Chapter 31
The second phone call came thirty minutes after the first. The first had been Estelle saying that Esmerée had identified her mother by the tattoo.
Poe didn’t ask if she was sure. He doubted there was another tattoo like it.
He said he was due in to Carlisle in three hours. With any luck, he’d be home in four.
The second call was from Mark Buckby. He wasn’t happy.
‘You still in London, Mr Poe?’
‘Just left. What’s up, Mark?’
‘That photo you sent me,’ Buckby said. ‘It’s caused me a bit of trouble.’
He’d only had it an hour, Poe thought. He said, ‘Trouble? What kind of trouble?’
‘I did what you asked. Forwarded it to a load of my old contacts. Thought someone might recognise ’er cos of the tattoo.’
‘And someone did?’
‘Nothing like that, Mr Poe,’ Buckby said. He didn’t add anything and Poe thought they might have been cut off. The phone signal on the West Coast Main Line was notoriously spotty.
‘Are you still there, Mark?’
‘One of my old mates called me in a panic. Said something strange.’
‘What?’
‘Wouldn’t say much. Not over the dog and bone.
’ Buckby paused, then went on, ‘Look, ’ow quickly can you get back down ’ere?
You’ve fair spooked this geezer. And this is a man who don’t spook easily.
Did some heavy work back in the day. Muscle for some of the local faces.
He said he’s going to pretend he didn’t see the photo.
Suggested I did the same. But he’s agreed to talk to you, though only if it’s today.
Tomorrow he’s leaving London and he ain’t saying where he’s going. ’
Warrington Bank Quay was the first stop, and they weren’t due there for another hour. If Poe got off there and caught the first train back to Euston, he reckoned he could be at Elephant and Castle within four hours. Certainly no more than five. He said this to Buckby.
‘OK, that’ll ’ave to do. I’ll text you my ’ome address. Get my pal to meet us there. See you in four hours, Mr Poe.’
‘Wait!’ Poe said before he could hang up. ‘Did your friend say anything?’
‘Yeah, he did,’ Buckby replied. ‘He said the tattoo’s an urban myth. That it shouldn’t exist. That it can’t exist.’