it. We ended up getting drunk and singing rude songs about the Germans.’ He gave her a dazzling smile. ‘Are you satisfied now?’
‘What about that group you know here in London? The one you said I’d be too law-abiding to join. You told me that you hit and run.’
‘Oh, that only lasted for days. Brad took me along. They were all talk, really. I soon got bored with them. I am who I am, Irene — the same Ernie Gill you’ve known all these years.’
Irene looked at him, then down at the article, then back at him again. She was not sure what to believe. Hoping with all her heart that he had nothing to do with the crime, she still had vestigial doubts.
‘How do I know that you’re telling the truth?’
His voice became earnest. ‘Fetch me a Bible,’ he told her, ‘and I’ll swear on that. You know me, Irene. I’m a good Catholic boy. I wouldn’t lie with my hand on the Holy Book.’
‘There’s no need to do that.’
‘How else can I convince you?’
There was a pleading note in his voice. Irene looked deep into his eyes but saw no hint of guilt or dissembling. She looked down at the article once more then she picked it up and scrunched it in her hand. Her smile was edged with slight embarrassment.
‘I think I owe you an apology, Ernie.’
‘Not at all,’ he said, effusively. ‘I’m glad you came. You did the right thing, Irene. I can see exactly what you must have thought and I’m glad I was able to set the record straight.’
‘So am I.’
‘I take my hat off to you for walking in here the way you did. Ladies like you don’t come in here by themselves. They know the kind of greeting they’ll get. It was very brave of you.’
‘I
‘And now you’ve heard it. Come on,’ he said, getting up. ‘This is no place for you, Irene. I’ll walk you to a place where you can get some transport home. Ernie Gill, a murderer,’ he went on, laughing. ‘You should know me better than that. I wouldn’t hurt a fly.’
Ellen Marmion had been torn between concern and amusement when the two of them turned up soaking wet. Since his house was closer, Marmion had asked to be driven there so that he and Keedy could change into dry clothing. Shoes, socks, trousers, shirts, ties and underclothes were discarded and hung on the clothes line. While the inspector was able to put on a different suit, Keedy had to make do with borrowed items of clothing that neither fitted properly nor suited his taste. He was embarrassed when Alice came in from the garden in time to catch him in a pair of trousers that were noticeably too baggy.
‘What happened?’ asked Alice.
‘Joe is a hero,’ replied her father. ‘He saved a man from being killed and arrested an escaped prisoner. Unfortunately, it all took place in a river.’
As he supplied more details of the incident, Alice’s interest and admiration grew. She tried not to notice that Keedy’s shoes were sizes too large for him or that his coat and trousers did not match. Keedy stressed that it was Marmion who’d rescued and resuscitated John Gatliffe. As a precaution, he’d been taken to hospital and examined before being released. Cochran had been returned to Wandsworth.
‘Does this mean you’ll get some good publicity for a change, Daddy?’ said Alice. ‘You and Joe should be in all the newspapers.’
Marmion shook his head. ‘We’re more likely to be blamed for letting him escape than for actually catching him.’
‘But it was the prison officers who should be blamed for that.’
‘The press don’t make distinctions, Alice. They lump us all together as the forces of law and order. If they have an excuse to take a potshot at us, they will.’
‘Yes,’ said Keedy. ‘They’re already criticising us because we haven’t caught the man who killed Jacob Stein yet.’
‘They can’t expect instant results,’ said Ellen.
‘They can and they do.’
Alice wanted to hear Keedy’s version of the arrest of Oliver Cochran but he was too modest to give it. Instead he told her about the fire at the synagogue and what he found when he went there. It was the first time that Marmion had been with his daughter since she made her decision. Ellen cued her in.
‘Alice has something to tell you, Harvey,’ she said.
Marmion turned to his daughter. ‘Do you?’
‘Yes,’ said Alice. ‘I’m going to join the WEC.’
‘Talk her out of it,’ urged Ellen. ‘You help him, Joe.’
‘This is nothing to do with me,’ said Keedy, holding up a hand.
‘It’s nothing to do with me either,’ said Marmion, calmly. ‘Alice is old enough to make up her own mind and we must respect that.’
‘Thank you, Daddy,’ said Alice.
Ellen was simmering. ‘How can you say that, Harvey?’ she asked. ‘You were as strongly against the idea as I was.’
‘I was,’ conceded Marmion, ‘and I left Alice in no doubt about my opinion on the subject. But we can’t let this drag on forever, Ellen. If the decision has been made, we should have the grace to accept it.’
‘You can’t just let it go like that.’
‘What would you have me do?’
‘Let’s discuss this in the kitchen.’
‘There’s nothing to discuss.’
‘I think there is,’ said Ellen, eyes flashing. Forcing a smile, she looked at Keedy. ‘You’ll have to excuse us a minute. We won’t be long.’
She led the way into the kitchen and Marmion followed her. When the door was shut behind them, Alice was uncertain whether to smile or to apologise.
‘Oh dear!’ she said. ‘You’ve caught us at a rare moment, Joe. My parents almost never have an argument. It’s my fault that they’re about to have one now.’
‘You’re entitled to run your own life, Alice.’
‘Tell that to Mummy and Daddy.’
‘I wouldn’t dare.’
‘Did you ever have arguments with your parents?’
‘All the time,’ he said. ‘When I told my father that I didn’t want to stay in the family business, he almost exploded. My mother was just as bad. She kept going on about the importance of tradition.’
‘I can’t see you as an undertaker somehow,’ she said, then put a hand to her mouth to smother her laughter. ‘Especially in a pair of trousers like the ones you’ve got on.’
‘They were all that your father could find.’
‘You always take such a pride in your appearance.’
‘I like to look smart, Alice. It’s important.’
They looked at each other with mutual affection and there was a long silence that neither of them had any inclination to break. They were simply savouring each other’s company. Alice felt drawn to him once more but controlled her feelings when she recalled that he was not available. She picked up an envelope from the mantelpiece.
‘We had a letter from Paul this morning,’ she said.
‘Yes — so your father said.’
‘I don’t know how he can be so cheery. Living in a trench sounds like being in purgatory. I’d hate it.’
‘So would I, Alice. But your brother is an optimist. Paul always tries to see the good side of things.’
‘There
He frowned. ‘Why should I do that?’
‘According to Daddy, you have a friend who’s just gone to Flanders to work as a nurse there.’
