'But you didn't know he was in that bit of London?'
'Nah. Look, we weren't that friendly, just saw each other around the games, know what I mean? It was him came after me at the match. I thought I must owe him money or something, the way he grabbed hold of me.'
'So he was glad to see you.'
Medwin nodded. 'Yeah, he was. He looked a bit rough and I asked him if he was working and he said he'd been doing a bit on the lump, nothing regular, and he'd not felt up to much recently anyway. He kept on asking questions about back here, about his wife and things. Well, I didn't know her from shit and in the end when we'd had a few bevvies, I said why don't you come back up and see for yourself? It's only a quick belt up the mo'way. He said, why not? dead casual like, but underneath he were right keen. I'll tell you what, old Tone were no advert for heading south to make your fortune!'
'If he was in such a bad way, why'd he not come back earlier?' said Dalziel. It sounded more like a question to himself than to the youth but Medwin wasn't taking chances.
'Would have done if the tart's old man hadn't warned him off.'
'What's that? Appleyard said he'd been warned off by his father-in-law? When? How?'
The intensity of Dalziel's interest hit the youth like a fist.
'I don't know, do I? I'm just saying what Tone said. I said he'd be OK back here with the Security plus whatever he could bum off his wife's family. And he said, the only brass I'll get from her fucking preaching father is coffin handles. Then he went on - But sod him, I don't care what he says, I'll come back if I like, and see what he can do! I said you should stick one on the old wanker, Tone, and he said yeah, but I reckoned it were the drink talking.'
Who needed hypnotism to trigger total recall? Wield asked himself admiringly. Fat Andy could induce it wide awaking, and probably plant as many conditioned responses as he liked too.
'And when you got here, what did you do?'
'It were close on midnight and we dropped him near the pea-canning factory on the ring road.'
'Because that's where he wanted to be?'
'Not exactly. To tell the truth he were a bit of a pain. We'd had to stop a few times so he could honk, and when he had to get out again on the edge of town we thought, fuck it! and drove off. I mean, you try to help some people but they just won't help themselves, will they?'
He looked at Dalziel with wide-eyed appeal.
The fat man smiled once more.
'You're right, Jason. But you've helped me, haven't you? And I think that deserves a reward. Tell you what I'm going to do. Can't drop all the charges against you, but I'm going to give you a break on one of them. Let's see, what've we got? Oh aye. You were in the Rose and Crown when the landlord got duffed up. Don't try to play innocent, lad. This isn't an audition for the Mysteries. We've got witnesses. What else? You've got an alibi for the train job, if it checks out. And you were boss of the gang that beat up my sergeant here, right? That's the one to scrub, I reckon. You could get a couple of years for assault on a police officer and I shouldn't like to think of a good- looking boy like you in an over-crowded cell.'
He smacked his leathery lips together in an obscene kissing noise. Medwin was looking dazed. Dalziel went on, 'Don't worry so much, son. Full cooperation on the pub job, lots of names, and we'll go easy, never fear. Youthful high jinks in a bar, we've all done it, even magistrates. Bound over, a fine mebbe. And we'll keep stumm about the other, eh? Constable Seymour here will steer you straight. And I'm always handy if you need any assistance!'
With a genial wave, Dalziel led the way out.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Wield said indignantly, 'What's going off, sir? You'd got what you wanted, you didn't need any deal, and that bastard beat the shit out of me and God knows how many more besides
'Hold on to your hat, Sergeant,' said Dalziel. 'Do you really want to sit in court and hear that clever little sod tell the beak that you offered him a fiver for a quick wank? That's what he'd likely say; and what do you do if some clever brief comes sniffing round your private life?'
This was such a precise re-run of his own fears that Wield could find no words of protest that wouldn't ring hypocritically.
Dalziel continued, 'And don't worry about Jason. I heard yesterday afternoon that that landlord's had a relapse, long-term kidney damage, so anyone tied up with that rumpus isn't going to walk. Also there's the little matter of conspiracy to cause an affray charge which is why he's been picked up in the first place. That'll come as a nice little surprise when we ferry him across to Leeds in an hour or so. Meanwhile you and me have got work to do. Come on.'
'Yes, sir. Where to, sir?' said Wield, trying not so much to conceal as not to feel the great wave of relief washing over him.
'Where to? Do you not listen when I'm interrogating?' He glanced at his watch. 'Builders start bright and early, don't they? I reckon our best bet for having a little chat with Arnie Stringer will be at Moscow Farm! Let's get a move on. I've got a rehearsal at ten and God can't be late, can he?'
CHAPTER FOUR
It had stopped raining and the sky was beginning to clear with promise of a fine summer day. The yard at Moscow Farm was full of noise and activity. Shirley Appleyard was climbing up the outside stair to her office. Her father was loading a surveyor's level on to a shiny new pick-up, and Philip Swain was backing a gleaming yellow JCB out of the barn door.
But when Dalziel's car drove into the yard, they all paused. And when Swain switched off the JCB's engine, the pause turned into a stillness against which the drift of clouds across the pale blue sky seemed like frenzy.
Slowly Dalziel raised his hand, in greeting presumably, but it seemed to Wield as if the puppet-master had twitched the strings, for the three figures before him instantly returned to life.
'Superintendent, what can I do for you?' said Swain, jumping down.
'You?' Dalziel considered long enough to telepath several grossly offensive suggestions. 'You could tell me who your new lawyer is.'
