Linger Awhile (14 page)

6 February 2004. Rachael Darling. I still think of her as Rose Harland. I haven’t dreamt about her for a while; maybe she’s at peace although I’m not.

No new bloodless corpses. Still two Justines out there and no leads whatever. Where did they come from? Goodman and Kowalski said I wouldn’t believe their story and of course I didn’t. I can suspend a fair amount of disbelief but I draw the line at vampires made out of magnetised particles. Whoever and wherever they are, they can run and they can hide but sooner or later I’ll catch up with them.

8 February 2004 Artie rang me up and told me about his plans for scattering the ashes but I said let’s not scatter Irv in the winter when it’s all cold and grey and raining, let’s do it in the spring or maybe summer. Irv won’t mind waiting a little.

I’ve got him on a shelf in my studio. Sometimes I hold the biscuit tin in my lap and have a drink while I talk to him. ‘What’s a month or two between friends?’ I say. ‘This is Grace talking to you, Irv. Linger awhile, OK?’

I am grateful to the persons listed below whose good will and cooperation helped me with this story.

The behaviour of Detective Inspector Hunter and other members of the police in this novel is mostly non-regulation. The same applies to the medical examiner, his assistant, and the mortuary technician. In order to ground the extravagances of my fiction in fact I was allowed, through the courtesy of Superintendent Heather Valentine, to visit Hammersmith police station where Inspector Steve Tysoe kindly showed me around and explained custodial procedure. Anthony Berry of Scotland Yard very patiently helped me with police terminology and organisational detail.

Mortuary technician David Webber was my guide at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital mortuary.

Irean Pazook, of Regent Palace Hotel Reception, and Eden Parvus, Security Manager, gave me access to the room where the fictional Ralph Darling stayed.

Carol Lee gave me jewellery-making details.

Brom Hoban instructed me in the process by which Istvan Fallok isolated the video image of Justine Trimble.

Jake Hoban accompanied me on Grace Kowalski’s walk through Soho to the fateful confrontation in Cecil Court.

Gundula Hoban, as always, helped me with all kinds of London detail.

Katherine Greenwood rescued me from a multitude of errors and put in hours well beyond the call of duty.

I find it impossible to stop writing, and I hope that Liz Calder, my publisher, may be forgiven for supporting my addiction.

They All Laughed
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
© 1936, 1937 (renewed 1963, 1964) Chappell & Co. Inc., USA
Warner/Chappell Music Ltd, London w6 8
BS
Lyrics reproduced by permission of IMP Ltd
All Rights Reserved

Far Side Banks of Jordan
Words and Music by Terry Smith
© 1975 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., USA
Warner/Chappell North America Ltd, London w6 8
BS
Lyrics reproduced by permission of IMP Ltd
All Rights Reserved

Haunted Heart
Words by Howard Dietz
Music by Arthur Schwartz
© 1948 (renewed) Chappell & Co. Inc., USA
Warner/Chappell North America Ltd, London w6 8
BS
Lyrics reproduced by permission of IMP Ltd
All Rights Reserved

Tweedle-O-Twill
Words and Music by Gene Autry and Fred Rose
© 1942 (renewed) Gene Autry’s Western Music Publishing and Sony/ATV Songs LLC
All rights for Sony/ATV Songs LLC administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville,
TN
37203
All Rights Reserved
Used by Permission

Lines from ‘Memory’ are from
The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats
,
published by Wordsworth Editions. Reproduced by permission of A. P. Watt Ltd on behalf of Michael B. Yeats

Lines from ‘Them Poems’ are reproduced by permission of Mason Williams

Russell Hoban (1925-2011) was the author of many extraordinary novels including
Turtle Diary, Angelica Lost and Found
and his masterpiece,
Riddley Walker
. He also wrote some classic books for children including
The Mouse and his Child
and the
Frances
books. Born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, USA, he lived in London from 1969 until his death.

NOVELS

The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz
Kleinzeit
Turtle Diary
Riddley Walker
Pilgermann
The Medusa Frequency
Fremder
Mr Rinyo-Clacton’s Offer
Angelica’s Grotto
Amaryllis Night and Day
The Bat Tattoo
Her Name Was Lola
Come Dance With Me
Linger Awhile
My Tango with Barbara Strozzi
Angelica Lost and Found

POETRY
The Pedalling Man
The Last of the Wallendas and Other Poems

COLLECTIONS
The Moment Under the Moment

FOR CHILDREN
The Mouse and His Child
The Frances Books
The Trokeville Way

First published in Great Britain 2006

Copyright © 2006 by Russell Hoban

This electronic edition published in 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

The moral right of the author has been asserted

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc,

50 Bedford Square,

London, WC1B 3DP

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin

eISBN: 978 14088 3574 6

Visit
www.bloomsbury.com
to find out more about our authors and their books You will find extracts, author interviews, author events and you can
sign up for newsletters
to be the first to hear about our latest releases and special offers