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Authors: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
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called in?’
He hesitated. ‘I was going to a meeting.’
‘At that time of night?’ Atherton asked.
He looked lofty. ‘A ministerial meeting. The business of government is not nine-to-five. As you probably know, I am the Government’s special advisor in inner city development.’
‘Yes, I did know that,’ Atherton said. Slider was glad at least one of them read the newspapers. ‘And who were you going to see?’
‘Is it any of your damn business?’ Prentiss snapped, getting some spine back.
Slider took it up. ‘Well, yes, I’m afraid it is. You must see that, as you were with the deceased at such a crucial time, we have to check your story. I’m sure you wouldn’texpect us to do otherwise, given that Miss Agnew was your friend.’
A pause. ‘I went to see Giles Freeman,’ he said at last. ‘Does that satisfy you? I’m sure’, he added with heavy irony, ‘you’ll accept the word of a Secretary of State, won’t you?’
The words
not on a bet
jumped to mind, but Slider went on, ‘What was your relationship with Miss Agnew?’
‘I’ve told you, we were old friends.’
‘Were you lovers?’
Prentiss burst to his feet. ‘Look, I’m tired of your damned impertinent questions! My best friend is dead, don’t you understand that? Can’t you imagine how I must feel?’
Slider was unmoved. ‘Nevertheless, I have to ask you, were you lovers?’
‘No, we were not!’
‘You were just good friends?’
‘Perhaps your imagination is so limited that you can’t conceive of a man and a woman being friends, but that’s not my problem!’
Slider stood up. ‘Thank you for your frankness, Mr Prentiss. I do have to ask you if you will come to the station and let us take your fingerprints and a blood sample for comparison.’
‘For comparison with what?’ he snapped.
‘We need to eliminate any traces you may have left around the flat,’ Slider said evenly.
He looked shaken. ‘And if I refuse?’
‘Then I should wonder whether you had something to hide. I know that if my dearest friend had been murdered, I’d want to do everything I could to help bring the murderer to justice.’
‘I don’t need you to lecture me on the duties of friendship,’ Prentiss said, but after a moment he added, ‘When do you want me to come?’
‘As soon as possible. Now, if you can. We can give you a lift back with us.’
‘No, I’ll go in my own car, thank you,’ Prentiss said.
‘Is that the XJS?’ Atherton asked with car-spotting eagerness. ‘Dark blue? Reg number something-FRN?’
‘Yes,’ Prentiss said, slightly puzzled. ‘You like Jags?’
‘I like all cars,’ Atherton said.
‘So, Mr Prentiss, are you coming now?’ Slider asked.
‘I’ll follow in five or ten minutes. I’ve some things to clear up here first.’
When they were out in the car park, Atherton gave a soundless whistle. ‘Quite a set up. The rent of that place must really hurt. Then there’s the Jag – and he was wearing some serious cash. His suit looked like a Paul Smith.’
‘Paul Smith?’ Slider queried.
Atherton smiled kindly. ‘Like Armani, only more so. Cutting-edge stuff.’
‘Thank you,’ Slider said humbly. ‘So, bank account left aside, what did you think of him?’
‘Guilty,’ Atherton said. ‘Lied straight off about having seen her. Nervous, evasive, falling back on the old lofty arrogance to try and get out of answering awkward questions.’
‘He’s an architect. Maybe he can’t help being arrogant.’
‘Still, given she was his best friend, shouldn’t he have been more surprised and upset that she was dead?’
‘Maybe he is, but doesn’t show it,’ Slider said.
‘Don’t be perverse,’ said Atherton. ‘You’re just seeing both sides, as usual. You think he did it.’
‘His story may be true. Why shouldn’t she have had two visitors?’
‘It’ll be true just as soon as he’s phoned his old friend Giles Freeman to give him the script, which is what he’s doing right
He hesitated. ‘I was going to a meeting.’
‘At that time of night?’ Atherton asked.
He looked lofty. ‘A ministerial meeting. The business of government is not nine-to-five. As you probably know, I am the Government’s special advisor in inner city development.’
‘Yes, I did know that,’ Atherton said. Slider was glad at least one of them read the newspapers. ‘And who were you going to see?’
‘Is it any of your damn business?’ Prentiss snapped, getting some spine back.
Slider took it up. ‘Well, yes, I’m afraid it is. You must see that, as you were with the deceased at such a crucial time, we have to check your story. I’m sure you wouldn’texpect us to do otherwise, given that Miss Agnew was your friend.’
A pause. ‘I went to see Giles Freeman,’ he said at last. ‘Does that satisfy you? I’m sure’, he added with heavy irony, ‘you’ll accept the word of a Secretary of State, won’t you?’
The words
not on a bet
jumped to mind, but Slider went on, ‘What was your relationship with Miss Agnew?’
‘I’ve told you, we were old friends.’
‘Were you lovers?’
Prentiss burst to his feet. ‘Look, I’m tired of your damned impertinent questions! My best friend is dead, don’t you understand that? Can’t you imagine how I must feel?’
Slider was unmoved. ‘Nevertheless, I have to ask you, were you lovers?’
‘No, we were not!’
‘You were just good friends?’
‘Perhaps your imagination is so limited that you can’t conceive of a man and a woman being friends, but that’s not my problem!’
Slider stood up. ‘Thank you for your frankness, Mr Prentiss. I do have to ask you if you will come to the station and let us take your fingerprints and a blood sample for comparison.’
‘For comparison with what?’ he snapped.
‘We need to eliminate any traces you may have left around the flat,’ Slider said evenly.
He looked shaken. ‘And if I refuse?’
‘Then I should wonder whether you had something to hide. I know that if my dearest friend had been murdered, I’d want to do everything I could to help bring the murderer to justice.’
‘I don’t need you to lecture me on the duties of friendship,’ Prentiss said, but after a moment he added, ‘When do you want me to come?’
‘As soon as possible. Now, if you can. We can give you a lift back with us.’
‘No, I’ll go in my own car, thank you,’ Prentiss said.
‘Is that the XJS?’ Atherton asked with car-spotting eagerness. ‘Dark blue? Reg number something-FRN?’
‘Yes,’ Prentiss said, slightly puzzled. ‘You like Jags?’
‘I like all cars,’ Atherton said.
‘So, Mr Prentiss, are you coming now?’ Slider asked.
‘I’ll follow in five or ten minutes. I’ve some things to clear up here first.’
When they were out in the car park, Atherton gave a soundless whistle. ‘Quite a set up. The rent of that place must really hurt. Then there’s the Jag – and he was wearing some serious cash. His suit looked like a Paul Smith.’
‘Paul Smith?’ Slider queried.
Atherton smiled kindly. ‘Like Armani, only more so. Cutting-edge stuff.’
‘Thank you,’ Slider said humbly. ‘So, bank account left aside, what did you think of him?’
‘Guilty,’ Atherton said. ‘Lied straight off about having seen her. Nervous, evasive, falling back on the old lofty arrogance to try and get out of answering awkward questions.’
‘He’s an architect. Maybe he can’t help being arrogant.’
‘Still, given she was his best friend, shouldn’t he have been more surprised and upset that she was dead?’
‘Maybe he is, but doesn’t show it,’ Slider said.
‘Don’t be perverse,’ said Atherton. ‘You’re just seeing both sides, as usual. You think he did it.’
‘His story may be true. Why shouldn’t she have had two visitors?’
‘It’ll be true just as soon as he’s phoned his old friend Giles Freeman to give him the script, which is what he’s doing right
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