with almost no neck. His torso, thick and solid, without a single curve, erupted into bulging shoulders with trapezius muscles that almost reached the line of his jaw. He was wearing blue overalls, with a wide leather belt strapped round his waist.
‘ Oh, it's you,' he said gruffly. 'It never rains but it pours round here, does it? What do you want?'
‘ Well, it might have been a friendly social call,' said Owen .
Leach snorted. 'Oh aye. Did you come past the shippon?'
‘ We did.'
‘ I suppose you saw those lads of mine. Are they still messing with that bloody animal?'
‘ They look as though they're doing a grand job with her, Warren. She's in fine condition.'
‘ Oh aye. Fine. And so she should be. The animal gets spoiled rotten. She's fed better than any of us. ’
The farmer was fiddling with a steel coupling pin from a trailer's towing bracket. The pin trailed a short length of chain, which he swung irritably between his fingers.
‘ What's up now then, Ranger?'
‘ Warren, the police need to get access for their vehicles up through here for a while.'
‘ Oh?'
‘ On account of the woman killed up there. You know about that. ’
Leach shrugged. 'It's no business of mine.'
‘ It's your land, Warren,' said Fox patiently.
‘ Is it part of the access agreement then? Some tourist gets herself done in and I have to put up with this lot roaring backwards and forwards over my land like maniacs?' Leach jabbed a finger in Cooper's direction, effortlessly identifying him as what he was. 'Well, it must have been in the small print, Ranger, because I missed it.'
‘ Can you leave that top gate open for the police vehicles to get on to the moor, please?'
‘ Leave it open? Why? They can open and close a gate like anyone else, can't they? Or have coppers lost the use of their hands as well as their feet these days?'
‘ It doesn't do to make the police think you're being obstructive,' said Owen.
‘ They can think what the hell they like. ’
Cooper stayed silent, ignoring the aggressive glare. He was well used to it from the yobbos of Edendale. The only surprise was to see it in a middle-aged Dales farmer. But it was best to let Owen Fox deal with it — it was a chance for him to use his Ranger diplomacy.
‘ I suppose I might just have a word with Yvonne then, before I go,' said Owen.
‘ What for? She's got nothing to say to you. ’
‘ Just being polite. ’
Leach grunted, and the chain tightened in his thick hands until the steel links squealed against each other.
‘ It'll mean I'll have to move the cows down to the next field,' he said.
‘ Well, that's no problem, is it?'
‘ No problem? The grass is nearly finished in there. My milk yields'll be gone to hell. They're down already with all this disturbance.'
‘ It'll only be for a day or two, Warren.'
‘ Would there be compensation, maybe? The police have got money. My money, from the Council Tax. ’
‘ I can't imagine so. Think of it as a public service.' Owen looked at Cooper, but Cooper just smiled. 'Balls to that,' said Leach.
‘ Come on, Warren. ’
Leach tossed the coupling pin into his other hand, slapping it against his palm. On a plastic drum, he had a square leather-bound case with steel clasps. Cooper wondered what it was. Somehow it didn't look like a piece of farming equipment, more the sort of thing a doctor might carry his kit in for testing a patient's blood pressure.
‘ Only for a day or two, and that's it,' said Leach. 'Tell your police friends they'll have to get a move on. Let 'em work the same hours that I have to work to keep this farm going, instead of knocking off for tea every five minutes. I've seen it going on. I'm not stupid.'
‘ Thank you, sir,' said Cooper politely. But the farmer only glowered. 'When would be convenient for an offi cer to come and talk to you?'
‘ What?'
‘ We need to take a statement from you. You're well positioned here to be a witness.'
‘ A witness to what? I went through
‘ Oh, it's you,' he said gruffly. 'It never rains but it pours round here, does it? What do you want?'
‘ Well, it might have been a friendly social call,' said Owen .
Leach snorted. 'Oh aye. Did you come past the shippon?'
‘ We did.'
‘ I suppose you saw those lads of mine. Are they still messing with that bloody animal?'
‘ They look as though they're doing a grand job with her, Warren. She's in fine condition.'
‘ Oh aye. Fine. And so she should be. The animal gets spoiled rotten. She's fed better than any of us. ’
The farmer was fiddling with a steel coupling pin from a trailer's towing bracket. The pin trailed a short length of chain, which he swung irritably between his fingers.
‘ What's up now then, Ranger?'
‘ Warren, the police need to get access for their vehicles up through here for a while.'
‘ Oh?'
‘ On account of the woman killed up there. You know about that. ’
Leach shrugged. 'It's no business of mine.'
‘ It's your land, Warren,' said Fox patiently.
‘ Is it part of the access agreement then? Some tourist gets herself done in and I have to put up with this lot roaring backwards and forwards over my land like maniacs?' Leach jabbed a finger in Cooper's direction, effortlessly identifying him as what he was. 'Well, it must have been in the small print, Ranger, because I missed it.'
‘ Can you leave that top gate open for the police vehicles to get on to the moor, please?'
‘ Leave it open? Why? They can open and close a gate like anyone else, can't they? Or have coppers lost the use of their hands as well as their feet these days?'
‘ It doesn't do to make the police think you're being obstructive,' said Owen.
‘ They can think what the hell they like. ’
Cooper stayed silent, ignoring the aggressive glare. He was well used to it from the yobbos of Edendale. The only surprise was to see it in a middle-aged Dales farmer. But it was best to let Owen Fox deal with it — it was a chance for him to use his Ranger diplomacy.
‘ I suppose I might just have a word with Yvonne then, before I go,' said Owen.
‘ What for? She's got nothing to say to you. ’
‘ Just being polite. ’
Leach grunted, and the chain tightened in his thick hands until the steel links squealed against each other.
‘ It'll mean I'll have to move the cows down to the next field,' he said.
‘ Well, that's no problem, is it?'
‘ No problem? The grass is nearly finished in there. My milk yields'll be gone to hell. They're down already with all this disturbance.'
‘ It'll only be for a day or two, Warren.'
‘ Would there be compensation, maybe? The police have got money. My money, from the Council Tax. ’
‘ I can't imagine so. Think of it as a public service.' Owen looked at Cooper, but Cooper just smiled. 'Balls to that,' said Leach.
‘ Come on, Warren. ’
Leach tossed the coupling pin into his other hand, slapping it against his palm. On a plastic drum, he had a square leather-bound case with steel clasps. Cooper wondered what it was. Somehow it didn't look like a piece of farming equipment, more the sort of thing a doctor might carry his kit in for testing a patient's blood pressure.
‘ Only for a day or two, and that's it,' said Leach. 'Tell your police friends they'll have to get a move on. Let 'em work the same hours that I have to work to keep this farm going, instead of knocking off for tea every five minutes. I've seen it going on. I'm not stupid.'
‘ Thank you, sir,' said Cooper politely. But the farmer only glowered. 'When would be convenient for an offi cer to come and talk to you?'
‘ What?'
‘ We need to take a statement from you. You're well positioned here to be a witness.'
‘ A witness to what? I went through
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