He broke away. When he looked back he could see that once more she hugged her children to her. In the hall the Station Officer said, "Good talk, fighting talk."

"Not a lot else to say."

"You're paid to do a job."

" Yes. "

" Not to play Victim Counsellor."

" Yes. "

" The same job whether you knew him or didn't."

" Taken. "

'How many shots?"

"Twelve cartridge cases, seven hits."

" How many weapons?"

"One weapon. Pistol,. 22 calibre, with silencer. A professional's."

" And are you sure that Harry Lawrence was not the target?"

"That's the way it looks."

Erlich wrote it all down in a pocket notebook, longhand. The policeman sipped coffee. He was not welcome, Erlich knew that.

He could hardly have been welcome, because when he had entered the senior police officer's room it had been with two aides trying to keep him out by every manoeuvre other than manhandling him. He'd got there, and he was staying… He hadn't been offered coffee.

" D o you have any evidence on which to base this supposition?"

" T h e aim of the shots."

" D o you have an eyewitness?"

The grating of the cup on the saucer. A pause. The snapping of a cigarette lighter.

"That is a very straightforward question, sir."

" Yes, Mr Erlich, I have an eyewitness."

"Who saw it all?"

" So I understand, yes."

" May I talk to the eyewitness?"

"Probably – at a suitable time."

" Is tomorrow suitable?"

" I cannot say… "

Again, a pause. The smoke curled between them, eddied to Erlich's face. A telephone rang in an outer office. The policeman glanced upwards as if he hoped that the phone would give him an excuse to get rid of this intruder.