As he stood looking out of the back window, Pascoe saw Halfdane coming over the dunes, making for the beach, with Ellie and Marion Cargo. All three had towels bundled under their arms and were obviously going swimming.
Swiftly he moved downstairs, out of the back door, and intercepted them.
Hello, said Halfdane cheerily. met by sunlight! Come and join us, do. Id love to, said Pascoe, smiling at Ellie. duty and modesty forbid. Look, Im sorry to hold you up, but I just wanted to ask if youd met anyone making their way back to the college?
They looked at each other, then shook their heads.
Sorry, said Halfdane. we couldnt have been far behind you.
Why do you ask?
Its not important, said Pascoe casually. He saw Ellie roll her eyes with exaggerated exasperation, but surprisingly it was Marion Cargo who made the usual complaint.
If you people never say what it is you really want to know, how do you expect anyone to cooperate?
Us people? said Pascoe looking over his shoulder as though in search of them. , you mean me! Never? a bit strong to someone youve only met twice, isnt it, Miss. Cargo?
He pulled himself up. It was foolish to let these people get up his nose. These people! There, he was doing it now. It was just that, somehow, a shared background and many shared interests seemed to separate rather than bring them closer. He might have ended up like them if if what? If there hadnt been something in him which made it necessary to be a policeman.
In any case, as a policeman he could be conciliatory and seek information at the same time.
Im sorry, he said with his best smile. just wanted a word with Mr. Fallowfield, thats all, and as hes not at home, I wondered if I might have missed him in the dunes. You havent seen anything of him today, have you?
Again the exchange of glances and the shaking of heads.
In that case, Ill go back and wait a bit, he said. a nice swim.
He smiled once more. Ellie rolled her eyes again, but this time in a mock amazement at his performance which invited him to be amused with her. He grinned warmly. Marion remained impassive.
He had only gone a few steps when Halfdane overtook him.
By the way, Sergeant, I wanted to have a quick word with you.
Yes? said Pascoe, rather brusquely he realized as he saw Halfdanes eyes narrow.
But, Christ! why did he have to be grateful just because people condescended to talk to him?
Its probably nothing. I would have mentioned it to your superintendent, but his manners a bit off-putting.
Suddenly Pascoe was fed up.
What is it you want to tell me? Sir?
Theres a lot I could tell you, said Halfdane ironically, I really wanted to ask you something. In a case like this, a serious case I mean, if some minor breach of the law comes to light incidentally, while youre pursuing the important enquiry, what do you do?
I dont follow, said Pascoe woodenly.
I think you do.
We dont make bargains. And we dont make judgments.
No? But you pay informants, dont you?
Pascoe shook his head, not in denial but in sheer impatience.
Look, he said. youve got information, its your civic duty to pass it on, no matter what it is. Get knotted, said Halfdane, turning back to where the two women waited.
Pascoe did not wait to hear more but set off smartly back to the cottage.
Well? said Dalziel.
Theyve seen no one. Theres none so blind, said Dalziel. m beginning to think theyre all in a gigantic conspiracy. Perhaps so, said Pascoe, trying (unsuccessfully he was sure) not to let his chief see his own annoyance at the encounter. ; wheres Fallowfield? Thats the big question.
Its bigger than you think, said Dalziel. and see what Ive found.
He led the way into the bedroom where he had obviously done a fairly comprehensive search.
Look, he said, pointing into a suitcase which lay open on the bed.
In it were a flowered mini-skirt; some underwear; a pair of sandals.
Pascoe looked at the superintendent who nodded.
They fit the description, he said. d lay good money theyre Anita Sewells.
Pascoe snapped the case shut.
Ill check it out, he said.
Hold on a minute! said Dalziel. ll keep. No, you keep on sniffing around here for a bit. See if you can do a bit of detecting for a change. You should be well up on the psychological stuff. Well, tell me what kind of person would tear up a place like this? And what kind of person would have a place like this to tear up? All right, said Pascoe cautiously, uncertain how serious Dalziel was.
He went back downstairs to the living-room. Behind him he heard the bed creak protestingly. Dalziel was a great believer in taking rest when and where you got the chance. Pascoe was always ready to recognize the wisdom of others. He turned the slashed cushion of the deepest armchair upside down, gathered up an armful of paper from the floor and sat down.
Something about the drawings which defaced the walls caught his attention first. Some had been done in some kind of chalk. Bright yellow. There had been no sign of it during the search. He made a mental note to look more closely.
Other drawings and pieces of writing had been done more primitively by scoring the plaster with a sharp edged object. The brass candlestick on the mantelshelf? He stood up and looked more closely. The corners of the square base were scratched and smeared with powdered plaster.
Perhaps the chalk had just run out. It had been laid on pretty thickly.
He sat down again and began looking at the papers he held. It was a disappointing task at first. The only sheets which were not out of books were typewritten lecture notes, or at least so he assumed from the subject-matter. The books from which the majority of the pages had been ripped were again mainly text-books, easily identifiable as the pages had merely been torn whole from their covers. But here and there he noticed were smaller fragments of pages, some reduced almost to confetti, and he began to fit some of these together to see why they had been given special treatment.
It wasnt an easy task and after a few minutes he chucked the whole lot on the floor in annoyance and began to do what he ought to have done in the first place look for book covers.
It didnt take long to sort out the odd ones or rather the non-biological ones, for they were not particularly odd in themselves.
Huxleys The Doors of Perception, Learys Politics of Ecstasy, Professor Thorndikes History of Magic and Experimental Science (only three volumes out of eight), Aleister Crowleys Magic in Theory and Practice and the same writers translation of Eliphas Levis The Key of the Mysteries, Allegros The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross (particularly badly damaged Pascoe could find no piece of a page larger than a postage stamp), Eros and Evil by R.E. Masters; the covers from these and a score of others on related topics Pascoe stacked in the space he cleared on the floor in front of him. He heard the stairs creak and Dalziel appeared in the doorway.
His eyebrows went up when he saw what Pascoe had been doing.
Pornography? he said hopefully.
No, sir, said Pascoe with a poorly muffled groan.
No? said Dalziel, poking around. , its odd, isnt it? A bit bent.
Ive read most of them myself, said Pascoe challengingly.
Still, you thought it was worth picking out this lot specially, said Dalziel mildly. Pascoe found he didnt have a reply.
Anything else? Dalziel went on. . Lets get things moving. First thing is, wheres Fallowfield? Failing that, who did this lot? Perhaps hell know where Fallow field is.
Unless it was Fallowfield himself, suggested Pascoe. Dalziel looked unimpressed.
To confuse the picture, I mean, while he makes off, the sergeant added.
But why make off at all? And he was a bit careless leaving those clothes lying around, wasnt he?
I suppose so.
Still not happy? said Dalziel sympathetically.
Yes. That is, well, I dont know, sir. Theres something
Perhaps its the fact that two people did the wrecking that bothers you, Dalziel went on, the sympathy oozing out now.
Oh God, thought Pascoe. Ive missed something. I should have known as soon as he started sounding pleasant!
You noticed the drawings, of course?
Why, yes. You mean some are done in chalk, others scratched?
Partly that. But have another look. Its not just the instrument, its the style.
Pascoe looked. It might be true, though he had reservations. One piece of graffiti looked much like another to him.
So there were two, he said neutrally.
Why, yes. You mean some are done in chalk, others scratched?
Partly that. But have another look. Its not just the instrument, its the style.
Pascoe looked. It might be true, though he had reservations. One piece of graffiti looked much like another to him.
So there were two, he said neutrally.
But the question is, lad, together or apart? Anyway, we mustnt stand around here when theres work to be done. Ill get these clothes back to the college. You have a go at the neighbours, though I doubt theyll be any use.
They dont seem to be in, said Pascoe.
Dalziel looked at him pityingly.
Of course theyre not in. Only fools and policemen are inside on a day like this. Walk down the beach a bit, theyre probably not far. And, Sergeant
Sir?
Dont let all that sunburnt flesh take your mind off the job.
Even with the jacket of his lightweight suit slung casually over his shoulder, Pascoe felt very much overdressed as he furrowed his way through the soft sand towards the sea.
He had been right, the people next door were out; but in front of the farthermost of the four cottages he found an old woman who preferred the shade cast by the afternoon sun to its direct beam. She directed him to her family who were interested but unhelpful and in their turn they directed him to Fallowfields immediate neighbours.
There were a lot of them, three adults, one Selfconsciously almost naked teenage girl, an indistinguishable number of children and a dog.
The adults it seemed were Mr. and Mrs. Plessey and another Mr. Plessey, brother to the first.
No, they hadnt seen Mr. Fallowfield all day; no, during the brief spells they had spent in their cottage that day, they had heard nothing suspicious, which was hardly surprising, thought Pascoe, listening to the din the children and the dog managed to make even while attending with great interest to what he was saying.
Finally; no, they hadnt seen anyone, suspicious or not, anywhere near the cottage that day.