‘A spliff,’ Harry said. ‘Cannabis? I could smell it up on the path.’
‘Rubbish!’
The word blasted out from Mr Adams, not as disbelief, but absolute conviction that what he had just been told was so wrong as to be laughable.
‘He said that he got it from someone called Nick, and he mentioned someone else called Reedy. Drives a fancy red car by all accounts. It’s them I’m after. But thought it best to bring Christian home to you, so you’re aware of what’s happened.’
Mr Adams stepped forwards, pushing Christian behind him. ‘Now, you listen here,’ he said, his voice battling through his gritted teeth, ‘there is no way on earth that a son of mine would be stupid enough to take drugs, do you hear? And as for having anything to do with this Nick person? He wouldn’t be that stupid!’
‘Every parent says the same,’ Harry offered.
‘And I am not every parent!’ came the reply. ‘Where’s your evidence?’
Harry knew then that he was arguing with the deliberately deaf. ‘He threw it away. But like I said, that’s not what this is about. I’m just intervening before something worse happens.’
Mr Adams leaned in close, doing his best to intimidate Harry. It didn’t work. Then he poked Harry in the chest with a pointed finger.
‘I think you should sod off now, don’t you?’
Harry stared at the finger. ‘Please don’t do that, sir,’ he said.
The man poked Harry again and said, ‘You’re on private property. Leave immediately!’
Harry stepped back, just out of reach. ‘I’ve seen what can happen,’ he said. ‘It destroys lives. It destroyed my brother’s life. I’m just trying to help, that’s all.’
Mr Adams walked towards Harry poking him once again.
Harry held up his hands. ‘Please, Sir,’ he said. ‘Stop now. I’m going, okay? I’ve done my bit. Next time, I just hope it’s not an arrest.’
‘An arrest?’
Mr Adams’ voice was a high-pitched screech and he came at Harry with rage in his eyes.
Harry stepped to one side just enough to let the man stumble past him and onto his knees. What the hell was the idiot thinking? That he could take him on? That a fight was the best solution here?
Harry backed further away, then as he turned to go, glanced up at Christian who was still standing in the doorway.
‘Stay away from it, okay?’ Harry said.
Then he was gone, and the bellowing threats of Mr Richard Adams chased him further down the street than he had expected. Which was why he pulled his phone out and punched in a call to Matt, if only to drown the man out.
‘Boss?’
‘I’ve got a sighting on Nick,’ Harry explained. ‘You know anything about someone called Reedy? Just wondering if that’s where he’s gone.’
‘Reedy?’ Matt replied. ‘Lives over in Swaledale. You want to head over now?’
‘You busy?’
‘Nope.’
‘Good,’ Harry said. ‘What say we go and pay him a surprise visit?’
Swaledale, from what Harry could see in the fading light of the late summer evening, was as beautiful as was Wensleydale, but in a way all of its own. He wasn’t exactly sure what the difference was, whether it was a little more wild, perhaps, or was it just that it somehow seemed even older than its sister valley over the hill, but he found himself almost forgetting Matt’s mad driving as they sped over the moors, which lay between Askrigg and their destination.
‘Crackpot?’ Harry asked, spying the odd name on a signpost as they swept down into the bottom of the valley and through a small clump of houses.
‘Great name, isn’t it?’ Matt said.
‘What does it mean?’
‘No idea,’ Matt said. ‘Probably something to do with all the caves and what not. And all the lead mines in the area.’
‘Can’t say I’ve ever fancied caving,’ Harry said. ‘Not a fan of enclosed spaces. I’m more your staying up top in the open air kind of person.’
‘Ah, Crackpot’s fine,’ Matt said. ‘I’ll take you down there if you want?’
Harry laughed. ‘What? You’re a caver?’
‘I am that,’ Matt said. ‘Member of the Cave and Rescue Team as well. Multi-talented!’ He nodded ahead. ‘Here’s Reeth. Pity we’re on duty. The Black Bull is a fantastic little pub. Mind you, they all are. Love it here. Might move over one day, you never know.’
Matt pulled the Land Rover up in the middle of the village, which was a huge expanse of green surrounded by stern looking buildings, each one staring down at him ominously.
‘So where are we likely to find this Reedy, then?’ Harry asked, meeting Matt around at the front of the vehicle.
‘The King’s Arms,’ Matt replied, and headed off. ‘Come on.’
Entering the pub, Harry immediately wanted to just sit down and stop. The place was old fashioned but not dated, if such a thing was possible. It was homely and warm and smelled of comfort food and good conversation, with the faintest hint of dog.
Matt walked up to the bar and waved at the barman, a man who seemed far too tall to be working behind it, as he stooped down to see who had called to him. He rather reminded Harry of Lurch from The Addams Family, only not as smiley.
‘Now then, Brian!’
‘’Ow do, Matt,’ the barman said. ‘What can I do you for, then?’
Matt held up a hand and said, ‘Sorry, on duty tonight.’
‘Pity,’ the barman said. ‘Got some new pickled eggs out. Your lot been out on the fells at all?’
Matt shook his head.
‘Rescue team’s been pretty quiet to be honest. Folk must be taking care of themselves for a change! And I’ll still be having a pickled egg, that’s for sure.’
‘It’s that caving I don’t get,’ the barman said. ‘Why the hell anyone wants to do that is beyond me.’
‘Couldn’t agree more,’ Harry said, approaching the bar.
‘This is DCI Grimm,’ Matt said, introducing him to the barman. ‘Boss, this is Brian.’
Harry gave a nod, then said, ‘Couple of cokes and some crisps, please. Cheese and onion.’
‘I’m more of a peanuts man,’ Matt said. ‘And that pickled egg, Brian,
