marked un suppleness of limb, the slate-grey suit decidedly rumpled, the
tell-tale crease around the waistband betokening an increase in girth over
recent months. A white-haired man, of medium height, his face of a
pale-olive colour, as if perhaps he had spent a holiday of less than
uninterrupted sunshine in Torremolinos, or was suffering from incipient
jaundice. But his voice was that of someone who demanded immediate attention
like another voice that Edwards once had known, that of his old Latin master.
Vox auctoritatis.
Lewis had approached the newcomer, and the two were in brief conversation
before coming over to the others. Chief Inspector Morse (for such was he)
appeared to recognize the other SO COs and nodded briefly as he was
introduced to the youngest member of the team.
'Hello, Edwards!' He'd said nothing more, and Edwards gathered that the
Chief Inspector was not a convert to the currently widespread practice of
everyone addressing everyone - superiors, equals, and subordinates alike by
their Christian names. Yet he seemed a pleasant enough fellow, now surveying
the scene with a keen if somewhat melancholy eye, while the SOCO team began
to put on their green boiler suits and over boots
'Anyone touched anything?'
'No more than we needed to, sir.' (It was Lewis who replied. ) Morse looked
again at the car for some lingering while the car he'd followed when Harry
Repp had turned his back on Bullingdon. Then he lifted his eyes, and looked,
again for some lingering while, at the pub sign of the Rosie O'Grady.
Bill Flowers was standing beside him.
'All yours!' pronounced Morse.
'Car's locked.'
'How do you know?'
'Door catches all in the locked position.'
Morse pressed a hand down on the near side front handle.
'Don't !' But Rowers checked his admonition in mid-voice.
'You're right. Any of your lads here ever a juvenile car thief?'
'I know somebody who was.'
'Where's he live?'
'Silverstone.'
Morse turned to Lewis.
Give Johnson a ring. '
'Know his number?'
'Saturday afternoon? He'll be in the Summertown bookie's.'
'It's long gone afternoon, sir.'
'Ah!'
'There'll be a Local Directory in the pub.'
'You won't find him listed. They've cut his phone off.'
'So how ?'
'He'll be in the Dew Drop if he's won a few quid.'
'Perhaps he's not won a few quid.'
'He'll still be in the Dew Drop.'
'Do you know the number?'
'Get me a mobile!' snapped Morse.
Edwards watched as Morse turned his back on his col- leagues, tapped out a
number, and spoke sotto voce into the mouthpiece for a while, before blasting
out fortissimo: 'Well, just tell him to get here on the bloody bus and get
here bloody quickV Yet this order was not obeyed with either accuracy or
immediacy, since there was a further twenty-minute wait before a rusting
A-Reg Ford pulled up on the main road outside the Rosie O'Grady, whence
emerged from the passenger seat a sparely built, nondescript man, in his late
forties, a self-rolled cigarette dangling from a thin mouth that even from a
few yards exuded the reek of strong, excessive alcohol.
'Mr Morse?'
The latter pointed to the car.
'Fee, is there?'
^9
'Just open it, Malcolm!' (Edwards was surprised with the Christian-name
address. ) The key-wizard made no further remonstradon as he winched a bunch
of skeleton-keys and bits of wire from his right-hand trouser-pocket.
Then, turning his back on his expectant audience, he surveyed the problem
synoptic ally Like Capablanca contemplating his next move in the World Chess
Championship.
'It's central-locking,' volunteered Rowers.
But Johnson said nothing, responding only for a semi- second with a look of
contemptuous ingratitude.
As far as Edwards could make out, Morse had enjoyed that moment, since more
than a semi-smile formed around his mouth when fifteen seconds later there
was a quiet 'clunk' as the catches on the four doors sprang upwards in
simultaneous freedom.
R456 LJB was open for inspection.
After pulling on a pair of green-latex gloves, Rowers now opened the two
offside doors; and Morse glanced over the front seats, before contemplating
for a good deal longer the darkly glutinous covering of blood that stained
