Merrily put down her scone.
Charlie Howe’s arms were folded. She studied his face, tanned the colour of lightly polished yew. She knew very little about him, either as a councillor or a former senior policeman, but if she had to guess why he was going out of his way to feed her controversial information, she wouldn’t get far beyond the fact that he clearly enjoyed causing trouble – stirring the pot.
‘Gosh,’ she said.
‘You talk for a bit and I’ll listen.’ Charlie glanced around. ‘You’re all right: no witnesses.’
‘Well… phew… where do we start? David Shelbone may well have got himself crossed off Allan Henry’s corporate Christmascard list.’
Charlie poured himself more coffee. ‘You ever actually come across Allan Henry, Merrily?’
‘He doesn’t go to
‘He’s an ambitious man, and a very lucky man. Things’ve fallen his way. Just a moderately successful small- time house-builder for quite a few years, then his horizons got rapidly wider. Took over Colin Connelly’s little workshop development beyond Holmer when Colin had his accident. And then things started falling into his hands. A few slightly iffy Green Belt schemes, but he got them through. One way or another.’
‘Erm… would you say he found success in ways that might have interested you in your former occupation?’
Charlie Howe said, very slowly, ‘I am saying nothing that might incriminate any of my colleagues on the council.’
‘I see,’ said Merrily.
Charlie drank the rest of his second cup of coffee.
‘So David Shelbone could be getting in quite a few people’s hair.’
‘I think I said as much earlier.’
‘Why are you telling
He cupped his hands over his eyes and nose, rubbed for a moment before bringing them down in the praying position.
‘Got nobody else to tell any more,’ he said. ‘Last thing Annie wants is the old man on her back. Most of the people I mix with… well, you never know quite who you’re talking to, do you?’
‘What happened to your… to Annie’s mother?’
‘Oh, it was a police marriage. Average life expectancy five years. Better nowadays, actually. Now there are plenty of professional women around, so you can take up with one who understands all about funny shifts and late- night callouts and having to cancel your fortnight in Ibiza because you’re giving evidence at Worcester Crown Court. Back then, it was this huge majority of full-time housewives and mothers who didn’t understand at all.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He grinned. ‘Don’t be bloody sorry, vicar. I’ve had a lot more fun in twenty-five unencumbered years than I had with her. Anyway… I met you there at the school and I liked your attitude and I thought we were likely to be on the same wavelength on certain matters. And then that little girl taking the overdose – that rather clinched it.’
‘Well… thanks.’
‘I don’t much like Brother Henry,’ he said. ‘I don’t like him as a businessman or as… as a man.’
‘Because?’
‘Because… well, he’s ruthless and he’s vindictive, for starters. The rest I’d need to think about.’
‘And Layla Riddock’s not even his daughter.’
‘He brought her up, though,’ Charlie said, ‘didn’t he?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Me neither, really. I don’t know how long he and Shirley Riddock have been together. But it makes you think, don’t it just?’
‘He must’ve been very disappointed when certain people failed to persuade David Shelbone to take early retirement.’ Merrily broke off a small piece of scone and then put it back on the plate. ‘Oh hell, this is getting ridiculous.’
‘Nothing’s ridiculous,’ said Charlie Howe. ‘Hello…?’
Merrily looked up. A man had come in through reception and was walking directly towards their table.
‘Well, well,’ Charlie said.
Merrily recognized Andy Mumford, Hereford Division CID. Being promoted to Detective Sergeant in the twilight of his career must have given him new heart, because he’d lost weight. Sadly, it had made him look even more lugubrious.
‘Andrew Mumford, as I live and breathe.’ Charlie beamed but didn’t stand up. ‘This your local now then, boy, in keeping with your new-found status?’
‘Hello, boss,’ Mumford said heavily.
‘Dropped in for some career advice, is it? Stick it as long as you can, I’d say. Half these so-called security jobs, you’re just a glorified caretaker. Have a seat.’
‘I won’t, thank you, boss. In fact, it was actually Mrs Watkins I was looking for.’
‘Well… you can study for the ministry up to the age of sixty,’ Merrily told him, ‘but at the end of it, caretakers still earn more money.’
Mumford didn’t smile. ‘Mrs Watkins, Mr Howe’s daughter and my, er, governor would like it a lot if you could come to her office for a discussion.’
‘Oh.’ She sat up, surprised. ‘OK. I mean… Just give me half an hour. Because I do need to pop over to
‘No, Mrs Watkins,’ Mumford said. ‘If you could come with me
‘Only somebody’s going to be waiting for me, you see.’
‘If it’s Mr Robinson you mean,’ Mumford said, ‘we’ve already collected him at the gatehouse.’
Mumford’s unmarked car was parked in one of the disabled-driver spaces at the top of Broad Street. He drove Merrily across town and entered the police car park, from the Gaol Street side.
It was the pleasantest time of day, layered in shades of summer blue. Mumford didn’t have much to say. He’d evidently been warned not to spoil the surprise. But he’d said enough.
Annie Howe had been given a new office. Merrily couldn’t remember how they reached it. She didn’t notice what colours the walls were. She didn’t remember if they’d taken the stairs or the lift. She felt like she was walking on foam rubber through some bare, grey forest in the wintry hinterland of hell.
Howe’s office door was pushed-to, not quite closed; they could hear voices from inside.
Mumford knocked.
No answer.
He pushed it a little. ‘Ma’am?’
Inside, the room was dim, the window blinds pulled down. Merrily could see a TV set, switched on. The picture on the screen looked down at a group of people standing about awkwardly, looking at each other as if they didn’t know what to do next.
‘… oom?’ a woman said.
One of the others, a man, nodded and walked across the screen and out of shot.
‘Better wait here a moment, Mrs Watkins,’ Mumford said.
On the TV screen, nobody moved for a second or two, then a woman, much shorter, followed the man.
The sound was not very good, with lots of hiss; you could hear the voice, although you couldn’t see who was speaking.
The voice said awkwardly, ‘Gerard, I think I… need to go first.’
23
Poppies in the Snow
‘SIT DOWN, MERRILY.’ Annie Howe switched off the TV. She went over to the window and reeled up the blind, revealing a small yard and the back of the old magistrates’ court.
