Weekend in Weighton Final Amazon version 12-12-12 (15 page)

‘And?’ continued Hobbs.

‘Clegg said she had a twin sister, but she’d died a long time ago.’

Hobbs crossed his arms and looked at me intently. ‘What made you ask that?’

‘Just a hunch. It didn’t pay off.’

‘More than we knew. It might be important.’

I shook my head. ‘Nah, I doubt it.’

‘What else?’ demanded Hobbs, raking his fingertips over the table top.

‘Nothing of any importance.’

‘So what made you go to the flat?’

I shrugged. ‘He mentioned it in passing, and I asked if I could take a look. He told me the address and where to find the key.’

‘So from his house you went straight to Castle Towers?’

‘I can see you’re getting the hang of this, Chief.’

Hobbs pulled a face. ‘Don’t push it, Eddie. You’re already on a warning. What time did you arrive at the flat?’

I sucked in my top lip, trying to work it out. ‘About quarter to four.’

Hobbs had worked it out too, and the puzzled expression on his face showed he’d come up with a different answer. I held up an explanatory finger. ‘You obviously ain’t used Weighton’s “soon-come” bus service recently.’ Behind my back, I crossed my fingers, hoping they hadn’t found Diffy’s hot wheels in the Castle Towers car park.

‘All right, what happened at the flat?’

‘A bang on the head, basically.’

‘How long had you been in there?’

‘Not long. I sensed someone was there from the moment I arrived. I was tiptoeing around when a guy came at me from the bedroom. I was ready for him, but someone else came at me from behind. They pulled the old one-two trick on Eddie. Stinkers, eh? Anyway, when I turned my back, the first guy hit me over the head. Lights out. Next thing I know, you turn up.’

‘Did you see either of them?’ asked Hobbs with a stare.

‘It was dark, you know. I didn’t really see them.’

Bugg spoke. ‘Could it have been Clegg?’

‘No. Definitely not.’

‘How come you’re so sure?’

I closed my eyes slowly. ‘Give me some credit.’

‘But Clegg did show up, didn’t he, Eddie?’ resumed Hobbs. ‘Why?’

‘I think he came to find me.’

‘Go on ...’

‘Just before I left his house, I asked if there was anything he could think of that might help. He hesitated, like there
was
something, but then he clammed up, said he’d think about it.’

‘You think he changed his mind and followed you to the flat?’

It was spoken as a question. Hobbs knew I was giving him the run-around, even when I was telling the truth.

‘Could’ve happened.’

‘Right, so Clegg shows up looking for you, runs into these two mystery men, they knock him over and put you in the spotlight. Is that how this one goes?’

‘Got it in one, Chief. Very perceptive.’

 Hobbs stood up, pushed his chair back and then slunk around the room. He leaned back against the far wall, his arms crossed. ‘Why’d you think they didn’t kill you?’

‘Objection. Calls for speculation.’

‘Come on, you must have wondered?’

‘Maybe the kid saw headlines and opted for the Mayor. How should I know?’

The question had crossed my mind, but even the illustrious Eddie G couldn’t figure it. I was sure Cartwright wasn’t involved in Porson’s killing, so it kinda left things wide open. Ain’t that the mysterious truth.

Hobbs snorted. ‘That presupposes the notion that the decision to murder represented a mutually exclusive choice between you and the Mayor.’

‘It’s fine jibber-jabber, Chief. But I’m out of answers.’

There was a scrape from Bugg’s chair as he pushed himself closer to me. ‘Think again, Numbnuts, because it doesn’t look good from where I’m sitting. We turn up at this flat to find Clegg dead and all over your face.’

I backed my chair beyond Bugg’s jack-in-the-box range and gave him a flat smile. ‘It could have been an accident?’

‘An accident?’

‘Well, these two guys, whoever they are, obviously heard me coming, so it was no problem taking me out. But if Clegg arrived just after, he might have surprised them. They panic, and poor Cleggy gets it in the struggle. Case solved.’

‘Very neat, Eddie,’ came back Hobbs. ‘All we have to do is find these two unidentified blokes, break their alibis and then get them to confess.’

‘It’s genius, I know.’

‘Give us descriptions and we’ll move?’

My bruised lungs wheezed into a cough. ‘I told you it was dark. The black type of dark.’

‘Why should we believe your story?’

I lifted my shoulders. ‘Because it’s the only one I got.’

As the throbbing in my head began to ease, a thought struck me. ‘How come you turned up on the scene so fast?’ Both sets of eyes darted away from mine. I nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, right, I get the picture. Who exactly called it in, or didn’t they leave a name?’

Hobbs didn’t look up from the floor. ‘It was an anonymous phone call.’

‘Oh, charming. You can see why I’m out there havin’ to do my own shit, can’t you? You thought my legal team wouldn’t pick up on this convenient set-up?’

Bugg leaned back. ‘It was anonymous, so what? Doesn’t mean a thing.’

‘You don’t have to be the Sage of Weighton to figure it. The guys who jumped me called it in, and you know it. Jeez, everyone’s dumping on me these days.’

Hobbs strolled back to his seat and sat down again. ‘The fact that the call was anonymous neither helps nor hinders your case.’

‘Who took the call?’

‘Bob Jones,’ replied Bugg. ‘Why?’

‘No reason, just wondered.’

Hobbs stood up again. ‘This is getting us nowhere, and I’ve got Mrs Clegg to go and see.’ He nodded at Bugg. ‘Finish up.’

‘Yes, sir.’

As Hobbs went to go, he touched me on the shoulder. ‘Eddie, I know you’re still holding back. There’s something you know. I can’t even guess at what. But I’ll tell you something for nothing. Unless you work with us, you’ll go down for this. I mean it. If Clegg really did come to tell you something, then whatever it was got him killed. If he’d opened up when he should have, he might still be alive. Think about it.’ His face pushed closer to mine. I smelled whisky on his breath. ‘I’ll give you one more chance to tell me.’

I took a deep breath. ‘My dad told me to trust no one. And right now that is the only thing that’s keepin’ me alive. So screw you.’

Hobbs nodded and smiled to himself before walking over to the door. He turned around. ‘Another thing, Eddie. You go talking to Tony Porson or Clegg’s family or do anything else connected to this case, and I’m arresting you for interfering with official police business. So screw you.’ He slammed the door as he left.

I pointed after the retreating footsteps. ‘What’s eatin’ him?’

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Saturday –23:56

On my way out of the station I stopped at the front desk. The waiting area was full of disorderly drunks and blood-splattered youths on the wrong end of an assault. Courtesy, most probably, of a licensed psycho passing himself off as your friendly Weighton door attendant.

It was a few minutes to midnight. What a day. What a night. Saturday night’s all right for some people.

My hand was hovering over the buzzer when Bob Jones appeared. Or “BJ”, as he doesn’t like to be known.

‘How goes?’ I said.

He folded his porky arms and glared down his nose at me. ‘They letting you go?’

‘Yeah, I’m a free man. No interview room built can hold Eddie G.’

Bob glanced dismissively over my shoulder, taking in his strange mix of customers, then shuffled through the hinged access gate and curled his index finger. ‘Come hither, lad.’

I followed him down the corridor until he stopped by an unmarked door. He edged into its recess. ‘A word, if you don’t mind.’

I leaned against the door frame next to him. ‘I take it there’s no point getting my hopes up.’

‘Eh?’

‘Thought you were taking me to the canteen for midnight munchies.’

‘Forget it.’

My eyebrows pinched with disappointment. ‘So what is on your mind, Big Bob?’

‘Glad you asked,’ he said, not looking at all glad. ‘I need you to listen.’ The unhappy look persisted as he continued. ‘Before your dad died he made me promise I’d look out for you. Now, to be fair, I’ve not had to lift a finger. On the whole you’ve been a good lad. Not near any kind of trouble. And just when I thought you’re at an age where you’re past all that, you decide to take on half the Weighton police force. Even God Almighty’s not in a position to look out for you now.’

‘I think I’m digging your gist.’

He yanked at my arm. ‘No, you’re not. This isn’t a game. These people are serious. They know you didn’t do it. Co-operate and you’re off the hook, end of. You muck ‘em about, they’ll have you. Why don’t you tell me what they want to know? I can make sure it goes in your favour.’

‘Has Hobbs been working on you?’

‘For Christ’s sake, Ed, grow up. Hobbs knew your dad, he knows you’re clean, he’s on your side.’

I wagged a finger and laid on the reproachful tone. ‘You have been talking to him.’

‘Only because I’m looking out for you, like your dad asked.’

‘Well, shame on you.’ I faced him head on, poking a finger at his chest. ‘In the last few days, I’ve been followed around, beaten up, knocked out, and run out of town. So don’t tell me it’s serious. I’m out there takin’ all the heat. And if you think a little whisper in Hobbs’ ear will make everything better, then you’re the one who needs to start taking reality pills. Because it is precisely that which will put me on the next conveyor to a hot place. I have been dragged into this shit by what or who I don’t know. But if you’re wondering who’s the only person I can trust to pull me out, then you is lookin’ at him. Are you catching Eddie’s drift?’

He shook his head and moved closer, trying to crowd me in. ‘You need to start catching mine. We’re keeping a lid on this thing until Monday morning. Then Hobbs will brief the media. After that, all hell will break out. The press will be desperate for an angle, and I guarantee that some toe-rag will leak your name. Once your mug is plastered over all the front pages, the pressure will crank up on Hobbs. He’ll arrest you and charge you, just to keep everyone off his back.’

‘In other words, you’re saying I’ve got a day to clear my name?’

‘Bollocks you have! That is not what I meant and you know it.’

‘What nugget did I miss?’

‘Tell me what’s really going on, and I can make it stop. Otherwise, you can’t dodge this bullet.’

I shook my head. ‘I need more time.’

His whole body seemed to sag. ‘We used to get on, but I don’t know you any more, let alone how to get through to you. At least I tried.’