ran down his chin. He was almost smiling. The next moment Battleby’s arms were behind his back, he was handcuffed and a large Sergeant was frogmarching him to a police car.
‘I think we had better continue this interview in a calmer atmosphere,’ said the Superintendent, not bothering to wipe the blood from his face. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to accompany us too, Mrs Rottecombe. I know it’s very late but we’ll need a statement from you. It’s not just a case of assaulting a police officer in the course of his duty. There’s Possession of Obscene Material under the Act as well. You were a witness to everything that occurred. And there is another matter, possibly a more serious one.’
Mrs Rottecombe crossed to her Volvo and followed the police cars to the police station in Oston in a state of controlled fury. Bob Battleby was going to get no help from her.
Chapter 11
‘You’re not going to like this, Flint,’ Superintendent Hodge of the Drug Squad in Ipford said with all the glee of a man who was finally being proved right, and that at the expense of a man he thoroughly disliked. He settled his backside on the edge of Inspector Flint’s desk to emphasise the point.
‘Don’t see how I am,’ said Flint. ‘Don’t tell me they’re putting you back on the beat. I mean, that would really hurt me.’
The Superintendent smiled nastily. ‘Remember what you told me about Wilt not being into drugs? Said the blighter wasn’t that sort. Well, I’ve got news for you. The Drug Enforcement Agency in the States has faxed an inquiry on Mrs Wilt in a drug-dealing connection. What do you say to that?’
‘I’d say you’d picked up some fancy transatlantic language. Been seeing too many old movies, have you? The Wilt Connection. You’ve got to be joking.’
‘They are requesting information about Mrs Eva Wilt, address 45 Oakhurst Avenue–’
‘I know where the Wilts live, don’t I just,’ said Flint. ‘But if you are trying to tell me that Eva Wilt is into drug pushing you’re clean round the twist. That woman is a leading antidrug campaigner like she’s a leading campaigner for everything else from Save the Whales to stopping the TV cable company from digging holes along Oakhurst Avenue because it hurts the cherry trees and they are part of the Ipford Rainforest. Pull the other one.’
Hodge ignored the crack. ‘Of course she’s a leading antidrug campaigner. Gives her splendid cover Stateside.’
Inspector Flint sighed. Really, Superintendent Hodge was getting to be a bigger fool the more he was promoted.
‘Where are we now? _Kojak?_ You should watch something a bit more up to date than that old stuff. Not that I mind. At least I can sort of understand what you’re talking about.’
‘Very witty, I’m sure,’ said Hodge. ‘So if she’s so clean how come they’re asking for information?’
‘Don’t ask me what Yanks do. I’ve never understood. Anyway, what reason did they give?’
‘Presumably because they have her under suspicion,’ said Hodge and moved off the desk. ‘Our American confreres don’t give reasons. All they’re doing is asking. Makes you think, doesn’t it?’
‘Be nice if some people could begin to,’ said Flint when the door closed behind the Superintendent. ‘And what was all that confreres business about?’
‘I think he was just trying to show he can speak a bit of French as well as American,’
