Spanish Inquisition (16 page)

He indicated and turned on to the road leading to the hospital. ‘The one thing I'm certain of is that it'll take a determined inquisition to break through the silence of the main players before we trace the spark that set this trail ablaze.'

Tom decided to call in for a mid-morning snack with Nora before heading for the private clinic where Staff Sergeant Andrews should have recovered his senses enough to be questioned in depth. Nora had been for a routine check on the position of the baby, certain that he would be arriving earlier than expected. Having had three, she claimed young Christopher Black was too robust to wait much longer to join them. Bearing in mind the worrying period they had had at the same late stage with Gina, Tom was anxious to hear what Clare Goodey had had to say on the subject.

Much as he longed to hear that first lusty cry, and hold his son in his arms, he had concerns about a premature birth. Nora seemed unfazed but, like many prospective fathers, Tom always felt isolated from the mysteries of pregnancy. He could never know what Nora felt, never know the pain of giving birth. Only when the infant emerged, an amazing tiny human being, could he then fully share what they had created together.

He parked in the driveway and hurried to put his key in the lock of the front door. As it opened he heard a baby crying and his heart missed a beat. More than one, surely, so great was the shock. Why had they failed to call him? Why had it happened here? Why were there no other cars outside?

His wife was in the kitchen soothing an infant who sat on one of the stools while having a small cut on her finger dabbed free of a blister of blood with a tissue.

Nora glanced up with a smile of welcome. ‘Hallo! Now, Lily, here's a handsome prince come unexpectedly to save you from the nasty dragon who bit your finger. Show him how brave you are. Not as brave as he is, of course, but a little girl who never makes a fuss even when it
really
hurts.'

Tom sighed with relief. How many times had they played that game with their three? ‘Where is the dragon?' he demanded gruffly. ‘Shall I need my sword?'

The child gazed at him wide-eyed and slowly shook her head. Nora spoke for her. ‘Strudel chased it away. He wasn't a very good dragon, was he, to be afraid of a puppy?'

The fantasy was thankfully interrupted by the doorbell announcing the arrival of Mummy, and Tom was left to switch on the kettle then fill the cafetière, cursing himself for imagining the cries of an eighteen-month-old were like those of a newborn baby.

Nora returned having restored Lily to her mother. ‘Met Glenda Pocock at the antenatal clinic. Duncan MacPherson sent her to the hospital for another scan; some problem with the baby's position. I offered to look after Lily. Hospital appointements are a misery with a toddler who insists on going walkabout. As it was, Lily pricked her finger on a rose bush and saw blood! Enough to set her screaming for Glenda.' She poured boiling water in the cafetière. ‘What are you here for – apart from chasing dragons?'

Tom took her in his arms and kissed her with the verve of his concern and gratitude. She gazed questioningly at him when they drew apart.

‘What was that all about?'

He touched her cheek with gentle fingers. ‘It's about you being my wife, the mother of our children and the person who makes life so good for us all.' He settled her on a stool. ‘Sit there while I pour coffee and listen to what the Doc said about your theory on Christopher's early arrival.'

‘She's inclined to believe someone who's produced three to her none. Wants me back in a week rather than two. Tom, there's nothing to worry about, I promise.'

He pushed a mug of coffee towards her. ‘OK, if you say so.'

‘I wouldn't keep anything from you however bad, you know that.'

He helped himself to a slice of fruit cake. ‘I'll just be glad when it's over and we can settle in the new routine.'

‘Won't we both,' she agreed heartily. Biting into a biscuit, she asked, ‘Have you seen Max today?'

He nodded. ‘Can't keep him away.'

‘Has he said anything to you?'

‘About officially resuming command?'

‘About his personal life.'

‘His personal life?'

Nora grinned. ‘Clare Goodey is wearing a very pretty diamond and sapphire ring on the third finger of her left hand. Unless she's been keeping a lover well out of sight, I'd say Max finally came to his senses and recognized they're made for each other.'

‘She's been seen off base with that kilted doctor she works with, when Max was in Spain.'

‘No, it's definitely Max,' she said firmly. ‘If Livya Cordwell hadn't been on the scene when Clare arrived here this would have happened sooner.'

‘Well, well! Wonder how long it'll be before he gives out the news. Everyone on the base will know by tomorrow evening.'

‘Yes. She's clearly keen to show off her ring to all her patients and, presumably, to her fellow officers when she lunches in the Mess. June wedding?'

Tom gave a knowing smile. ‘Providing there's not a juicy case to investigate. He'd hate to miss out on it.'

E
ven in his bruised and lacerated state it was possible for Tom to see that Staff Sergeant Andrews would normally cut a dashing figure. His muscular build, dark curling hair and deep blue eyes would attract the girls, but a wife and four children in Ireland would surely put a damper on lasting passion. Small wonder Maria Norton chose her passion for singing as the better option.

Andrews was not happy to see Tom. Resting against piled pillows, he said, ‘Where's that bonny girl who came yesterday?'

Tom ignored that and moved up to stand at the head of the bed, which gave him the advantage of rearing above Andrews. He had little doubt Connie had sat beside him for her distinctive persuasive questioning, but the patient was now conscious enough to face hard facts. Ted Griffiths was in the day room watching TV while waiting for his discharge documents. His bed in that double room had already been stripped ready for the next patient to book in.

‘I want you to tell me in fullest detail your movements last Saturday, Staff. I've spoken to the doctor. He says full recollection of the time shortly before the accident could have returned.'

‘It hasn't. He told
me
I might never remember those hours just before Hibbs' car hit the pile-up ahead of us. Ted told me he's off the critical list now. Is that right?' he asked urgently.

‘Yes. I checked his condition with the doctor before I came in to you.'

Andrews looked genuinely relieved. ‘Good! Me and Hibbs've been mates a long, long time.'

‘It's not the hours just prior to the accident I'm interested in,' Tom said, sensing an attempt to avoid being interviewed. ‘Tell me about Saturday, two days before the mental block.'

Andrews studied the facing wall. ‘It's all a blur.
Everything's
a blur. I've been in a coma, you know.'

‘Now you're out of it and making good progress. That's the medical prognosis as of fifteen minutes ago,' Tom said sharply. ‘We can do this the easy or the hard way, the easy way being that you answer my questions fully and honestly.' He drew in his breath before adding, ‘The hard way being that, in the face of your feigned amnesia, I go ahead and arrest you on suspicion of violent assault on Corporal Maria Norton and leaving her in an isolated area having deprived her of any means of summoning medical help.'

‘
What
?' he cried. ‘Are you on the up and up, or is this an SIB tactic to get a confession?' Seeing Tom's expression, he looked really distressed. ‘You're saying someone beat her up? Oh God, how bad is she?' As Tom remained silent, he asked fearfully, ‘Is she dying?'

It was clear to Tom's experienced eyes that this was the first Vince Andrews knew of what had befallen the young corporal over the past few days. If he was the father of the aborted foetus he had further bad news to face.

‘She's presently in the hospital in town and should make a full recovery.' He now pulled up a chair and settled back to hear facts that would surely exonerate Andrews, but hopefully give a lead to the real perpetrator.

Not far off tears, Vince Andrews said, ‘We had something going. Not your one-night stand. A real relationship. Met up at the Mess Christmas do. Sarn't Peake brought her, but I took her home. It was that quick. For us both. Weeks went by while I was thinking how to get around to the fact I was still married. Legal separation isn't divorce. Maria's Catholic, like my wife, so she understood and was happy to go on as we were.'

‘Until when?' Tom asked, already knowing the answer.

Andrews pulled a tissue from a box on the bedside locker and blew his nose noisily. ‘Out of the blue she tells me she's got the lead part in some show the Operatic Society was putting on, so she'll be spending all her free time on rehearsals, and lessons with a retired opera singer in town.' He frowned at Tom. ‘Just like that. Curtain down. Show over! I thought she was joking. Teasing.'

‘But she wasn't?'

He slowly shook his head. ‘It took a week for it to sink in. I mean, we were that close.'

‘Did you attempt to restart the affair?'

‘You know how it is. You keep hoping,' he said in man to man fashion. ‘I went to the Recreation Centre a coupla nights when they were rehearsing. Stood at the back where no one would notice me. Shook me how good she was. Fantastic voice!' He paused, back to staring at the facing wall. ‘After that second time I gave up hoping.' He looked back at Tom. ‘What she was doing on stage to the bloke who was supposed to be guarding her was what she did with me. It was all an act. Switched on and off. She'd never meant any of it.'

‘That made you angry?'

‘With myself,' Andrews told the bedcover. ‘Bloody fool she'd made me.'

Tom shifted position on the hard chair. ‘Can we now get to your movements on Saturday night?'

Andrews seemed to suddenly recollect why he was being questioned by SIB, because he snapped out a denial that he had attacked Maria.

‘So tell me what you were doing at the time of the attack, Staff,' Tom responded in similar crisp tones. ‘Ted Griffiths has given evidence that he and Sarn't Hibbert agreed to delay the proposed hiking break until Sunday, and arranged to meet you in town for the usual pub crawl. Is that right?'

The brief aggression died. Andrews sighed heavily and blew his nose again. Tom saw the man was tiring, so he decided to let him tell it without interruption and in his own time. The first few minutes of his statement just confirmed what Ted had told Connie. Andrews had not been able to resist a last chance of seeing Norton perform. Twisting the knife?

‘Dressed in that Spanish costume, with everyone else in full theatrical gear and with a full orchestra, she was
brilliant
. And that dying scene! I was . . . well, I was bowled over worse than before. I just had to see her again. I knew there was a party for cast and friends afterwards, so instead of going to town I went back to the Mess and tried to phone her. I'd almost given up when she finally answered, but I heard a man's voice in the background and she told me she'd ring back in ten.'

This all tied in with Piercey's evidence and Tom felt he was finally getting somewhere with the case.

‘Well, she didn't,' Andrews said, ‘but she had sounded so friendly before she was interrupted I decided to drive to her accommodation block and wait for her there. It must have been only five or so minutes before her Clio came round the corner and pulled up in her parking spot.

‘I was on the point of getting out to cross to her when another vehicle careered round the corner, skidded to a halt, and she bloody ran and got in it! It shot off again like someone was chasing it, and I was so pissed off I decided to follow and see where they were heading.'

‘And?' Tom asked sharply.

‘He stopped on the road a few yards from the copse. I thought they were going in there for some shagging in the hut by the barbecue area, but they started at it in the bloody car. The way it was rocking they were so crazy they couldn't wait to get at it.' His mouth twisted in disgust. ‘I left them to it and drove out to the repair shop where I'd arranged to leave my 4by4 on the forecourt. They're Jewish; work on Sundays. I'd planned to pick it up on Monday evening. I guess Isaac is wondering when I'm coming for it,' he ended heavily.

‘Give me the details and I'll see to it,' Tom told him, deciding to keep to himself the probability that the rampant sex Andrews thought was making the vehicle rock was really caused by the vicious attack on the girl who had climbed so eagerly in beside her attacker.

Now came the vital question. ‘Did you see who was driving the car?'

‘Too dark. I memorized the reg number meaning to check it out.'

He recited the number of Piercey's Audi.

Max's first impression of Maria Norton was of a young woman with a mass of black hair surrounding a white face blotched with vivid brusing, whose dark eyes gazed blankly appearing to register nothing of her surroundings. He and Connie could have been invisible as they stood beside her bed around which a nurse had drawn blue floral curtains for privacy.

Max found all he had heard about the strong sexual allure of this army corporal difficult to imagine; she looked pathetically vulnerable and . . . yes,
scared
. Holding back, he motioned Connie to pull out the chair and adopt her usual persuasive techinque in the hope of breaking through the cocoon of misery.

‘Maria, I'm Connie Bush and my companion is Captain Rydal. We're from SIB, and we've come to help you sort things out. Everything that's happened to you over the past few days. You're probably feeling very low. I can understand that. It's a woman's natural reaction to having an abortion, especially if she had to make the decision on her own. Is that what happened, Maria? Or did the father insist on it? Perhaps you wanted to have the baby.'