by Keith Dixon
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
AS WE REACHED the bottom of the slope, we heard police sirens racing towards us. Two cars came hurtling around the corner, their rooftop lights whirling furiously. The cars roared up and juddered to a halt. The passenger door of the front car opened and Inspector Howard got out. He glanced up and down the road and saw me. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he wandered over casually, as though paying a social call.
‘Get what you came for?’ he said, indicating Betty with a lift of his chin.
‘If you go up the path back there,’ I said, ‘you’ll find a man called Eddie Hampshire at the bottom of a cliff. He’s the person you’re after. You should also take this lady into custody and ask her to explain what happened to Rory.’
‘That right?’ he said. He looked at me clinically. In the end he shook his head and turned to face the hotel, as if it might do something dramatic.
‘You had a call, then,’ I said.
He spoke without looking at me. ‘Old man Hoyt. Said you were after doing something stupid. No shit, I said. He said you might be in danger. Whoop-te-do, I said. We contacted your lady friend and she filled in the rest. A phone call to Hampshire’s ex-wife told us enough to track you down. We are the police, you know. Incidentally—’
‘What?’
‘We know you found Mrs Brand. We’re going to have to talk about that.’
Before I could say anything, a second car door slammed and I turned to see Laura walking in her usual elegant way towards me.
‘Well, Beefy,’ she said. ‘Did you get your man?’
‘And woman.’ I took a deep breath. ‘Laura, I’ve got something to tell you.’
‘It’ll keep.’
I thought of Daniel, my son, and how for eighteen years I didn’t know that he existed. It seemed that some things needed time before you were ready to deal with them. Third rule of private eye school: know when to shut up.
‘OK,’ I said.
Cheshire, 2006
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Liz for her support over the years, and to Bob Chad for looking at an early draft of the book and making invaluable comments. Also thanks to Phil Donnison for local knowledge and rope skills.
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