THE LONDON DRUG WARS Read Online Free Page B

that she did? Has it
occurred to you someone else might have killed her?”
    “What makes you say that?”
    She smiled at him again. “Isn’t that
a question Sherlock Holmes might ask?”
    “He would probably wonder why you
keep answering my questions with a question of your own.” He paused then added,
“OK can we stop fencing now and get back to my investigation? Have you any
thoughts on why she might have taken her own life?”
    “The answer is an emphatic no. Which
is why I asked the question about the involvement of someone else.”
    Brookes sighed, shaking his head; he
visibly relaxed. This woman was having a strange effect on him. An effect that
had little to do with his investigation. He decided to be honest with her. He
said, “I am fast coming round to that point of view. Having dealt with a few
suicides I can see no evidence of any serious depression or even a reason for
one. I’m not at all happy with the note she left on her computer either. But
neither can I find any evidence of anyone else’s involvement or even a motive
for anyone wanting her dead.”
    Rushmore looked at her wristwatch.
“You poor man, you look as if you need a drink. Its approaching lunchtime now,
let me buy you one in the pub around the corner. We can talk some more there.”
    Brookes was somewhat surprised by the
offer but could find no argument to raise against the suggestion. Without
further ado they left the campus and walked to the Dog and Duck that was,
literally, around the corner.
    They found an empty table in a
secluded part of the bar and, good as her word, she went to get him a pint of
best bitter and a gin and tonic for herself. Sitting down, she said, “I’m
pleased you are not one of those detectives who hides behind officialdom. You
actually seem almost human.”
    “Cut me and I shall bleed. Who said
that, someone famous wasn’t it?”
    “Actually it was ‘prick me’ and it
was a question. ‘Will I not bleed?’ But that’s most unusual, a police detective
who misquotes Shakespeare?”
    “I would think it’s more unusual for
one to quote him properly unless it were Morse and, sadly, he’s dead. But I
don’t think that’s any more strange than a doctor of chemistry who reads Conan
Doyle.”
    She smiled. “I see we’re fencing
again. What do you do in your spare time?”
    “Take my witnesses out for a pint.”
    “I see, so you’ll buy me a few
G&Ts then get me to admit the crime.”
    He smiled. “Either that or take
advantage of you.”
    “You’d better make the next one a
double then.”
    He shook his head. “I thought all you
professors were dry and boring people.”
    “Only in episodes of Morse. Now I’ll
ask you again, what do you do when you are not detecting?”
    He pulled a face. “Occasionally I go
out to dinner; I listen to music sometimes; oh, and I read a lot.”
    “Don’t tell me, detective novels.”
    “Strangely enough, no; science
fiction mostly.”
    “And music?”
    “Leonard Cohen, the singing poet. Now
it’s my turn. What do you do with your spare time?”
    “I could be clever and say take
handsome detectives out for drinks. But I won’t. I too like music, mostly
classical. I’m not sure about Leonard Cohen though, he’s a miserable so-and-so
isn’t he? And I have an eighteen-year-old daughter who’s still at home. Oh, and
I love cooking.”
    “That sounds interesting because I
love eating.”
    “Clearly we are made for each other.”
    He gave her a serious look. “You seem
very bold. Are you always this way?”
     She returned the look then smiled.
“No, far from it. But you had an immediate effect on me. Tell me Mister
Brookes, do you believe in chemistry. I mean between two people.”
    “Yes. And I felt it too. I think it’s
time you started using my first name, it’s John.”
    “Pleased to meet you John, I’m Liza.”
    They spent the next hour getting to
know each other and fencing. Then, after escorting her back to the university
campus, Brookes