Death

'Isn't that what I always say about Ivor, Pete? Smart as a whip,' said Dalziel.

'Sergeant Bowman downstairs has been trying to get hold of one of you. Some Immigration official's turned up,' said Novello.

'Oh aye. Tell 'em to sit him down and fetch him a cup of tea.' The Fat Man grinned. 'Better still, tell Bowman to get Hector to fetch him a cup of tea.'

'Yes, sir.'

Pascoe said, 'Shirley, I seem to recall you're an expert on saints.'

Novello remembered Sister Angela who wielded a ruler edge-on like a broadsword if you got a detail wrong.

'Know a bit, sir’ she said.

'Saint Apollonia. Any connection with teeth?'

'Yeah. She had all of hers knocked out or pulled out during her martyrdom. She's the one to pray to if you've got toothache.'

'Thanks, that's very helpful’

Novello left.

Dalziel said, 'That got owt to do with owt, or have you just lost a filling?'

'Just something I was curious about’

'Curious is right’ growled the Fat Man. 'I hope you're not on the turn, lad. One practising Catholic in the squad's quite enough’

'Hadn't you better go and see this Immigration chap? He's probably hopping round with a scalded crotch by now’

Dalziel boomed a laugh and said, 'We can live in hope. If plonkers like him showed a bit more common humanity then mebbe there'd be fewer poor bastards thinking the only way they can get into the country is curled up in a truck with a lot of frozen ham. Why are you walking funny? Hurt your ankle?'

'No, sir’ said Pascoe. 'Just trying to avoid stepping in this milk of human kindness someone's spilt all over the floor.'

'Ha bloody ha. That's the trouble with you poncy liberals. Think you've cornered the market in heart.'

‘Talking of which, sir, do you really think Wieldy's right to be concerned about Lubanski?'

'Shouldn't imagine so,' said Dalziel.

'Then why did you send him to look for the lad?'

' 'Cos if we're going to start taking this Hoard thing seriously, I wouldn't mind half an hour with the little scrote myself, see what he really knows. This seemed as good a way as any to get Wieldy to bring him in without coming over all maternal. Can't abide to see a grown man crying, that's always been my trouble. So stop worrying, he'll be back with his likely lad in half an hour and then I'll really give the young sod something to suck on!'

But for once Andy Dalziel was wrong.

More than an hour had passed before Wield returned, and he was alone.

'He wasn't at his address, I checked out I all the other likely spots and there was no sign. Someone thought they might have seen him getting into a car, but couldn't be sure.'

'There you are then,' said Pascoe reassuringly. 'Off with a punter.'

'It's the middle of the sodding day!'

'Come on, Wieldy! What's that got to do with anything? OK, maybe it was a mate who picked him up. Your witness said 'getting into a car', not 'being dragged' into it. So wherever he is, he's gone willingly and I don't doubt he'll be back in his own good time.'

Dalziel returned from dealing with the happily unscalded Immigration official.

'Not a bad fellow,' he opined. 'Mad eyes and shoulders on him like an ox. Don't know if that influenced Aiif, but he were real co-operative. Put his hand up like teacher's pet. Likely that call Belch made from his car were to whoever's behind Turk. Belch and him had had a word, Turk wanted to know what the deal was if he look the rap, Belch passes the word. Up goes Turk's kand and the buck stops there.'

Wield said, 'Let's hope you're right.' But he didn't sound very hopeful.

And when six o'clock arrived with still no sign of Lubanski, he reembraced his first theory with renewed passion.

'I think k's time we had a word with Belchamber’ he said forcefully.

'And what's he going to say? Yes, I fixed for Lee to be kidnapped? Get real, Wieldy.'

'Depends how you put the question’ said Wield grimly.

Pascoe and Dalziel exchanged glances.

The Fat Man said, 'I can see it's an attractive notion, Wieldy, taking Belch somewhere quiet and kicking his guts till he spills them. But you'd have to go all the way and kill him 'cos if there's one person a good cop doesn't want coming after him with a complaint, it's Marcus Belchamber.'

Pascoe, seeking a less basic appeal, said, 'More importantly, if you're wrong about this, and Belchamber's got no reason to think Lee has been grassing him up, you could be dropping Lee right in it, plus we'll have shown our hands in a big way.'.

Wield considered this then said, 'Let's say you're right. So why's Lee vanished?'

'Simple’ said Dalziel. 'You warned him that what he was doing could be dangerous, right? Told him to take care’

'Yes, but he wasn't taking a damn bit of notice’ said Wield.

'Might give that impression, kids like him live on bravado, eh? Show you're scared in the streets and you're knackered. But he trusts you, Wieldy, everything you've said about him shows that. So you say something, it'll have sunk in. Then what happens? He's sitting with you in Turk's and suddenly the place is full of cops. I know you explain it's nowt to do with you, but even if he believes you, it's a reminder. You may be a wise old father-figure, but you're a cop as well, and he's been cosying up to you in public, and God knows who's been watching. So maybe it's time he took a little holiday. Business has been good, he's got a bit in the bank. Wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't on his way to Marbella this very moment’

It was logical, it was persuasive. Pascoe could see Wield setting the Fat Man's hypothesis alongside everything he knew about Lubanski and getting a good match.

Also it gave him real hope and that's a bait it takes a Beckett to spit out.

'All right’ he said. 'You could be right. But if you're not.. ‘

He left his threat unspoken, or perhaps he simply hadn't yet worked out the details but knew it would be the terror of the earth.

'You really think he's on his way to Spain, sir?' said Pascoe after Wield had left.

'Fuck knows. But for the sake of argument, let's assume he's been kidnapped. Why? 'Cos someone got worried about what he's been telling Wieldy about Belch's plan. What has he been telling Wieldy about Belch's plan? Not a lot. Most of what we think we know about it is loaves and fishes, a big meal based on a few scraps. But if they tret him like yon Saint Aspidistra you were asking Ivor about and pulled his teeth out to find out what he'd said, all they'd hear about were the scraps. And, not knowing what active imaginations Wieldy and you have got, they likely think they're still in the clear’

'So if we are right and it's the Elsecar Hoard they're after, which is being transported here next Saturday, a week from tomorrow, that doesn't leave much time.'

'No it doesn't, but it's still not a lot to go on,' grumbled Dalziel. 'What we need is some silver-tongued bastard full of low cunning who can go down to Sheffield tomorrow morning and sell them this notion in such a way that, if it turns out a dud, it's all their fault, and if it turns out a winner, we get most of the credit.'

That would indeed take a huge length of silver tongue and a dizzy depth of cunning’ said Pascoe. 'Have you anyone in mind, sir?'

'Belt up and bugger off,' said Dalziel.

11