‘Y-yes. I’ve got some Digestives in the cupboard.’
‘Lovely. My favourite.’
Toby rises slowly from his chair and backs away. He seems almost reluctant to turn his back on his visitor and doesn’t do so until he reaches the cupboards. Franklin watches him as he reaches up, opens the cupboard door and pulls out a Tupperware box. He stands there for some time, unmoving, not opening the box. And then Franklin sees the shaking in his shoulders and realises he is crying.
‘What’s the matter, Toby?’
Toby turns his tear-stained face towards him. ‘You’re… you’re not a copper, are you?’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘The questions you’re asking. The way you’ve been acting with me.’
‘You’re right. I’m not a police officer.’
‘Did you… did you kill Alexa?’
‘Yes.’
‘And Sam?’
Franklin gets up from the table. ‘Yes, and Sam. And also Oliver and his mistress.’
‘Why? Why did you kill them?’
‘It’s what I said before. About love. Love is everything, Toby. We all need it, and even if we don’t receive it, we should give it. We certainly shouldn’t destroy it. That’s the worst possible sin.’
‘And that’s what you think I did?’
‘Yes, Toby. That’s undeniable.’
‘And so you’ve come here to kill me?’
‘Yes. If it’s any consolation, I’ll make it quick in your case.’
Franklin takes a step towards Toby. He reaches into his pocket and takes out the coil of cord he intends to use.
‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you.’
Franklin freezes.
Because the voice doesn’t belong to Toby.
42
Love is a Battlefield
– Pat Benatar
Nathan Cody stands in the doorway leading to Toby’s bedroom, his eyes locked with Franklin’s.
‘Hello, Bobby,’ he says. ‘Or Detective Constable Brown. Or whatever your real name is. I assume it’s not Bobby Brown; that one’s already taken.’
‘DS Cody,’ says Franklin. ‘This is a surprise.’
Surprised seems an accurate description. Franklin doesn’t appear alarmed, and that worries Cody.
Cody smiles. ‘I thought I’d join the party. You don’t mind, do you?’
‘The more, the merrier. How did you know I’d be here?’
Cody leans against the door jamb. He tries to look relaxed, in control of the situation. In reality, he’s tensed for any sudden moves, any attempt to flee. Toby is standing in the middle of the kitchenette looking terrified.
‘Actually, I didn’t. Not yet anyway. I came here to warn Toby.’
‘Warn him? About me?’
‘Yeah. When we thought Oliver was the killer, it didn’t seem necessary. We thought he’d taken revenge on his wife and Sam Ridley for what he thought was an affair. But things are different now. You told us so yourself.’
‘I did?’
‘You couldn’t help yourself, could you? Leaving us little breadcrumbs. Teasing us with your clues. I hold my hands up – I missed most of them back in that house. But I gave our little chat a lot more thought later on.’
‘And what did you find?’
‘For one thing, you made it crystal clear that anyone who got in the way of a loving relationship deserved to die. When I asked you about Sam Ridley specifically, you said that he left you no choice. Because that’s how you work, isn’t it? You have to punish those you see as guilty. When I thought about it, I started to wonder why Toby here didn’t fit into that category. After all, he was the one who put those photographs online for everyone to see, including Oliver. I wondered why you hadn’t tried to come after him. But then you mentioned the body count, and that’s when I knew he was still in your sights.’
‘The body count?’
