Banks had asked Sergeant Hatchley to check Dr Barnes’s alibi and to issue an appeal for information in the Yorkshire Post, but his hopes were slim. One problem was that the campsite was on the northern bank of the River Swain, next to the cricket pitch, and the car park was on the south side, well set back from High Street and practically surrounded by trees and tall hedges. It was an ideal secluded place for a murder after dark, except between eleven and half past, when the pubs were emptying. It was possible, according to Dr Glendenning’s unchanged estimation of the time of death, that Steadman had been killed between nine and ten o’clock, shortly after he left the Bridge. At that time it would have been just about dark enough, and the car park would have been quiet. Drinking hours being what they were, most people arrived between eight and nine and stayed until closing time.
So far, a thorough search had failed to find any traces of blood on the car park’s pitted macadam surface. In fact, forensic had turned up little of interest at all. Glendenning, however, had proved as conscientious as usual. He had spent half the night on a thorough autopsy, and a clear, jargon-free report was waiting in Banks’s in tray at eight a.m.
The wound had been made by a metal object with at least one sharp edge, and was indeed the cause of death. Stomach contents revealed a low alcohol level, consistent with the evidence of the Bridge crowd, and the remains of an earlier dinner. The blow itself could have been inflicted by either a man or a woman, Glendenning had added, as the actual strength required to kill with such a weapon was minimal. Also, the killer was probably right-handed, so it would do Banks no good to follow the fictional detective’s procedure of watching out for a left-handed suspect. It did, however, appear to rule out Emma Steadman, who was left-handed, but she had a solid alibi anyway.
Hypostasis indicated, as Banks had suspected, that Steadman had been killed elsewhere and his body driven to the field. Much of the lividity had formed on his right side but he had been buried on his back.
There were no traces of blood in the car, but Vic Manson found plenty of prints. The trouble was that the few clear ones proved to be Steadman’s. The prints on the steering wheel and the door handle were smudged, as they almost always were. When people drive or open and close doors, their fingerprints slide against the smooth plastic or metal surface of the handle, and the result is a mess.
What fibres remained on the vinyl-covered seats were so common as to implicate half the dale, if taken seriously. They indicated nothing so unique as a personally imported Italian suit or a yak’s-wool sweater supplied by an exclusive local outfitter. Nor was there, on the tyres, any trace of mud, soil or clay that could only be found in one specific place. There wasn’t even, wedged in the tread, a chip of gravel from an easily identifiable driveway.
Banks had little faith in forensic evidence, anyway. Like most detectives, he had convicted criminals on fingerprints and blood groups, but he had found that if the criminal had any brains at all, forensic evidence, though it might narrow the field of suspects, was useless until he had been caught by other means; then it might help to ensure a guilty verdict. It was surprising how many jury members still seemed to trust the experts, even though a skilled defence lawyer could easily discredit almost any scientist’s testimony. Still, Banks supposed, if the public were willing to accept the ‘scientifically proven’ superiority of certain toothpastes or breakfast cereals that advertisers claimed, then nothing was surprising.
Just after eleven o’clock, Sergeant Hatchley poked his head around the door. Although the station coffee had improved greatly since the introduction of an automatic filter system, the two men had established a tradition of walking across to the Golden Grill for their morning break.
They weaved through the groups of strolling tourists, called hellos to the few locals they recognized, and walked into the cafe. The only available table was at the back, by the toilets. The petite waitress shrugged apologetically when she saw them take it.
‘Usual?’ she called out.
‘Yes please, Gladys love,’ Hatchley boomed back.
The usual was coffee and toasted teacakes for both of them.
Hatchley put his buff folder on the red checked tablecloth and ran his hand through his hair. ‘Where the bloody hell’s Richmond these days?’ he asked, fishing for a cigarette.
‘He’s on a course. Didn’t you know?’
‘Course? What bloody course?’
‘The super sent a memo round.’
‘Never read them.’
‘Maybe you should.’
Hatchley scowled. ‘Anyway, what course is this?’
‘Something to do with computers. It’s down in Surrey.’
‘Jammy bastard. Probably at the seaside with his bucket and spade.’
‘Surrey doesn’t have a coast.’
‘He’ll find one. When’s he due back?’
‘Two weeks.’
Hatchley cursed, but their order arrived before he could say anything else. He would have, Banks knew, two objections to Richmond’s absence: in the first place, the sergeant had often said that he thought education was about as useful as a rubber with a hole in it; and secondly, even more serious, with Detective Constable Richmond away, Hatchley would have to do most of the legwork on the Steadman case himself.
‘I checked on Doc Barnes’s alibi this morning, like you asked,’ Hatchley said, reaching for his teacake.
‘And?’
‘It’s true – he was there with that Mrs Gaskell, all right. Seems she’s having a difficult pregnancy.’
‘What times?’
‘Arrived about nine thirty, according to the husband, and left at ten fifteen.’
‘So he could still have easily killed Steadman first and stuffed him in the boot of his car, or done it later.’
‘No motive,’ Hatchley said.
‘Not that we know of yet. What’s that?’ Banks pointed at the folder.
‘Gen on Steadman,’ Hatchley mumbled, his mouth half full of toasted teacake.
Banks browsed through the report as he ate. Steadman had been born in Coventry almost forty-three years ago, at a time when his father was busy setting up his electronics business. Educated at a local grammar school, he won a scholarship to Cambridge, where he got a first in history. After that, he did postgraduate work at Birmingham and Edinburgh, then landed a teaching job at Leeds University at the age of twenty-six. There he began to develop and pursue his interest in industrial archaeology, a new field then, and in local history. In his first year of teaching, two important things happened. First, just before Christmas that year his mother died, and second, at the end of the final term he married Emma Hartley, whom he had known for two years. Emma was the only daughter of a Norwich shopkeeper, and she had been working as a librarian in Edinburgh when Steadman was studying there. She was five years younger than her husband. They had no children.
The couple honeymooned in Gratly, staying at the house they now owned. Hatchley had put an asterisk by this piece of information, and when Banks turned to the note at the bottom of the page, it read: ‘Check with Ramsden. The house belonged to his parents.’ Banks knew this already, but he praised Hatchley’s thoroughness; it was so unusual it deserved encouragement.
As Steadman’s career continued to flourish – publications, praise, promotion – his father’s health steadily declined. When the old man had finally died two years ago, the son inherited a considerable fortune. He first took his wife on a European tour, then, after seeing out the university year, he bought the house in Gratly, left his job and began to concentrate on his own interests.
‘What do you make of it?’ Banks asked Hatchley, who had finished eating and was now picking his teeth with his fingernails.
‘Well, what would you do with all that money?’ the sergeant said. ‘I’m damned if I’d buy a house around here and spend all my time poking about ruins.’
‘You think it was foolish of him?’
‘Not much of a life, is it?’
‘Bu
t it’s what he wanted: independence to pursue his own studies.’
Hatchley shrugged as if there were no answer to such a silly statement. ‘You asked what I’d do.’
‘But you didn’t tell me.’
Hatchley slurped down the last of his coffee; it was syrupy at the bottom with undissolved sugar. ‘I reckon I’d make a few choice investments first. Just enough so I could live comfortably off the interest, like. Nothing risky. Then I’d take a few thousand and have a bloody good holiday.’
‘Where?’
‘Everywhere. Fleshpots of the world.’
Banks smiled. ‘And then?’
‘Then I’d come back and live off the interest.’
‘But what would you do?’
‘Do? Nowt much. Bit of this, bit of that. Might even go and live in Spain or the south of France. Or maybe one of those tax havens like Bermuda.’
‘You’d leave your job then?’
Hatchley looked at Banks as if he was insane. ‘Leave my job? Course I’d leave my job. Wouldn’t anyone?’
‘I suppose so.’ But Banks wasn’t sure what he would do himself. A holiday, yes. But afterwards? To him, Steadman had made an admirable choice; he had extricated himself from the pedestrian and stultifying elements of his work and turned to concentrate on its essence. Perhaps I’d set myself up like Sherlock Holmes – a dalesman, himself – Banks thought, if I suddenly found myself with a private income. Take only the most interesting cases… wear a deerstalker.
‘Come on,’ he said, shaking off the fantasy. ‘It’ll be a cold day in hell before you and I have to worry about problems like that.’
When Banks got back to his office, he found Emma Steadman waiting for him. She had just been to identify her husband’s body and was still distraught. There was little expression in her pale face, but the owlish eyes magnified by the lenses of her spectacles showed traces of recent tears. She sat upright on the hard chair, her hands clasped together on her lap.
‘I won’t keep you long,’ Banks said as he took his seat opposite her and started filling his pipe. ‘First, I’d like to know if your husband had any enemies. Is there anyone you can think of who might have wanted to do him harm?’
‘No,’ she answered quickly. ‘Not that I can think of. Harold wasn’t the kind of man who made enemies.’
Banks decided not to point out the lack of reason in that statement; the bereaved relatives of murder victims frequently assumed that there could be no possible motive for the crime.
‘Was there anybody he argued with, then? Even a slight disagreement? It could be important.’
She shook her head, frowning. ‘No, I told you. He wasn’t… Just a minute. There was something. I don’t know how important it was though.’
‘Tell me.’
‘He had complained a bit about Teddy Hackett recently.’
‘Hackett? When was this?’
‘About a week ago. They were friends really, I know, but they had some kind of ongoing feud about land. Oh, I suppose it was just silly. Men often are, you know. Just like little boys. Anyway, I’m afraid I don’t know all the details. You’ll have to ask Mr Hackett.’
‘Do you have any idea what it was about?’
Mrs Steadman frowned again, this time in concentration. ‘I think it might have been something to do with Crabtree’s Field. That’s just a bit of overgrown land by the river. Harold was certain he’d located some Roman ruins there – he had some coins and bits of pottery he said were evidence – but Teddy Hackett was trying to buy the land.’
‘Why? What did he want with it?’
‘Knowing Hackett, it would be some vulgar project for making money. I don’t know exactly what he had in mind – a discotheque perhaps, or a fairground, video arcade, supermarket…’
‘Let me get this clear.’ Banks said, leaning forward. ‘What you’re saying is that Hackett wanted some land for development and your husband was trying to get it preserved as a historic site? Is that right?’
‘Yes. It wasn’t the first time, either. Last year, Harold wanted to start a small local museum in a shopfront on High Street, but Hackett bought the place up quickly and turned it into a gift shop. They argued about that, too. Harold was too trusting, too… nice. He wasn’t aggressive enough.’
‘There’s no one else you can think of? What about Dr Barnes? Did your husband ever say anything about him?’
‘Like what?’
‘Anything.’
‘No.’
‘Jack Barker?’
‘No. He thought Jack Barker was a bit of a cynic, a bit too flippant, but that’s all.’
‘What about visitors to the house? Did you have many?’
‘Just friends we entertained.’
‘Who?’
‘Locals, mostly. We seem to have lost touch with the crowd from Leeds. Barker, Penny Cartwright, Hackett and Dr Barnes occasionally. Sometimes Michael Ramsden came over from York. Some of the teachers and kids from Eastvale Comprehensive – Harold gave guest lectures and took classes on field trips. That’s all I can think of.’
‘There’ll be a lot of money,’ Banks said casually.
‘Pardon?’
‘A lot of money. Your husband’s. You’ll inherit, I should imagine.’
‘Yes, I suppose so,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t really thought… I don’t know if Harold made a will.’
‘What will you do with it all?’
Mrs Steadman looked startled behind her glasses, and more than a little disapproving. ‘I’ve no idea. As I said, I haven’t really given the matter much thought.’
‘What about your relationship with your husband? Were you on good terms? Was the marriage stable?’
Mrs Steadman froze. ‘What?’
‘I have to ask.’
‘But I don’t have to answer.’
‘That’s true.’
‘I don’t think I like what you’re insinuating, Chief Inspector,’ she went on. ‘I think it’s a very impertinent question. Especially at a time like this.’
‘I’m not insinuating anything, Mrs Steadman. Just doing my job, that’s all.’ Banks held her cold gaze and remained silent.
‘If that’s all, then…’ She stood up.
Banks followed her to the door and shut it quietly behind her before breathing a sigh of relief.
FOUR
After shocking the old ladies in the post office, Jack Barker set off down Helmthorpe High Street. It was only about ten thirty, but already clusters of tourists sauntered along the pavements, cardigans draped over their shoulders to keep off the morning chill. They would stop now and then, holding on to impatient children, to glance at displays of local craftware in shop windows. Crow Scar loomed to the north, and the shadow of an occasional wispy cloud drifted across its limestone face.
Barker hesitated for a moment outside the tiny secondhand bookshop run by Mr Thadtwistle – at ninety-eight the village’s oldest inhabitant – then hurried on and turned into the narrow street of cottages opposite the church. At number sixteen he paused and knocked. Nothing happened. He knocked again. Then he heard stirrings inside and smoothed back his hair as he waited. The door opened a few inches.
‘Oh, it’s you,’ Penny Cartwright said, squinting at him closely.
‘My God, you look awful,’ said Barker. ‘Old man not around, is he?’
Penny began to shake her head but immediately thought better of it.
‘Can I come in?’
Penny stood aside and let him enter. ‘If you’ll make me a strong cup of coffee.’
‘It’s a deal. And I didn’t mean what I said earlier. You look as lovely and fresh as a white rose in the morning dew.’
Penny pulled a face and flopped down on the couch. Her long jet-coloured hair was uncombed and the whites around her blue eyes looked greyish and bloodshot. She had dark puffy bags under her eyes, and her lips were cracked and dry. She held a bottle-green kimono-style dressing gown closed at her throat. A red dragon reared and breathed fire on
the back.
Barker busied himself in the small untidy kitchen and soon came out carrying two steaming mugs of coffee. He sat in the battered armchair at right angles to Penny. As she reached forward to pick up her mug from the low table, he could see her lightly freckled cleavage. The folds of her silky gown also revealed a long delightful curve of thigh as she crossed her legs. She seemed entirely oblivious to the way she was making Jack Barker’s pulse race.
‘I suppose you’ve heard about Harry,’ he began, lighting a cigarette.
Penny reached out for one too. ‘Yes.’ She nodded, blowing out a lungful of smoke and coughing. ‘I’ve heard. These things’ll ruin my voice.’ She glared at the cigarette.
‘Have the police been to see you yet?’
‘Why should they?’
‘That chief inspector – Banks his name is – he was at the Bridge last night,’ Barker explained. ‘He talked to us for quite a bit. Anyway, he saw you – at least he saw me glancing over at you and asked who you were.’
‘And you told him?’
‘Yes.’
‘You told him I was a friend of Harry’s?’
‘Had to. He’d have found out sooner or later, wouldn’t he? Then he’d have been suspicious about why I didn’t tell him in the first place.’
‘So what? You’ve got nothing to hide, have you?’
Barker shrugged.
‘Anyway,’ Penny went on, ‘you know how I feel about the police.’
‘He’s not a bad sort. Quite friendly, really. But sharp as a knife. Doesn’t miss a trick. He’s the kind who’ll spend a pleasant evening buying you drinks, then ask you hard questions when you’re sozzled.’
‘Sounds awful.’ Penny pulled a face and ground out her half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. ‘Still, they’re all much the same.’
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