DAIDRE TRAHAIR NOT BEING AT HOME, THERE WAS NOTHING for it but to return to the police station in Casvelyn, which was what Bea and DS Havers did. Bea wedged her card into the cottage doorway in Polcare Cove before they left, with a note scribbled upon it, asking the vet to phone or to come to the station, but she didn’t have much faith in that producing any positive results. Dr. Trahair was, after all, without a telephone or a mobile and, considering her dealings with the truth so far?which could best be described as either fast and loose or nonexistent?she wouldn’t be entirely motivated to get in touch with them anyway. She was a liar. They now knew she was a liar. She now knew they knew she was a liar. With that combination of rather compelling details as the background of Bea’s request that she get in touch, why would Daidre Trahair want to place herself in a position where a nasty confrontation with the cops was likely?
“He’s not looking at things the way he ought,” Bea said to DS Havers abruptly as they headed upwards and out of Polcare Cove. Her thoughts had made a natural segue. Daidre Trahair and Polcare Cottage led inevitably to Thomas Lynley and Daidre Trahair and Polcare Cottage. Bea didn’t like the fact that Lynley had been there, acting the part of informal greeting party to her and DS Havers. Even less did she like the fact that Lynley had protested a bit too much when it came to Daidre Trahair’s innocence in all matters pertaining to Santo Kerne.
“He’s got a thing about keeping all the possible options in place as possible options,” Havers said. The way she sounded was something Bea thought of as cautiously casual, and the DI narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The sergeant, she saw, was looking steadily forward, as if, as she spoke, a study of the lane were imperative for some reason. “That’s all that was, that business at the cottage. He looks at situations and sees them the way the CPS would see them. Forget an arrest for the moment, he thinks. The real question is: Is this good enough to take into court? Yes or no? If it’s a no, he makes everyone keep digging. Gives you aggro-and-a-half sometimes, but it all comes right in the end.”
“That being the case, we might ask ourselves why he’s reluctant to dig into Dr. Trahair’s story, mightn’t we?”
“I think he reckons the Newquay angle is stronger. But no matter, really. He’ll pick up where he left off on her.”
Bea eyed Havers again. The DS’s body language didn’t meet her tone, one tense and the other too easy. There was far more here than met the eye, and Bea reckoned she knew what it was. “Rock and a hard place,” she said to Havers.
“What?” Havers glanced at her.
“You, Sergeant Havers. That’s where you are, isn’t it? Loyalty to him versus loyalty to the job. Question is, how will you make the choice if you have to?”
Havers smiled thinly, clearly without humour. “Oh, I know how to choose when it comes to it, Guv. I didn’t get where I am by choosing like a fool.”
“All of which is defined by the individual, isn’t it?” Bea noted. “The choosing-like-a-fool bit. I’m not an idiot, Sergeant. Don’t play me for one.”
“I hope I wouldn’t be that stupid.”
“Are you in love with that man?”
“Who?” Then Havers’ eyes widened. She had unappealingly small eyes, but when she opened them wide, Bea saw their attractive colour, which was highland sky blue. “D’you mean the super??” Havers used her thumb to point in the direction Lynley had taken ahead of them. “We’d make quite the couple, wouldn’t we?” She barked a laugh. “Like I said, Guv, I bloody well hope I wouldn’t be that stupid.”