‘What the fuck does it matter which sort it was?’
‘It matters to me.’
‘Chappie.’
‘And when you had fed the dog.’
‘I shaved.’
‘Last time you said you had a bath.’
‘I had a bath and then I shaved. I was trying to save time.’
‘Forget the time, Wilt, we’ve got all the time in the world.’
‘What time is it?’
‘Shut up. What did you do then?’
‘Oh for God’s sake, what does it matter? What’s the point of going over and over the same things?’
‘Shut up.’
‘Right,’ said Wilt, ‘I will.’
‘When you had shaved what did you do?’
Wilt stared at him and said nothing.
‘When you had shaved?’
But Wilt remained silent. Finally Inspector Flint left the room and sent for Sergeant Yates.
‘He’s clammed up,’ he said wearily. ‘So what do we do now?’
‘Try a little physical persuasion?’
Flint shook his head. ‘Gosdyke’s seen him. If he turns up in Court on Monday with so much as a hair out of place, he’ll be all over us for brutality. There’s got to be some other way. He must have a weak spot somewhere but I’m damned if I can find it. How does he do it?’
‘Do what?’
‘Keep talking and saying nothing. Not one bloody useful thing. That sod’s got more opinions on every topic under the flaming sun than I’ve got hair on my head.’
‘If we keep him awake for another forty-eight hours he’s bound to crack up.’
‘He’ll take me with him,’ said Flint.’ We’ll both go into court in straitjackets.’
In the Interview Room Wilt put his head on the table. They would be back in a minute with more questions but a moment’s sleep was better than none. Sleep. If only they would let sleep. ‘What had Flint said? ‘The moment you sign a confession you can have all the sleep you want.’ Wilt considered the remark and its possibilities. A confession. But it would have to be plausible enough to keep them occupied while he got some rest and at the same time so impossible that it would rejected by the court. A delaying tactic to give Eva time to come back and prove his innocence. It would be like Gasfitters Two Shane to read while be sat and thought about putting Eva down the pile shaft. He should be able to think up something complicated that would keep them frantically active. How he had killed them? Beat them to death in the bathroom? Not enough blood. Even Flint had admitted that much. So how? What was a nice gentle way to go? Poor old Pinkerton had chosen a peaceful death when he stuck a tube up the exhaust pipe of his car…That was it. But why? There had to be a motive. Eva was having it off with Dr Pringsheim? With that twit? Not in a month of Sundays. Eva wouldn’t have looked twice at Gaskell. But Flint wasn’t to know that. And what about that bitch Sally? All three having it off together? Well at least it would explain why he killed them all and it would provide the sort of motive Flint would understand. And besides it was right for that kind of party. So he got this pipe…What pipe? There was no need for a pipe. They were in the garage to get away from everyone else. No, that wouldn’t do. It had to be the bathroom. How about Eva and Gaskell doing it in the bath? That was better. He
