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.‘But it raised some questions.’‘Then you should ask the man you arrested,’ Cromwell said irritably.‘Unfortunately, sir, he’s died.’Shock paled the councillor’s face, then a flicker of relief that quickly vanished.‘That’s unfortunate.’‘I agree, sir, it is.’ He took a breath.‘I hear you’re having financial troubles, sir.’‘You seem to hear a great deal, Inspector.’ Cromwell’s voice was cold.‘It’s my job, sir.Hearing things and making connections.’‘And what do you want with me?’‘It seems to me that it would have looked good for the gas committee if the blackleg had been knifed by a striker.It might have turned public opinion.’‘What are you trying to insinuate, Inspector?’‘Nothing, sir.It’s just an observation.But I’m sure you’ll admit that a man with a great deal to lose might have wanted that solution more than anything.’ He stopped and sat back in the chair.‘Are you accusing me?’‘No, sir.Of course not.’‘That’s just as well.If you implied I had anything to do with a man’s death I’d make sure you were straight off the force.’ His eyes were furious, but there was a sheen of perspiration on his face.‘Is it true, sir? That you’re having financial troubles.’‘It’s none of your business.’ He stood, looking down on the policeman.‘I take it we’ve finished, Inspector.I’ll be having a word with the chief constable.I’m sure he’ll be talking to you.’ He tried to make his words threatening, but he couldn’t put much weight behind them.The door closed loudly as he left.Tomorrow, Harper thought.Cromwell knew something.In the morning he’d press the man and discover what it was.But now he needed to turn his attention to the dead boxer.He’d seen the man.He’d been awake and aware, recovering; he clearly remembered the bobby at the bedside say he had orders to take the man to the cells later.Something was very wrong.He had to find out the truth before morning.If the death really related to the beating, he wouldn’t be able to save Billy.The sergeant would be in the dock for murder, and he’d hang.Harper himself would be bounced off the force and probably end up in jail.But he couldn’t believe that.He daren’t believe it.The doctor at the Infirmary had already left for the evening and the body had been taken over to Hunslet for the police surgeon to examine.Finally, Harper found a nurse who’d been on duty.She was harried, coming to the close of a twelve-hour shift.She looked to be in her forties, strands of grey hair peeking from her cap and splatters of blood across the white apron.‘I thought he was improving,’ he said.She looked around cautiously before answering.‘He were, love.We were going to discharge him in t’ morning.The doctor said so himself.’‘What happened?’ he asked.‘That bobby needed the privy.He asked us to keep an eye on the man while he was gone.’ She paused and he guessed what she was going to say next.‘We were busy.Mr Johnson down on the wards had one of his fits and it teks three of us to hold him down.’ She looked up at him apologetically.‘By the time your constable come back the man was dead.’‘Any idea what killed him?’‘It’s not my place to say, love.I’m not a doctor.’But she probably knew.He waited.‘It looked reet enough like poison to me,’ she said quietly after a short while.‘But I didn’t say that.’The surgeon would discover it soon enough.Christ, he’d better.‘What about the doctor?’‘He just signed the death certificate.’ She sighed loudly.‘There’s someone else in the bed now.There’s never enough room for patients in this place.’‘And never enough nurses?’‘Nay, love.’ She gave him an exhausted smile.‘That, too.’He took a hackney from the Infirmary over to Hunslet, willing the vehicle onward through the heavy flow of traffic along Briggate and over Leeds Bridge.Carts piled high with goods trundled along, horses’ heads low in their traces.A carriage slipped in and out between them.The springs were poor in the cab and the rattlejack and bouncing along the road vibrated dully through his ankle.By the time they arrived at Hunslet Lane climbing down was painful; it took a few yards to shake off the worst of it.The B Division building was less than ten years old; some red brick still showed through the soot.Inside, though, it smelt like every other police station in Leeds, the mingling aroma of unwashed bodies, fear, vomit and urine that seemed to have seeped into the walls.He made his way down the steps to the cellar, every bad thing he could imagine roaring through his head as he passed through an unmarked door away from the holding cells.It was quiet here, cool after the heat of the day.With no gas, candles provided the light, offering deep shadows and mystery.This was the Kingdom.That was what everyone called it, although few on the force ever visited it, and Dr King ruled it absolutely.He was the police surgeon and had been for the last thirty years.He turned at the footsteps, waving a saw menacingly.Harper took a step back.‘Come to see the new one, Inspector?’ He waved the saw at the table, his loud voice booming in the room.King was a man who relished his work, uncovering details and surprises, happier among the dead than the living.He was seventy if he was a day, but still stood erect.His hair had gone, leaving only a few wild, wispy grey strands over the ears, but the eyes still twinkled intelligently, and he had the longest, most graceful fingers Harper had ever seen, hardly a sign of age on them.‘The one from the Infirmary?’‘That’s him.’ A thin sheet covered the body.‘Do you know what killed him yet?’ he asked urgently.‘Of course.’ King dismissed the question.‘Obvious as soon as I took a look at him.’‘Poison?’ Harper asked hopefully.‘Cyanide.He’d have died very quickly.’He let out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding.Thank God.They were safe.Neither of them would face charges.Billy hadn’t been responsible.But who had killed the boxer? Had his friend stayed in Leeds, staying out of sight and biding his time? Or had there been someone else? And why? What scared them so much that they needed the man dead? Did they believe he might break his silence? He shook his head.Wherever he turned in this tale there were no answers.‘What else can you tell me about the body?’ he asked after a moment.‘He’d taken a heavy beating, but I’m sure you know that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.‘But it raised some questions.’‘Then you should ask the man you arrested,’ Cromwell said irritably.‘Unfortunately, sir, he’s died.’Shock paled the councillor’s face, then a flicker of relief that quickly vanished.‘That’s unfortunate.’‘I agree, sir, it is.’ He took a breath.‘I hear you’re having financial troubles, sir.’‘You seem to hear a great deal, Inspector.’ Cromwell’s voice was cold.‘It’s my job, sir.Hearing things and making connections.’‘And what do you want with me?’‘It seems to me that it would have looked good for the gas committee if the blackleg had been knifed by a striker.It might have turned public opinion.’‘What are you trying to insinuate, Inspector?’‘Nothing, sir.It’s just an observation.But I’m sure you’ll admit that a man with a great deal to lose might have wanted that solution more than anything.’ He stopped and sat back in the chair.‘Are you accusing me?’‘No, sir.Of course not.’‘That’s just as well.If you implied I had anything to do with a man’s death I’d make sure you were straight off the force.’ His eyes were furious, but there was a sheen of perspiration on his face.‘Is it true, sir? That you’re having financial troubles.’‘It’s none of your business.’ He stood, looking down on the policeman.‘I take it we’ve finished, Inspector.I’ll be having a word with the chief constable.I’m sure he’ll be talking to you.’ He tried to make his words threatening, but he couldn’t put much weight behind them.The door closed loudly as he left.Tomorrow, Harper thought.Cromwell knew something.In the morning he’d press the man and discover what it was.But now he needed to turn his attention to the dead boxer.He’d seen the man.He’d been awake and aware, recovering; he clearly remembered the bobby at the bedside say he had orders to take the man to the cells later.Something was very wrong.He had to find out the truth before morning.If the death really related to the beating, he wouldn’t be able to save Billy.The sergeant would be in the dock for murder, and he’d hang.Harper himself would be bounced off the force and probably end up in jail.But he couldn’t believe that.He daren’t believe it.The doctor at the Infirmary had already left for the evening and the body had been taken over to Hunslet for the police surgeon to examine.Finally, Harper found a nurse who’d been on duty.She was harried, coming to the close of a twelve-hour shift.She looked to be in her forties, strands of grey hair peeking from her cap and splatters of blood across the white apron.‘I thought he was improving,’ he said.She looked around cautiously before answering.‘He were, love.We were going to discharge him in t’ morning.The doctor said so himself.’‘What happened?’ he asked.‘That bobby needed the privy.He asked us to keep an eye on the man while he was gone.’ She paused and he guessed what she was going to say next.‘We were busy.Mr Johnson down on the wards had one of his fits and it teks three of us to hold him down.’ She looked up at him apologetically.‘By the time your constable come back the man was dead.’‘Any idea what killed him?’‘It’s not my place to say, love.I’m not a doctor.’But she probably knew.He waited.‘It looked reet enough like poison to me,’ she said quietly after a short while.‘But I didn’t say that.’The surgeon would discover it soon enough.Christ, he’d better.‘What about the doctor?’‘He just signed the death certificate.’ She sighed loudly.‘There’s someone else in the bed now.There’s never enough room for patients in this place.’‘And never enough nurses?’‘Nay, love.’ She gave him an exhausted smile.‘That, too.’He took a hackney from the Infirmary over to Hunslet, willing the vehicle onward through the heavy flow of traffic along Briggate and over Leeds Bridge.Carts piled high with goods trundled along, horses’ heads low in their traces.A carriage slipped in and out between them.The springs were poor in the cab and the rattlejack and bouncing along the road vibrated dully through his ankle.By the time they arrived at Hunslet Lane climbing down was painful; it took a few yards to shake off the worst of it.The B Division building was less than ten years old; some red brick still showed through the soot.Inside, though, it smelt like every other police station in Leeds, the mingling aroma of unwashed bodies, fear, vomit and urine that seemed to have seeped into the walls.He made his way down the steps to the cellar, every bad thing he could imagine roaring through his head as he passed through an unmarked door away from the holding cells.It was quiet here, cool after the heat of the day.With no gas, candles provided the light, offering deep shadows and mystery.This was the Kingdom.That was what everyone called it, although few on the force ever visited it, and Dr King ruled it absolutely.He was the police surgeon and had been for the last thirty years.He turned at the footsteps, waving a saw menacingly.Harper took a step back.‘Come to see the new one, Inspector?’ He waved the saw at the table, his loud voice booming in the room.King was a man who relished his work, uncovering details and surprises, happier among the dead than the living.He was seventy if he was a day, but still stood erect.His hair had gone, leaving only a few wild, wispy grey strands over the ears, but the eyes still twinkled intelligently, and he had the longest, most graceful fingers Harper had ever seen, hardly a sign of age on them.‘The one from the Infirmary?’‘That’s him.’ A thin sheet covered the body.‘Do you know what killed him yet?’ he asked urgently.‘Of course.’ King dismissed the question.‘Obvious as soon as I took a look at him.’‘Poison?’ Harper asked hopefully.‘Cyanide.He’d have died very quickly.’He let out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding.Thank God.They were safe.Neither of them would face charges.Billy hadn’t been responsible.But who had killed the boxer? Had his friend stayed in Leeds, staying out of sight and biding his time? Or had there been someone else? And why? What scared them so much that they needed the man dead? Did they believe he might break his silence? He shook his head.Wherever he turned in this tale there were no answers.‘What else can you tell me about the body?’ he asked after a moment.‘He’d taken a heavy beating, but I’m sure you know that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]