Death on Account (The Lakeland Murders) Read Online Free Page A

Gorham leant forward slightly.
    ‘You seem very keen to convince us that Ian Mann had nothing to do with Royal’s death.’
    ‘I don’t need to do that. Ian Mann had nothing to do with what happened to Royal.’
    ‘How often have you seen Ian since he was suspended?’
    ‘Not very often. I had a drink with him soon after, and it was awkward for both of us. We both saw that. So since then he’s been keeping his distance I think. But he knows that I’m totally behind him, and that won’t change.’
    ‘So you didn’t know that he was cautioned for a breach of the peace last weekend?’
    ‘No. Where?’
    ‘In Morecambe, so off our patch. But of course word soon got back.’
    Hall was astonished, but he did his best not to show it. He recognised in Mann the same self-control that he knew he possessed, and which prevented him from ever becoming really drunk. His wife said he had no spontaneity in his soul, and she was right of course. But if she’d really wanted spontaneity then why had she left him for an accountant, even if he was Certified?
    ‘Ian has been under a lot of stress, quite understandably’ said Hall cautiously, ‘so no-one can blame him for letting off a little steam now and again.’
     
    Val Gorham looked doubtful, and convincingly so this time. Hall didn’t blame her; he wasn’t convinced either.
    ‘He’s been seen with Ben Brockbank too’ she added.
    This time Hall was annoyed. That was more than unwise. Brockbank was awaiting reports after pleading guilty to a variety of charges concerning the theft of machinery and animals, and Mann should have kept his distance.
    ‘Val, you can’t seriously think that someone like Brockbank is mixed up in the killing of an organised crime informant from Liverpool? His idea of the underworld is his nearest rabbit warren. And why would Ian get mixed up in something like this anyway? It would go against absolutely everything he’s ever worked for.’
    ‘The Caffertys would have someone paid a great deal of money to carry out this killing, and a good deal more just for the information about where Royal was. The Merseyside force hasn’t stopped shouting at us yet, but I did gather from what I could understand of what they said that there was half a million in it for the person who told them where Royal was. And that’s a lot of money to give up someone like Royal.’
    ‘Ian’s not remotely interested in money.’
    ‘He might be, when he loses his job.’
    ‘If he loses his job, Val. You don’t know the man, and I do. I can tell you now that the chances of me being wrong about this are precisely zero.’
    Val Gorham looked at him shrewdly. ‘Zero, really? I’d have thought that an experienced detective like you would know better than to think that you could ever know anyone so perfectly.’
    Was that a veiled reference to his personal life? If it was Hall had no intention whatever of rising to the bait.  ‘Look, I’m sure you’ll be talking to Ian, so unless you want me for anything else I have a team briefing to go to. Unless you intend to relieve me of responsibility for this investigation, that is?’
    ‘Oh no, Andy’ said Robinson quickly, ‘there’s no question of that. But yes, we will be talking to Ian Mann, immediately after this interview in fact.’
     
     
    Hall walked slowly back to his office, trying to re-engage with the case, and not think about Ian Mann, sitting in an interview room and being treated as a suspect, and someone suspected of conspiracy to murder at that. Like most coppers Hall couldn’t remember if he’d ever believed that life was fair, but north of twenty years in the job he certainly didn’t anymore. Still, Ian deserved better than this, and even the likes of Val Gorham should acknowledge that. But he knew that wasn’t about to happen, so all he could do to help Ian in the short term was to make progress quickly, and to prove that the information about Royal’s true identity hadn’t come from Ian