Chapter 37
Itwas as if they had never left the meeting room. Poe, Flynn and Bradshaw had enjoyed an early breakfast then had a quick chat about what they needed from Stahl. Flynn asked Bradshaw to lead, with Poe asking follow-ups. Flynn was going to be away again for most of the morning.
‘We ready?’ Flynn said. Poe and Bradshaw nodded. ‘I’ll go and get him then.’
She returned fifteen minutes later. She didn’t look happy.
‘He awake?’ Poe asked.
‘He is now.’
‘What’s up?’
‘Have you any idea how expensive these hotel mattresses are?’
‘Do you want me to find out, DI Flynn?’ Bradshaw asked, opening her laptop.
‘It’s OK, Tilly. I’m sure the hotel bill will be very clear.’
‘He pissed it?’ Poe said.
Flynn nodded. ‘He’s sleeping in the bath tonight,’ she said.
Stahl appeared an hour later. He had a glass of clear liquid with him. It could have contained water but Poe knew it was vodka. He drained half the glass, noticed Poe was watching him, and shrugged in a what-you-gonna-do kind of way. If he was embarrassed about wetting his bed, he didn’t show it. Poe imagined it was a semiregular occurrence.
‘I’d like to talk about the phone-hacking scandal now, Henning Stahl,’ Bradshaw said. ‘If the Botanist’s interest in you isn’t because of one of your investigative reports, then perhaps it was because of your involvement in that?’
‘What are the odds, eh?’ Stahl said.
‘Seventy-two per cent, Henning Stahl.’
‘What is?’ he said.
‘The odds of the Botanist’s interest in you being related to phone hacking.’
‘How could youpossiblyknow that?’
‘I did the maths. Obviously the Frequentist probability model didn’t apply, as there were no repeatable objective processes—’
‘Obviously,’ Stahl said.
‘I know, duh, right? So I tweaked the Bayesian interpretation, where probability expresses a degree of belief in an event. And clearly—’
‘Can we do this later, Tilly?’ Poe said. ‘We don’t really have time now.’
‘Of course, Poe. We can discuss it during our evening meal. Have you readBayesians Versus Frequentists: A Philosophical Debate on Statistical Reasoning, or should I prepare a briefing?’
‘Which edition?’
‘Well, obviously not the second …’ She frowned. ‘Oh, you’re joking. Very funny, Poe. Ha ha.’
Poe smiled at his friend. He faced Stahl and said, ‘I think you’d better tell us how you went from being a well-respected, hard-hitting investigative journalist to an absolute disgrace.’