She broke down in a flood of tears and her sister-in-law embraced her irresistibly. Then the door opened and an older woman came in. This time the family resemblance was unmistakable. She said, Elsie, I was down at Sandras Ive just heard
Oh, Mam, cried Elsie Dacre.
Her sister-in-law was thrust aside and she embraced her mother as though she could crush hope and comfort out of her.
Dalziel said, Mrs Coe, why dont you make us all a cup of tea?
The three policemen and the blonde woman went into the kitchen. It was just as well. It was full of steam from a kettle hissing explosively on a high gas ring. Mrs Coe grabbed a tea towel, used it as a mitt to remove the kettle.
Should make a grand cuppa, said Dalziel. Needs to be really hot. Mrs Coe, what do you reckon to Tony Dacre?
What kind of questions that? demanded the woman.
Simple one. How do you feel about your brother-in-law?
Whyre you asking, is what I want to know.
Dont act stupid. You know why Im asking. If I can eliminate him from my enquiries, then I wont have to take this house to pieces.
Honesty is not only the best policy, its also sometimes the best form of police brutality, thought Pascoe, watching as shock slackened the womans solid features.
Dalziel went on, Afore you start yelling at me, think on, missus. You want me to have to start asking that poor woman if her man works on a short fuse or has got any special interest in his own daughter? Youre not daft, you know these things happen. So just tell me, is there owt I ought to know about Tony Dacre?
The woman found her voice.
No, there bloody isnt. I dont like him all that much, but thats personal. As for Lorraine, he worships that little lass, I mean like a father should. In fact, if you ask me, he spoils her rotten, and if she set fire to the house hed not lose his temper with her. Jesus, Id not have your job for a thousand pounds. Arent things bad enough here without you looking for something even filthier in it?
Her tone was vehement, but she managed to control the sound level to keep it in the kitchen.
Grand, said Dalziel with a friendly smile. Bring the tea through when its mashed, eh?
He went out, pulling the door shut behind him. Behind it, Pascoe noticed for the first time, was a dog basket. Lying in it was a small mongrel dog, somewhere between a spaniel and a terrier. Its eyes were open but it didnt move. Pascoe stooped over it and now its ears went back and it growled deep in its throat. Pascoe responded with soothing noises and though its eyes remained wary, it accepted a scratch between the ears. But when his hand strayed down to its shoulder, it snarled threateningly and he straightened up quickly.
Anyone sent for the vet? he enquired.
Mrs Coe said, For crying out loud, my niece is missing out there and all youre worried about is the sodding dog!
The sergeant replied, Not that I know of. I mean, with everything else
Do it now, will you? I dont like to see an animal in pain, but just as important, I want to know how it got its injuries.
The sergeant replied, Not that I know of. I mean, with everything else
Do it now, will you? I dont like to see an animal in pain, but just as important, I want to know how it got its injuries.
Oh aye. I didnt think, sir, said Clark guiltily. Ill get on to it right away.
The woman, whod busied herself mashing the tea, pushed past them angrily. Clark, following her, paused at the door and said, Owt else I should have thought of, sir?
Unless Lorraine turns up OK in the next half hour or so, this things going to explode into a major enquiry. Well need an incident room. Somewhere with plenty of space and not too far away. Any ideas?
The sergeants broad features contorted with thought, then he said, Theres St Michaels Hall. Its shared between the church and the primary school and its just a step away
Sounds fine. Now get that vet. Good job you thought of it before the super, eh?
He smiled as he spoke and after a moment Clark smiled back, then left.
One thing about Dalziel, thought Pascoe. He provides solid ground to build a good working relationship with the troops.
He opened the back door of the kitchen which led into a small, tidily kept yard with a patch of lawn and a wooden shed. He stepped out into the balmy air and opened the shed door. Some gardening tools, an old pushchair, and a childs bike.
Carefully controlling his thoughts, he next went to the yard door and unlatched it. He found himself looking across an area of worn and parched grassland scattered with clumps of furze whose bright yellow flowers threw back defiance at the blazing sun. This had to be Ligg Common with beyond it the long sweep of Danbydale rising northwards to Highcross Moor.
Sunlight eats up distance and the head of the valley looked barely a half-hours stroll away, while the long ridge of the Neb stood within range of an outfielder with a good arm. He let his gaze cross to the valleys opposite lower arm and here caught the glint of the sun on the glass of a descending car, and suddenly its tininess gave a proper perspective to the view.
There was a huge acreage of countryside out there, more than a few dozen men could search properly in a long day. And when you added to the outdoors all the buildings and barns and byres from the outskirts of the town to the farmed limits of the fell, then what lay in prospect was a massive operation.
He stood and felt the sun probe beneath his mop of light brown hair and beneath the surface of his fair skin. A few more minutes of this and hed turn pink and peel like a new potato, while another hour or so would beat his brain into that state of sun-drunk insensibility he usually experienced on Mediterranean beach holidays while Ellie by his side only grew browner and browner and fitter and fitter.
Sometimes insensibility was the more desirable fate.
You taken root or wha?
He turned and saw Dalziel in the yard doorway.
Just thinking, sir. Anything happened?
No. Shes quieter now. Much better with her mam than yon sister-in-law. Wheres Clark? I want to ask him about Dennis Coe, the brother.
Mrs Coes husband?
Well make a detective of you yet. Six or seven years older than Elsie, if I recall. Well need to take a close look at him.
Why? Was he in the frame fifteen years back? asked Pascoe, thinking that Dalziels coup with Mrs Coes name was looking a pretty simple conjuring trick now.
Missing kids, every sod old enough to have a stiff cock ends up in the frame. Hed be eighteen or thereabout. Bad age. And all the kids who went missing were blonde and he wed himself a blonde
Come on! said Pascoe. You reach any further and youll be in the X-files. In any case, Id say Mrs Coes colour comes straight out of a bottle.
So he married dark but let her know he preferred blondes. OK, stop flaring your nostrils else youll get house martins building. One thing you cant argue with, hes Lorraines uncle, and uncles rate high in the statistics for this kind of thing.
Pascoe shook his head and said dully, Mrs Coe said shed not have our job for a thousand pounds. Shes way out. Sometimes a millions not enough for the way we have to look at things.
Talking of looking, whats yon?
The Fat Man was staring north. Over the distant horizon the heat haze had coalesced into something thicker.
Never a cloud, is it? said Dalziel.
Not of rain, said Pascoe. Id say smoke. Slightest spark starts a grass fire this weather.
Best make sure some other buggers noticed, said Dalziel.
He pulled out his mobile, dialled, spoke and listened.
Aye, he said, switching off. They know. Its a big one. And not the only one either. Brigades on full alert and theyre using our uniformed too, which isnt good news for us if we have to hit the red button.
When? said Pascoe. You dont think that theres
He was interrupted by Sergeant Clark from the doorway.
Excuse me, sir, but Mr Douglas the vets here. We got him on his mobile coming back from a farm call.
Vet? said Dalziel to Pascoe. Whats up? Feeling badly?
In the kitchen they found a broad-built grey-bearded man kneeling down by the dog basket. His examination of the mongrel produced the odd rumbling growl but nothing as menacing as the snarl provoked by Pascoes inexpert probe.
Finally he stood up and turned his attention to the humans.
Peter Pascoe, DCI, said Pascoe, offering his hand. And this is Superintendent Dalziel.
Weve met, said Douglas shortly. His voice had a Scots burr.
Aye, what fettle, Dixie? said Dalziel. So, whats the damage?
Shoulder and ribcage badly bruised. I dont think theres a fracture, but he needs an X-ray to be sure. Possibility of internal injury. I think its best in all the circumstances if I take him back to the surgery with me. Any news of the wee lassie?
Not yet, said Pascoe. These injuries, what do you think caused them?
No accident, thats for sure, said the vet flatly. If I had to guess, Id say someone had given the poor beast a good kicking. Good day to you.
Gently he lifted the dog from the basket and went out of the kitchen.
Good man, that, said Sergeant Clark approvingly. Really worries about sick animals.
Aye, well, he supports Raith Rovers, said Dalziel. So someone gave the dog a kicking. Thats enough to get the show on the road. Good thinking to have the beast checked out.
Pascoe said, Yes. Well done, Sergeant Clark. So what do you want me to do, sir? Call in the troops and set up an incident room?
Aye, best go by the book, said Dalziel without enthusiasm. Any suggestions, Sergeant? As far as I recall, your Section Office isnt big enough to swing a punch in.
St Michaels Hall, sir, said Clark with brisk efficiency. Doubles as assembly hall and gym for the primary school and as a community centre. Ive spoken on the phone with Mrs Shimmings the school head. Youll likely remember her, sir. She were in Dendale, like me. Miss Lavery, she was then. Shes really upset. Says shell go to the school now to be on hand in case we need her help, talking about the little girl and such.
Dalziel looked at him reflectively and said, Well done, Sergeant. Youre thinking so far ahead, youll end up telling fortunes. OK, Peter, off you go. Tell em I want someone from uniformed who knows left from right to head up the search team. Maggie Burroughsll do nicely. And well need a canteen van. Itll be thirsty work tramping round them fells. And an information caravan for the Common. Ill be here to see they get themselves sorted. Any questions?