1 The Cuckoo's Calling

“Lula’s driver, Kieran Kolovas-Jones…”
“Oh, that really, really cute guy?” said Bryony. “We used to tease her about
Kieran; he had such a gigantic crush on her. I think Ciara uses him now
sometimes.” Bryony gave a meaningful little giggle. “She’s got a bit of a rep as a
good-time girl, Ciara. I mean, you can’t help liking her, but…”
“Kolovas-Jones says that Lula was writing something on blue paper in the
back of his car, when she left her mother’s that day…”
“Have you talked to Lula’s mother yet? She’s a bit weird.”
“…and I’d like to find out what it was.”
Bryony flicked her cigarette stub out of the open door and shifted restlessly on
the desk.
“It could have been anything.” He waited for the inevitable suggestion, and
was not disappointed. “A shopping list or something.”
“Yeah, it could’ve been; but if, for the sake of argument, it was a suicide
note…”
“But it wasn’t—I mean, that’s silly—how could it’ve been? Who’d write a
suicide note that far in advance, and then get their face done and go out dancing?
That doesn’t make any sense at all!”
“It doesn’t seem likely, I agree, but it would be good to find out what it was.”
“Maybe it had nothing to do with her dying. Why couldn’t it have been a letter
to Evan or something, telling him how hacked off she was?”
“She doesn’t seem to have become hacked off with him until later that day.
Anyway, why would she write a letter, when she had his telephone number and
was going to see him that night?”
“I don’t know,” said Bryony restlessly. “I’m just saying, it could’ve been
something that doesn’t make any difference.”
“And you’re quite sure you didn’t see it?”
“Yes, I’m quite sure,” she said, her color definitely heightened. “I was there to
do a job, not go snooping around her stuff. Is that everything, then?”
“Yeah, I think that’s all I’ve got to ask about that afternoon,” said Strike, “but
you might be able to help me with something else. Do you know Tansy
Bestigui?”
“No,” said Bryony. “Only her sister, Ursula. She’s hired me a couple of times
for big parties. She’s awful.”