know what I mean?'
No. '
'Well, you know--' ' For Christ's sake stop saying 'you know'
'
'Well, you've got things packed everywhere, haven't you? Not just cases and
things but nappies, bedding, towels, boots, Wellingtons, thermoses, carrier
bags all piled up so you can hardly see out of the back window.'
'What sort of bags?'
Lewis was trying hard to re-visualize the scene, and fortunately Morse had
picked on the one thing that finally jogged his fading memory. Bags! Yes,
there'd been bags in the back of that car: bags you could stick all sorts of
things inside. And suddenly the picture had grown clearer: 'Black bags!'
'You think he was off to the rubbish dump?'
'Could've been.
'Waste Reception Area' , by the way, sir. '
'Where's the biggest rubbish dump in Oxfordshire?'
'Or in Oxford, perhaps?' Lewis's face had brightened.
'Red- bridge.
People go there from all over the county straight down the A34 then turn
off--' But Lewis stopped.
'Forget it, sir. From Bullingdon you'd turn on to the A41, and then straight
on to the A34. You wouldn't go into Bicester at all.'
'And you're quite sure the car went into Bicester?'
'That's one thing I am sure about.'
'If only you'd concentrated on that car, Lewis, and forgotten all about the
bus!'
'I just don't understand why you're so interested in the car. Repp was on
the bus.'
'So you keep saying,' said Morse quietly.
'But you're not right, are you? Repp wasn't on the bus.'
87
'Not when he got to Oxford, no.'
'You lost him. You might as well face it.'
Lewis drained his orange juice. Yep! I agree. I lost him. And that's
exactly why I need a bit of help. '
'Like the number of that car, you mean?'
'I think you're having me on about that.'
'Oh no. And if you think it'll help . . .'
Morse took out his pen and pushed his empty glass across the table: 'Your
round! And pass me your notebook.'
A minute later, Lewis stared down at Morse's small, neat handwriting:
R456 LJB
And incredulity vied with amazement in his face as Morse continued quietly:
'You know, you weren't your usual sharp self this morning, were you? You
failed to observe the car in front of you and you failed to observe the car
behind you.'
'You you don't mean . . .?'
'I do mean, yes. I was right behind you this morning. But being the
law-abiding citizen I am, I instructed my driver to keep an appropriately
safe distance from the vehicle in front.'
'I just don't believe this. I just don't understand.'
'Easy, really. I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an eye on our Mr
Repp, just like Strange did. So I rang up the prison Governor, an old friend
of mine, and told him what I was intending to do; and he said there was no
need because he'd had a call from Strange setting up your surveillance. So I
just told him to forget it told him we'd got some crossed wires came out in
an unmarked car, like you did parked in the visitors' area listened to
Mahler's Eighth - and watched and waited. And took a flask of coffee yes,
coffee, Lewis and the rest is history.'
'You're having me on!'
'Oh no! How the hell do you think I could give you that car
THE REMORSEFUL
DAY
number unless I'd seen the bloody thing? You don't think I'm psychic or
something, do you? '
Lewis reflected on this extraordinary new development. Then slowly
formulated his thoughts aloud. 'You saw the car in front of me. You saw who
was in it and what was in it ' 'Black plastic bags, yes. You were right.'
' - and you saw the Registration Number. '
'Only just. You know, I'll have to see an optician soon.'
'You told me off for saying ' you know',' snapped Lewis.
Morse curled his right hand lovingly round his beer glass.
'Sometimes, you don't fully appreciate my help, you know.'
Lewis let it go.
'And you knew the car went into Bicester, to the bus station. You knew it
all the time.'
'Yes.'
'So when I went to get a paper you saw Repp get out of the bus and get into
the car. But you didn't tell me oh no! You just left me to go on a wild
goose chase after the bus. Well, thank you very much.'
For a while Morse was silent. Then: 'How many times have I been to the Gents
this morning?'
'Twice since you've been here.'
'Six times in all, Lewis! And the reason for such embarrassingly frequent
retirements is not any lack of bladder-control. It's those diuretic pills
