Chapter Twenty-three

Rydell Winston looks to be in his early sixties, receding brown hair peppered with grey. He's shorter than Robin was expecting, and better looking. And she can tell at a glance that, though he's dressed casually in a sweater and jeans, his clothes are expensive. If she didn't already know his profession, she'd guess doctor or lawyer. As they enter the ornate dining room, he stands and approaches, greeting her, "Ms. Ellacott, pleasure to meet you."

She accepts his handshake and polite air kiss beside her cheek, saying, "Please call me 'Robin'."

With a warm smile, he obliges, "Robin. And you must call me 'Dell'." He waits until she's complied before releasing her.

Strike offers his hand, announcing, "Most people call me by my surname, but I'm not fussy."

The men shake hands so firmly that Robin imagines shockwaves, and Dell says, "Strike. I've heard good things about you." Including Robin in his sweeping gaze, he gestures to the dining table, saying, "About both of you. Please, sit. Tony took your requests?"

He's looking at Robin, so she's remembering "potato gnocchi with peas and parmesan" when she says, "Uh, yes, thank you." She sits down, asking, "You have a cook?"

Dell smiles and explains, "A chef. I poached him from a Michelin-starred restaurant." Patting his slightly rounded belly, he says, "I'll soon need to add a few laps to my morning swim, but it's worth it." Then looking to Strike and back to Robin, he asks, "Now, would you prefer to discuss business before or after dining?"

Feeling a little lost, Robin looks to her partner, who says, "Your house, your rules."

Dell nods, and says, "Then I'd prefer to eat first. Would either of you like anything to drink?"

Robin has prepared an excuse—other than her pregnancy—for refusing alcohol, and now says, "No, thank you. It's kind of you to offer, but we're technically on duty."

With a smile of acceptance, Dell then nods at Tony, standing silent and vigilant by the door, who exits without a word. Having agreed to subsist on small talk until later, Strike then can't think of anything to discuss, but is saved by Robin saying, "You have a lovely home. How long have you lived here?"

Dell smiles and replies, "I'm glad you approve. I've been here eleven years. I bought the place fully furnished, and my wife decorated, so I'm afraid that I can't take much credit for its beauty." When Robin opens her mouth to ask about his wife, he explains, "She died, eight years ago."

Mortified to have unwittingly blundered into a sensitive subject, Robin stammers, "Oh, I...I'm so sorry."

Dell waves away her concerns, saying, "It's all right; it was a long time ago." And then his posture straightens, and he continues, "Perhaps we'll discuss business now after all. You see, I'd been grieving for a long time. My wife was murdered by a rival, and I never wanted to feel that pain again." Feeling ill with sympathy, Robin glances at Strike for help, but he's staring at their host, so she returns her attention to Dell as he offers a sweet smile, saying, "Yes, it was pretty grim. But he who lives by the sword... Anyway, to put it delicately, I still had needs, but was reluctant to put another woman in that much danger, and ultimately found my way to Catrin Baker. You might find it hard to believe, but the many phone calls we had, over a period of several months, were mostly platonic. I guess what I missed most about being married was in fact the companionship."

"I can believe that," comments Robin. And then she realises something, and says, "You weren't her only real-life client; you were her boyfriend."

Dell literally rocks back in his seat in shock, laughs a little and then asks, "How...?"

Smiling, Strike says, "Rob's good at reading people."

Looking somewhat recovered, Dell addresses Robin, "Evidently. My compliments. The police never suspected, and they interrogated me for five hours. I told the lie about paying for Cat's time so they wouldn't suspect the depths of my feelings, and thereafter fasten on me as the main suspect in her disappearance."

Robin remembers, "But you had an alibi; you weren't even in the country."

With a small shrug, Dell explains, "A man in my position will always have an alibi, so they assumed I'd contrived to be elsewhere to cover the fact that I'd had Cat killed."

"But you hadn't. You really loved her."

After a few rapid blinks, making Robin wonder if he's almost moved to tears, Dell says, "Yes. And I'd very much like to know what happened to her."

Finally understanding why they're here, Robin glances at Strike and back to Dell before guessing, "You want us to tell you what we find out. If Cat was the victim of foul play, you want the identity of the offender."

With a nod, Dell says, "You can name your price, up to and including a favour from me. If you don't know the value of such a boon, your partner almost certainly does."

Strike begins "We'd have to think about_" and is cut off by Robin simply saying, "No."

Unphased, Dell holds her gaze and merely echoes, "No?"

Her brain catches up with what she's just done—refuse a man who could easily have the detectives killed—and she has to swallow before finding the courage to explain, "Not unless you promised they would come to no harm. And, no disrespect intended, but I wouldn't believe you."

Dell studies her for several seconds, and Robin only notices that she's holding her breath when he smiles, saying, "And you'd be correct not to." She's taken a deep breath when he adds, "In that case, is there any way I can assist you in your efforts?"

Robin is considering his request when Strike asks, "Why didn't you open your own investigation?"

Dell looks at him to explain, "I did, when the Met came up short, but might have chosen the wrong detective agency. McCabe's man found nothing new. That was after a discreet investigation and monetary incentive had likewise failed to find any trace of her." With a shrug and small grimace, he continues, "And perhaps I was too easily persuaded by the official verdict, that Cat merely chose to walk away from her life in search of something better. I know she had a problem with how I made a living, even though I assured her she'd never be touched by that part of my life."

Robin hears the sympathy in Strike's voice when he reminds their host, "You, of all people, know that you can't promise that."

Dell concedes the point with a nod, saying, "True, but I would have done my best, and none of us can do more." The door opens and he glances that way, adding, "For now, we eat." Looking at Robin, he concludes, a twinkle in his eye, "While I try to change your mind."

Strike chuckles and says, "Good luck."

Replete and exhausted after a delicious but stressful dinner, Robin and Strike look at each other on the cobblestones outside Dell's lavish residence, and laugh at the same time before she comments, "Interesting evening."

They both start heading home as Strike says, "Could say that. Weird, isn't it, that such finery exists within walking distance of the agency?"

Robin slips her arm through his, saying, "That's London for you, and one of the reasons I love this city. I wasn't sure I ever would, but it really is growing on me."

Vape pen already in his mouth, Strike exhales the vapour away from her and says, "Good, because I couldn't be fagged training up another partner." Glancing at her, he asks, "You okay after all that? You handled it well."

His compliments mean more, because he only offers them when sincere, and Robin feels the blush spreading across her cheeks as she says, "Thanks. You said to behave normally. I only freaked out after turning him down. I hope that was okay? I just...I'm sorry, but I couldn't hand anyone over to him, even a killer."

"No, that's okay. I was going to be more diplomatic about it, but we're sympatico on that point, don't worry."

They walk in silence for a few seconds, while Strike takes another hit of nicotine, and then Robin says, "He's quite well-spoken. Was he born wealthy?"

Strike chuckles and reveals, "He was born half a block from Shanker, in probably even grimmer circumstances. I'd say a large part of his fortune has gone to etiquette and elocution lessons. He's mostly legit nowadays, and is probably trying to reinvent himself."

"Because of Cat?"

"Maybe. More likely he's had enough of dealing with people who'd kill his lover to make a point."

That's enough to still Robin's tongue for a while, and then she says, "If we're right, two of his lovers have been killed."

She feels rather than sees Strike's regard, and he says, "Yeah. No one should have to endure that, poor bastard."

They again walk in a companiable silence for a while, and then Robin reveals, "Strike, if that bomb had taken more than your leg, I'd still want to marry you."

With a slight shake of his head, Strike asks, "Sorry?"

Tugging on his arm to stop their progress, Robin faces him to explain, "It's like what Dell said, about missing companionship more than sex. You're the best friend I've ever had. I respect you. I admire you. And, even if we couldn't have intercourse, I'd still want to spend every day of my life with you."

With a slight smile, as if he's amused but trying to hide it, Strike says, "Good to know. Thanks."

When she says nothing else, he offers Robin the crook of his arm, and they're again walking together. Eventually, unable to tolerate the now heavy silence, she asks, "Aren't you going to reciprocate?"

Glancing at her, Strike asks, "You want me to say that I'd still want to marry you if we couldn't fuck?"

Exasperated at his no doubt deliberate obtuseness, she rolls her eyes, saying, "Yes." Strike simply returns his gaze to the path ahead, until Robin eventually asks, "Well?"

She can see that he's trying not to smile when he says, "I haven't decided yet." So she finds a way inside his coat to attack his ticklish ribs. He stops and fends her off, relenting, "Okay, okay, I'd still want to marry you."

Even though he was obviously teasing earlier, Robin begs, "Don't say it unless you mean it."

Strike embraces her and says, "I mean it. You're not the only one marrying their best friend. I wouldn't like not being able to have sex with you, but I'd still want to be with you. I love working cases with you, living with you, loving you. Hell, I don't even mind when we argue, because I always learn something about you, and myself."

Now unable to stop smiling, Robin asks, "What do you learn about yourself?"

"Oh, mostly that there's not much I wouldn't do for you. I suspect that I'd rather lose an argument than make you unhappy."

Delirious with joy, Robin says, "That's a lot of ammunition you've just given me. Sure you can trust me not to take advantage?"

Just before their lips meet, Strike vows, "I'll risk it."