How the Dead Speak (Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Book 11) by Val McDermid

Author:Val McDermid [McDermid, Val]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781408712276
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2019-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

33

I’ve read a lot of theories about how to tell when someone is lying. They fidget. They keep preternaturally still. Their eyes go up to the top left corner of the room. They sweat. They keep touching their face. The truth is, there is no standard tell.

From Reading Crimes by DR TONY HILL

The last shreds of Jezza Martinu’s composure had vanished by the time he reached a police interview room. Skenfrith Street station had been extensively renovated in recent years but a decision had been taken to maintain the studied lack of amenity in the interview rooms. Nobody wanted to spend money on the comfort of the accused. Tony had once tried to make the case for providing a more welcoming environment. Carol had scoffed, ‘What? You think we should get the recording equipment in pastel colours, with matching décor? That would make it less unsettling, you think?’ Ever since that exchange, Paula couldn’t help picturing the whole of Skenfrith Street in the palette of The Truman Show. That was far more disturbing than the reality.

In truth, she didn’t think it would matter whether the interview suite was decked out like a five-star hotel, complete with fruit basket. Once that door closed and the recording equipment beeped, everybody knew what they were there for. Even those who had nothing to be guilty about felt the creep of anxiety in the hairs on the back of their neck. Even, she sometimes thought, the ones who had no hair on the back of their neck.

Before they went in, Paula led Steve Nisbet into the observation room. Martinu was constantly shifting in his seat. ‘There’s a man who doesn’t like being cooped up,’ Steve said. ‘Stands to reason, doing what he does. Out in the open in all weathers. He’s going to get more and more uncomfortable the longer we keep him here.’

‘Not necessarily,’ Paula said. ‘Some people settle down once they realise there’s nothing they can do to make it go away. It’s like they sink into a sort of zen interview state. But I think you’re probably right about Jezza. There’s something eating him and we’ve got to get him to give it up.’

‘How are we playing this, then?’ He was eager, no doubt about that. Jacket off, tie loosened, he had the air of a man ready for a long night. Even his neat little quiff looked more buoyant. He pointed at Paula. ‘Good cop?’ Then at himself. ‘Bad cop?’

Paula wondered fleetingly whether working with Steve was such a good idea. ‘No,’ she said. She laid a palm on her chest. ‘Good cop.’ Then nodded at him. ‘Silent cop. Taking notes cop. Interesting facial expressions cop. You can look as menacing as you like, but I don’t want you buggering up the tempo of my questions.’

His face turned surly. ‘But what if I want to ask something you’ve missed?’

‘Don’t assume I’ve missed it. I might be circling round to it from a different direction. If you think there’s something significant

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