want the truth. And as things turned out it just became impossible for me to
put that stuff back in the folder while the original enquiry was still going
on.'
'So you got a new box-file when the case was re-opened . . .'
Strange nodded.
'Always felt guilty about it but ' ' Why didn't Morse spot the page you'd
missed? '
'Perhaps he didn't look all that carefully. Not his way usually, was it?
Perhaps he wasn't too interested in the literary shortcomings of her other
admirers. Not very fond of spelling mistakes, now was he .
. ? or perhaps he just felt the letters were too private, like he'd hoped
his own letter would be. How do Jknow? What I do know is that he wasn't
looking for a list of lovers who might have been in bed with Yvonne that
night. Somehow he was convinced he knew' who the man was. He told me who it
was; and he told you who it was. And he was right. '
371
Lewis nodded.
But the supermarket-brat was giving a final tug.
'Plenty of letters and none of them any help, I agree, sir. But just the one
pair of handcuffs! And Morse realized there'd be no problem in tracing them,
so he destroyed the issue-list. And we both know why, don't we, sir?
Because they were his.' | 'Come off it, Lewis!
There's a hundred and one worse things in life than him giving some bloody
cuffs he'd never used once in his life to some woman who'd asked him for them
whatever the reason. '
Slowly shaking his head, Lewis stared down at the canteen carpet
disconsolately.
'It's just that he seems not quite the man . . .'
'And you can't forgive him for that.'
'Course I can forgive him! Just a bit of a jolt, that's all. Can't you
understand that? After all those years we were together?'
'That's what's really eating you, isn't it? Be honest! It's just that you
don't think as much of old Morse as you used to.'
'Not quite as much, no.'
Strange struggled to his feet.
'Must be off. Good to talk. I'd better get back downstairs.'
Lewis got to his feet.
'Mrs Lewis sends her very best wishes, sir.'
The two policemen shook hands, and the interesting exchange was apparently
over.
But not so.
Halfway to the canteen exit. Strange suddenly turned round and came back to
the table.
'Do you remember those issue-lists for handcuffs, Lewis?'
'It's a long time ago ...'
'Well, they're just handwritten lists, kept up to date in a series of
columns: date, name, rank, serial number. Just like this.' Strange took a
folded sheet ofA4 from an inside pocket. 'But you remember the serial-number
on the pair you found in Morse's drawer?'
'Nine-two-two.'
He handed the sheet to Lewis.
'You've got a good memory!'
'Where did you get this?'
'Someone took it from HQ, Lewis. Morse did!'
Lewis looked down at the list, but could find no mention of Morse's name.
Could see another name though at the seventh entry down, along with the other
details in the neatly ruled lines: 3 June '68 Strange
PC
734 922 'You mean. . .?'
'I mean, Lewis, that Morse knew I was having an affair with Yvonne Harrison.
I don't know how he knew, but he always tended to know things, didn't he? He
pinched that form, and he kept it till after the wife's funeral. Then he
gave it to me. Said it would be useless without the cuffs, which he said he
was going to keep anyway, just in case I ever did anything bloody stupid.
And he said exactly what I said to you a few minutes ago: nothing nothing
that happened then had affected the enquiry in the slightest way. Is that
clear, Lewis?'
Yes it was clear.
'You're saying that all Morse did was to save you .
. and save Mrs Strange . . . '
'It would have broken her to pieces,' said Strange very quietly.
'And me. Would have broken both of us to pieces.'
'She never knew?'
'Never had the faintest idea. Thanks to Morse.'
Lewis was silent.
'Just like you, eh? About lots of things. You never had the faintest idea,
for example, that I re-opened the Harrison case on the basis of a couple of
bogus telephone calls, now did you?'
'You mean ?'
373
'I mean there were no telephone calls. I made 'em up myself. Both of
'em.'
'I just didn't realize . . .'
'Nobody did, except Morse of course. He guessed straight- away. But I'd
