Ruling Passion

‘So that thing in the kinky gear was a reporter?’ asked Pascoe.

‘Yes. Not, so far as I could gather, a regular crime man. Some kind of feature writer who happened to be on the spot and is looking for an interesting angle. That’s why he’s in the Eagle chatting to the major instead of herding with the others at the village school, waiting for the inquest to begin.’

‘Already?’ Pascoe was surprised. He glanced at his watch. It was just on two.

‘Somehow they got the notion it was starting at one-thirty instead of two-thirty. Hence I was able to grab a bite of lunch in peace.’

Backhouse’s voice held no irony in either sentence. Superintendents don’t need to be ironic, thought Pascoe bitterly.

‘What was Palfrey saying about Rose and Colin?’ he asked abruptly. ‘They had a row, you know. That’s why they used the Queen Anne.’

Backhouse sighed deeply.

‘You know, Sergeant,’ he said, ‘you really must try to break the habit of a lifetime, or however long you’ve been in the force, and not investigate this sorry business. Trust your colleagues. If you don’t, it can only lead to grief. You might even end up, heaven forbid, obstructing the police in the execution of their duty.’

‘Yes,’ said Pascoe, not bothering much to infuse repentant sincerity into his voice. ‘Now what was Palfrey saying? Sir.’

‘Little enough. I think your friends were a little – what would be the in-character word? – Bohemian for his taste. According to his version of the quarrel, he barred his doors to them because their language and behaviour gave offence to many of his old and valued customers. There are, and I quote him now, some words which even in this day and age he would not wish a woman to hear nor expect a lady to use. I think I’ve got that fine antithesis right. Did Mrs Hopkins swear a lot?’

‘When the occasion arose.’

‘But not enough to give rise to the occasion?’

‘Not when I knew her,’ answered Pascoe.

‘But that, as you frequently remind me, was some years ago. To continue. Palfrey under the influence of a couple of gins became confidential, said he was not altogether startled that such a household could come to such an end, and had just launched into his attack on your friend’s balance of mind when you interrupted him.’

‘I should have broken his bloody neck,’ said Pascoe dispassionately.

Backhouse sighed once more.

‘I suggested to your boss I might like to keep you by me for a while. I was wrong. The sooner you head back to Yorkshire, the better. And don’t go near the Eagle and Child again before you go. That’s an official warning. Understand?’

‘Sir,’ said Pascoe. ‘What about you?’

‘Oh, never fear. I’ll see him again and ask him a few questions. It was hardly an opportune moment just now, was it?’

He laughed and burped slightly.

‘I won’t touch his draught again, though. His pipes must badly need decoking.’

Their conversation had brought them to the village hall. A uniformed constable now stood on duty at the door. He stiffened to attention as the superintendent passed. Pascoe hesitated on the threshold.

‘You’d better come in,’ said Backhouse. ‘Then I can keep an eye on you. We’ll go up to the inquest together.’

The hall now contained a neatly deployed and efficient-looking unit, though at a glance Pascoe could tell there was very little happening at this precise moment. There was a slight acceleration of tempo for Backhouse’s benefit as he walked the length of the room, but the atmosphere of the place was one of straightforward, almost drowsy routine. A few dust-filled buttresses of sunlight from the narrow window leaned against the shadowy walls. It might have been a summer’s afternoon in a Victorian bank.

Backhouse came up, looking at his watch.

‘It’s about ten minutes’ walk to the school. We won’t bother with the car, if that’s all right with you.’

‘Surely.’

‘Good. I like to get what exercise I can. There’s nothing new by the way. I’ve brought the men out of the woods. Waste of time. They’ll be better on house-to-house.’

Outside they almost ran into the man in the yellow leather jacket. He raised his eyebrows comically as he saw them.

‘Hello, darlings,’ he said. ‘I thought you looked a bit peelerish back in the pub.’

‘It was kind of you not to comment, sir,’ said Backhouse courteously.

‘That’s all right. I’m strictly an observer, aren’t I? You can reward me, though. How do I get to the village school? I thought I might look in on this inquest thing.’

‘We’re going there ourselves. Perhaps you’d care to join us?’ said Backhouse, somewhat to Pascoe’s surprise.

‘Well, I suppose it’s either that or following you, which might look a trifle odd. This is definitely not a place to look odd in, is it, don’t you think? I imagine they stone you if you look odd.’

‘You seemed to get on very well with the landlord back there,’ remarked Backhouse as they set off up the winding sun-mellow street.

‘Yes. Well, I’m Press, you see, and these village publicans are always hoping for a little puff in the colour mags, if you see what I mean. I’ve done one or two country-pub gourmet features, you know the kind of thing; horse-brass up your ass, and a beautifully kept pork pie.’

‘You must be Anton Davenant,’ said Backhouse.

‘That’s right. How clever. Sounds like a dirty French song, doesn’t it? And you …?’

‘Backhouse. Detective-Superintendent. And this is Sergeant Pascoe.’

‘Oh.’

Pascoe felt the man’s gaze run swiftly over him as though taking a blueprint and laying it aside for future reference. He recognized the name Davenant faintly. He rarely had time to get as far as the colour supplements on a Sunday, but on some occasion recently he had come across the name.

‘How envious all these hard-bitten crime men will be when I turn up in such illustrious company,’ said Davenant.

‘As a matter of interest,’ said Backhouse, ‘just what are you doing here among all these hard-bitten crime men?’

‘I was fortunate enough to be in the vicinity, that’s all. And my current editor, knowing I was hereabouts, instantly got in touch when this dreadful business was bruited abroad. I think he hopes for something rather quaint from me. A Vintage Murder perhaps. Or First Catch Your Killer. He used words like atmosphere and human interest, and eventually (and here I capitulated), money. But enough of interesting me. What of interesting you? What have your fascinating investigations upturned?’

‘Very little so far, Mr Davenant,’ said Backhouse cheerfully, pausing to admire a magnificent dahlia border and being admired in his turn by at least three shadowy figures Pascoe could see behind lace-curtains.

Curiously enough, Davenant seemed satisfied with this answer.

‘That must be the old village school at the top of the hill,’ he said. ‘And over there I spy the old village shop. I must stock up with ciggies. Please don’t wait for me. I may find myself compelled to linger, soaking up atmosphere.’

‘Don’t take too long,’ said Backhouse. ‘It’ll all be over very quickly I should think.’

The journalist disappeared into the tiny shop and the two policemen continued their walk.

‘He showed a less than fervent interest in your investigations,’ said Pascoe thoughtfully.