Around noon, D.I. Grainger and D.S. Kavanagh knocked on the open office door.

"Ah, Grainger, come on in. Hathaway's just gone for a smoke, but he should be back soon."

The two men came in, and Grainger shut the office door. "In fact, I was waiting until I saw him go. There's something I think you should hear first."

Lewis cocked his head inquiringly.

"The woman found on the front steps this morning was a prostitute and drug addict known as Ruby Richards. She was stabbed eighty-seven times and her eyelids and lips were glued shut with cyanoacrylate—Super Glue. When Dr. Hobson managed to get the victim's mouth open, she found the tongue was cut out and replaced by two twenty-pound notes stuffed in her mouth. And guess whose fingerprints forensics found on those notes?"

Lewis's eyes had grown wide as Grainger spoke. "Bloody hell. She grassed to me last night. I paid her the forty for it. She gave me some good leads."

Grainger turned to his sergeant. "See, Kavanagh? I told you Inspector Lewis wouldn't have paid her that much just for the pleasures of her flesh." Kavanagh chuckled a little.

The humor did not make Lewis smile, however. "Someone must have seen her talking to me. Hell, I should have been more careful, should have realized what we might be dealing with." He looked miserable. "She's dead because of me, isn't she?"

Grainger took a gentler tone. "Robbie, she was already dying of AIDS, according to Hobson. And the drugs would have killed her before much longer." He paused. Then, even more quietly, "You do realize that you may be in some danger, too, if you were seen talking to her. I'm sure it's no coincidence she was dropped on our doorstep. Though it may be the killer just guessed you were a cop and doesn't know who you are."

He gave Lewis a moment to absorb this, and then resumed a more normal tone. "Anyway, I can't hand the case over, because I have to consider you a suspect, even though I'm certain you didn't kill her. You were the last person known to see her alive, and your fingerprints are directly linked to her death. I'm sorry, Robbie. I hope you understand."

Lewis knew Grainger was right. He'd have considered himself a suspect if he were in Grainger's position. Or at least enough of a suspect that he could not be in charge of the case.

"I thought I'd let you make the decision about yesterday's Rose Hill murder, though. The two are probably linked, but if you and Hathaway want to work on it in tandem with me on this one, at least until a stronger connection is made, I'm fine with that. Or, if you feel you're in too much danger, I can take both cases. Your choice."

Lewis didn't have to think very long. "Let us stick with the Rose Hill case until we're sure they're connected. But I'll keep you up on everything we learn." He told them of the information Ruby had given him before her death.

Grainger gave a low whistle. "She must have wanted that forty quid pretty bad to give you that much. That'll shorten our inquiries by a few days. Thanks."

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