Peter Diamond - 09 - The Secret Hangman by Peter Lovesey

to turn and close the door behind him. Then he said, ‘The death of . . . ?’
    ‘A waitress from Tosi’s restaurant. You were in Bath on Tuesday, right?’
    ‘Er, Tuesday. I think so.’
    ‘Can’t you remember?’
    ‘OK. Tuesday. I was there on business, visiting clients.’
    ‘People wanting to install hot tubs?’
    ‘Correct.’ He hesitated, as if to ask himself how much more these policemen knew. ‘I had three appointments in the area.’
    ‘And you stayed overnight. Why was that?’
    ‘They tend to be evening appointments, after my clients have finished work. I go to their homes, you see. It can finish quite late. The last appointment was at eight. I wasn’t away until gone nine. I don’t enjoy night driving, so I put up at a local hotel.’
    ‘And went out for a meal at Tosi’s?’
    ‘Off-hand, I couldn’t tell you the name.’
    ‘George Street.’
    ‘If that’s what you’re telling me, then it must be true.’ He was being deliberately vague, making time to get his thoughts in order.
    ‘Delia served you.’
    ‘Did she? I wouldn’t know the name of the waitress.’
    ‘She was the only one in the place.’
    ‘Then you must be right. She’s dead, you say? That’s awful.’ He shook his head.
    ‘It’s in the papers,’ Diamond said. ‘Haven’t you looked at them?’
    ‘Now that you mention it I heard something on the car radio. I didn’t make the connection.’
    ‘Then you know she was strangled and left hanging on a swing in a park.’
    ‘Er, yes.’
    ‘What time did you leave Tosi’s, Mr Monnington?’
    ‘Don’t know. Not too late. Around eleven, I think.’
    ‘And then?’
    ‘Back to the hotel. I was staying at—’
    ‘The Hilton. Room 317.’
    Concern creased his face. They had too much detail for his comfort.
    Diamond said, ‘After you left the restaurant, did you see Delia Williamson again?’
    ‘See her? Why should I? I’m in a relationship already.’ As if to underline the point his small sons upstairs started chanting, ‘Daddy, where are you?’
    ‘Did you make an arrangement to meet her?’
    ‘No.’
    The denial was just too quick.
    ‘I’ll give you a chance to answer that question again,’ Diamond said. ‘She had in her possession a book of matches from the Hilton with your room number written inside it.’
    ‘That?’ He swallowed hard. ‘It’s not what it seems.’
    ‘What is it, then?’
    He glanced towards the door as if he feared his partner was behind it. He lowered his voice. ‘You know how it is, being alone in a strange town?’
    ‘Speak up.’
    ‘I’m saying it’s no fun being stuck in a hotel when you’re used to company. The waitress was friendly, looking after me well in the restaurant, just doing her job, I suppose.’ His glance flicked from Diamond to Leaman and back again, seeking some clue that he was getting his point across. ‘I’m a bit of an optimist. I thought she fancied me. I wasn’t seriously trying to pull her, like you said. I just played a long shot, so to speak. I’m a smoker, and I happened to have the matches in my pocket. At the end of the evening I scribbled my room number on the inside and left the matches with the tip.’
    ‘Thinking she might look you up later?’
    He looked sheepish. ‘Not really. I was being playful. In real terms there was no chance at all that she’d follow it up, but I guess it might have amused her.’
    ‘A spot of harmless fun?’
    He seized on that. ‘That’s it. Harmless fun.’
    ‘You’ll have to do better than that, Mr Monnington. We found the matches in her locker.’
    ‘Maybe she was a smoker.’
    ‘Don’t push me. This is a murder inquiry. Someone met her after she finished work and later strangled her.’
    He blinked. ‘You don’t think I’m responsible?’
    ‘What did you do after leaving the restaurant?’
    ‘Made my way back to the hotel.’
    ‘Directly?’
    ‘I called at a pub for some cigarettes, but that didn’t take five minutes. I went straight to