Deadlock Read Online Free Page A

hardly coherent.
    'What the hell are you doing?'
    'Now, Ned, what have we here?'
    Round the end of the bell-tower a tall figure had appeared. Tweed swung the torch beam full on the newcomer. He had a hawk-like nose and a pince-nez was perched on its bridge. The eyes had an odd opaque look in the glare of the torch, were unblinking. He wore a wide-brimmed black hat, a long black overcoat. For a moment, before he doused the torch, Tweed thought he was a priest.
    'I am Dr Portch. I heard the bell. Then Eric ran past me in a panic. Has he had another epileptic fit? And perhaps you would introduce me to the stranger, Ned?'
    A soft, almost hypnotic tone of voice. Years of practising the bedside manner, Tweed assumed as Grimes replied.
    'Mr . . . Now I never was one for remembering names . . .'
    'Sneed,' said Tweed.
    'That's it. This is Mr Sneed, Doctor. He has two SOS men who come lookin' for 'im.'
    'SOS?'
    'He means SAS,' Tweed interjected. 'We share a common interest in bird-watching. I took the wrong turning -I was heading for Cockley Cley. I'm glad I had a chance to look at your ancient church. Most unusual in this part of the world.'
    'And you are also interested in headstones, Mr Sneed?'
    Tweed was trying to place the strange doctor's accent. He detected an undertone of Norfolk burr but it was overlaid with a quite different regional accent. The brown eyes behind the pince-nez stared coldly at Tweed, as though struggling to come to some decision.
    'I was curious to see that six people died in the same month,' Tweed replied. 'A heavy toll for one tiny village.'
    'Meningitis. Unfortunately I was away for a few days when the outbreak started. Then it was too late. A major tragedy. It started with Simple Eric - the only one to survive. A weak head but a strong body. So often the case in this world, Mr Sneed. Is that your Mercedes outside The Bluebell?'
    'Yes.' Tweed switched on the torch, swung the beam full on to the ancient mausoleum. That must go back a few years.'
    'Ah! Sir John Leinster's final resting place. The last of his line, sadly. He died forty years ago. Now, Mr Sneed, I expect you'll be wanting to continue your journey. Ned, perhaps you'd be good enough to escort our visitor safely back to his car. Breckland, Mr Sneed, is a very lonely and dangerous place. So easy to get lost in the forest where feral cats roam.' Portch was almost purring like one of the wild cats he'd mentioned. He asked the question as Tweed was turning away.
    'Your two friends. If they turn up do we tell them you have proceeded to Cockley Cley?'
    'Yes, please. They're travelling in a large blue Peugeot,' Tweed said, keeping up the fiction.
    He almost tripped in a deep gulley. He kept walking, glancing down. Two deep wide ruts were embedded in the grass. At some time a heavy vehicle had been brought into the church yard. He opened the left-hand side of the double grille gate and walked briskly back towards his car, followed by Grimes who hurried to catch him up.
    They were passing a giant fir overhanging the road when Tweed glanced to his right. Almost concealed in the undergrowth below the fir was a red snout. The front end of a Porsche.

    'I'll be leavin' you here,' Grimes said. 'There's your nice car waitin' outside Bluebell . . .'
    He pushed open the garden gate of a cottage, hurried along the path. Tweed heard the slam of the front door and was on his own in the night. He recrossed the footbridge, walking at his normal pace, gripping the torch firmly.
    He had the key in his hand when he reached the Mercedes, pushed it in the lock and turned it. Somewhere behind him a thud of running feet came closer. He slid behind the wheel, slipped the key into the ignition, started the engine, turned on the headlights, pressed down the lever which locked all the doors.
    In the wing mirror he saw Simple Eric rushing towards the car. Grimes, close behind, grabbed the lad and began wielding a large strap, beating him about the body. Tweed put the gear into