Martin Edwards - Yesterday's papers

‘How did he die?’

Jock spoke rapidly, as if despite everything he was still anxious to exonerate himself from blame. ‘It was so stupid. My nerves were at breaking point. I’d kept my secret for so long and now this old fool had discovered it. I asked him bluntly what he wanted. He laughed and said he would settle for the pleasure of keeping me guessing about what he proposed to do. In a fury, I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and before I knew what was happening, he was having a fit, couldn’t breathe.’

‘He suffered badly from asthma.’

‘He broke free but was fighting for air. All at once he lost his balance and hit his head on the side of the fireplace. It was so stupid, I couldn’t believe it. For the second time in thirty years I was in another man’s home, watching him die.’

‘And you did nothing to help?’ asked Harry coldly.

Jock spread his arms. ‘What could I do? I was in a state of shock and in any event it was soon all over. Tell you the truth, after a couple of minutes I said a little prayer of thanks. Everything seemed to have worked out perfectly.’

‘Except for Miller.’

‘He was no good, Harry. Like Warren Hull and Ray, he was no loss to the world.’

‘I take it you were the one who burgled my office?’

‘Stupid, of course, but I panicked. The problem I had was that I just didn’t know what was in Cyril Tweats’ file. I’d never dreamed it would contain anything damaging to me — why else do you think I let you have it that time? But it began to prey on my mind. I started wondering whether it might contain information I would prefer you not to know. Above all, I didn’t know what Ray had said during the police enquiry. He hadn’t fingered me for Warren’s murder, but he still might have revealed more than I’d have liked. It was important to me that you shouldn’t realise that Ian Brill and I were one and the same. As you know, Jim stores spare copies of internal documents down here — including details of your burglar alarm system and how to disable it. When I couldn’t find the file in your room that night, I feared the worst. Then lo and behold, you handed it back to me for safekeeping! I needn’t have worried after all.’

‘And Ray? Another unlucky break?’

‘No need to take that tone, Harry. It was obvious I had a problem with Ray. I couldn’t be sure what he would say or do — especially if you turned up and started to sweet-talk him. I went to see him in Southport. He’d been drinking, as per usual. He was hostile, in fact he was downright offensive. Kept saying he owed me nothing. I pleaded, I cajoled, but he started to tease me by speculating aloud how much the tabloid press would pay for his story, doubting whether I could outbid them. I couldn’t take it any longer. I hit him hard a couple of times; the second blow knocked him unconscious. You wouldn’t think it to look at me today, but I boxed at school, won a schoolboy title. Ray may have been bigger than me, but I’ve downed better men than him.’

‘And then you set fire to the flat and tried to make it look as though the blaze had started by accident. Not easy to fool trained investigators, Jock. What were you thinking of?’

‘All I knew was that I had to do my best to cover my tracks. Ideally, the police would regard it as an accident. Failing that, I thought the fire would destroy any evidence of my presence in the flat.’

Harry sighed. ‘Three deaths in the victims’ homes. Your modus operandi never varied.’

Jock climbed to his feet and stood, hands on hips, looking round the Land of the Dead. The deedboxes, the old files, the detritus from cases long forgotten. ‘You’re accusing me of a lack of originality? Somehow I feel that’s the least of my problems.’

Harry looked him in the eye. ‘I’m sorry I’ve become the greatest of them.’

‘Me too,’ said Jock. ‘I liked you, Harry, I really did.’

A subtle change in his tone alerted Harry and he dodged to one side as the balled-up fist flew towards him. It caught him only a glancing blow, but it was enough to make him stagger. Before he could defend himself, Jock followed up with punches to the stomach and kidneys, sickening blows. He felt himself gagging and, although he flailed with his arms in a vain attempt to save himself, he could not help crumpling to the ground.

As his head hit the concrete floor, the pain made him shout aloud. For a few seconds he was too dazed to be capable of coherent thought. When he managed to raise his head a fraction and blink away the tears, he saw Jock had grasped the handle of the heavy-duty truck he kept parked at the corner of the room. He was lifting on to it an old six-foot filing cabinet.

‘Jock, don’t be stupid!’

The little clerk steadied his load. He was panting with the effort — and his tension. ‘I told you before — my survival instinct is well developed.’

The truck needed oiling. Its wheels screeched as Jock began to manoeuvre it towards where Harry lay. Harry tried to haul himself to his feet. Every bone in his body seemed to be hurting and all his strength had drained away. He scrabbled with his fingers in the dirt, but he could hardly lift his chin off the ground, let alone struggle to his feet. He could see Jock looking at him, concentrating intently on the task in hand. The filing cabinet was wobbling on the lip of the truck. It must be packed with suspensions full of thick old files ready to archive. Better not to think what would happen when Jock dropped it on him.

‘I’m sorry about this, Harry, I really am,’ gasped Jock.

‘Let’s talk about it,’ said Harry, barely able to make himself heard. ‘Surely…’

‘No, the time for talking has gone.’

The truck came nearer. Harry could see its vast load looming over him, ready to topple him into darkness.

‘Jock!’

The little man spun round. He took one hand off the handle of the trolley and the filing cabinet crashed down on to the ground, the sharp edge of its bottom end only inches from Harry’s nose. Dust blew into Harry’s face and he shut his eyes for a second, still half-expecting permanent oblivion. But he had recognised the voice and never had he been so glad to hear it.

Kim Lawrence was standing in the entrance to Jock’s domain. By her side was Adrian the saxophone enthusiast. Amazement was scrawled over their faces at the sight which greeted them.

With a roar of fury, like some wild animal, Jock ran past them and out of the door, into the maze of passages that made up the Land of the Dead. After a moment’s pause, Adrian thundered after him.

Harry found himself looking into Kim’s eyes. There were so many things he suddenly wanted to say, but his head and body were aching and words were beyond him.

But not beyond Kim. She strode towards him and stood with folded arms above his prostrate form.

‘So,’ she said, ‘another fine mess you’ve got yourself into.’

‘I miss him, you know,’ said Gloria Hegg.

It was Sunday afternoon, a week after Harry’s last visit to the little house in Everton and once again he was sitting in her armchair, drinking her tea and offering her sympathy.

He was not quite sure why he had come back here. Miller’s death had not increased his liking for the man and, as the will had never been signed, he had no obligations as executor. Besides, if Miller had not poked his nose into other people’s affairs, Ray Brill would still be alive and Jock would still be presiding over the Land of the Dead, his murderous youth no more than a distant memory.

Yet Edwin Smith’s name would not have been cleared and the truth about a terrible crime would have remained hidden, as so often it does. Harry felt he owed Miller something at least. Besides, the man still baffled him. He felt he had never been able to understand what made him tick. Why was he so fascinated by cases like the Sefton Park Strangling and the murder of Warren Hull, cases which had never been regarded as classic mysteries? What was the appeal to him of the unsolved crime?