‘It’s lovely out there now – all those clouds seem to have lifted and a bit of sun does us all good. And nothing beats a woman-to-woman talk without a helpful man around. I’ll tell Mark’s secretary you’re nipping out. And I’ll tell Mr Gates’ secretary you’re out following a vital lead.’Fran shook her head emphatically. ‘Tell her I’m at a top-level meeting – that’ll impress Gates far more.’ Once on the road, however, she asked herself what she was doing, wasting time, not to mention all that fuel, when an email or a phone call would have done just as well. She was being stupid and irresponsible – but she wasn’t going to turn back.Dr Harris was obviously surprised to see her, as she might well be.‘I was just passing,’ Fran lied, ‘so I thought I’d pop in to see if you’ve got any test results for me.’‘The Lady in the Lake case.’ Harris’s sneer was audible. ‘Cliché it may be, but maybe the media will elicit a response from the public,’ Fran parried.
