Page 36 (1/2)
I clocked straight away it was the same nu up so I decided to go in, have a look, try and get whoever to see me then
Only, at the back ofthere was just so Daft
Walked in Looked OK Bit down at heel but you don’t expect a builders’ yard to be Buckinghaht as well One lad’s in there, looks about twelve, no way is he a fully qualified plu area, whatever The usual One chair, one sofa, azines out of the ark, yesterday’s Sun, holes in the lino Like soot the feeling the ot itI can’t put in’ et over it This is work, ood work, and they won’t find a better plumber than me within fifty miles They won’t
He’s co hi hiuy with the truck and the other guy, looks like a right waste of space What’s he doing e in
‘Sorry about that, only that lad, he could talk the talk Right, nowcoate? I’uys told o by here and see it, whereas in point of fact three have done just that You’re the third Coht, what’s your na Bloody hell
‘Can I have your name?’
Sixty-two
‘HARRY FLETCHER’
‘OK Coet so in hinal It was like an electric current zapping through hiuys were at the gate and the van was blocking it, even though it was supposed to have beena pile of full rubble sacks and a bale of barbed wire He ran to the back of the yard, all the tiet past it or over it or round it, and he sussed that he could jump onto the cement mixer, and, in one even faster leap, be onto the wall and over the other side He was good at this He was very good He’d had training enough
He ran, swerved, gathered himself, leapt onto and off the mixer, landed on the wall, where he wobbled for a second or two, put out his ar He’d no idea why but he was running faster than he’d ever run
‘Go, go, go!’ Serrailler had yelled into their ears, the second he saw theoff out of the office and down the yard
But he was lightning-fast, ducking, leaping, up and over and off They pounded down, but they were nothing like as agile getting up and onto the wall Lee revved the pickup, Pete banged at the iron bars and hauled the gates open, the rest of theh and went in every direction, ear-mikes full of Serrailler’s shouted instructions
But he had a head start
The yard was e and rang
Sixty-three
IT WAS EVERY cop’s dreauy trips over a loose kerb Siot to hione in the other direction
‘Harry Fletcher, I a you for’
Backup was there The street was half empty It was all over in seconds
Fifteen eant; twenty, and he was banged up
The tealow after showering the He could only hold Fletcher for thirty-six hours without applying to the ent application in for a warrant to search Fletcher’s house Ben Vanek would do the initial interviehile he hi the duty solicitor
Si forensics They had tested the DNA on Olive Tredwell’s mirror, and they had found several exhalation traces, all of which were a irl said
‘So someone else had been close to the hed or otherwise exhaled in fairly close proximity to the ot a ht there and pray We’re getting a swab in the next five ent Can you drop everything else?’
‘I’ll do my best but –’
‘Don’t say "no promises" Say "I promise" Please?’
The search warrant would be with them in half an hour, and the DNA swab had been taken from Fletcher Si for a breather, run round the block How’s everyone?’
Half the room were busy on other cases, several were pent up, as he aiting, waiting, knowing they’d got the rightthey had to prove it
‘Luck,’ Steph said ‘That’s e need’
‘We’re on the ho Get your heads into so’
Someone threw a ball of screwed-up paper at hirim There was an uneasy silence Simon paused, then bent down, picked up the paper ball and chucked it back at the nearest person
Running in his suit was out so he walked fast four times round the block then went into the Cypriot deli It was es on toast and a double espresso were quickly in front of hi delicious
His phone rang Forensics? Too soon and the search warrant wouldn’t have arrived
‘Simon?’
Rachel’s voice was very quiet She was probably in one of the hospital waiting areas
‘Darling?’
‘Is it all right to talk?’
‘Of course I’ a fast food break How are you?’
He saw her face, her beautifully shaped face, anxious violet eyes, long lashes, the curve of her mouth
‘You should knowKen diedtwenty o Sorry, I can’t say any more just now’
The coffee scalded hisout of theonto the street, seeing nothing, disorientated every time he came to from his focus on Rachel – what had happened, what she would be doing, where she would go, how she felt, if she wanted to see hiain At least the job would take him over for the next few hours or days
But it was his sister
‘Hi’
‘Can I talk?’
‘Yes’
‘Are you OK?’
Tell her? Don’t tell her?
He told her
‘Oh, SiI’rabbing so?’
Hoas it going? What? Hohat going? How
‘Looks like we’ve got hiht? Have so to eat’
‘Yes OnlyI’ off if you’ve o there’
‘I don’t know if she will’
‘Si – coo, here’s the supermarket delivery See you later’