As Sophia continued to debate her existence, Crystal lumbered into the flat and dropped two brown bags of groceries on the kitchen worktop and headed out of the flat again. She returned with a box.

“What did you buy?” Sophia asked.

“Things,” Crystal signed. After stuffing the bags into the small fridge without emptying them, she took the box, laid it at Sophia’s feet, and began rifling through the contents. “What did you do to the floor?”

“I had some fun with masking tape.” She had taped a body outline on the floor, right where the stain on the carpet was. “I imagine the poor soul was shot in the chest.”

Crystal laughed.

Sophia turned her attention back to the box. “What’s this?” Sophia signed. “How much did you spend? I gave you my credit card.” She sat cross-legged on the floor.

“It’s a mobile phone. But, I need it.”

“What for?” asked Sophia.

“To make your life easier, of course.” Crystal tapped her friend on the shoulder and rose to her feet. She took a mobile phone from the box and unwrapped it. She plugged it into the wall and immediately started for her laptop. “You constantly complain that Liam remotely bugs your mobile. Well, I think I’ve found a solution.”

“How will you do that?” Sophia continued to unpack the box which held thin wires, a mini soldering iron, and other micro-electronic parts.

“Coding, my friend, what we do best. By the way, I think you should disable your GPS tracker.”

“I’ve considered that option but I do want people, especially you, to know where I am when in an emergency. And although I don’t want the government—or Liam—to have access to my every conversation, I do take comfort in knowing they can protect me if they know what I’m up to.”

“Then, let me just tweak it a bit.”

“At least you can work. I’m envious, you can’t hear the noise coming from the flat above.”

“Oh, I feel it. Just because I’m deaf doesn’t mean I can’t feel.”

“Just because you’re deaf doesn’t mean you can steal my credit card to buy yourself a new mobile phone. I see you bought two.” Sophia gave Crystal a wink. The first year the two worked together, they carried on a long-running “just because you’re deaf” joke. It had bonded the two women working in a mostly male environment. When they met condescending, chauvinistic attitudes from their male counterparts, they expressed their anger and frustration through sign.

“Has the woman done anything while I was gone?”

“Well, let’s see,” Sophia said, sliding her notepad down off the table and laying it at her feet. “She’s made six cups of tea, peed five cups worth, washed the dishes, made her bed, showered, crocheted a little more on the blanket, watched an episode of Corrie, rolled pennies, and loads of other boring things. I think she knows we’re watching and is torturing us. Now she’s vacuuming the hall carpets.”

Sophia’s mobile phone vibrated on the floor. Crystal picked it up and finger-spelt L-i-a-m before handing it to her co-worker. Sophia was about to put her mobile into her pocket but Crystal waved her hands about.

“Answer it,” she signed. “You might find him to be the most irritating person on planet Earth but he is still your superior.”

Sophia sighed. “Hello, Liam, to what do I owe the honor of hearing your voice?”

“I was wondering if you needed me to bring you two some lunch?” he asked. “Chinese take-away or something.”

“That’s all right, Liam. Crystal has bought us food for our incredibly exciting assignment. You won’t believe what a laugh we’re having.” She related all the suspect’s activities, including trips to the loo and putting the kettle on. If she had to suffer, he might as well be made to hear it.

“I really appreciate that you’re doing this for me.”

She could hear him breathing deeply on the other end of the phone.

Then, he continued, “I know this is not why you signed up for the security service, but with—”

“You owe me, all right?” She cut him off. About once a day he came to her, or rang her up to thank her. Or apologize to her for his asinine remarks. She wasn’t going to let him have the satisfaction this morning. “I have to get back to work.” She rang off.

Crystal stared at her.

“What?” Sophia asked.

“Why are you always so rude with him? He fancies you, you know.”

“I was perfectly civil. Besides, how do you know what I was saying?”

“I can see your face when you talk to him. I know how you’re feeling.”

Sophia sighed. “I don’t want him to get any ideas. Besides, he’s irritating as hell. Almost every day he asks me for coffee or dinner. I feel bad because I just can’t, it’s too soon. Everything . . . I want to leave dating behind for a while. Dating, love, men. The whole lot.”

Crystal just signed, “Men.”

Crystal had her share of bad relationships. She had never married, but raised two boys on her own. Even now that her sons were grown, Sophia had never seen her with any men. She never talked about them.

“Would you like me to make you a sandwich?” Sophia asked, getting up and stretching her legs.

Crystal nodded.

Sophia walked to the fridge and pulled out the two bags and emptied the bread, ham, cheese, various condiments, and paper plates onto the worktop. A large spider crawled out from behind the coffee maker and Sophia threw a piece of bread down on it. “Gross.”

Crystal watched and laughed silently at her.

When Sophia returned with the food, Crystal signed, “Your friend Mr. Blackwell received a new case this morning: a sixty-two-year-old man was stabbed.”

“Oh?” Sophia didn’t want to seem too interested, but she knew Crystal was too clever to fool. “That’s too bad. Why would anyone want to stab an old man? Was he mugged?”

“No, murdered while fetching the paper. Do you want the details?” Crystal pointed at her computer screen.

“Nah, it sounds unexciting. What is she doing now?” Sophia pointed at the monitor. Elaine Smith had moved on from vacuuming to the computer.

“Tweeting.”

“What’s she been tweeting?”

Crystal turned the screen and Sophia read the list, The cat wants out. It’s 10:35 and I’m on my second pot of coffee. I can pay loads for the London look and look like a whore. I should be crying at the airport not watching the bloody airline commercials. The cat is going to scratch my screen door to shreds. Sophia turned to her aide and signed, “Do you think there’s a message somewhere in there?”

“Sure. I see it loud and clear. Something to the effect that she needs a life.”

“There’s no way she does this every day, does she?”

Chapter Ten

The only Tipring found in Maddock’s address book were Henry and Diane Tipring. A phone call revealed that Henry was father of the deceased and Diane his sister. The family lived not far outside of London so Theo and Dorland set an appointment to meet them at one the same afternoon.

Henry and Diane Tipring lived in luxury with gates, gardens, and stables. Theo drove his Jeep up the long gravel drive to an entrance porch held up by four columns. When they rang the large pull bell an older lady opened the door and ushered them into the entrance hall. Theo could imagine young ladies in Empire dresses making their entrance to the ball down the stone staircase with a detailed iron balustrade.

“Diane Tipring?” Theo asked.

“Follow me, please,” the woman said, and led them into a reception room to the right of the hall. An older man sat in a wheelchair by the bay window with a plaid blanket over his lap. His eyes were closed, and he seemed content letting the sun shine upon him.

“Who is it?” the older man asked. “I don’t want any of it, you hear. Don’t you be buying any of their wares. You hear, Diane, do you hear me? Salesmen.”

“It’s the police, Father. They’re here about Maddock.”