1 The Cuckoo's Calling

“Let me escort you out, then, m’dears,” he said.
With a cursory farewell to Bristow, and no word whatsoever for Strike, the
two sisters permitted themselves to be shepherded out of the restaurant by
Ursula’s husband. When the door had swung shut behind the threesome, Strike
asked Bristow:
“What was that about?”
“That was Cyprian,” said Bristow. He seemed agitated as he fumbled with his
credit card and the bill. “Cyprian May. Ursula’s husband. Senior partner at the
firm. He won’t like Tansy talking to you. I wonder how he knew where we were.
Probably got it out of Alison.”
“Why won’t he like her talking to me?”
“Tansy’s his sister-in-law,” said Bristow, putting on his overcoat. “He won’t
want her to make a fool of herself—as he’ll see it—all over again. I’ll probably
get a real bollocking for persuading her to meet you. I expect he’s phoning my
uncle right now, to complain about me.”
Bristow’s hands, Strike noticed, were trembling.
The lawyer left in a taxi ordered by the maître d’. Strike headed away from
Cipriani on foot, loosening his tie as he walked, and lost so deeply in thought that
he was only jerked out of his reverie by a loud horn blast from a car he had not
seen speeding towards him as he crossed Grosvenor Street.
With this salutary reminder that his safety would otherwise be in jeopardy,
Strike headed for a patch of pale wall belonging to the Elizabeth Arden Red Door
Spa, leaned up against it out of the pedestrian flow, lit up and pulled out his
mobile phone. After some listening and fast-forwarding, he managed to locate
that part of Tansy’s recorded testimony that dealt with those moments
immediately preceding Lula Landry’s fall past her window.
…towards the bedroom, I heard shouting. She—Lula—was saying, “It’s too
late, I’ve already done it,” and then a man said, “You’re a lying fucking bitch,”
and then—and then he threw her over. I actually saw her fall.
He could just make out the tiny chink of Bristow’s glass hitting the table top.
Strike rewound again and listened.
…saying, “It’s too late, I’ve already done it,” and then a man said, “You’re a
lying fucking bitch,” and then—and then he threw her over. I actually saw her
fall.
He recalled Tansy’s imitation of Landry’s flailing arms, and the horror on her
frozen face as she did it. Slipping his mobile back into his pocket, he took out his
notebook and began to make notes for himself.