Blood Line by Lynda La Plante Read Free Book Online

all the way over in Kilburn.’
    ‘Why did you bring up that Alan might be gay?’
    ‘Way the hairy man was describing him – the clean white T-shirt, pressed jeans, rubber surgical gloves, all that – he was a mechanic, for chrissakes. Plus him being a fitness freak – I just thought he might be a closet.’
    ‘Really! Well, I don’t buy that. Let’s drop in at the Body Form gym Alan used. How long have we got?’
    ‘Two hours.’
    ‘Fine. Maybe we can also see if Tina is at work. I’d like to take a look at her salon.’
    ‘Whatever you say. But it was just a thought about Alan.’
    ‘Maybe best to keep your thoughts to yourself, Paul.’
    They drove in silence for a while and then Paul asked Anna what she was thinking. She smiled.
    ‘Just making a food shopping list in my head for later.’ She didn’t tell him what was really on her mind. Sometimes it felt as if she was acting on autopilot, that everything she said and did was just going through the motions, but she was really elsewhere, in some kind of lethargic haze. It was becoming one of those days where she was finding it hard to motivate herself to do anything, let alone her job.
    The Body Form gym was small and almost empty. There were two fitness instructors sitting at a coffee bar in a glass-fronted area where some elderly women were having an aerobics class. Music was thudding out, but the rows of equipment were stationary. The weight room had one man lifting and he looked as if he was ready for a seizure. The manager, Benjamin Issacs, was a muscular giant of a man who was clearly into bodybuilding as a daily ritual. He introduced himself as ‘Big Ben’ and then took Anna and Paul to his office and invited them to take a seat. He recalled Alan Rawlins at one time being very regular, but over the past six months he had only been in to work out a couple of times. He said he was always polite, not a mixer – and then ‘Big Ben’ laughed, observing that Alan was very different from his girlfriend.
    Tina was still a regular customer, coming in two or three times a week. She would take the advanced aerobic sessions and spend a lot of time at the coffee bar being very friendly and chatting to everyone. In fact, she had been there the previous night. He did know that Alan and Tina had met at the gym and added that he was surprised when they became engaged.
    ‘Why surprised?’
    ‘Well, she was really outgoing and he was the opposite – very quiet and studious, came in to work out and then left. He didn’t mix with anyone here, but she did. Yeah, Tina is definitely a mixer.’ Again he chuckled.
    ‘Give me a bit more detail on the mixer description?’ Anna said, smiling encouragement.
    ‘Well, not to slight her, but she did put it about a bit. She was sexy and she liked the body-builders; in fact, she went through the members like a dose of salts.’
    ‘What about after she became engaged?’
    ‘She behaved herself if he was around, but if he wasn’t, she’d be flirting as usual.’
    ‘With you, for instance?’
    Ben nodded. ‘Yeah, we had a fling a few years back, but I’m married with kids and it just . . . couldn’t happen.’
    ‘Anyone you know of recently who she was having a fling with?’
    ‘No. To be honest, it’s very quiet and we’ve had to let a couple of guys go. Business isn’t as good as it was. We pick up more of an evening, but the daytime is virtually empty.’
    ‘When she was last here, did she seem upset?’
    ‘No, she was the same as usual.’
    ‘Flirty?’ Anna smiled.
    ‘Look, don’t get me wrong, it’s just the way she is.’
    ‘When was the last time you saw Alan Rawlins?’
    ‘Like I said, a few months ago. He was no different, worked out, said a few hellos and left. When he stopped coming regular he cancelled his direct debit and just paid at the door.’
    ‘Do you think he was aware that Tina flirted when she was here?’
    ‘I don’t know. They didn’t always come in together and she was