Him not smiling, just staring straight ahead.
I stand up. I walk over to the door. I open the door. I step out into the corridor.
I come back in with a blanket -
I place it on George Marsh’s shoulders: ‘There you go, mate.’
I sit back down. I take out a packet of Everest from the pocket of my sports jacket. I offer one to Bill.
Bill takes out a lighter. He lights both our cigarettes.
We blow smoke across Marsh.
His hands are flat upon the desk.
Bill leans forward. Bill dangles the cigarette over Marsh’s right hand. He rolls it between two fingers, back and forth, back and forth.
Marsh never flinches. Marsh silent -
Room 4 quiet, the Basement quiet -
The Station silent, the Headrow silent.
Bill reaches forward. Bill grabs Marsh’s right wrist. Bill holds down Marsh’s right hand. Bill stubs his cigarette out into the back of Marsh’s hand.
Marsh screams -
Screams -
But not much, not much at all.
I say: ‘Put your hands flat.’
Marsh puts them flat on the table.
The room stinks of burnt skin -
‘Another?’ I say.
‘Don’t mind if I do,’ says Bill. He takes another Everest from the pack. He lights the cigarette. He stares at Marsh. He leans forward. He begins to dangle the cigarette over Marsh’s hand.
Marsh stares dead ahead -
Silent:
Room 4 quiet, the Basement quiet -
The Station silent, the Headrow silent.
Bill and I stand up -
I say: ‘Stand up.’
Marsh stands up.
‘Eyes front.’
Marsh stares straight ahead, eyes dead.
‘Don’t move.’
Bill and I lift the three chairs and the table to the side. I open the door. We step out into the corridor. I close the door. I look through the spy-hole at Marsh. He is stood in the centre of the room. He is staring straight ahead, not moving, eyes dead.
‘He’s a hard one,’ I say.
‘Where’s Dickie?’ Bill asks.
‘He’s here.’
‘He got it?’
I nod.
‘Best get him then, hadn’t you?’
I walk off down the corridor.
Dick Alderman is already waiting in one of the cells at the end.
‘We’re ready,’ I say.
He nods.
We walk back down the corridor, Alderman carrying it under a blanket.
Bill nods at Alderman: ‘Morning.’
‘Morning,’ he slurs back. His breath reeks of alcohol.
Bill says: ‘You up for this, Richard, are you?’
He nods.
Bill leans in closer to his mouth: ‘Bit of Dutch courage for breakfast, eh?’
Alderman tries to pull his head back.
Bill’s got him by the scruff: ‘Don’t fuck it up, Richard.’
Alderman nods. Bill pats him on his face. Alderman smiles. Bill smiles back.
I ask: ‘Everybody ready?’
They both nod. Alderman puts down the box. He leaves it in the corridor for now. Bill hands him another package wrapped in a brown towel.
I open the door. We step inside -
Room 4, always Room 4:
George Marsh, forty-three, in police issue grey shirt and trousers.
George Marsh, upright in his chair at our table.
George Marsh, builder’s foreman on the Foster’s site across the road from 13 Brunt Street, Castleford -
The 13 Brunt Street home of Jeanette Garland -
Jeanette Garland, eight, missing since Saturday 12 July 1969.
I stand by the door. Bill and Alderman bring the chairs and the table back into the centre of the room.
Bill puts a chair behind Marsh. He says: ‘Sit down.’
Marsh sits down opposite Dick Alderman.
Bill picks up the blanket from the floor. He puts it over Marsh’s shoulders.
Alderman lights a cigarette. He says: ‘Put your palms flat on the desk.’
Marsh puts his hands flat on the desk.
Bill is pacing the room behind Marsh.
Alderman puts the brown package on the table. He unwraps it. He takes out a pistol. He lays it down on the table between himself and George Marsh.
Alderman smiles at Marsh -
Marsh just stares dead ahead.
Bill stops walking about the room. He stands behind Marsh.
‘Eyes front,’ says Alderman.
Marsh keeps staring straight ahead into the silence -
The dead silence:
Room 4 dead, the Basement dead.
Alderman jumps up. Alderman pins Marsh’s wrists down.
Bill grabs the blanket. Bill twists it around Marsh’s face.
Marsh falls forward off the chair.
Alderman holds down his wrists.
Bill twists the blanket around his face.
Marsh kneels on the floor.
Alderman lets go of Marsh’s wrists.
Marsh spins round in the blanket and into the wall:
CRACK -
Through the room, through the Basement.
Bill pulls off the blanket. He picks Marsh up by his hair. He stands him up against the wall.
‘Turn around, eyes front.’
Marsh turns around.
Alderman has the pistol in his right hand.
