crazy… I mean, the Sir Monty thing was nothing to do with me; unfortunate, but these things happen, and as for catching me cheating-'
'Chris, when you're King Rat, you plan things carefully, you take your time. I'd guess that the Triangle worked out half a dozen schemes that would put you in the frame for cheating. Some of them probably involved Latimer or Surtees or Rowe or all three giving evidence. At its simplest, it just needed two of them to testify they'd seen you do something dodgy, and what's the Rules Committee to do, specially as two of them are on it? But best of all would be if they could keep right out of it and someone no one would suspect of having an axe to grind pointed the finger. Some old chum of yours, like Jimmy Postgate.' 'You're not saying Jimmy-?' 'No way! He was conned like everyone else. I bet they had half a dozen possible schemes, but this was the one that worked out first. Lucky for them, unlucky for you. I guess everyone in the club knows about you being such a long hitter that you usually tried to carry the corner on the sixteenth. Jimmy Postgate told me you were one of the few people who'd ever put a ball in his pool. Every time you played that hole for the past few weeks, I bet one of the Triangle was lurking in that bit of wood. Then, during your Vardon Cup match, it all fell perfect. You clattered one into the trees and Colin Rowe saw his chance.'
'Colin… how can you be sure it was Colin?'
' 'Cos I had another word with Mr. Postgate and he recalled that just after the ball plopped into his pool, Rowe turned up at his house. Said that committee he's chair of…'
'The Greens Committee.'
'That's the one. Said they were thinking of relocating a couple of bunkers and he wanted to sound Jimmy out. I reckon Rowe heard your ball hit the tree, maybe even saw where it finished, so he picked it up, and placed it nice and handy right at the edge of the fairway then took off into the woods and lobbed another ball into Postgate's pool.'
'But he'd have needed one of my own personalized balls-'
Joe was getting a bit exasperated.
'Chris, you gotta get it into your head these people aren't playing around. They'd been planning this for months. They probably got more of your personal balls than you have!'
'That's monstrous!' exclaimed the YFG.
'Yeah, that's right,' said Joe, gentle now as he remembered the real pain that was still to come. 'Monstrous. That's what they are. So Rowe showed up, which stopped Jimmy wandering off into the wood looking for you, which would have ruined everything. Also, after chatting for three-quarters of an hour or so, Rowe suggested they go up to the clubhouse for a drink and even reminded Jimmy to bring your ball along so he could return it to you. They timed it perfect. Maybe Latimer or Surtees belled Rowe and told him you and the guy you beat were in the bar and he was telling the tale of how you came from behind and took the game from him. Like I say, perfect. Except for one thing. Someone had seen Rowe placing your ball at the edge of the fairway.'
Hope lit up Porphyry's face.
'You mean you've found a witness? Joe, you are a marvel!'
'Hold it there, Chris,' said Joe. 'Said I think there was a witness, didn't say I'd found him. I think it was Steve Waring.'
'Steve? But if it were Steve… then why hasn't he-?'
'That's the question, Chris,' said Joe. 'Why hasn't he come forward? I think he was working somewhere round there, maybe he'd dipped into the woods to have a quick fag where Davie wouldn't see him. He heard the ball hit the trees, saw Rowe pick it up and place it, then disappear. Bit later he probably saw you come along and play it.'
'But surely he'd have spoken to me?'
'To say what? 'Hey, Mr. Porphyry, that friend of yours, Mr. Rowe, he just done you a favor by really improving the position of your ball.' No, Steve liked you, he knew how you'd helped him and his mum. If someone wanted to give you a helping hand, that was OK by him. He took off and it wasn't till he was talking to Bert, the steward, later, that he heard about all the fuss there'd been when Postgate turned up in the bar.'
'So why didn't he say something then?'
'Wanted to talk to Rowe first, make sure he'd got things right. Got Bert to tell Rowe that he wanted a word, urgent. Rowe came out to see him. Must have nearly squittered himself when he heard what the lad had to say. Laughed it off and said, Oh yes, I can explain that. Just hang on here a few minutes while I sort out some stuff I got to do in the clubhouse, then I'll explain to you exactly what's been going off. Went somewhere quiet and belled Ratcliffe King.'
'Why King? Why not talk to Latimer or Surtees?'
' 'Cos in a real emergency, the Rat's the man you turn to to get things fixed. King wasn't going to rely on Rowe to sort it. He said he'd send out one of his own guys to make Waring an offer he couldn't refuse. There's this guy called Hardman that the Rat uses when he wants to persuade people to co-operate.'
'Sorry? Co- operate?'
'When he wants bribes paid or arms twisted,' said Joe. 'The Rat probably told Rowe that Hardman would be waiting for him somewhere along the road to Upleck. All Rowe had to do was get Waring in his car and bring him along. So Rowe wanders back and says to young Steve, Why don't I give you a lift home while we talk? Steve's got his scooter here but likes the thought of getting a ride in a comfortable posh car, and kids never worry about what they'll do tomorrow, do they?'
'No,' said Porphyry. 'Steve lives very much day by day. Are you saying they bribed him to keep quiet? Oh God. Poor devil. He always dreamed of being rich, you know. That would explain why he took off like that. His conscience wouldn't let him face me. Poor Steve. Can't really blame him. I've always had money. Not having it must be a terrible trial.'
It broke Joe's heart to hear the YFG talking like this. Even if the boy he'd helped so much had let him down, he would find excuses, never dream of condemning him.
Joe said, 'I think it could be worse than that, Chris. I think that Hardman got into the car and told Steve something like, You get a lot of money if you keep your mouth shut; you get a lot of pain if you don't. Usually works. Only this time, I don't think it does, 'cos Steve reckons he owes you. They're getting close to his lodgings now and he probably feels safe. Anyway, he's in Mr. Rowe's car, and Mr. Rowe's a member at the Hoo, a gent, so no real problem there. He says he thinks he'll just check things out with you, see if all this really is no problem like they say. He pulls out his phone and hits the speed dial-'
'That's right! I told you there was a call from him that night-'
'Yeah,' said Joe, wanting to get the next bit over quick. 'And when he hits that button, I think Hardman, sitting in the back, hits him.'
'Good Lord! The bastard. Would he do something like that?'
'Oh yes. Probably didn't mean to hit him too hard. Or maybe Steve tried to fight back, so he thought he'd give him a bit of a bang. Doesn't matter. Steve keels over. Rowe thinks he's been knocked unconscious. They're near the lodgings in Lock-keeper's Lane now. Hardman tells him to keep going, not to stop. He feels for a pulse in Steve's neck. Can't find one. The car gets to the end of the road. Keep going, he tells Rowe. Finally he has to stop 'cos he's reached the fence in front of the old lock. And now Hardman gets the boy out of the car and tries to revive him. But it's no good. He's dead.'
There, he'd said it. Whatever shocks to the YFG's system he'd administered before, this was the big one. This was reality wake-up time.
'Dead? You're saying Steve might be dead?'
His tone was incredulous.
'Can't be absolute sure, but yeah, I think it's likely.'
'But surely for something like this… I mean, why would they kill him for something like this?'
'Don't think it was meant,' said Joe. 'You recall telling me his dad had this thin skull condition so that, when he fell over, a bang that would just have given someone else a headache killed him? Well, seems it can be inherited. I think Hardman gave him a tap with some sort of cosh maybe and it fractured his skull. There'd be bleeding in the brain. That would kill him.'
Probably not instantly. Still hope with rapid treatment. But even if the lad had been alive when they stopped in Leck's Bottom, even if Rowe had wanted to call up help, by the time he and Hardman were through arguing, it would be too late, and Hardman would be able to say, He's gone, you want to call up help now and explain all
