Death Dues Read Online Free

there when I arrived?’
    ‘Yeah. I told you, they’re always hanging about. Got nothing better to do than catcall everyone who passes them. The parents do nothing. Glad to get them out of the house probably and have them torment someone else for a change.’
    ‘And you said they generally hang about at the end of the street?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘So they probably saw anyone who entered the alley?’
    ‘I suppose.’
    ‘You don’t seem very sure.’
    ‘Told you. I’m in shock. Besides, I don’t want it getting back to them that I mentioned them at all. They can be nasty little bastards. Especially that Jake Sterling. He must be known to your lot. He spends his life causing trouble. His brother Jason’s no better.’
    ‘I see. You can rest assured they won’t hear anything about our conversation from me.’
    ‘Don’t need to, do they? They’ve all got eyes in their spiky heads. I saw them give me a few throat-slashing gestures when I got in the car. You were talking to that other copper at the time. Don’t suppose you noticed.’
    Eric Lewis’s lack of confidence in the police was clearly deeply-entrenched. Still, Rafferty supposed, with yobs like Jake and Jason Sterling to contend with on a daily basis, the man was entitled to feel disgruntled. ‘Why would they threaten you? Do you think one or more of them might have something to do with this man’s death?’
    ‘Don’t know.’ He paused, then added. ‘I told you I didn’t know the dead bloke. How am I supposed to know if they had reason to bear him a grudge?’
    Rafferty, by now tired of skirting around the subject, attacked it head on. ‘We know the identity of the victim, Mr Lewis. I’m surprised you don’t, seeing as he collected money from this street regularly.’ Rafferty could only hope his Ma’s gossip was accurate. But the thought that it was invariably spot on encouraged him. ‘Several of the street residents must have had reason to loathe the man. He wasn’t known as “Jaws” solely because of his appearance. It’s my understanding that his disposition wasn’t of the nicest to those unable to make their loan instalments. Perhaps you were one of them?’
    ‘No. Certainly not. I—I don’t get things on credit. If I can’t pay for something I do without.’
    ‘Very commendable.’ Rafferty wished he could say the same. Though it was a novel sentiment in these days that were as loose on financial morality as they were on any other sort. The wedding quotes were still bugging him, of course. They’d end up thousands of pounds in debt if he didn’t take things in hand. But he did his best to forget his large, looming debts as he continued his interview. ‘We’ll have an officer checking with Jaws Harrison’s boss to get a list of those in the street who owed him money and were having difficulty repaying their loans. But you’ve said you won’t be on the list of debtors, so—’
    Eric Lewis spluttered incoherently for a few seconds, his spluttering interspersed with the noise of rain lashing the car windows. He rubbed his bald head, then he blurted out, ‘All right. I admit it. I did take a loan out with Forbes. Only a small one, mind. Five hundred quid and I’ve nearly finished paying it off. But then so did other people in the street and most of them were in hock for much more than me, so don’t go pointing the finger in my direction when you look for your killer. It’ll be pointed in the wrong place.’
    ‘Oh? And what direction should it be pointed?’
    But Lewis wasn’t to be drawn. He clammed up at the question. All he said was, ‘I wouldn’t know, would I? All I know is that it wasn’t me who killed him.’
    ‘OK, Mr Lewis, That’ll be all for now. But stay in the car. We’ll need a formal statement. I’ll get one of my officers to drive you to the police station so you can give it.’
    Eric Lewis looked alarmed at this. ‘Why do I have to go to the police station to give a statement? I’ve just told you