Arms and the Women. Reginald Hill

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СКАЧАТЬ watch my house because he felt he’d draw less attention on foot. He steals Daphne’s car because he needs to get back here quick, but he isn’t panicking. He still takes time to wipe his prints. If he’s as cool as that, he wouldn’t park next to his own car because that’s the kind of thing that draws attention, a man jumping out of one car and getting straight into another. So he parks, gets out, and walks.’

      As if doing a reconstruction, Pascoe set off at a brisk pace with Wield in close pursuit.

      ‘Doesn’t help us unless we get a witness saw him walking,’ panted the sergeant.

      ‘I know. But listen, parking’s bad around here. Not a lot of room.’

      Wield could see he was right, but not what he was getting at. In front of the shops there was kerbside parking space for only half a dozen cars. In one direction Leyburn Road curved into a double-yellow-line bend and in the other it ran into the busy ring road via a roundabout, beside which stood a pseudo-Victorian shiny-tiles-and-leaded-lights pub, the Gateway.

      It was the pub Pascoe was heading for.

      As he walked he explained, ‘When it’s busy here, shoppers often use the pub car park. Billy Soames, the landlord, wants to avoid getting into dispute with the shopkeepers, so he’s put up a sign at the entrance: No charge to shoppers, but it helps if you at least buy a packet of crisps in the bar! Could be that’s where chummy parked his own car. Let’s ask Billy if he noticed a small suntanned man with a moustache using his facilities this morning.’

      ‘Why not?’ said Wield.

      His mobile rang. He put it to his ear and listened. When he switched off, Pascoe, who, like an astronomer after a lifetime’s study of the pocked and pitted surface of the moon, had learned to interpret a few of the sergeant’s expressions, said, ‘You look pleased.’

      ‘Something I recalled from house-to-house yesterday. One of your neighbours, Mrs Cavendish, noticed a car stopping at the end of the street then turning back when all the troops had turned up. Didn’t seem important then. But it popped into my mind just now when we got Mrs Aldermann’s description of the man who attacked her, so I checked it out.’

      ‘And?’

      ‘Her words were, the man was swarthy, moustachioed and sinister.’

      ‘That sounds like old Mrs C.,’ said Pascoe. ‘And the car?’

      ‘Metallic-blue. Sounds like a Golf. Could be owt or nowt but the description fits, sort of. She half remembered a bit of the number too, so if it turns out there was a blue Golf in the pub car park…’

      ‘Anyone ever tell you you’re a treasure?’ said Pascoe.

      ‘Not since breakfast. By the by, that guy we talked about this morning, the student, Franny Roote. I never saw him. This sound anything like?’

      ‘Not like the way he was back then. Size might fit, but he was blond.’

      ‘Perhaps prison’s turned him black.’

      ‘Perhaps. I’ll find out tomorrow. Somehow I doubt he’s got anything to do with this, but if he has, could be the sight of me will make a good gloat irresistible.’

      ‘You still fancy Cornelius, do you?’

      ‘Don’t know. Maybe. There’s something odd going on there. You know that they found this message on her computer at the bank? It just said, TIME TO GO. And there was another on her e-mail at her apartment. STILL HERE? OH DEAR. Unsourced, but dated the day she took off. So there’s someone in the background.’

      ‘Ollershaw, you think? Trying to scare her into making a run for it? But he didn’t want her caught and talking, so now he wants to pressure you to get her out?’

      Wield’s tone was dubious.

      ‘Doesn’t sound likely, does it?’ said Pascoe. ‘And I tend to agree with Andy about Ollershaw. Slippery but not physical. Anyway, I’m back in court with her tomorrow, so if someone really is trying to twist my arm to go easy opposing the bail application, then they’ll need to get in touch soon.’

      They had reached the pub.

      The landlord greeted them with the wariness all landlords exhibit on spotting the fuzz on the premises, but soon relaxed when he understood the nature of their enquiries. Inured by long experience to disappointment or at best ambiguity, Pascoe was almost taken aback when Billy Soames said instantly, ‘Yeah. Sure. I remember them.’

      ‘Them?’

      ‘That’s right. I saw them arrive, two of them got out of the car, the little dark one set off down the road and the other one came in and ordered a pint of Guinness and a bag of crisps. First customer of the day. He sat there reading his paper for maybe three-quarters of an hour, then his mate looked through the door and sort of beckoned like he was in a hurry. And the pop-eyed one got up straightaway and went out.’

      ‘Pop-eyed? What do you mean?’

      ‘He had these sort of bulging eyes. Light-coloured hair going a bit thin. About forty. Big scar, newish-looking, along the left side of his head. Pasty complexion, didn’t look like he spent much time in the sun.’

      ‘And the car? Did you spot the make, Billy?’

      ‘Merc sports. White.’

      ‘Oh. Not a blue Golf,’ said Pascoe stupidly.

      The landlord gave Pascoe a long-suffering look and said judiciously, ‘Well, it wasn’t blue, it was white, and it wasn’t a Golf, it was a Merc, so I’d have to say no, Peter, unless I’m deceived, it wasn’t a blue Golf. Sorry to be such a disappointment.’

      ‘You’ve done great,’ Pascoe assured him.

      Wield said, ‘Where was he sitting?’

      ‘Over there. By the window.’

      Wield wandered across and picked up a newspaper from the windowsill.

      ‘Was this the paper he was reading?’

      ‘Probably.’

      Carefully Wield fitted the paper into an evidence bag.

      ‘Which way did the car go?’ asked Pascoe.

      ‘Out onto the bypass,’ said the landlord. ‘All this any help to you?’

      ‘Oh yes,’ said Pascoe, knowing the value of friendly eyes and ears in public houses. ‘Tremendous. Billy, you are a prince among publicans.’

      ‘I’ll remember that next time I’m being hassled about after-hours drinking.’

      ‘Anything else you can tell us about the man you served?’

      ‘Popeye? Not really. Didn’t have much of a crack, got a delivery just after I served him. Except the way he spoke, that is.’

      ‘And how was that?’

      ‘Well, drinking the Guinness it didn’t surprise me. He was Irish.’

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