Someone You Know by Brian McGilloway Read Free Book Online Page B

Lucy asked.
    Kay considered the question. ‘I was at church at eleven,’ he said. ‘Then I went straight to my sister’s for Sunday lunch. I took a taxi to church, so I left here just after half ten. I didn’t come back until about six.’
    â€˜Did you go back out again last night?’
    â€˜I don’t go out at night,’ Kay said. ‘That group of thugs out there hang around the streets drinking every night. It’s not safe. Not that the police do anything about it.’
    â€˜You didn’t have anyone here with you, who could confirm that you were at home?’
    â€˜What do you think?’ Kay snapped. ‘Of course I didn’t.’
    â€˜What about last Thursday? Do you remember where you were on Thursday?’
    â€˜I was in bed sick most of last week,’ Kay added. ‘I’ve a prescription from the chemist’s to prove it. I can get it if you want.’
    Fleming nodded. ‘That would be helpful. Nothing serious, I trust.’
    Kay hoisted himself out of the armchair and padded out to the kitchen. He returned with a small bottle of cough mixture, dated the previous Thursday.
    â€˜Does your pharmacist deliver?’
    â€˜No. I had to go out with a dose to get it.’
    Fleming glanced at the bottle. ‘Of course, that doesn’t prove you were in your bed sick.’
    â€˜Well I was,’ Kay said. ‘You people are torturing me, you know that? That gang out there, seeing you coming here. They’ll be attacking me while I sleep.’
    Lucy had to stop herself from commenting on the irony of such a comment. Kay had been arrested in Limavady after several years of abusing one of his neighbour’s sons. He had first assaulted the child while babysitting for the couple when the wife went into labour. The abuse had continued for eight years. Kay had served less than half that in prison as punishment.
    â€˜Karen Hughes was murdered, Gene,’ Lucy said. ‘Black dog hairs were found on her clothing. You have a black dog, don’t you?’
    â€˜Half the town has black dogs.’
    â€˜But not a record for sexual assault as well,’ Lucy retorted.
    Kay straightened himself, regarded Lucy coolly. ‘You’re a smart one, aren’t you? I’d nothing to do with whoever was killed. I never killed no one. The only person I’ll ever be hurting is myself someday if you people don’t leave me in peace.’
    â€˜It would be really helpful if we could maybe get a strand of your dog’s hair,’ Lucy said. ‘To compare with the strands we found.’
    â€˜Don’t you need a warrant for something like that?’ Kay asked.
    â€˜We could get one,’ Lucy agreed.
    â€˜Although, making us go for a warrant suggests you’re reluctant to help with our inquiries,’ Fleming added. ‘It might look like you have something to hide.’
    â€˜I don’t want her hurt,’ Kay said. ‘I won’t have anyone hurt Mollie.’
    Lucy said nothing.
    At Kay’s mention of her name though, the dog itself appeared at the door of the kitchen, yawning lazily, its tongue lolling to one side. Mollie crossed to Lucy and sniffed at her legs, the dog’s tail offering a desultory wag, then falling limp.
    Lucy reached into her pockets and pulled on a glove. Bending down, she held out her hand. Mollie approached tentatively, sniffing at the latex of the glove before tasting it with a quick lather of her tongue. She moved closer to Lucy, allowing Lucy first to rub her hand across the dome of the animal’s head, then to bury her hand among the thicker fur at the top of her spine. Lucy rubbed vigorously at the fur, as if petting the dog, then checked her hand. A few black strands of hair clung to the glove.
    â€˜Do you consent to our taking these for testing?’ Lucy asked.
    Kay nodded, once, curtly. He took a last drag from his cigarette then threw the butt into the hearth,