'Why bother at all, then, if you thought it was someone after rabbits?'
'Followed my dog, didn't I?'
'Was nobody else about?'
'Not that I saw.'
'Had you been drinking?'
'Might have. Don't remember.' Pure bad luck that the only witness happened to be a wino.
'So what happened?'
'Like I said, I followed my dog. He found her first. He's a lurcher. Kind of stood over her waiting for me to get there. I thought it might be one of my mates, fallen asleep. Then I see the bullet holes.'
'What then?'
'Scared me, it did. I looked around for help and there wasn't none.'
'Did you hear anything? Movements in the bushes? The sound of anyone running off?'
Warburton shook his head. 'I belted down to the car park and there was a geezer just drove in. He had a mobile and I asked him to call the Old Bill.'
'Was anyone else in the car park? Anyone leaving?'
'Give us a break, mate. I was so shit-scared I wouldn't have noticed me own mother walk by.'
'And I suppose they told you to wait here and not touch anything.'
'If you know it all, why ask me?'
'And pretty soon the first police car drove up?'
'And found little old me holding the fort.'
'You didn't find anything near the body?'
'Like what?'
'Like money, for instance? A handbag?'
'Here, what do you take me for? That's a fucking insult considering I did my public duty.'
'If anyone did take anything from the scene, they're in trouble. It's a serious offence.'
'Don't look at me. I did nothing wrong.'
Diamond was inclined to believe him. 'Don't drink any more. That's an order. I may want to speak to you again.'
He found Keith Halliwell and told him to remain at the scene. 'I'm leaving you in charge. I want to check on certain pieces of lowlife and their movements earlier today.'
'Shall I do that?' Halliwell offered.
'You find the bloody bullets. And look for spent cartridges as well.'
* * *
He made the mistake of returning to Bath Police Station to begin his check on the Carpenters. Georgina walked into his office before he'd picked up a phone. She must have asked the desk to alert her the moment he returned.
'Peter, we're all devastated. I can't begin . . .'
He nodded. 'I'll cope . . . thanks.'
'We'll get them - whoever did this. I promise you that. I've put Curtis McGarvie in charge.'
His tone changed sharply. 'You what?'
'DCI McGarvie, from Headquarters. A good man.'
'It's my case.'
Georgina hesitated. 'Peter, there's no way—'
'My wife. My case.'
'That's the point. You're personally involved. If you took this on - as I'm sure you could - we'd lay ourselves open to prejudice, a personal vendetta. If it came to court, prosecuting counsel would cut us to ribbons.'
Diamond shook his head. 'I have the right—'
This time Georgina interrupted him. 'You don't. I'm sorry. This is hard for you to take, but you don't have the right. You know perfectly well that someone else has to handle this. Curtis is already on his way to Victoria Park.'
'He's too bloody late.'
'What?'
'She's been moved.' His brain churned out a compromise. 'Look, I don't mind working with McGarvie, if that's what you want. A joint investigation. As far as the CPS is concerned, it can be his case.'
'Absolutely not. You're staying right out of it. You're a witness.'
'To what? I saw nothing.'
