. Start in the victim’s home and workplace.’
    â€˜You know how they proceed with things like this?’
    â€˜Course I don’t. I use my common sense, that’s all. It’s what I’d do, if I was a copper, which God forbid!’
    The voice allowed itself a snigger at the ridiculous nature of that thought, and he felt himself panicking. ‘You’re not taking this seriously!’
    â€˜No!’ The voice was suddenly harsh with authority. ‘You’re taking it
too
seriously, that’s all. Just keep your head, or you’ll have us all in trouble. Do you hear me?’
    â€˜Yes. Yes, you’re right. They don’t know anything about us, do they?’
    â€˜No they don’t, and it’s your job to keep it that way.’
    â€˜It’s easy to say that. You’re not in the firing line!’
    â€˜And I’d better not be, either!’ There was a pause, perhaps to let the warning sink in. Then the voice came back in a less minatory tone. ‘What did the police say?’
    â€˜It was two CID men, a superintendent and a sergeant, I think. They assembled all the staff in the main hall, ancillaries as well as teachers. They just asked if any of us knew anyone who might have wished to have Logan out of the way.’
    â€˜And did anyone come up with any suggestions?’
    â€˜No. Not while we were all together in the meeting, anyway.’
    â€˜Well, there you are then. You’ve nothing to fear.’
    â€˜But they invited anyone who had any thoughts to stay behind and talk to them privately. And they said that police from the murder team will be seeing each of us individually. Taking statements.’
    â€˜Standard practice, again. Don’t you ever watch crime series on television?’
    â€˜No. Can’t say I do.’
    Another snigger. ‘Too busy with your naughty videos, I expect. Good, that last one, wasn’t it?’
    â€˜Yes. I – I wish I’d never bought it though, now.’
    â€˜Can’t turn the clock back, can we? And it’s foolish to try. Just keep your head down and say nothing and