Chapter 78
Bradshawchecked her watch. ‘It’s about right. Voting will rise exponentially as people discover the website and begin to share the link and talk about it online.’
‘And you’re certain Salt is going to win?’ Poe said.
‘I am, Poe.’
‘But he’s losing now.’
‘This time tomorrow over a million votes will have been cast.’
‘Really?’
‘If I’m right.’
‘And if you’re wrong?’
‘I’m not wrong, Poe. Douglas Salt will win this by a margin of at least three to one.’
The counter clicked again.
Douglas Salt: 00000000
Chrissie Stringer: 00000002
‘OK, well there’s nothing to be gained from watching this all night,’ Poe said. ‘I’m going to do my rounds. Make sure there are no teething problems. And then I think I’ll go through Estelle’s file again.’
‘Do you want me to help you, Poe?’
‘Yes please, Tilly. We still can’t explain the impossible.’
‘Which is?’ Stahl asked.
‘How someone levitated over fresh snow.’
‘This isn’t a mathematical equation with no solution, Poe,’ Bradshaw said. ‘You’ll get there.’
He asked her what she meant.
‘It happened, so there is an explanation. It’s like this case. The Botanist can’t walk through walls and he isn’t practising something phooey like black magic. He has a way of getting to the victims that we haven’t discovered yet. That’s all.’
Stahl opened his notebook and said, ‘Phooey.’ He wrote it down and shook his head. ‘Classic Tilly.’
Poe glared at him.
His phone rang. It was Jefferson Black. He was only supposed to ring if he had something.
‘A car’s just driven past slowly,’ Black said the moment Poe answered the call.
‘Suspicious?’
‘The driver slowed as he drove past then sped up.’
‘You get his registration?’
‘We did,’ Black said. ‘It’s … Hang on, he’s on his way back … He’s stopped now. Driver’s getting out. Do you want us to detain him?’
‘I’ll be right out.’
Poe ended the call and said, ‘Tilly, can you go and find the boss? Jefferson Black’s boys have got someone.’