Faithfully: Chase & Halshaw #1 by Howard Mellowes Page A

there something else, sir?” asked Chase.
    “No... well, that is, I thought you were going to ask me
about Amy.”
    “What about her?”
    “Amy and me. I suppose Frank’s told you all about it
already.”
    “Why don’t you tell me your version of events,” replied
Chase, neutrally.
    “Well, Amy and I were together for a few months. Almost a
year, in fact.”
    “Recently?”
    “Not that recently, no. We split up a year or so ago.”
    “Why?”
    “Work, mainly. We both went for the same job. Amy got it,
and, well, let’s say I didn’t handle the disappointment very well.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “Well, I was better qualified, more experienced. Everyone
said I was the ideal candidate. But Bryn’s got an eye for the ladies, and Amy
used that to her advantage.”
    “You mean she slept with him to get the job?”
    “God, no! Even Amy’s not that obvious. But within weeks she
was working late, going on business trips with him. It wasn’t hard to guess
what was going on.”
    “Was that why you split up?”
    “Yes, Inspector.”
    “How do you get on with her now?”
    “We stay out of each other’s way as far as possible.
Obviously we sometimes get invited to the same meetings, though.”
    “Like the big meeting on Tuesday morning?”
    “Yes.”
    “How often does that happen?”
    “Every couple of weeks, now. It’s getting more frequent.”
    “And how does she behave towards you?”
    “She’s polite enough, I suppose. But I can’t forget what
happened. Or forgive. Even though I got this job a few months later. It’s a
better one, at least on paper, but the days of Portage’s IT department are
numbered. That was why I wanted the job working for Bryn.”
    “How do you mean?”
    He shrugged. “I wanted to be on the winning team, I
suppose.”
    Chase smiled amiably. “Thanks, Mr McKinley. That’s all for
the moment.”
    McKinley stayed rooted to his seat. “Can I ask you a
question, Inspector?”
    “Of course.”
    “Who was Amy with on Monday night?”
    “How do you mean?”
    “Well, she wasn’t at home when the burglar came, was she?
Who was she with? Bryn Lewis?”
    “I’m not sure I can answer that, Mr McKinley.”
    McKinley’s eyes flashed angrily. “Or is some other poor
bastard rogering her now?”
    Chase stared at him, lost for words.
    “She spent the night with somebody, didn’t she? Some man.
You only had to look at her on Tuesday morning to see that.”
    “Yes,” Chase replied, evenly. “She did.”
    “What!” retorted McKinley, failing to notice the dangerous
glint in Chase’s eyes.
    “She spent most of Monday night with a man. And her mother
was there too.”
    “A threesome! I might have fucking known, the bitch! Who was
he, then?”
    Chase tried not to smile. “Ken Thomas. His name is Ken
Thomas.”
    “Who is he? He doesn’t work here, does he? I’ll find the
bastard and...”
    “His name is Detective Sergeant Ken Thomas.”
    “A copper! Where do I find him?”
    “In the intensive care department at West Middlesex hospital.
He was hit by a car two nights ago, while chasing a suspect. And you, Mr
McKinley, are in a great deal of trouble.”
    “Why?” demanded McKinley, defiantly.
    “Because you trashed Amy Birkdale’s flat, didn’t you?”
    “I did not! How could you possibly think...?”
    Chase fought to control his temper. “Because you’ve made it
very clear that you have a motive. Because you’ve admitted to being in the
Chiltern Park area on Monday evening, and you could easily have slipped away
for a few minutes. I bet you even helped yourself to a bag of dog muck from a
bin in the park on your way.”
    McKinley stared at him, open-mouthed.
    “But mostly, it’s because you’re a nasty, jealous,
vindictive bastard, Mr McKinley.”
    McKinley seemed to shrink inwardly.
    “Go back to your desk, get on with your work,” Chase
commanded.
    “But...”
    “We’ll send someone round later to take fingerprints and a
DNA sample. And don’t get