Thursday Murder Club, #2
The Man Who Died Twice
by Richard Osman
Contents
Chapter 18
Overview
Ryan Baird revels in his growing criminal status under Connie Johnson. MI5 inform Martin Lomax that his employee Andrew Hastings has been killed while attempting to murder an MI5 officer, tightening the net. Overnight, Poppy and Douglas are interrogated separately; Sue Reardon links the gunman to Lomax and escalates pressure on Douglas.
Summary
Late at night, Ryan Baird plays video games and basks in newfound confidence. He counts money earned fencing stolen goods and running deliveries for Connie Johnson, convinced he is outsmarting police and neighbors who complain about his noise.
Across town, Martin Lomax juggles criminal logistics, placating a Saudi lawyer over a bullet-riddled powerboat received from the Cartagena Cartel. His second line brings MI5: they confirm that Andrew Hastings, an employee, has been shot dead while attempting to murder a British Security Services officer. Lomax offers minimal answers and returns to his mounting concerns.
Meanwhile, Poppy and Douglas Middlemiss are held overnight at an MI5 country house near Godalming for formal questioning. Lance James interviews Poppy, with a union representative present, to reconstruct the shooting and events leading to it.
In a separate room, Sue Reardon presses Douglas hard, denying him comforts and extracting his account of the break-in at Lomax’s house. Sue reveals the gunman worked for Martin Lomax and challenges Douglas on why Lomax would target him if he had not stolen the diamonds. Douglas claims Lomax is playing a larger game and insists he is caught in the middle.
By 3 a.m., Poppy is finally released for rest, while Sue continues pressing Douglas, signaling that MI5 now directly connects the attack to Lomax and that scrutiny on Douglas is intensifying.
Who Appears
- Ryan BairdEighteen-year-old mugger reveling in profits and status; fences goods and runs packages for Connie Johnson.
- Martin LomaxWealthy fixer juggling cartel disputes; learns employee Andrew Hastings died attacking an MI5 officer.
- PoppyMI5 handler; gives a formal account of the shooting during an overnight interrogation with union support.
- Douglas MiddlemissElizabeth’s MI5 ex-husband; interrogated intensively by Sue about the break-in and the hired gunman.
- Sue ReardonSenior MI5 investigator; links the gunman to Lomax and presses Douglas for inconsistencies.
- Lance JamesMI5 agent who interviews Poppy, aiming to establish a clear timeline of the shooting.
- Connie JohnsonLocal crime boss; buys Ryan’s stolen goods and uses him for deliveries.
- Andrew HastingsLomax’s employee and gunman; confirmed dead after attempting to kill an MI5 officer.