An Advancement of Learning - Reginald Hill 39 стр.

He replaced the receiver and looked solicitously at Franny.

Now, Mr. Roote, weve got a doctor coming to have a look at that bump on your head. Is there anything youd like to say before he turns up?

Pascoe expected some flip obscenity, but strangely the youth seemed to be considering the suggestion carefully.

I could have got rid of the letter, he said inconsequentially. didnt think youd be so quick.

Were lightning when roused, said Dalziel.

I wish Id read it now. Then Id know what not that it matters. Im rather tired of it all. Its about time I went off on a new tack. And Sams probably said it all. He laughed. was a great one for words, Sam. Ideas. But not so hot on action.

Perhaps you should try words for a change.

You may be right, lovey. Anyway, what the hell. Well see. Theres an old police proverb, isnt there? He who talks last serves longest? Ill tell you what, Superintendent. Youd better get used to me as a picture of misguided innocence. Ill bring character witnesses. Hes nervous, thought Pascoe. Somewhere deep down inside him theres a little bit of fear fluttering. He doesnt like to sit and wait. He likes to be doing, doing, doing. He likes to feel the initiative to action lies with him.

Perhaps you should try words for a change.

You may be right, lovey. Anyway, what the hell. Well see. Theres an old police proverb, isnt there? He who talks last serves longest? Ill tell you what, Superintendent. Youd better get used to me as a picture of misguided innocence. Ill bring character witnesses. Hes nervous, thought Pascoe. Somewhere deep down inside him theres a little bit of fear fluttering. He doesnt like to sit and wait. He likes to be doing, doing, doing. He likes to feel the initiative to action lies with him.

Dalziel obviously caught this feeling too. He looked uninterested, glanced at his watch.

Well, well just get the doctor to look at you. Then we can talk later at the station.

He opened the door and stepped into the sickroom.

Any sign of that doctor? From the window the matron said, think that his car is coming down the drive now. Come along, everybody. I cant have you all hanging around here. What will the doctor think?

They began to move reluctantly, Halfdane sticking close to Marion Cargo, Landor patting Miss. Scotbys elbow reassuringly, Disney walking backwards as though from a royal presence.

Superintendent.

The voice stopped them all. It was Franny standing at the office door.

Behind him Pascoe hovered, ready to pounce.

Murderer! hissed Disney magnificently.

Mr. Dalziel. When Mr. Saltecombe comes, may I be there when he opens his letter? Id like to see it.

Something about his intonation bothered Pascoe.

I bet you would, said Dalziel. t worry. Youll find out whats in it soon enough.

Disney snorted and left. Marion, looking ill after the strain of the evening, went out with Halfdanes arm supporting her waist, followed by Scotby and Landor.

Pascoe watched them all go, vaguely disturbed. Roote had sat down again and was whistling softly to himself. Pascoe looked at him with great dislike.

When the doctor arrived he was accompanied by Constable Shattuck. Pascoe turned over his supervisory duties to him and went and joined Dalziel at the sickbay window, looking down at a sizeable group of students hanging round the entrance to the block.

Landors talking to them. Not very successfully, grunted Dalziel.

A car coming up the drive had to bleep its horn to clear a path through the students. It was a silver-grey Capri.

Halfdane, said Dalziel. Pascoe wondered how he knew. bloody cars.

They watched it out of sight through the main gates.

Get the doc. to have a look at you, said Dalziel and obediently the sergeant went through into the other room. Behind him he heard Dalziel picking up the telephone.

Roote had been pronounced perfectly fit, Pascoes rib had been strapped, though the doctor didnt think there was a break, and Dalziel was just putting his shirt back on for the second time when Henry Saltecombe turned up.

I couldnt believe it when they told me this morning. Sam! Ive been just walking up and down the beach all day.

He seemed genuinely upset.

Theres a letter for you here, Mr. Saltecombe, said Dalziel sympathetically. have reason to believe Mr. Fallowfield wrote it. I would like you to open it in my presence, read it, and then permit me to read it. It may be relevant to my enquiries and the coroner too will want sight of it.

Henry seemed to turn even paler.

From Sam?

Yes. Sergeant, just hold that door firmly closed, will you?

Pascoe took a tight hold of the handle of the office door behind which Constable Shattuck was watching over Roote.

Henry unsealed the envelope awkwardly, tearing it diagonally across the face. There were three handwritten sheets inside. He read them silently, once, twice.

Here, he said handing them to Dalziel and turning away. Dalziel read slowly and methodically, then passed them over to Pascoe.

Mr. Saltecombe, he said. word in your ear.

They muttered in a corner as Pascoe read the letter.

Well, thats that, he said to Dalziel who shook his head warningly.

Fetch Roote through, said the fat man.

Pascoe tapped on the door and Shattuck opened it.

Bring him out, he said to the constable.

Franny stood framed in the doorway.

Henry took a step forward from his corner.

You bastard, he said. slimy bastard! I hope they jail you for ever.

Franny did not seem taken aback.

So youve read it, he said, looking at Dalziel who held the letter in his hand.

Francis Roote, he said. will be taken to the Central Police Station where you will be charged with the murders of Alison Girling and Anita Sewell. You are not required to say anything now, but anything you do say will be taken down and may be used in evidence. At the station you will be given an opportunity to contact your legal adviser. The murders? said Franny disbelievingly. you cant do that. Not look, he must say what does he say?

He stepped forward to make a grab at the letter. Shattucks arms enfolded him from behind in a comfortable embrace.

He just mentions you, Franny, said Dalziel softly. s a lot about you.

The? Just me? The fool! The bastard! What did he why Why not, Franny? asked Dalziel. not? Is it a bluff? he asked. it? Whats it matter anyway? Now. Just sit down and listen to this.

He began talking rapidly. After a couple of minutes Pascoe jumped up, looked at Dalziel and motioned to the telephone. Dalziel standing by the window shook his head and pointed out.

Down the drive moving very sedately came a silver grey Capri. Behind it was a police-car.

Franny was still talking when the door burst open and Halfdane rushed in.

What the hells all this? he snarled. re in trouble, real trouble, Superintendent. Youve never known trouble like it

Dalziel ignored him completely. Holding Fallowfields letter before him like a cross held out to a vampire he went towards the pale slight figure standing between two policemen in the doorway.

Marion Cargo, he said. am arresting you on suspicion of complicity in the murders of

He didnt finish. She fainted beautifully into the arms of the policemen.

Only the ironic applause from Roote disturbed the beauty of the performance.

Chapter 17

It took them forty-eight hours to even begin to tie the loose ends together. But by the end of that time they had done all that was necessary to do in the college. There had been little time to talk to anyone in the college about events and Cockshut was desperately trying to find some aspect of things which would give him another excuse for action. Pascoe was pleasantly relieved that they were going to get away before this blew up. He glanced at his watch now. He had promised Ellie that he would call in before he went. But Landor had come into the study while they were packing up and Dalziel seemed to be in the mood to offer explanations and assessments.

The letter! said Dalziel. sweating on the letter and a lot of bloody use it turned out to be.

It wasnt intended to be useful, said Simeon Landor gently. s just a record of a mans uncertainty and unhappiness.

It wasnt intended to be useful, said Simeon Landor gently. s just a record of a mans uncertainty and unhappiness.

It would have made me a lot happier if it had mentioned a few names, said Dalziel gloomily.

There was a photostat of the letter on the study desk in front of Pascoe. He looked down at it again and read it for the hundredth time, still with a sense of emptiness, of loss.

Dear Henry, This is a strange letter to have to write, and a stranger way you might think to repay friendship. I am truly sorry if it is painful for you to read this. But pain is a risk we take in becoming fond of people, isnt it? As I have found out to my cost.

I have decided to take my life, not out of despair or anything so religious as that. But merely out of confusion. These past few years have been troubled ones for me, troubled not in the way I have always felt troubled by the problems of life and humanity, but troubled by problems of mere living. I have had secrets to hide which I did not wish to know in the first place; I found that quite unbeknown to me I had become a leader and, as a leader, had to be deposed from a position I would have been only too happy to resign. I found myself admitting to accusations that were false rather than make accusations that were true.

(I was never anything more to Anita Sewell than a dear friend. At least I thought so, and I know in the end she did too.) Finally I was driven to absurd delaying tactics on points of procedure and constitutional issues the kind of thing which has always bored me to tears as you know!  because I did not know what else to do.

In other words I had to make decisions. I really believe the majority of people are lucky enough to get through life without ever having to make a single greatly significant decision. I had to make such a one five years ago. I made it on personal grounds, unselfish I thought at the time, though Im no longer sure, grounds of love, and respect, and hope, for an individual. The only grounds, I felt, on which such a decision should be taken.