had he acted sooner, between six and half past seven? It probably didn’t matter, except that the power cut had brought Mrs. Tanner to check on her tenant, and the body had been discovered perhaps quite a bit sooner than the killer had hoped.
“Anyone arrive
“We arrived at about a quarter to eight,” said the man in the bay-window seat. “Isn’t that right, darling?”
The woman beside him nodded.
“We were on our way to Eastvale, back to the hotel,” he went on, “and this is the first place we saw that was open. I don’t like driving after dark at the best of times.”
“I don’t blame you,” Banks said. “Did you see anyone else on the road?”
“No. I mean, there might have been a car or two earlier, but we didn’t see anyone after the power went out.”
“Where were you coming from?”
“Swainshead.”
“Did you see anyone when you parked here?”
“No. I mean, I don’t think so. The wind was so loud and the branches…”
“You might have seen someone?”
“I thought I saw the taillights of a car,” the man’s wife said.
“Where?”
“Heading up the hill. Straight on. I don’t know where the road goes. But I can’t be certain. As my husband says, it was a bit like a hurricane out there. It could have been something else flashing in the dark, a lantern or a torch or something.”
“You didn’t see or hear anything else?”
They both shook their heads.
A possible sighting of a car heading up the unfenced road over the moors, then; that was the sum of it. They would make inquiries at the youth hostel, of course, but it was hardly likely their murderer was conveniently staying there. Still, someone might have seen something.
Banks turned back to CC. “We’ll need statements from everyone in here. Names and addresses, when they arrived, that sort of thing. I’ll send someone over. For the moment, though, did anyone leave and come back between six and eight?”
“I did,” said one of the cardplayers.
“What time would that be?”
“About seven o’clock.”
“How long were you gone?”
“About fifteen minutes. As long as it takes to drive to Lyndgarth and back.”
“Why did you drive to Lyndgarth and back?”
“I live there,” he said. “I thought I might have forgotten to turn the gas ring off after I had my tea, so I went back to check.”
“And had you?”
“What?”
“Turned the gas ring off?”
“Oh, aye.”
“Wasted journey, then.”
“Not if I
That raised a titter from his cronies. Banks didn’t want to get mired any deeper in Yorkshire logic.
“You still haven’t told us what’s happened,” another of the cardplayers piped up. “Why are you asking all these questions?” A candle guttered on the table and went out, leaving his gnarled face in shadow.
“This is just the beginning,” said Banks, thinking he might as well tell them. They would find out soon enough. “It looks very much as if we have a murder on our hands.”
A collective gasp rose from the drinkers, followed by more muted muttering. “Who was it, if I might ask?” said CC.
“I wish I knew,” said Banks. “Maybe you can help me there. All I know is that his name was Nick and he was staying at Moorview Cottage.”
“Mrs. Tanner’s young lad, then?” said CC. “She was in here looking for him not so long ago.”
“I know,” said Banks. “She found him.”
“Poor woman. Tell her there’s a drink on the house waiting for her, whatever she wants.”
“Have you seen her husband tonight?” Banks asked, remembering that Mrs. Tanner had told him her husband was at a darts match.
“Jack Tanner? No. He’s not welcome here.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’m sorry to say it, but he’s a troublemaker. Ask anyone. Soon as he’s got three or four pints into him he’s picking on someone.”
“I see,” said Banks. “That’s interesting to know.”
“Now, wait a minute,” protested CC. “I’m not saying he’s capable of owt like that.”
“Like what?”
“You know. What you said. Murdering someone.”
“Do you know anything about the young man?” Annie asked.
CC was so distracted by her breaking her silence that he stopped spluttering. “He came in a couple of times,” he said.
“Did he talk to anyone?”
“Only to ask for a drink, like. And food. He had a bar snack here once, didn’t he, Kelly?”
Kelly was on the verge of tears, Banks noticed. “Anything to add?” he asked her.
Even in the candlelight, Banks could see that she blushed. “No,” she said. “Why should I?”
“Just asking.”
“Look, he was just a normal bloke,” CC said. “You know, said hello, smiled, put his glass back on the bar when he left. Not like some.”
“Did he smoke?”
CC seemed puzzled by the question, then he said, “Yes. Yes, he did.”
“Did he stand at the bar and chat?” Annie asked.
“He wasn’t the chatty sort,” said CC. “He’d take his drink and go sit over there with the newspaper.” He gestured toward the hearth.
“Which newspaper?” Banks asked.
CC frowned. “The
Banks favored him with a tight smile. “Maybe it doesn’t,” he said, “but I like to know these things. It tells me he was intelligent, at any rate.”
“If you call doing crossword puzzles intelligent, I suppose it does. I think they’re a bit of a waste of time, myself.”
“Ah, but you can’t do them, can you?”
“Does either of you have any idea what he did for a living?” Annie asked, glancing from CC to Kelly and back.
“I told you,” said CC. “He wasn’t chatty, and I’m not especially the nosy type. Man wants to come in here and have a quiet drink, he’s more than welcome, as far as I’m concerned.”
“So it never came up?” Annie said.
“No. Maybe he was a writer or a reviewer or something.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, if he didn’t have the newspaper, he always had a book with him.” He glanced toward Banks. “And don’t ask me what book he was reading, because I didn’t spot the title.”
“Any idea what he was doing here, this time of year?” Banks asked.
“None. Look, we often get people staying at Moorview Cottage dropping by for a pint or a meal, and we don’t
