Alan Hunter - Gently through the Mill

Blacker’s lips were clamped together again. The lines in his sallow cheeks had set in a desperate obstinacy.

‘Right — then we’ll get down to it! I’m arresting you two on a charge of being in unlawful possession of money, being the property of Geoffrey Pershore, Esq. You’re coming down to headquarters where there’ll be a formal charge, and I should warn you that anything you say may be taken down and used in evidence.

‘And, by way of a further warning, this is a holding charge — there may be something a good deal graver just around the corner!’

Blacker stared at him in a sudden bewilderment, a curious expression developing in his unpleasant eyes.

‘What was that bit… who did you say the money belonged to?’

‘To Mr Pershore. Did you want to make a statement?’

For a fraction of a second the foreman hesitated, then he shook his head stupidly and resumed his recalcitrant expression. Dutt, watching Gently, was surprised at the suppressed excitement he could recognize in his senior’s face.

‘Very well — we’ll have the cuffs on him… I particularly don’t want to lose Mr Blacker!’

‘You’re not putting those things on me!’

Miss Bushell let out a wail of dismay.

‘I’ll tell them you did me-!’

Gently made a placating gesture.

‘I’m sure that a professional like you knows how to come quietly

…’

Miss Bushell said something which was wholly unprintable.

At headquarters the super had left word that he wanted a conference, but he himself had been hustled away by the outraged mayor-elect. Gently, who was hungry, was not displeased to find an absent super. His mind often worked best over a meal, and just then he had plenty of thoughts to turn over.

On the steps, however, he was caught by an incoming Griffin, and the local inspector’s brow of thunder cleared very little as he caught sight of Gently.

‘The super’s on the way — he’s looking for you.’

‘I’m going to have a meal. I’ll be back directly.’

‘He’s out for blood, I can tell you… that confounded man! I suppose you didn’t form any opinion about the job?’

Gently shrugged and felt for his pipe, putting it into his mouth unlit.

‘First, I’d like to hear what you found there. I only had a glance round myself.’

Griffin groaned, propping himself up against the porch. ‘What in the deuce was there to find, except that the study had been burgled? The servants didn’t know anything… the gardener… our print men are still poking around, but either chummy used gloves or the domestics are too blasted efficient. Gloves, I’d say, because there was nothing on the safe.

‘Do you think this bloke with a yacht for sale could be a lead in?’

‘What else did you find in the study?’

‘Nothing — I told you! One of those tuppenny-halfpenny window catches had been forced and there were some scratches round the keyhole of the safe door.’

‘Not much there for Records to get their teeth into.’

‘I know… it’s chronic. And wouldn’t it just have to be Pershore! But what did you have to do with it, that’s what I can’t make out?’

‘Didn’t he tell you?’

‘He was too busy slanging me.’

Gently smiled into the distant reaches of a by-now starlit sky.

‘Ask your sergeant… I’ve briefed him on developments. I’m going to wrap myself round something full of calories.’

‘But has it a bearing on the burglary?’

Griffin caught his arm.

‘Later on we’ll discuss the case more fully.’

The super was walking up and down — an unusual thing for supers to do — and apparently, to judge by his ashtray, was in the process of chain-smoking.

His office looked smaller by night though it smelled exactly the same. Sitting on a chair at the corner of the desk, Inspector Griffin was examining his nails with a defensive intentness. The windows, partly open to the soft, after-rain air, wore their curtains in the same position as during the daytime.

‘Come in, Gently — accept my congratulations!’

The super rounded his desk to shake Gently by the hand.

‘You’ve done us a favour, I don’t mind telling you. I dare say you wouldn’t know, up there in the Central Office… but down here, one can’t ignore the personal element.’

Even opposite the office windows there were couples making love, some of them casting a furtive upward glance from time to time. The balmy air had spring in it, an elusive fragrance impossible to define. Winter had been washed away by that single Homeric downpour.

‘You can’t understand how relieved I feel, though I realize that there are some loose ends to be tied up. Griffin, I feel sure… especially with the fellow in a cell. Naturally, we shall obtain a remand tomorrow.’

Cars swinging round the corner by the St George sent the shadows of lovers criss-crossing over the square. Lynton again… but a different Lynton; would the faint odour of daffodils come from one of the covered-up market stalls?

‘There’s just one thing I’m not quite clear about.’

For supper Gently had had a cod steak and a lot of imported new potatoes with butter.

‘You left word that the recovery of the money was to remain secret for the moment, and that news of the arrest was to be withheld from the press.

‘Of course, you probably have a very good reason, and after the great service you have done us we are eager to cooperate. But in view of our position — I won’t be more explicit! — I should very much like to lift that phone and talk to Mr Pershore.’

Gently sighed softly to himself and turned a chair back to front. The taste of cognac and coffee still lingered gratefully on his palate

… also, just behind it, the flavour of rhubarb tart and cream.

‘You know what I’m here after.’

Wasn’t the real question whether he was ready for his pipe or not?

‘My business is Taylor’s murder, not incidental robberies. The recovery of Mr Pershore’s money happened to lie in the scope of the investigation.’

‘There’s some connection, you mean?’

A frown appeared on the super’s boyish brow.

‘I realize, of course, that this Blacker is an employee at the mill, but that, taken on its own-’

‘There’s a little more to it.’

‘It definitely ties in?’

‘It’s the nub of the whole affair.’

The super sat down, as though he realized it might be a longer job than he had taken it for. At the other end of the desk Griffin ceased to explore his nails and began to give his efficient attention. Gently, coming to a snap decision, produced his sandblast and tin of tobacco.

‘I’ll put you in the picture as briefly as possible.’

For some reason they both wanted to watch him rubbing the two slices of navy cut between his hands.

‘There are two angles to it — we’ll take Roscoe’s first. Roscoe, because just at the moment he still happens to be alive.

‘Roscoe went to Newmarket with Ames and Taylor. It was a two-day meeting, and they put up at a hotel. Somewhere, in the hotel, in the street, on the racecourse, they came by a certain piece of information, and that piece of information brought them hotfoot to Lynton.

‘Having got there, they put up at the best place in town, and almost immediately began spending money like hail. We know pretty well how much they’d got. Judging from Taylor’s bank book it was a flat five thousand pounds. But there had been no recorded robbery either here or at Newmarket, the money would appear to have been safe, and from evidence at the hotel they were expecting a further and larger supply. Something in the neighbourhood of ten thousand, perhaps!