"Theremustberustroundtheedgesofyourinspectionpit,"Sandysaid.
"IhopetoG.o.dthereis."
Welookedateachotherblankly,stillnotwantingtoputtheobvioussurmiseintowords.
Sandysaid,"Thepost-mortemputhistimeofdeathataboutnoon."
"Didit?"
"Therewillbealotofenquiries."
Inodded.
"They"llwanttoknowwhatyouweredoingatthetime,"Sandysaid."They"reboundtoask."
Pickingflowers,puttingthemonmyparents"graveanddrivingtoMaudieWatermead"slunch.Notbrilliant,asalibiswent.
"Let"sgoalongtothepubforadrink,"Isuggested.
"Ican"t."Helookedashadescandalised."I"monduty."
"Wecoulddrinkc.o.ke,"Isaid."IhavetogoandsettleupforJogger"smemorial."
"Oh."Sandy"sfacelookedrelieved."Allrightthen."
"Canwegoinyourcar?MyFourtrak"soutonanerrand."
Hewasreluctanttotakemeanduncomfortableinhisrefusal.
"Don"tworry,Sandy,"Isaid,tiredlyteasinghim."Iwon"tcompromiseyou.I"lldriveJogger"soldvan.Youdon"thavetocomeifyoudon"twantto."
Hedidwantto,however.WedroveinconvoytoJogger"sboozerandIgavethelandlordaheavycheque.Thelandlordwaswellpleasedwiththetradeandhaddonehisbestwiththesignatures,"whichfilledasheetofpaperthesizeofatabloidnewspaperandwereaccompaniedbyencouragingcomments."PooroldJogger,joggedhislast.""Uptheapplesandpearstothepearlies.Goforit,Jog."
"Upstairstothepearlygates,"Sandyinterpreted,readingwithme.
"Gonetothegreatoilchangeinthesky,"thelandlordsaid,pointing."That"smine."
"Mostappropriate,"Ia.s.suredhim.
HalfofPixhillseemedtohavesignedtheirnamesbutunfortunatelyallovertheplace,notinthetidycolumnsI"denvisaged.Mostofmydriverswerethere,includingLewis,whohadbeeninFrancecollectingMichael"stwo-year-oldsonthatSat.u.r.daynight.Icommentedonit.ThelandlordagreedthatmorepeoplehadsignedthememorialthanhadbeenwithJoggeronhislastevening."Theywantedtopaytheirrespects,"heexplained.
"Andtodrinkthefreebeer,"Sandysaid.
"Well...oldJoggerwasagoodmate."
"Mm,"Iagreed."SowhichofthesepeoplewereactuallyhereonSat.u.r.day?Sandy,youwerehere.You"llknow."
"Iwasoffduty,"heprotested.
"Youreyeswerestillworking."
Sandylookedatthecrowdednamesandpointedoutafewwithastubbyfinger.
"Ofyourdrivers,Davedefinitely,heprettywellliveshere.AlsoPhilandhismissus,andNigelwhowaschattingheruptoPhil"sdisgust,andHarvelookedin.AndBrett,theonewhodrovethatdeadman,Ogden,hewastheredefinitely,eventhoughhewa.s.supposedtohaveleftPixhill.Hewasgrousingaboutyouhavinggotshotofhim."
Hisgazemovedoverthenames.
"BruceFarway!He"ssignedit.Ididn"tseehimhere."
"Thedoctor?"Thelandlordnodded."Heoftencomesinwiththosebookpeoplewhositinthatfarcornerputtingtheworldtorights.HedrinksAquaLibra."Heconcentratedonth.e.s.h.eet,readingupsidedown."AwholebunchofWatermead"sladswerehereandsomefromhalfthestablesinPixhill.Thatnewlady,MrsEnglish,someofherladscame.Newfaces.Notabadbunch.AndJohnTigwood,he"salwaysinandoutwiththosecollectingboxes.AndWatermead"ssonanddaughter,theywerehereSat.u.r.day,b.u.t.theyhaven"tbeeninsincesotheirnamesaren"tdown,see?"
Iasked,surprised,"DoyoumeanTessaandEd?"/P "Aye."
b.u.t.they"reunderage,"Sandysaidpompously.They"renoteighteen."
Thelandlordtookmildoffence."I"donlyservethemsoftdrinks.Theybothlikedietc.o.ke."Heglancedatmeslyly."ShelikesthatNigel,too.Thatdriverofyours."
"Doesheencourageher?"Iasked.
Thelandlordlaughed."Heencouragesanythingwitht.i.ts."
"You"llbeintroubleservingthemwithoutanadult,"Sandysaid.
"ShesaidNigelwasbuying."
"You"llbeintrouble,"Sandyrepeated.
"Theydidn"tstaylong,"thelandlordsaiddefensively."They"dprobablygonebeforeyougothere."Hesniffed."Idaresaysomeofthoseladsaren"teighteeneither,ifthetruthweretold."
"Youbecareful,"Sandywarned."Youcanloseyourlicencefasterthanblink."
"HowearlydidJoggergetdrunk?"Iasked.
"Idon"tservedrunks,"thelandlordsaidvirtuously.Sandysnorted.
"Howearly,then,"Irephrasedit,"didJoggerstarttalkingaboutaliens,littlegreenmenandlonerangers?"
"Hewasherefromsixo"clockuntilSandydrovehimhome,"thelandlordsaid.
"Whatrateofpintsperhour?"
"Twoatleast,"Sandysaid."Joggercouldknock"embackwiththebest."
"Hewasn"tdrunk,"thelandlordmaintained."Maybenotfittodrivehisvan,butnotdrunk."
"Reelingabit,"Sandysaid."HewasonaboutthealiensbeforeIgothereateightorthereabouts.Andtellingtheworld,hewas,aboutPolandhavingfiveonahorselastsummer."
"Why?"thelandlordaskedme."Whatdoesitmatter?"
"Yes,"Sandysaid,"andwhatdidJoggermean?"
"Heavenknows."
"Joggerknowsinheaven."Thelandlordwasdelightedwithhisownwit."Hearthat?Joggerknowsinheaven."
"Verygood,"Sandysaidheavily.
"Didanythingelsehappen?"Iasked."Whostolethetoolsoutofhisvan?"
Thelandlordsaidhehadn"taclue.
"DavetoldJoggertoshutup,"Sandysaid.
"What?"
"Joggerwasgettingonhisnerves.JoggerjustlaughedsoDavetookaswipeathim."
Thelandlordnodded."HeknockedJogger"sdrinkover."
"HehitJogger?"Isaid,astonished.Jogger,becauseofhisfancyfootwork,hadbeeninstinctivelyquickonhisfeet.
"Hemissedhim,"Sandysaid."YouhavetogetupearlytohitJogger."
Wealllistenedinsilencetowhathe"djustsaid.
"Yes,well..."Sandysaid,stirring."TimeIreportedbackonduty.Areyoustaying,Freddie?"
"Nope."
Ifollowedhimout,leavingthememorialwiththelandlordforframingandhangingonthewall.
"ThatTessa,"Sandysaid,puttingonhisofficialhat,"she"sawildone.Nothigh-spirited,Idon"tmean.Imean,well,borderlinedelinquent.I"dnotbesurprisedifsheendsupincourt."
Ithoughtheexaggerated,but.i.tookhisestimationseriously.Hespenthislifewithminoroffenders:everylocalbobbydidinvillages,buthewasparticularlygoodatpreventionasopposedtoretribution."Idon"tsupposeyoucouldwarnMichaelWatermead,couldyou?"heasked.
"Difficult."
"Try,"hesaid."SaveMrsWatermead"stears."
Iwa.s.startledbyhisimagery."OK,"Isaid.
"Good."
"Sandy Hestoppedinmid-step."Yes?"
"IfsomeonekilledJogger...ifhedidn"tjustfall...well,catchtheb.u.g.g.e.r."
Helistenedtothecommitmentinmyvoice."Andcatchtheb.u.g.g.e.rwhotookyoutoSouthampton?Catchtheb.u.g.g.e.rwhosmashedyourcarandyourhouseandyoursister"slittlewings?"
"Ifit"spossible."
"Butyoudon"ttrustmycolleagues.Youdon"thelpthem."
Iftheytreatedmeasa.n.a.lly,notasuspect,we"dgetonbetter."
"It"sjusttheirway."
Welookedateachotherpeacefully,long-timefriendsuptoapoint.Alonetogether,we"dhavebeenalliesinanyinvestigation.Withhiscolleaguestakingcharge,theprofessionalfencerosebetweenuslikedragons"teeth.No-man"s-landwouldkeephimloyallyintheopposingtrenches,thoughsurrept.i.tiouslyhemightsendmesemaph.o.r.emessages.I"dhavetosettleforthat.Sowouldhe.
IdroveJogger"soldvanbacktothefarmyardandparkeditagainbesidethebarn.Itstworeardoorswerestillunlockedandinsidetherewa.s.stillnothingbutsomereddishgreydust.Idrovemyfingersthroughthedustandlookedatthem,notintheleasthappywithwhatIsaw.Thereddishparticlesamongthegreywere,totheunmagnifiedeye,suspiciouslylikerust.
BrushingthedustoffmyfingersIwentintothebarnandstoodlookingatthefloorthere,especiallyattheedgesofthepit.Therewasgreaseinplenty,andgeneraldirt.Therewouldcertainlyberustembeddedinit.Steelanddampweatherinfalliblyshedferric.o.xide.Rustwouldbethere.
Allthesame,inmemoryIsurveyedJogger"slosttools;theoldslider,thesharpaxe,thejumbledsmallspanners,theloopsofwire...allthose,andthetyrelever.Anoldstrongtyreiron,aslongasone"sarm.Ferrousmetal,awideopeninvitationtorust.
IwalkedbacktomyofficeandwonderedhowmuchofmyhoveringnauseawasduetotheblowonmyownheadortheimaginedscrunchofarustytyreironintoJogger"s.
You"dhavetogetupearlytohitJogger...
He"ddiedaboutnooninbroaddaylight.
Ithadtohavebeenanaccident.Ididn"twanthimtohavediedsimplybecausehe"dworkedforme.Icoulddealwithattacksonmyself.Ididn"twanttobeartheguiltofsomeoneelse"sdeath.
AzizcamebackfromHeathrow,hisirrepressiblegoodspiritshoveringinaliquidsmileevenwhilehecommiseratedwithmeovertheJaguar.
"Itcan"thavebeeneasytogetacartorunatthatspeedintoahelicopter.Notonflatland.Notwithoutriskingyourneck."
"That"snocomfort,"Ipointedout.
"Itookaquickdeckointothewreck,"hesaid,bright-eyed."I"dsaytheacceleratorpedalwaswedgeddownwithabrick."
"Abrick?Ihaven"tanybricks."
"What"sabrickdoingthere,then?"
Ishookmyhead.
"You"dhavetobenippy,"hesaid."You"dhaveonlysecondstogetclearonceyou"dgotupenoughspeed."
"Ithasautomaticgears,"Isaidthoughtfully."Itsets...set...offslowly,lefttoitself."
Henoddedhappily."Nicelittleproblem."
"Howwouldyousolveit,then?"
Hehadalreadybeenthinkingabout.i.t,asheansweredwithouthesitation,"I"dwinddownthedriver"swindow,forastart.I"dhaveabricklashedtooneendofastickwiththeotherendthroughthewindow.I"dslideintothedriver"sseat,starttheengine,putthegearleverindrive,slideoutagainatslowspeedandshutthedoor,thenthroughthewindowI"dpushtheacceleratordownhardwiththebrickandjumpawayjustbeforeimpact."Hegrinned."Mindyou,itwouldtakenerve.Andyou"dhavetostartagoodwaybackfromthehelicoptertogetupenoughspeedforthatamountofdamage.You"dhavetoberunningbytheend."
"Theremustbeasimplerway,"Isaid."Noonewouldrisktheirlifelikethat."