‘All at once?’
‘They decided it was safer to stick together,’ Jenny said.
‘And Jim and Liz are still out in town?’
Jenny nodded.
‘Give them a call,’ Harry said. ‘I want Jim to meet me in the station car park, behind the Ropemakers. And I want Liz here with you.’
‘Aren’t you coming to Harrogate? You heard the confession.’
‘No, I’m not,’ Harry said. ‘And I want you to hang fire on that for a while. You mind doing that? Babysit Mr Rawson with Liz until I give you a call?’
‘Why?’
Harry turned and made for the door. ‘I’m going to catch me a killer.’
Chapter Thirty-Two
Harry saw the welcome sight of Jim swinging his vehicle into the car park and flashing his headlights. As Jim pulled in beside him, he jumped out of his vehicle and jogged around to speak to the PCSO.
‘First,’ Harry said, ‘what did you find at the surgery? Anything?’
‘Nothing,’ Jim said. ‘But one of the women there, she asked what it was I was looking for, and I said about what you’d found in the school logbooks.’
‘And?’
‘And she said she remembered her mum saying something about a girl who drowned years ago. Said she was pretty sure that her mum had made it up just to scare her into not messing around in the beck. Didn’t happen at the school though.’
‘Well,’ Harry said, ‘she wasn’t making it up.’
At this, Jim’s eyebrows scrunched together. ‘Seriously? And you’re saying it’s got something to do with all of this?’
‘Very much so,’ Harry said. ‘Now, how do you fancy coming along to help me check on our good friend, the doctor? He had a little accident earlier, as you know. Thought we should see how he is. Show the caring side of the police, that kind of thing.’
Harry watched as Jim’s face moved from serious contemplation to abject confusion.
‘Er, yes, I guess so,’ Jim said. ‘And that’s why you called me down here?’
‘Absolutely!’ Harry said. ‘Is there a problem?’
Jim quickly shook his head. ‘No, not at all, it’s just that, you know, that’s the crime scene, and, well, I’m sure the doctor is alright.’
‘Exactly!’ Harry said. ‘Come on then, out you get!’
Harry strode off, not waiting, and heard Jim scramble out of his Land Rover, slam the door, and jog over to catch him up.
‘You okay?’ Jim asked.
‘Never better,’ Harry said, staring ahead. ‘You?’
‘Er, yes, I’m fine,’ Jim said.
‘Well, that’s good,’ said Harry. ‘Then we’re both just peachy then, aren’t we?’
At the top of the road, with the Ropemakers on their left, Harry swung right, crossed Brunt Acres Road, and then made his way over to the surgery. Inside, he saw the receptionist glance up and roll his eyes.
‘Hello!’ Harry said. ‘We’re back! And you’ll be pleased to know that I’m much, much better now.’
‘I’m afraid that Doctor Smith is with a patient,’ the receptionist said.
‘And how is the doctor?’ Harry asked. ‘You know, after what happened?’
‘Fine I’m sure,’ the receptionist replied. ‘If you would be good enough to take a seat?’
‘So he’s not dizzy or anything?’ Harry asked. ‘He’s been alright to get straight back to work?’
‘Of course!’ the receptionist said. ‘It was just a little bump from what I gather. That was all. Nothing serious. Now, if you could . . .?’ He gestured to some empty seats against the wall.
‘Over there?’ Harry said.
‘Yes.’
‘Those chairs?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you’ll tell him we’re here? It’s police business after all. We just have to check up on him, as I’m sure you understand.’
‘He will be with you as soon as he can, I’m sure,’ the receptionist said, then picked up the phone and, Harry was pretty sure, proceeded to dial a number that didn’t actually exist. And as he did so, Harry turned to the doors leading through to the consultation rooms beyond, and marched on through, with Jim right behind him.
‘Hey! You can’t do that!’ shouted the receptionist. ‘You can’t! I’ll . . . I’ll call the police!’
‘We’re already here!’ Harry shouted back, and a few strides later was outside Doctor Smith’s door.
Harry knocked.
‘I have a patient!’ the doctor replied sharply, clearly irritated by the interruption.
‘My apologies,’ Harry called through the closed door. ‘We’re just here to check up on you, that’s all. It’s a procedural thing, what with what happened. And I’ve a few questions I need to ask.’
Harry listened at the door to the sounds of scuffling and a muffled apology to whoever the doctor was with.
‘Look, I’m really sorry about this,’ Harry said through the door. ‘This won’t take long. You’re a busy man, I know. Very busy indeed.’
The door opened and out bustled an old lady wearing far too much make up and enough layers to keep her dry and warm at the North Pole. She tutted as she shuffled away.
‘Grimm,’ the doctor smiled. ‘Come in, come in. Sit down, please.’
Harry walked past the doctor and into the room, Jim behind him. He noticed that the doctor now had a small plaster on his forehead, the edge of it coming away just enough to grab a hold of. He’d changed, too, which was fair enough. There had been an awful lot of blood, remembered Harry. But where was that bruising the pathologist had seemed pretty adamant should be there, too?
‘Please, sit down,’ the doctor said. ‘Now, how can I help?’
Harry sat down and really made a point of getting himself comfortable. He shuffled to the left, to the right, really hunkered down into the chair, like he was settling in for what was left of the day. ‘Just thought we’d come and check up on you,’ Harry began. ‘It was quite a time of it, wasn’t it, up in the village?’
‘What? Marsett? Oh, yes, it was indeed,’ the doctor said, then a pained look scratched across his face and he rubbed his head. ‘Can’t say I was expecting to be hit on the head!’
‘No, I dare say you weren’t,’ Harry said, and leaned forward a little. ‘And that’s where you were hit was it? On your forehead there?’
The
