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Authors: Philip Cox
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don’t know what.’
‘You’re still not making much sense. Was she in some sort of trouble? Money trouble? Was it a man? Was she pregnant?’
‘No. Nothing like that.’
‘Something to do with work?’
Amy said nothing.
‘To do with work?’ Tom repeated. ‘You must know if it was; you worked with her, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, we did.’
‘So what was it? Was she whistle blowing or something?’
Amy looked down at the ground, then back up at Tom. ‘In a way, yes.’
‘In a way? You work in market research, don’t you? Surely to God if she was blowing the whistle on something, it wouldn’t get her pushed in front of a train.’
‘I don’t know.’
Tom sighed. ‘Look, we’re getting nowhere. You said something like don’t believe what they say - she didn’t jump. So are you saying she was pushed?’
Her eyes welling up, Amy nodded her head vigorously. ‘Yes,’ she whispered, her voice quavering. ‘I’m saying she was pushed.’
‘But why?’ Tom asked. ‘She worked in market research: why would anybody do that to her?’
‘Because of what she knew,’ Amy replied. ‘She was murdered because of what she knew.’
Chapter Twelve
‘What?’ Tom asked, wondering if he had misheard Amy. ‘What do you mean she was killed?’
Amy said nothing, just nodded. She grasped her shoulder bag closer, as if for reassurance or protection.
‘And because of what she knew? I just don’t get it.’ He looked around; he had not realised his voice had got louder. ‘I don’t get it,’ he said, quieter this time.
‘It’s true, I swear,’ she said. ‘It’s not the sort of thing I would make up.’
Tom gently put his hand on her arm and guided her to resume walking. Now they were on the West Carriage Drive, a bridge which separates the Serpentine from the Long Water.
‘I’m sorry’, he said. ‘Of course I’m not saying you’re making it up. But - but I just don’t understand. The firm the two of you work - worked - for is something to do with market research, isn’t that right?’
Amy nodded.
Tom paused a moment, and then continued, ‘Isn’t that just asking people what type of pet food their moggy likes, or their favourite brand of breakfast cereal?’
She laughed. ‘I suppose that’s basically what we do. Although it’s generally a lot more complex and sophisticated than that. Big firms use our findings to plan marketing campaigns, maybe change their products. So it can be very big business. In some cases, we are talking millions of pounds, or Euros, or dollars, as we do quite a bit of overseas business.’
‘So you are saying Lisa got involved in some sort of industrial espionage, or something?’
They stopped on the bridge, looking out over the water. Tom leaned over, resting his elbows on the railings.
‘I don’t know what I’m saying,’ she said, shaking her head.
He looked up at her. The cold wind was making her eyes glisten. ‘Are you saying,’ he asked, ‘that she came across something she shouldn’t have had, and that there’s so much money at stake that somebody pushed her under a train because of it?’
She said nothing, just looked out over the water.
‘Is that really likely? Really?’
She shrugged her shoulders and started walking. Tom stood up and ran to catch up with her.
‘Wait,’ he said. ‘I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I’m not saying you’re lying or mistaken. It’s just that this sort of thing only happens in books or in the movies, doesn’t it?’
Amy carried on walking, saying nothing.
Tom tried to change tack. ‘She hadn’t worked for your firm for very long had she?’
‘No, not that long. Why?’ she replied, looking over at him.
‘Well, she wouldn’t have been that senior, would she?’
‘No-oo,’ she said slowly.
‘Surely, then, she wouldn’t have been privy to anything that important? Unless by accident.’
‘Suppose not.’
‘Did the two of you actually work
‘You’re still not making much sense. Was she in some sort of trouble? Money trouble? Was it a man? Was she pregnant?’
‘No. Nothing like that.’
‘Something to do with work?’
Amy said nothing.
‘To do with work?’ Tom repeated. ‘You must know if it was; you worked with her, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, we did.’
‘So what was it? Was she whistle blowing or something?’
Amy looked down at the ground, then back up at Tom. ‘In a way, yes.’
‘In a way? You work in market research, don’t you? Surely to God if she was blowing the whistle on something, it wouldn’t get her pushed in front of a train.’
‘I don’t know.’
Tom sighed. ‘Look, we’re getting nowhere. You said something like don’t believe what they say - she didn’t jump. So are you saying she was pushed?’
Her eyes welling up, Amy nodded her head vigorously. ‘Yes,’ she whispered, her voice quavering. ‘I’m saying she was pushed.’
‘But why?’ Tom asked. ‘She worked in market research: why would anybody do that to her?’
‘Because of what she knew,’ Amy replied. ‘She was murdered because of what she knew.’
Chapter Twelve
‘What?’ Tom asked, wondering if he had misheard Amy. ‘What do you mean she was killed?’
Amy said nothing, just nodded. She grasped her shoulder bag closer, as if for reassurance or protection.
‘And because of what she knew? I just don’t get it.’ He looked around; he had not realised his voice had got louder. ‘I don’t get it,’ he said, quieter this time.
‘It’s true, I swear,’ she said. ‘It’s not the sort of thing I would make up.’
Tom gently put his hand on her arm and guided her to resume walking. Now they were on the West Carriage Drive, a bridge which separates the Serpentine from the Long Water.
‘I’m sorry’, he said. ‘Of course I’m not saying you’re making it up. But - but I just don’t understand. The firm the two of you work - worked - for is something to do with market research, isn’t that right?’
Amy nodded.
Tom paused a moment, and then continued, ‘Isn’t that just asking people what type of pet food their moggy likes, or their favourite brand of breakfast cereal?’
She laughed. ‘I suppose that’s basically what we do. Although it’s generally a lot more complex and sophisticated than that. Big firms use our findings to plan marketing campaigns, maybe change their products. So it can be very big business. In some cases, we are talking millions of pounds, or Euros, or dollars, as we do quite a bit of overseas business.’
‘So you are saying Lisa got involved in some sort of industrial espionage, or something?’
They stopped on the bridge, looking out over the water. Tom leaned over, resting his elbows on the railings.
‘I don’t know what I’m saying,’ she said, shaking her head.
He looked up at her. The cold wind was making her eyes glisten. ‘Are you saying,’ he asked, ‘that she came across something she shouldn’t have had, and that there’s so much money at stake that somebody pushed her under a train because of it?’
She said nothing, just looked out over the water.
‘Is that really likely? Really?’
She shrugged her shoulders and started walking. Tom stood up and ran to catch up with her.
‘Wait,’ he said. ‘I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I’m not saying you’re lying or mistaken. It’s just that this sort of thing only happens in books or in the movies, doesn’t it?’
Amy carried on walking, saying nothing.
Tom tried to change tack. ‘She hadn’t worked for your firm for very long had she?’
‘No, not that long. Why?’ she replied, looking over at him.
‘Well, she wouldn’t have been that senior, would she?’
‘No-oo,’ she said slowly.
‘Surely, then, she wouldn’t have been privy to anything that important? Unless by accident.’
‘Suppose not.’
‘Did the two of you actually work
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