Friday on My Mind by Nicci French Page B

was also behaving violently towards you.’
    Tanya Hopkins started to speak but Frieda turned towards her. ‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘I know that you want to protect me from myself, but I want to answer these questions. Yes, I reported Miles missing. Yes, he could be violent and chaotic in his behaviour and was sometimes psychotic.’
    ‘So,’ said Hussein, ‘now we have not one but two violentmen turning on you in the past few weeks. One of whom has gone missing and one of whom has been killed.’
    ‘That’s enough.’ Tanya Hopkins rose and looked down at Frieda, expecting her to do the same.
    ‘It probably is nearly enough,’ she agreed, staying put. ‘But I want to say that Miles is an unstable young man who might be a danger to others, but above all to himself. That’s why I reported him missing. I’m sorry he hasn’t been found or returned.’ For the first time, she seemed to relax, speaking without her cool formality. ‘As a matter of fact, it was him I was expecting to find in the morgue.’
    ‘Miles Thornton?’ Hussein remembered the quiver that had passed over Frieda Klein’s face.
    ‘Yes. Not Sandy.’
    ‘I see.’
    ‘He felt I had betrayed him when I was involved in having him sectioned some months ago. In a way, of course, I had. And, of course, in a way I had betrayed Sandy as well. He must have thought me heartlessly cruel. Sometimes I think that of myself.’
    Tanya Hopkins sat down heavily again. ‘I don’t think we need to continue this particular line.’
    ‘Dr Klein, would you give us permission to search your house?’
    ‘My house?’ A look of distress momentarily tightened her face. ‘What for?’ Hussein waited impassively. ‘No, I don’t think so. If you want to go through all my private possessions, I think you should get a search warrant.’
    ‘Very well.’
    ‘Now we really are going.’ Tanya Hopkins rose for a second time and Frieda Klein also stood. She gazed first at Hussein and then at Bryant.
    ‘You’re looking in the wrong direction,’ she said. ‘And all the time you’re doing that, the man who actually killed Sandy is allowed to get away with it.’
    ‘You mean Dean Reeve.’
    ‘Yes. I mean Dean Reeve. You seem to be a woman who wouldn’t accept other people’s versions of the truth. Follow up what I’ve said.’
    ‘Dr Klein –’
    ‘I know that patient tone of voice. Please don’t
Dr Klein
me. You’ve already decided that I’m deluded.’
    ‘You’re worse than deluded. You’re obstructive.’
    ‘You mean about the search warrant? All right.’ She shrugged wearily. ‘Search my house. Where do I sign?’
    ‘Sometimes,’ said Tanya Hopkins, taking her by the elbow and pulling her towards the door, ‘a client can be their own worst enemy. We are now leaving.’
    ‘Dr Klein?’
    Frieda, Hussein and Tanya Hopkins all looked round. It was the man leaning against the wall.
    ‘Yes?’ said Frieda.
    ‘Can I ask a question?’ he said.
    ‘Who are you?’ Frieda asked. ‘I have no idea why you’re here.’
    The man blinked again. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t introduce myself. My name’s Levin. Walter Levin.’
    ‘I mean, who
are
you?’
    ‘I’m nothing to do with the investigation. I’m on secondment from the Home Office. It’s a bit difficult to explain.’
    ‘Any questions need to go through me,’ said Tanya Hopkins.
    ‘It’s not about this case.’ Levin straightened himself.‘I’ve been reading your file.’ He beamed. ‘Fascinating stuff. Absolutely fascinating. Gosh. About the case of that girl you helped find. In the house in Croydon.’
    ‘Please.’ Hussein was exasperated. ‘We’re in the middle of an investigation.’
    ‘It’s all right.’ Frieda looked at him properly for the first time, taking in his smiling face and his sharp eyes. ‘What do you want to know?’
    ‘I was curious,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t clear from the case file what aroused your suspicion in the first