Blacklight Blue by Peter May

Author:Peter May [May, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime
Publisher: Quercus Editions Ltd
Published: 2008-08-08T23:00:00+00:00

He slipped the cassette into the stereo system and hit the play button.

All through the meal he had watched Raffin monopolising the conversation with Anna, flirting with her, exuding charm like oil. And he had seen Kirsty become more and more subdued. At one moment, he had caught Anna’s eye, and felt her embarrassment, her silent plea for rescue. And he had broken up the tête à tête by calling her into the kitchen on some pretext. He was itching to break his silence on the subject, but didn’t want to create a scene in front of Kirsty and the others. And so all his attention was focused on the tape.

Intent faces around the room strained to listen. Two voices distorted by time and telephone. A murderer speaking to his victim the day before he killed him:

‘Yes, hello?’

‘Salut, it’s me.’

‘Oh, okay.’

‘I’m sorry I didn’t call yesterday. I was out of the country. Portsmouth. In England. A business trip.’

‘Is that supposed to mean something to me?’

‘I just thought you’d wonder why I hadn’t called.’

‘Well, you’re calling me now.’

‘I was going to suggest tomorrow afternoon. Three o’clock. If that’s okay with you.’

‘Where?’

‘Your place.’

‘I prefer somewhere public. You know that.’

‘Listen, we need to talk.’

An audible sigh. ‘You know where to find me?’

‘Of course.’

‘Three o’clock, then.’

‘Fine.’

The conversation ended abruptly. Enzo had listened to it over and over again. He had his own thoughts, but he wanted fresh input. ‘What do you think?’

‘I think they didn’t like one another very much,’ Sophie said.

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Well, because the killer’s being very polite, and the other guy can hardly conceal his irritation.’

Bertrand said, ‘I’m not sure he’s irritated so much as just tense. Wary.’

Nicole asked if they could listen to it again, and Enzo rewound the tape to replay it. When they finished listening for a second time Nicole said, ‘They don’t know one another very well, do they? I think maybe they’ve met only a handful of times before.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Because he had to ask if the other guy knew his address.’

Kirsty said, ‘They’d obviously met often enough for Lambert to have established that he only wanted them to meet in public.’

‘So why did he agree to let him come to his home?’ It was Raffin this time.

Enzo said, ‘Because the killer was threatening him. Very subtly, but unmistakeably. He was in complete command of the conversation. He was using the familiar tu, while Lambert was using the formal vous. Lambert was being spoken to like a child. His caller had failed to make some pre-arranged call the day before, but his apology was perfunctory. When Lambert expressed his preference for meeting in public, he was slapped right back down. Ecoute-moi. Listen, we need to talk. There’s more than a hint of a threat in that. We hear Lambert sigh. He doesn’t want the caller to come to his house. But he gives in straight away, because he’s lacking in confidence. He’s scared, intimidated.’ Enzo looked around at all the faces focused in his direction.

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