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know that the book was mentioned in Paul’s will. It was left to Lydia de Freitas. His sister-in-law. I just find that interesting.’
    â€˜So, what’s on it?’
    Mac sighed, turned the paper over, and shook his head. ‘Probably not a thing and Andy’s right.’
    â€˜Something from the classified ads by the look of it,’ Kendal said. ‘What’s on the other side?’
    â€˜Half of an announcement in the personal ads,’ Mac said. ‘Looks like a funeral announcement, but there isn’t enough to tell.’
    â€˜Imagination running away with you?’ Kendal suggested.
    â€˜Oh, probably. You know, I think I was just so eager to get one over on Hale, I’d convinced myself … anyway, these are maybe more interesting. What woman leaves her contraceptive pills in a man’s bathroom?’
    â€˜One who expects to be there to take them,’ Baker said. ‘You sure that’s what they are.’
    â€˜I’m sure,’ Mac said, earning himself a guffaw and raised eyebrow from his Sergeant.
    â€˜Lydia de Freitas?’ Kendal suggested.
    Mac shrugged. ‘I asked. She said no. Then she got annoyed with me and asked me to leave. After which she said she hoped I’d be sensitive enough not to ask her husband about them.’
    â€˜Which implies …’
    â€˜Which
may
imply that she was having an affair with her brother-in-law, but that would also imply she spent sufficient time at the flat to be able to take half a pack of pills without missing one. I think her husband or the housekeeper might have noticed that and while he might not have said anything I’m betting Margaret Simms might.’
    â€˜So, he had a girlfriend,’ Kendal shrugged. ‘Is that so unusual? Though I agree, it might be useful to know who and where she is now.’
    â€˜Well she missed the last four days of her pill,’ Andy commented, looking at the pack. ‘See. The days of the week are marked and she stopped taking them four days ago.’
    â€˜That’s two days before Paul de Freitas was shot.’ Significant?
    â€˜That’s if it’s not an old pack that just got left behind months back,’ Kendal objected. ‘Have them dusted for prints, you never know, we may get lucky.’ He rose to leave, pushing back the chair and scraping it across the red lino that Mac kept meaning to get replaced. ‘I’d best be going, I’m supposed to be meeting this Abe Jackson.’
    â€˜And when do I have the pleasure?’ Mac asked.
    â€˜If you’re a very good boy, I’ll bring him over tomorrow. Oh, you can join me today, if you like, but I’m warning you, Superintendent Aims has set up the meeting and he’s insisting he has to be there, oversee us lower orders.’
    â€˜In which case, I’ll pass,’ Mac told him with a wry grin.
    â€˜Lucky you. It all makes you wonder though, if Andy’s pleasant flights of fancy really are so wide of the mark.’

FOURTEEN
    T im, an expert reader of Rina’s moods, had realised immediately that she was upset about something. He had swiftly but gently deflected the Peters sisters and ushered Rina into the small sitting room at the front of the house that everyone knew as Rina’s Den.
    â€˜So,’ he said. ‘What went wrong?’
    â€˜Is it that obvious?’
    â€˜Oh yes. It most certainly is. Who upset Rina’s master plan?’
    She flopped down into one of the fireside chairs, wishing that it was cold enough to have the fire to go with it. There was something comforting about a fire; something that salved bruised feelings. ‘Mac,’ she said. ‘With his impeccable sense of bad timing and then he had the affront to suggest I leave!’
    Tim hid a smile. He threw himself into the other chair. ‘So tell,’ he said. ‘Then I’ll go and fetch some of Matthew’s cake and the coffee Steven is making