Read Online The Domino Killer by Neil White - Free Book Online Page B

CCTV.’
    ‘Good. Let’s see it. We both know that CCTV is never good.’
    Joe didn’t disagree with him. ‘Why were you running away from your car, which had been set alight not long after it was stolen?’
    ‘Stolen?’ Proctor said, his eyes wide. ‘So I’m the thief in this, not the people who decided they could just take my car without asking, and who were never going to give it back to me unless I handed over cash?’
    ‘And proof that it was yours.’
    ‘I could prove that all right.’
    ‘You sound like you agree with them, that you took it back because you were angry with them.’
    ‘Yeah, I can see how it looks that way, but it isn’t, because that’s just them guessing. You’re the lawyer, so you know how it is; they’ve got to prove it, not me.’ He leaned forward, warming to the conversation. ‘Maybe I’m the victim here. They take my car from me because it’s got no insurance – big deal – but it’s their job to keep it safe so that I can collect it. I’m a scapegoat, that’s all, because their compound isn’t secure. I might have a claim.’
    ‘And the fact that you were running away from where your car was burning?’
    ‘Coincidence, that’s all. I see a burning car and I know I’m in a bad neighbourhood, so I run. How was I supposed to know that it was my car? Sometimes you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s just bad luck, isn’t it?’
    Joe didn’t know if it was some kind of a hint or message, a reference to Ellie. Did Proctor know who Joe was? No, he was reading too much into it. Joe met Proctor’s gaze but there was no taunt there.
    ‘Tell me about yourself?’ Joe said.
    ‘What do you want to know?’
    ‘Your story. We’ve all got one.’
    ‘It’s insignificant, some might say,’ Proctor said. ‘Born and brought up in Ancoats. A brother and a sister. I left home and got married. No children. Like I say, insignificant. Invisible almost.’
    ‘Is that how you feel, invisible?’
    ‘No. That’s how others see me.’
    ‘Are you close to your family?’
    ‘What’s this, the psychiatrist’s couch?’
    ‘Just building a picture,’ Joe said. ‘I might need to talk about you in court.’
    Proctor curled his lip as he thought about that. ‘Not really close,’ he said. ‘My brother Dan works down south somewhere, a big shot in events management. My sister Melissa thought she was something big, going off to university and marrying some high-flyer. Now? She works in a pub near Piccadilly, wiping up beer stains.’
    ‘Which pub?’
    He paused, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to answer, but said eventually, ‘Mother Mac’s.’
    Joe fumbled for his pen and was about to start going through the forms when there was a light knock on the door and Gina walked in. Joe looked up and watched them both carefully. He wanted to see whether Proctor had ever been in Gina’s thoughts when she was investigating Ellie’s murder, or whether Proctor had kept watch on the investigation and knew who she was. He was looking for a flicker of recognition from either of them, just to show that he was right.
    Gina strode into the room and smiled. ‘Hi, I’m Gina Ross,’ she said. ‘I’m Joe’s caseworker.’ She walked over and stood behind Joe, ready to take over. Joe looked up at her. She looked back to Proctor. There were no suspicions.
    Proctor was impassive. He looked at Joe, then Gina, then held out his hands. ‘Let’s get this started.’ He lit his cigarette.
    Gina was about to object to Proctor smoking but Joe held up his hand. ‘No, it’s okay,’ he said.
    Gina didn’t say anything but turned around to open one of the windows. There was a sudden rush of traffic noise.
    Was he getting it wrong? Gina had led the investigation into Ellie’s death, so Proctor must know who she was, but there’d been no reaction.
    But Joe was so certain, everything about his first reaction to Proctor told him that.
    Joe stared at Proctor’s hands, one clasped