the hobby horse ritual. He hadn’t. Quite a blow, that. I was forced to accept that coincidences happen and they’re no more than that. In short, I was up the proverbial gum tree. I’d wasted precious time on a theory that didn’t hold water. The killings had to have been random after all. But I did learn something from Emma Tasker that I still can’t explain. Among Harry Tasker’s personal items returned to her after the shooting was a scrap of paper with the words “You’re next”. It threw me into confusion again. Here was another challenge to the theory of random killings. It seemed someone had been out to get him and wanted him to know. Taunting him. What else could it mean?’ He let the question linger for a moment and then put his hand forward and touched the prisoner on the arm.
It was the lightest of touches, but it brought a sharp response. The man jerked away and braced himself as if preparing to head-butt Diamond. Or spit in his face. But at least there was eye contact.
‘I asked you a question,’ Diamond said, remaining calm. ‘What else could it mean? The shooting of Harry Tasker wasn’t random. If the note meant anything at all, he was singled out, warned and slaughtered deliberately. Am I right?’
The prisoner’s angry brown eyes were still locked with Diamond’s. Not a word was spoken. Then he lowered his head and the moment passed.
So was it only the touch of the hand, and not the words, that had prompted the reaction?
Apparently.
‘The note sent me down a route I didn’t want to take,’ Diamond began again. ‘Because he was a marked man, as I saw it, I looked for a reason. Who’s going to have a grudge against an ordinary copper? The people who know him best — his workmates. I started looking here in Bath Central for a suspect. A police officer or someone employed here. Bad mistake. A sure way to make myself unpopular. Okay, I discovered that PC Tasker didn’t always follow the rules. He had his own way of keeping law and order on his beat and some might say it was rough justice. Maybe after all it was someone from the criminal class who bore that grudge. But I didn’t find anything that justified murdering him. And now you’re in the frame, I’ve had to face it. I’m wrong again. The shootings really were random. Harry Tasker died for no more reason than being on the duty roster. He happened to be on nights when you were lying in wait with your rifle. Simple as that. Mind, the fact that it wasn’t personal makes it even more despicable.’
He stopped speaking. He’d said as much as he wanted to say. No form of persuasion in his repertoire was going to work.
On an impulse, he snapped his fingers. The prisoner blinked.
‘You’re not deaf, then.’ To Halliwell, who had also jerked in his chair, he said, ‘Still awake, I see.’
Halliwell drew himself up, ready to leave.
Diamond made a restraining gesture with his levelled hand. ‘Do you know if Jack Gull tried any foreign languages?’
‘I doubt if Mr. Gull knows any, guv.’
‘That’s probably true, and the English he knows isn’t exactly the Queen’s. If this guy is a foreign national, we’re supposed to find an interpreter and his consulate has to be informed.’
Unexpectedly the prisoner became animated again, shaking his head and making sweeping movements with his handcuffed arms.
‘Hey, fellow,’ Diamond said, ‘what’s this about? What did I say wrong? Interpreter? Consulate?’
If anything, the negative gestures redoubled.
‘You understood something I said,’ Diamond said. ‘What’s your name? Where are you from?’
Too much to expect. But at least some form of communication was established. The man was watching Diamond and listening intently.
‘Whoever he is,’ Diamond said to Halliwell, ‘he isn’t keen on his government knowing about it. I’m wondering if we have an asylum seeker here.’
‘Funny way to seek asylum, murdering three policemen,’ Halliwell said.
‘But worth following up.’
The prisoner was returned to the cells. Diamond learned from the custody sergeant that several languages had been tried on the clam-like young man and brought no response.
‘Well, it took a long time, but he made one thing clear to us,’ Diamond said. ‘If he’s on the run from his country it may explain why he’s saying nothing.’
Jack Gull was called to the custody suite.
‘It’s becoming clear he’s a foreigner without much English,’ Diamond said, ‘but there’s more to it. Even if you don’t follow the language, you co-operate. You’d understand when you’re being asked your name. Why is he withholding his identity?’
‘He’s a fucking killer giving nothing away, that’s why,’ Gull said.
‘He could be more scared of his own people than he is of British justice. What if he arrived here like plenty of illegals have, in a container lorry, and is on the run?’
‘Doesn’t explain how he gets hold of a G36 and why he goes on a killing spree,’ Gull said.
‘All right, suppose he was rounded up soon after arriving and sent to a detention centre to be repatriated.’
‘Removal centre,’ Polehampton said. ‘They changed the name. The words “detention centre” were thought to be offensive.’
‘Strike a light, what are we coming to?’ Diamond said. ‘To my ear, “removal centre” sounds a whole lot more sinister. Call it what you will, he’d mix with all sorts there. Some of them would know where a weapon can be bought. And we’ve all heard of break-outs and detainees escaping.’
‘He’ll have been photographed and fingerprinted if he was detained,’ Gull said. ‘That’s compulsory. He would have shown up when we ran the check.’
‘It’s still worth checking on recent breakouts. Didn’t a bunch of people escape from one of those places last year?’
‘I’ll get onto the UK Border Agency, see if they can throw any light. But no one has explained to me why he shoots cops.’
‘Did you look into his eyes?’
‘How could I not?’
Diamond didn’t say so, but there are some things a senior detective has to work out for himself.
‘One thing nobody has mentioned is what happens when we charge this guy,’ Keith Halliwell said in the incident room.
Diamond frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘If he still withholds his name, what’s the legal position? Can we actually charge an unknown man?’
‘Fair point. I’d need to think about that.’
‘And if he isn’t charged, and the custody clock runs out, are we compelled to release him?’
‘No way. We can’t let a serial killer walk free when we know the forensic evidence is watertight.’
‘You say that, guv, but is it lawful?’
‘Off-hand, I can’t say. It’s been a heavy day. Do me a favour, Keith.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Don’t mention this to John Leaman. Or Ingeborg.’ He stifled a yawn. ‘I’m bushed. With the killer under lock and key, I think we can safely get an early night.’
‘I’ll second that.’ Halliwell switched his computer to the sleep function. ‘There was good news from the hospital this afternoon. Ken Lockton has recovered consciousness. They think he’ll make a full recovery.’
‘Thank God for that.’ Diamond hesitated. ‘I hardly dare ask.’
‘Does he remember what happened? No, guv. No memory at all. Concussion does that sometimes.’
‘Too much to expect. We don’t get many breaks, do we, Keith?’
‘There is one thing before you go. I dealt with the mail as you asked.’
‘What do you want — a pat on the back?’
Halliwell grinned. That would be a rare event.
‘I haven’t looked into my office,’ Diamond said. ‘No problems, I hope.’
‘All very straightforward, guv. Three quarters of it was junk, and the rest I could cope with.’
‘What’s the thing you wanted to mention, then?’
‘It’s on your desk. An envelope marked “personal”. I didn’t like to open it.’
