To Die Alone (21 page)

Two days later, shortly after eleven in the morning, the inspector stood in the graveyard of Levton Bridge’s parish church. Sun filtered through the trees and the birds sang as the mourners drifted away after the body of Trevor Meredith had been lowered into its grave. Matty Gallagher walked across to where the inspector was standing.

‘Strange occasion,’ said the sergeant. ‘Poor old vicar did not know what to say.’

‘What can you say?’

‘I suppose.’

The detectives watched as Jasmine Riley detached herself from a group of mourners and walked across the grass towards them, supporting her mother who was walking with the aid of a stick.

‘How’s your leg, Mrs Riley?’ asked the chief inspector.

‘It’s getting better. Thank you for what you did.’

‘It was no trouble.’

‘Will that awful Garratt man be sent to prison, Inspector?’

‘It’s a long story,’ said Harris.

For a few moments nobody spoke, then Jasmine looked at the inspector.

‘I’m glad Trevor didn’t die alone,’ she said. ‘I’m glad Robbie was there.’

Harris nodded. There was another silence than Jasmine looked at him.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ she asked.

‘Sure.’

‘Trevor did try to stop the dog fighting, didn’t he? I mean, he was genuine about that, wasn’t he?’

‘Who knows what his motivation was?’

‘But it’s possible,’ said Jasmine. ‘I mean, it is possible, yes?’

‘I suppose so,’ said Harris.

‘So do you think he was a good man, Inspector? I mean, at least in some way?’

Harris looked at her, saw the hopeful, almost pleading, expression on her face, and knew what he had to say to ease the suffering of a woman struggling to come to terms with what had happened. Even if what he said helped only a little, Jack Harris knew the right thing to say. Knew what she wanted to hear.

‘No, Jasmine,’ he said instead, ‘on balance I don’t think he was.’

As the inspector turned and walked away, Jasmine shot a distressed look at Gallagher, but the sergeant simply shrugged and followed his boss. As Harris walked out of the graveyard and towards his Land Rover, his mobile phone rang. Looking down, he saw the name Ged Maynard on the read-out and frowned.

‘Ged,’ he said, taking the call. ‘How’s it—?’

‘I hear you got Radford.’

‘Yes, Ged, yes we did. Word is they are going to throw the book at him. Apparently, there’s guys falling over themselves to save themselves by stitching him up.’

‘Good.’ Maynard hesitated. Harris could hear him fighting to control his emotions. ‘They’ve fired me, you know. Said I handled the Meredith thing unprofessionally.’

‘I know,’ said Harris. ‘And I’m sorry.’

‘Not your fault, Hawk.’ There was another pause. ‘Listen, keep in touch will you?’

‘Yeah,’ said Harris. ‘Yeah, of course I will.’

But he knew he wouldn’t.

An hour later, Jack Harris, Scoot trotting at his heels, walked into the cabin at the dog sanctuary to be greeted by the young receptionist.

‘Hello,’ she said.

‘Thought you would be angry with me,’ said the inspector. ‘Because of me, the sale is not going ahead and you won’t get a new sanctuary.’

‘No, I’m not angry,’ said the girl. ‘It would not have felt right knowing what has been going on. Besides, there’s talk that the new directors are going to put some of their own money into this place. And they’re starting a fundraising campaign. They’ve already had a thousand pounds pledged.’

‘Make that a thousand and ten,’ said Harris. ‘No, hang it, make it fifty.’

‘Really?’

‘Least I can do,’ said Harris.

‘That’s very generous.’ The girl went to pick up the phone on the desk. ‘Are you here for Jane? I think she’s—’

‘No,’ said Harris, ‘actually I came to see you.’

‘Me?’

‘Yeah, you. I wonder, does Archie still need a new home?’

The girl beamed.

‘Do you know,’ she said. ‘I think he might well do.’

A Flicker in the Night

No Age to Die

The Vengeance Man

The Latch Man

The Long Dead

Strange Little Girl

The Dead Hill

The Railway Man