it looked like a mine on a strap. The identifying small mole on the cheekbone was there, along with a fine black eye. Judging by its state nearly three days on, he mustn’t have been able to open it at all on Tuesday.
He reached the foot of the stairs and stopped, looking at Slider and Atherton, trying to be the hard man, though it’s not easy for a man to appear cool when he’s obviously recently lost a fight. Carol Ann plainly felt the same. She stepped aside to give them a clear view, and said in that withering tone women reserve – Slider never understood why – for men they were sure of: ‘Look at him. Didn’t want anyone to see him with a shiner. I ask you!’
‘I think it’s a little more serious than that,’ Slider said. ‘Isn’t it, Eddie?’
Eddie’s eyes flitted about, and he licked his lips. ‘I haven’t,’ he said faintly, ‘done nothing.’
‘Where were you on Monday night, Eddie? After you had the fight with Lenny, I mean?’
‘He was here,’ Carol Ann said quickly, before he could answer. ‘He came round here, and he’s been here ever since.’
‘Yes, I thought that might be the case,’ Slider said. ‘It’s the bit in between we’re interested in, though.’
Atherton took it up. ‘Between the fight and coming here. The bit where Lenny got stabbed to death. The Lenny you’d just had a fight with, I mean – just to make that quite clear.’
‘I never,’ Eddie said. ‘I never. It wasn’t me.’ He still tried to strike the defiant pose but his eyes – or eye, to be more precise – was conscious and afraid.
‘Why don’t you come down to the station with us and tell us all about it?’ Slider said.
Eddie pulled himself together. ‘Are you arresting me?’
‘Well, I could if you like, but don’t you think it would be nicer if we did it on a friendly basis?’
‘You got nothing on me,’ he said.
‘Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, have you?’ As Eddie still did not move, Slider added, ‘You broke the terms of your suspended. I can nick you for that, if you like, if it’ll make you feel happy.’
Eddie swallowed. ‘No,’ he said. All right, I’ll go and get my shoes on.’
As he started up the stairs, Slider looked at Atherton and flicked his head, and Atherton went up after him. Turning, Slider found Carol Ann’s eyes burning him. ‘Just a precaution, in case he tries anything silly,’ he explained.
‘He’s daft enough for that,’ she said bitterly. ‘Look, he never killed Lenny. He’s not the sort. If you knew him, you’d know he’s not got the balls to kill anyone.’
‘I would like you to come down to the station as well and make a statement,’ Slider said.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m not getting mixed up.’
‘I’m afraid you already are. Come on, love. Better get it over with.’
‘I told you,’ she said, working herself up and losing her refinement in the process, ‘I’m not going down
no
station to make
no
statement, so you can stick that where the sun don’t shine!’
‘Don’t make it hard for yourself,’ Slider advised.
‘If you want me down that station, you’re gonna have to arrest me,’ she said with supreme confidence.
He looked across her shoulder into the sitting room. ‘That’s a nice video you’ve got there,’ he said. ‘New, isn’t it? Have you got the receipt?’
‘No, it was a—’ The next word forming was ‘present’, but before it reached the air understanding came to her. A strong emotion crossed Miss Shotter’s face; her nostrils flared and her lips tucked themselves down tightly. A child within range of anexpression like that would have known it was likely to be followed by a wallop. ‘Oh, my good Gawd,’ she said in soft fury. ‘The stupid bastard!’ She met Slider’s not unsympathetic eye and it burst from her. ‘I said he was daft: he’s a bloody dipstick!’
Slider was inclined to agree with her.
Eddie Cranston was sweating freely, and the interview room was
He reached the foot of the stairs and stopped, looking at Slider and Atherton, trying to be the hard man, though it’s not easy for a man to appear cool when he’s obviously recently lost a fight. Carol Ann plainly felt the same. She stepped aside to give them a clear view, and said in that withering tone women reserve – Slider never understood why – for men they were sure of: ‘Look at him. Didn’t want anyone to see him with a shiner. I ask you!’
‘I think it’s a little more serious than that,’ Slider said. ‘Isn’t it, Eddie?’
Eddie’s eyes flitted about, and he licked his lips. ‘I haven’t,’ he said faintly, ‘done nothing.’
‘Where were you on Monday night, Eddie? After you had the fight with Lenny, I mean?’
‘He was here,’ Carol Ann said quickly, before he could answer. ‘He came round here, and he’s been here ever since.’
‘Yes, I thought that might be the case,’ Slider said. ‘It’s the bit in between we’re interested in, though.’
Atherton took it up. ‘Between the fight and coming here. The bit where Lenny got stabbed to death. The Lenny you’d just had a fight with, I mean – just to make that quite clear.’
‘I never,’ Eddie said. ‘I never. It wasn’t me.’ He still tried to strike the defiant pose but his eyes – or eye, to be more precise – was conscious and afraid.
‘Why don’t you come down to the station with us and tell us all about it?’ Slider said.
Eddie pulled himself together. ‘Are you arresting me?’
‘Well, I could if you like, but don’t you think it would be nicer if we did it on a friendly basis?’
‘You got nothing on me,’ he said.
‘Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, have you?’ As Eddie still did not move, Slider added, ‘You broke the terms of your suspended. I can nick you for that, if you like, if it’ll make you feel happy.’
Eddie swallowed. ‘No,’ he said. All right, I’ll go and get my shoes on.’
As he started up the stairs, Slider looked at Atherton and flicked his head, and Atherton went up after him. Turning, Slider found Carol Ann’s eyes burning him. ‘Just a precaution, in case he tries anything silly,’ he explained.
‘He’s daft enough for that,’ she said bitterly. ‘Look, he never killed Lenny. He’s not the sort. If you knew him, you’d know he’s not got the balls to kill anyone.’
‘I would like you to come down to the station as well and make a statement,’ Slider said.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m not getting mixed up.’
‘I’m afraid you already are. Come on, love. Better get it over with.’
‘I told you,’ she said, working herself up and losing her refinement in the process, ‘I’m not going down
no
station to make
no
statement, so you can stick that where the sun don’t shine!’
‘Don’t make it hard for yourself,’ Slider advised.
‘If you want me down that station, you’re gonna have to arrest me,’ she said with supreme confidence.
He looked across her shoulder into the sitting room. ‘That’s a nice video you’ve got there,’ he said. ‘New, isn’t it? Have you got the receipt?’
‘No, it was a—’ The next word forming was ‘present’, but before it reached the air understanding came to her. A strong emotion crossed Miss Shotter’s face; her nostrils flared and her lips tucked themselves down tightly. A child within range of anexpression like that would have known it was likely to be followed by a wallop. ‘Oh, my good Gawd,’ she said in soft fury. ‘The stupid bastard!’ She met Slider’s not unsympathetic eye and it burst from her. ‘I said he was daft: he’s a bloody dipstick!’
Slider was inclined to agree with her.
Eddie Cranston was sweating freely, and the interview room was
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