Amanda Bradley was the ‘lawyer cow’ Hardin was talking about. Unfortunately, Stapleton knew how to pull the strings and as soon as Kendwick had been arrested the journalist had been on the phone to Bradley. She had, unsurprisingly, been only too keen to get involved. Savage had tangled many times with Bradley and knew she regarded her with contempt. The feeling was mutual.
‘Sir, we are where we are,’ Savage said. ‘Kendwick is under suspicion of murder, if he’s guilty it won’t matter if he’s got Wonder Woman in there with him.’
‘Huh? Oh, I see. Well then, get in there. Do your stuff.’
A few minutes later, Savage entered the interview room with DC Calter. Kendwick sat at a table with Amanda Bradley alongside. Bradley was, despite the time of night, immaculately turned out in her best suit, the jacket open and several buttons of the shirt undone so as to reveal her ample cleavage. Like Melissa Stapleton, Bradley wore bright-red lipstick. Savage wondered if the colour was a warning. Certainly, the solicitor always meant business and more often than not came out on top.
Savage and Calter pulled out chairs and sat. Bradley bared her teeth, showing what Savage had always assumed were artificially sharpened canines. Kendwick laughed, seemingly in good humour, despite his predicament.
‘I’m hurt, Charlotte,’ Kendwick said. ‘About this evening. You didn’t have to come in there like that. You could have just knocked. I’d have made you a cup of something or maybe poured you a glass of wine. We could have got friendly. Still, I like strong women.’ Kendwick turned to Bradley for a second and then glanced across at Calter and winked. ‘Looks like I’ve got my hands full tonight. I’d better be a good boy, right?’
Savage ignored Kendwick and gestured at Calter. The DC explained the interview procedure and set up the recording equipment.
‘Yeah, yeah.’ Kendwick dismissed Calter with a wave. ‘I’ve been through this all before in the States. Mind you, the police can be a bit rough over there. Especially the females.’
‘Where were you yesterday evening, Malcolm?’ Savage said. ‘Specifically, from nine p.m. till three or four in the morning.’
‘You found a body,’ Kendwick said, ignoring the question. His right hand went behind his head and he began to twirl his ponytail round his forefinger. ‘I know because Amanda told me. Shocking. I was obviously wrong about Devon. It’s a dangerous world out there, even in sleepy cream-tea country. Better lock up your daughters.’ Kendwick nodded and gave a little smirk. ‘Especially your daughters, hey, Charlotte? Let them out of your sight for just one minute and they’re gone. Puff.’
Unlike at Kendwick’s place, this time Savage didn’t rise to the bait. The interview was on camera after all. Once more she wondered how the hell Kendwick knew so much about her personal circumstances, knew, it appeared, about the death of her daughter, Clarissa. But then Bradley had probably filled Kendwick in on the details he hadn’t been able to find on the web. She’d have delighted in telling him all about Savage’s problems.
‘Where were you yesterday evening, Malcolm?’ Savage repeated the question, this time speaking slowly and emphasising every word.
‘Look, I understand you’re worried there’s a serial killer on the loose, but you needn’t be concerned about me. The only young lass I’ve been near last night was the barmaid in the Globe Inn. She’s a lovely girl, top-heavy where it counts, know what I mean? Beautiful smile, too. Trouble is, she’s a brunette and, to coin a phrase, gentlemen prefer blondes.’ Kendwick smiled again and then opened his mouth in mock shock. ‘No! Don’t tell me, this new girl, she is blonde?’
‘Stop playing fucking games with us, Malcolm. It’s a bit of a coincidence that a few days after you arrive in Devon a girl is abducted, murdered, and left on the moor. This isn’t a joking matter, so just answer my question. Where were you?’
‘I told you. I was in the pub to start with and then I shifted to a restaurant down the street. I had a leisurely meal and I think I tumbled in to my place around eleven-thirty. I was tucked up in bed and sleeping like a baby by twelve.’
‘So you can’t prove where you were after that?’
Kendwick shrugged. ‘No, not unless a full transcript of my dreams might convince you. Then again, I think I might need to plead the Fifth Amendment before I let you into that little world. My dreams are, well, they’re a little sordid.’
‘Do you know the moor up near Combestone Tor?’
‘No, but it sounds like my kind of place. Is that where the girl was found?’
Savage ignored Kendwick’s question. ‘You’ve never been there then?’
‘Not that I can remember.’ Kendwick shook his head. ‘I guess I could have visited when I lived in Devon years ago.’
‘But not since you’ve been back here?’
‘No, definitely not.’ Kendwick grinned and moistened his top lip with his tongue. ‘Wild, is it? Remote? The sort of place you might hide something if you didn’t want anybody to find it?’
Savage paused. Kendwick was either very good at bluffing or he really knew nothing about Combestone Tor’s proximity to the road and popularity as a picnic spot. She turned to Calter.
‘Mr Kendwick,’ Calter said. ‘You’re aware we’re searching your house?’
‘Malcolm, please.’ Kendwick leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘I do so like to be on first-name terms with gorgeous women.’
‘Ms Bradley?’ Calter said, turning to the solicitor. ‘You might like to inform your client that acting like a creepy little slug isn’t going to do his case any good.’
‘Cut the compliments, Malcolm,’ Bradley said. ‘They’re wasted on these two anyway.’
‘Suits me.’ Kendwick shrugged. ‘I’ll save the tongue-work for the barmaid at the pub.’
Savage stared across the table at Kendwick, trying to work out the man. Surely he didn’t believe in his own patter? Likely he was someone who got a thrill out of using his power to subjugate other people. The power could be simple physical force, or it could be psychological. Savage tapped Calter on the arm, encouraging her to go on.
‘As I was saying,’ Calter continued. ‘We’ve got a team going through your house at the moment.’
‘Well, they won’t find much. I only arrived with a couple of bags and haven’t had time to do much shopping yet. I need to get some pictures up, personalise the place, scatter a few little … knick … knick … knick … around the house. What’s the word? Oh yes, knick-knacks.’
‘You’re on dangerous ground, Malcolm,’ Savage said. ‘Are you aware the killer in America took the girls’ underwear as some kind of memento?’
‘He didn’t?’ Kendwick feigned surprise and then half turned to Bradley. ‘Can we get this over and done with, Amanda? These two are making it up as they go along.’
‘How long will the search take, DI Savage?’ Bradley said. ‘Because I assume that once you’ve finished and, provided you’ve found nothing, my client can go.’
‘Mr
