‘So, are you going to tell me why you created such embarrassment for me? You know rumours do more than gather moss out there. My agent wanted to know why there was such interest in my dental appointments.’
‘You know why, don’t you?’
‘No, I don’t. I let Langton take away my dental X-rays, but nobody has told me exactly why they are so important.’
‘I don’t know if I should be telling you.’
‘Why not? It’s not as if I am going to broadcast it to the restaurant.’
‘Well, the victim, Melissa Stephens
He waited, fork raised. ‘Yes?’
‘It’s not very pleasant, especially while we are eating.’
‘Go on, don’t keep me in suspense! What about Melissa Stephens?’
‘Her tongue had been bitten.’
‘Good God, her tongue?’
‘Yes.’
‘So what on earth has this got to do with me?’
‘We have a set of teeth marks. It really isn’t anything directly to do with you. It is to do with us eliminating you from the enquiry.’
‘My God, I am stunned.’
‘Which we now have done, as your teeth don’t match.’
‘Well, of course they don’t. It’s just mind-blowing to me that I was even under suspicion. I am surprised you agreed to come out with me.’
‘You are not under suspicion,’ she said, sipping her champagne.
‘But that is why you went to LA?’
‘Yes, one of the reasons. And San Francisco and Chicago. Alan, I really shouldn’t be telling you this. You know it’s privileged information.’
‘Rubbish! You’ve just said I’ve been eliminated. Unless you’re lying.’
‘I’m not.’
He ate for a few moments and then put his fork down. ‘So go on, what else did you do in LA?’
‘There was a murder victim called Maria Courtney; she had the same MO as our victim here in London.’
‘What does MO mean? I can’t remember.’
‘Modus operandi; means the same pattern.’
‘Good heavens! And you think whoever killed the girl here also murdered someone in the States?’
‘Yes.’
Anna now began to move her script up another notch. Her instructions were to draw him out, this time flattering not his professional actor’s ego, but his other side: the sociopath. She began to describe how clever and cunning their killer was and how they were unable to find any clues anywhere. He listened attentively, sometimes shaking his head as if in awe.
She giggled. ‘I must be getting tiddly I really shouldn’t be telling you all this. I’d get in such trouble, you know. We are not supposed to ever discuss the cases we are working on with anyone outside the station.’
‘I won’t tell anyone,’ he said softly, reaching over to take her hand. ‘You can trust me, Anna; I would never repeat what you have told me, not to a soul. But it is fascinating. I find it hard to believe that this man has got away with it and even harder to believe you don’t have any clues to his identity. That said, it is really terrifying to think you actually had me questioned and for a while even contemplated that I could be involved. This man must be a monster.’
She nodded and leaned closer. ‘He is, but he’s also incredibly clever. He never leaves any DNA; no fingerprints, nothing. Not that I’m privy to all the details. My chief is a bit of a loner, you know he has a big ego trip going on.’
‘But he took you to America.’
‘Well, yes, but I was more or less just his driver.’
‘So did he get any result from there? You said you’d also been in San Francisco and Chicago.’
She shook her head and then leaned close. ‘If we don’t get something soon they’ll disband the team.’
‘No? You’re kidding me?’
‘It’s true.’
His beautiful eyes blinked in astonishment. ‘How many women has he killed?’
Anna placed her knife and fork on her plate. ‘This is very confidential. We haven’t really allowed the press to know just how dangerous this man is.’
Daniels had hardly touched his food. He neatly placed his knife and fork together on the plate and indicated the waiter should remove them. When the table was cleared, he leaned both elbows close to her.
‘How many?’ he asked in a whisper.
‘We think it’s ten.’
‘Ten?’
‘Yes, which is another reason you were questioned.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, because you were in the States at the same time as the murders. The gov has been opening up what they call the dead files, here and in the US.’
‘Dead files?’ He frowned, leaning even closer, but making no reference to the fact that he was actually in the three cities she mentioned.
‘Yes, some of the women murdered here knew your mother; they were all prostitutes and may have lived at the same house you were living in when you were a child.’