The Fourth Friend (DI Jackman & DS Evans #3)(41)

‘Hair colour?’ asked Marie.

‘Moonlight distorts colour, doesn’t it? But he had pale hair. I think it was blond, but it could have been silver grey.’

‘Style? Long, short, straight, curly?’

‘Ah, that one’s easy. He had a long ponytail, you know? Like some of the foreign footballers have? That’s why I remember him so well. My cousin Henry went through a period of wearing his hair long and tied back like that. This man looked just like Henry, and he wore similar glasses too.’

Jackman let out a whistle. ‘That’s a couple of very specific points of identification. Can you recall what he was wearing?’

‘Dark clothing, but I couldn’t say what.’

‘And the other man?’

Pitt shook his head. ‘He stayed very much in the shadows. He was tall too, but I never actually saw his face.’ He drank some more water and gave a rasping cough.

Marie looked anxiously at Jackman. ‘I think that’s all for now, don’t you, sir?’

Jackman agreed. ‘Mr Pitt, would you recognise him again?’

‘Absolutely. I saw his face quite clearly.’

Jackman gave him a satisfied smile. ‘Then if you are up to it, we’ll get you to come back in and work with our IT experts to make up a composite likeness.’

‘I’ll go home and have a rest and take my midday medication, so maybe later this afternoon?’

Marie looked at him. ‘Only if you are well enough, sir.’

‘The word “well” doesn’t feature too often in my vocabulary right now. I have good days, like today, and not so good. I never know what it’s going to be, so the sooner I do this the better, if you see what I mean?’

Marie nodded. She understood exactly what he meant.

*

Marie returned to the CID office and rang around to see if there were any further developments regarding Leah’s persistent admirer.

One of the officers on observation rang her back. ‘He’s gone to ground, I reckon, Sarge. No more silly games or sightings.’

‘I’m beginning to think the police presence has scared him off.’

‘Let’s hope so, cause I’m bored rigid. There are only so many Mars bars you can eat in one shift.’

Marie thanked him and leafed through her list of people that had been interviewed. None of them seemed suspicious or obsessive. Maybe Carter was right after all. Marie closed the folder and nibbled on her bottom lip. Carter was being unusually blasé. Normally he was very cautious in his approach to a case.

Marie’s phone rang.

‘I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my niece under lock and key, Sergeant.’ The super sounded fraught. ‘She has decided that the whole thing has been blown up out of all proportion. She thinks she probably just overreacted to someone’s ham-fisted attempt to get her attention.’

‘And what do you think, ma’am?’

‘She’s the closest thing I have to a daughter, so give it a guess.’ Ruth Crooke gave an irritable sigh. ‘But even I’m wondering if we see so much bad stuff in our job that we always think the worst, especially when something threatens our nearest and dearest.’

‘And I think that because of all the bad stuff, we can’t afford to take risks.’

‘True. Any suggestions, Sergeant? If I have to play one more game of Monopoly, I think I’ll lose the will to live.’

‘What does Leah want to do?’

‘Go back to Uni. Or at least go back to her flat and sort some things out there.’

‘Why don’t I come over and pick her up? I’ll accompany her wherever she wants to go and then bring her home later. I’ll let uniform know exactly where we’re going to be. At least it would give her a break, and you too, ma’am.’

‘Where’s Carter?’

‘He’s in his office, ma’am. He can watch out for anything that comes in here and keep me updated.’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ Ruth drew in a breath. ‘I hope I don’t regret this.’

‘Her admirer is hardly likely to try anything with me on her heels, is he?’

‘Look after her, Marie.’

‘Of course I will, ma’am.’

She hung up and went to find Carter.

‘Best thing. The kid will go stir crazy shut in with her aunt all day.’ He gave her an evil grin. ‘I know I would.’

‘Why are you so laid back about this, Carter?’’

He shrugged. ‘Just don’t have your gut feeling that something is seriously wrong, I guess.’

‘Well, for once I hope you are right.’ She turned to leave. ‘I’ll keep in touch.’

She went back out to the main office and found Jackman talking to Gary Pritchard. ‘I’m off to do a spot of babysitting, or should I say, police protection duty.’ She told him about the super’s dilemma.

‘Okay. Just keep your eyes peeled, and don’t let her out of your sight.’

She threw Jackman a withering look. ‘I have done this before, you know.’

He laughed. ‘I know. It’s just that she’s a relative of a high-ranking officer, and a rather prickly one at that, so it would be prudent to be doubly cautious.’