1 The Cuckoo's Calling

“For many reasons, all of them good ones, I am not in favor of raking over the
circumstances of Lula’s death. I don’t expect you to agree with me. You make
money by digging through the seamy circumstances of family tragedies.”
He flashed his aggressive, humorless smile again.
“I’m not entirely unsympathetic. We all have our livings to make, and no
doubt there are plenty of people who would say my profession is just as parasitic
as yours. It might be helpful to both of us, though, if I lay certain facts in front of
you, facts I doubt John has chosen to disclose.”
“Before we get into that,” said Strike, “what exactly is keeping John at the
office? If he isn’t going to make it, I’ll arrange an alternative appointment with
him; I’ve got other people to see this afternoon. Is he still trying to sort out this
Conway Oates business?”
He knew only what Ursula had told him, that Conway Oates had been an
American financier, but this mention of the firm’s dead client had the desired
effect. Landry’s pomposity, his desire to control the encounter, his comfortable
air of superiority, vanished entirely, leaving him clothed in nothing but temper
and shock.
“John hasn’t—can he really have been so…? That is strictly confidential
business of the firm!”
“It wasn’t John,” said Strike. “Mrs. Ursula May mentioned that there’s been a
bit of trouble around Mr. Oates’s estate.”
Clearly thrown, Landry spluttered, “I am very surprised—I wouldn’t have
expected Ursula—Mrs. May…”
“So will John be along at all? Or have you given him something that will keep
him busy all through lunch?”
He enjoyed watching Landry wrestle his own temper, trying to regain control
of himself and the encounter.
“John will be here shortly,” he said finally. “I hoped, as I said, to be able to lay
certain facts in front of you, in private.”
“Right, well, in that case, I’ll need these,” said Strike, removing a notebook
and pen from his pocket.
Landry looked quite as put out by the sight of these objects as Tansy had.
“There’s no need to take notes,” he said. “What I’m about to say has no
bearing—or at least, no direct bearing—on Lula’s death. That is,” he added
pedantically, “it will add nothing to any theory other than that of suicide.”