‘What’s going on?’ he asked them.
‘Come and see.’
He joined them in time to see Polehampton heading purposefully up Manvers Street towards the station. ‘Where’s he off to?’
‘The pub on the corner, the Royal, for another quick one. He needs it every two hours. It’s the strain of working with Gull.’
At any other time, he might have been amused. Today, he had too much on his mind. ‘I’m slipping out for a while myself. I need to go back to the crime scene as a matter of urgency.’
Paloma wouldn’t approve after the trouble she’d taken to protect him from being shot, but this had to be done. The streets of Bath were thronged as midday approached and he reasoned it would be crazy for anyone to loose off a round of ammunition. No potential killer could have anticipated him leaving the police station at this moment. Mingling with the shoppers and the tourists, he took the most direct route around Orange Grove, and along the High Street past the Guildhall and the Podium, all well-populated places at this hour, then left at St. Michael’s and up the steep rise of Broad Street and right at the top towards Bladud Buildings and the Paragon.
It was difficult to conceive of anyone planning the shooting of Harry Tasker without prior knowledge of the layout of the Paragon. The terrace of twenty-one houses as elegant as any corporation-built property in Britain stood in a gentle curve that followed the road’s contour rather than being designed as a crescent. All were similar in style, difficult to tell apart except for a few with window boxes on the first floor sills. From the front there was no sense that you were on the edge of a precipitous slope with vaulted basements overlooking Walcot Street.
He was angry with himself for taking so long to tumble to the obvious. All the pressure of pursuing the man in the woods had stopped him thinking straight. Finally, he’d worked it out. Whoever murdered Harry must have visited the Paragon house before. They had to know the set-up.
The residents had some explaining to do.
He eyed the bell-push panel and the handwritten names: S.Willis, MA, Mr. amp; Mrs. D. Murphy and Sherry Meredith. The fourth bell, for the unoccupied basement, had no name against it. After a moment’s thought, he pressed the third. Sherry Meredith worked in the cosmetics department in Jolly’s, only a short walk away, and it was just possible she came home in her lunch break.
‘Hi, who is it?’ said the shrill voice on the entryphone.
He smiled. His guardian angel was doing the biz today. ‘Peter Diamond, Detective Superintendent.’
‘I’m sorry, I don’t buy anything at the door.’ The line disconnected. She couldn’t have been listening properly.
He tried again, twice. He’d kick the door in, if necessary.
At the third attempt, she came on again and said, ‘Please go away.’
‘Police,’ he said, ‘about the murder.’
After a pause, she said, ‘Why didn’t you say so? Push the door.’
Trying to give the appearance of calm, he stepped inside. Sherry Meredith, exquisitely made up, was halfway along the passage holding a door open, a yoghurt pot in one hand, a teaspoon in the other. ‘You’ll have to be really quick. I’m due back at work in fifteen minutes and I can’t run in these heels.’
She showed him into the flat. Decorated in primary colours, blue and yellow, it had shelves with collections of pottery figures, rabbits along one wall, Disney characters and fairies another. ‘I’d invite you to sit down, but there really isn’t time,’ she said. ‘I’ll be in awful trouble if I’m late back.’
Diamond shrugged. ‘So we’ll get down to it. We talked before about what happened early Sunday morning. I need to know more about you and your background. I expect you have plenty of boyfriends.’
The false eyelashes did some rapid work. ‘As many as I want. But one at a time.’
‘Not going steady, then?’
‘It’s funny. I always start off thinking I am.’
‘Where do you meet them — nightclubs?’
‘Mostly, yes.’ The blue eyes widened. ‘How did you know that?’
‘It’s my job. Have you ever dated a policeman?’
She was open-mouthed. ‘I don’t wish to be rude, but I’m only twenty. Aren’t you a bit senior for me?’
He remembered how tricky it was to interview her. ‘I’m not talking about myself. This is an investigation. Would you answer the question, please.’
She appeared to decide he wasn’t, after all, chatting her up. ‘A policeman? I’m not sure.’
‘You must know.’
‘With some guys I never find out the jobs they have. We talk about other stuff — if we talk about anything at all. The bands we like, and that. Some of them like to get physical straight away. I’ve discovered it’s best to stay clear of the silent ones.’
‘There’s a lad called Royston,’ Diamond said. ‘Younger than you, but mature in looks. He’s often around the clubs. Ever met him?’
‘I don’t think so. Cute name. I’d remember it.’
‘How about Anderson, a black guy?’
‘Everyone’s heard of Anderson,’ she said. ‘He’s cool. But he’s never shown any interest in me. Why are you asking me about these guys?’
‘I need to know who has visited here.’
Her mouth formed a perfect O. ‘I don’t bring them home. If I spend the night with them it’s never here. I wouldn’t want that. I mean, they might ask to use my bathroom.’
‘It’s a case of his place, or his place?’
She giggled. ‘That sums it up.’
‘You’re telling me you haven’t entertained a man here in the past year?’
‘Only my Dad and he brings a blow-up bed.’
He believed her. He doubted if she had the ability to lie. ‘I’ll be frank with you, Sherry. What I need to know is who could have visited this house with a view to planning the murder of PC Tasker.’
‘Not Daddy,’ she said. ‘He’s a parish councillor.’
‘No, not him. Do you remember any other visitors?’
‘To me?’
‘To anyone in the house.’
‘They could be visiting upstairs, I guess. It’s a quiet house. The Murphys have friends in on Friday evenings. I think they play bridge. They’ve been coming for years. They’re all about eighty.’
‘And the man on the top floor?’
‘Mr. Willis with the ponytail? He’s younger and he has a lady caller I’ve met at the door a couple of times. Thick dark hair and too shy to smile. I know she has a key because she lets herself in at night sometimes. She’s really quiet, but some of the stairs creak, so I hear her. I don’t mind. It’s romantic. She’s gone before morning. I can’t believe she’d murder anyone.’
‘He must have other visitors.’
‘Well, I don’t see all the comings and goings. I’m at work most of the day.’
‘So is he. He’s a civil servant. Have you ever seen him carrying a gun?’
‘Lordy, no.’
‘He belongs to a gun club.’
‘Never. Who would have thought it?’
‘His shooting friends could come calling.’
‘With guns?’
‘Probably not. Just socially.’
‘They’re very quiet if they do. I don’t hear anything.’ She looked at her watch. ‘I have to go. I don’t want to lose my job.’
‘You can tell your supervisor you were being interviewed by the police.’
‘I don’t think I will.’
He allowed her to leave, but he remained in the building. After she’d closed the door behind her, he went upstairs and tried the Murphys’ door. They didn’t answer his knock. He went up another flight and found Willis wasn’t at home either.
