here, as you know, and they’re all full.’
‘We can’t just turn him out on to the streets again,’ said Cooper.
‘We can’t keep him here either. Unless you’re thinking of charging him with something.’
‘No.’
‘Well, we’re running out of options. I wanted to get the doctor to take a look at him, because he’s obviously ill. But Thorpe won’t have it, and I can’t force him. He knows perfectly well he’d end up in a hospital.’ ‘Wait a minute,’ said Cooper. ‘I know someone who might take Mr Thorpe in for a while.’
‘Do you? He says his only relative is his father, who doesn’t want to know him.’
‘No, not his father. A friend who’s taken him in before.’
Till leave it with you for a bit, then,’ said the sergeant. ‘But he’ll have to be out of here before long, mind.’
255
1
Cooper held the phone to his ear with one hand while he tried to sort out the paperwork on his desk with the other. He had a system of wire trays that were supposed to help him keep order. But he didn’t really need the ‘in’ and ‘out’ trays. Just one very large one marked ‘pending’ would have been enough.
‘No,’ said the voice at the other end of the line.
‘Mr Proctor, I hope you’ll reconsider,’ said Cooper. ‘You said you couldn’t let Will Thorpe stay there in the summer because the site fills up with paying customers, but those old caravans are just standing empty. What would be the problem in letting Mr Thorpe stay in one of those for a while longer?’
‘I don’t see why I should,’ said Proctor. ‘He’s not my responsibility.’
‘He has nowhere else to go. He’ll be out on the streets again very soon, and he might be at risk.’
‘You know he caused trouble with my customers when he was here before?’
‘Yes, but this will only be for a night or two, until we can find somewhere more permanent.’
Proctor was silent for a moment. ‘Does Will know about Mansell Quinn and all that?’
‘Yes, we’ve told him exactly what we told you.’
‘Are you sure there’s nowhere else he can go? There must be hostels.’
‘They’re full at the moment.’
‘Or there’s his father. He lives just over the pass, in Peak Forest.’
‘His father won’t have anything to do with him. Apparently, they haven’t spoken for years.’
‘The old man’s a miserable bugger. I met him once.’
‘So … ?’
Proctor sighed. ‘I suppose I’ll have to come and fetch him myself, too?’
‘We’ll be happy to deliver him to your door, sir.’
256
‘Well, that’s something.’
‘Thank you for your assistance, Mr Proctor. I’m sure Mr Thorpe will appreciate it.’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Proctor. ‘I’m sure he will.’
Cooper waited with William Thorpe while a car was arranged to take him back to Wingate Lees. The death of Rebecca Lowe had clearly come as a shock to him. He, for one, hadn’t been reading the papers or catching the news on TV. Mansell Quinn might be relying on there being more people like Thorpe, who weren’t watching out for him in the Hope Valley.
‘Mr Thorpe, how well did you know Carol Proctor?’ asked Cooper.
‘Carol? Not as well as Mansell did.’
‘How would you describe her marriage to Raymond Proctor?’
Thorpe coughed. The think she found Ray a bit boring. She was much more adventurous than he was. If you ask me, it was one of those marriages where they only found out what a bad match they were when it was too late.’
‘Adventurous?’ said Cooper.
‘Yeah. From what people used to say about her, anyway. She had a reputation from being a teenager, and I don’t suppose she changed very much.’
‘Would you care to expand on that a bit?’
‘Let’s just say,’ said Thorpe, ‘that she didn’t care for the same diet all the time. She liked to try out spicier food now and then. If you know what I mean.’
‘Like Mansell Quinn?’
‘Mansell? I suppose you might call him spicy.’
Thorpe laughed his rattling laugh, but soon became breathless.
‘Are you sure we can’t get a doctor to look at you while you’re here?’ said Cooper.
‘No,’ said Thorpe firmly. ‘Just bring this car and let me get away from here. That’s all I want to do.’
257
Cooper went to the door to look for the car. He noticed the cement dust still on the knees of his trousers, and brushed it off. He thought about the curious relationship between the three men - Mansell Quinn, William Thorpe and Raymond Proctor. The army provided a link between Quinn and Thorpe, and that might go some way towards explaining their bond. For whatever reason, Thorpe had
