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it’s more serious than that, Mr Travis,’ Paget said quietly. ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you that your son Billy was killed earlier this morning.’
    Travis sucked in his breath. ‘Killed . . .?’ he whispered. ‘How? . . . Where? . . . What happened? You
sure
it’s Billy?’
    Paget took out Billy Travis’s driving licence and handed it to his father. George Travis took it, hands shaking as he stared at it. ‘Car, was it?’ he asked numbly. ‘Where is he?’
    Choosing his words carefully, Paget began to explain what had happened, but when he mentioned the Lessington Cut, George Travis shook his head violently and said, ‘No! That’s not right. That can’t be Billy. What would he be doing out there at the Cut? You’ve got it wrong.’ He thrust the driving licence back into Paget’s hand. ‘Someone else got hold of his licence. They must have. It’s not Billy. He went to the society meeting last night, so how could he get out there?’
    â€˜I don’t know the answer to that,’ Paget told him, ‘but one of our constables has known Billy since he was a boy, and he identified him as well. I’m truly sorry, Mr Travis, but it is your son who was killed, and while I know this is the worst possible time, I need to ask you some questions.’
    George Travis started to shake. The tremors became so violent that Paget came around the counter to steady him. No sound escaped the man’s lips, but he clung to Paget for support, and his fingers dug so deeply into Paget’s shoulder that the marks were visible for days afterwards.
    They stood like that for several minutes before the shaking stopped and Travis drew a deep if shaky breath. ‘I’m all right,’ he said in a firmer voice. ‘Really, Chief Inspector, I’m all right. You said you wanted to ask me some questions, so you’d better come through to the back.’
    He rose to his feet and grasped the two canes to steady himself, then lifted one of them to point it at the shop door. ‘Better put up the closed sign and lock the door,’ he told Molly. ‘Last thing we need right now is a customer coming in.’ He twitched the curtain aside and led the way into the back room. ‘Coffee’s been on for a while now, so it might be a bit strong, but you’re welcome to some if you like. I know I need it, and the stronger the better.’ In control of himself now, there was a grim determination about the man as he led the way past the framing tables to a small room beyond.
    â€˜I went to bed about ten,’ he said as he busied himself with the coffee, ‘so I didn’t know Billy hadn’t come home until I got up this morning. I thought there must have been a change of plan, and he’d stayed over at Trudy’s after all. Trudy Mason is his girlfriend,’ he explained. ‘She lives around the corner. Gordon, her husband, is on the road a lot, and Billy stops there overnight when he’s away.’
    Paget and Molly Forsythe exchanged glances, both wondering if they had heard correctly. ‘A change of plan, Mr Travis . . .?’ said Paget.
    Travis nodded. ‘Billy told me Gordon was going to be home this weekend, so he wouldn’t be going round, but when I saw he hadn’t slept in his bed, I thought things must have changed.’
    â€˜I see,’ said Paget, although he wasn’t sure he did see. ‘How long has this arrangement been going on?’
    Travis thought. ‘Two, maybe three years now.’
    â€˜Does Trudy’s husband know about this?’
    â€˜Christ, no! And I’ve warned Billy there could be trouble if he finds out, but he doesn’t listen. He won’t be told—’ The words caught in his throat as he realized what he was saying. He sat down heavily and set his coffee aside. ‘Do you reckon it was him? Gordon? Came home and found them