‘Exactly.’
‘And why do you think I should have been able to identify him? At that time, you had some idea that he might have been my son.’
Cooper was conscious of the fact that he was a stranger here, an outsider. He had the feeling that people were watching him out of the corners of their eyes. He and Fry were guests here at the moment, but it wouldn t take much to transform them into the common enemy.
‘We believe Nick Easton was the man who visited you on 7th January,’ said Fry. ‘Last Monday.’
‘Who exactly is this man?’
‘Perhaps you’d like to tell me that, sir/
‘I’ve told you — I wasn’t even at home at the time. I was on duty at the hospital. My wife told me somebody had been, and she reported it to the police when she heard the appeals on the news. That’s all I know, I’m afraid. Grace was the only person who actually saw him. But you’ve interviewed her, so you know that.’
‘Mrs Lukasz didn’t tell us everything, though. She didn’t tell us why Easton came. Did she tell you, sir?’
273
Lukas/ stared into his honey-flavoured vodka, and said nothing.
‘I suppose we should ask your wife again,’ said Cooper.
Lukas/ sighed. ‘Grace gets easily upset.
‘Then perhaps you’d hotter tell us yourself.’ ‘Grace says he was asking for Mr Lukasx. She thought he meant my father, because he was the only one home. He hecame insistent, and Grace was frightened that he was going to force his way into the house. So she sent him away. Grace tends to feel rather vulnerable when there’s just my father and herself at home. And you have to reali/.e, my father is terminally ill we can’t have him being troubled by people asking him questions all the time. Not this Easton, not the Canadian woman and not you. We’re trying to keep my father at home as long as feasible, but I’m afraid he’ll be going into the hospice soon. His pain needs constant management/ ‘Was it Easton’s visit that prompted your father to begin writing his account of the crash of Sugar Uncle Victor?’ said Cooper.
Lukasx looked surprised. ‘Why should you think that?’
‘The timing. And the fact that Nick Easton was an RAF investigator.’
c?
Lukasx put his glass down suddenly. The bottom of it hit the table so hard that it almost shattered, and a splash of honey-flavoured vodka flew over the rim.
‘Royal Air Force?’ he said.
‘Yes, sir. Have you any idea why Easton should have been asking to sec your father?’
‘I have no idea. None at all.’
Lukasz’s expression was hard to read. He was puzxlcd, certainly. Rut also, Cooper thought, he was relieved.
‘Have you heard from your son yet?’ asked Fry.
‘No?’ ‘
‘Have you any idea where he is?’
‘No.’ ‘
‘Can you tell us what Andrew was doing during his time here in Edcndalc?’
‘He said he had business up here.’
274
‘What sort of business?’
‘He didn’t tell us. To be honest, the conversation was more, cr, family-orientated.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He’s got married since he’s keen living in London. We weren’t invited to the wedding. We only met his future wile once, and Grace took against her immediately, I’m afraid.’
‘There was some bad feeling?’ asked Fry.
‘Yes.’
‘So had your son come to make peace?’ asked Cooper.
‘I just told you, he was here on business.’
‘It’s opAzteJ; time,’ said Cooper. ‘Doesn’t that mean forgiveness and reconciliation?’
Lukasz smiled. ‘You pick things up quickly. But Andrew didn’t stay for op/afeA. He disappeared again as suddenly as he came. He walked out last Sunday and we haven’t heard from him since.’
‘Had there been an argument?’
‘He’d been talking to my father. I don’t know what about, but I know my father was angry. Grace heard him shouting in Polish. I wasn’t there at the time, because I was at the hospital. And now my father won’t tell me why he was arguing with Andrew.’ Lukasx turned and looked through the bar at the small group of old men enjoying their op/ateA dinner. ‘You see, Detective Constable Cooper, it isn’t only you he won’t talk to.’
‘Mr Lukasz,’ said Fry. ‘What sort of business is your son Andrew in?’
‘He works for a medical supplies company.’
