1 The Cuckoo's Calling

mind me telling Tansy who your father is? It—it helped get her to talk to you.
She’s impressed by famous people.”
“All’s fair in securing a witness statement,” said Strike. “You say that Lula
didn’t like Tony, and yet she took his name professionally?”
“Oh no, she chose Landry because it was Mum’s maiden name; nothing to do
with Tony. Mum was thrilled. I think there was another model called Bristow.
Lula liked to stand out.”
They wove their way through passing cyclists, bench-picnickers, dog walkers
and roller skaters, Strike trying to disguise the increasing unevenness in his step.
“I don’t think Tony’s ever really loved anyone in his life, you know,” said
Bristow suddenly, as they stood aside to allow a helmeted child, wobbling along
on a skateboard, to pass. “Whereas my mother’s a very loving person. She loved
all three of her children very much, and I sometimes think Tony didn’t like it. I
don’t know why. It’s something in his nature.
“There was a breach between him and my parents after Charlie died. I wasn’t
supposed to know what was said, but I heard enough. He as good as told Mum
that Charlie’s accident was her fault, that Charlie had been out of control. My
father threw Tony out of the house. Mum and Tony were only really reconciled
after Dad died.”
To Strike’s relief, they had reached Exhibition Road, and his limp became less
perceptible.
“Do you think there was ever anything between Lula and Kieran Kolovas-
Jones?” he asked, as they crossed the street.
“No, that’s just Tony leaping to the most unsavory conclusion he can think of.
He always thought the worst when it came to Lula. Oh, I’m sure Kieran would
have been only too eager, but Lula was smitten by Duffield—more’s the pity.”
They walked on down Kensington Road, with the leafy park to their left, and
then into the white-stuccoed territory of ambassadors’ houses and royal colleges.
“Why do you think your uncle didn’t come and say hello to you, when he
called at your mother’s the day she got out of hospital?”
Bristow looked intensely uncomfortable.
“Had there been a disagreement between you?”
“Not…not exactly,” said Bristow. “We were in the middle of a very stressful
time at work. I—ought not to say. Client confidentiality.”
“Was this to do with the estate of Conway Oates?”