Death of a Bovver Boy by Leo Bruce Page B

murdered?’
    â€˜Nowhere in particular. Why? I had nothing to do with it!’
    â€˜You are deplorably bad at answering questions. I asked you where you were that night?’
    â€˜You were at the Cattle Market, weren’t you Gil? That’s a discotheque,’ suggested the skinny one.
    â€˜That’s right,’ agreed Gil.
    â€˜Did you see anything of Dutch Carver?’
    â€˜No. I didn’t. I never saw him that day, or the day before.’
    â€˜Or the day after?’
    â€˜Course not. He was dead, wasn’t he?’
    â€˜You tell me.’
    â€˜Everyone says so, anyway. He was supposed to havebeen done on the Saturday night. And found over near Newminster on Sunday.’
    â€˜How do you think he got there?’
    â€˜I don’t know! How am I to know? I never saw him. What do you want to ask me for?’
    â€˜He doesn’t know anything about it,’ put in the friend.
    â€˜Had you got anything against Dutch Carver?’
    â€˜No. Only that he was a greaser. Not one of our crowd. I didn’t do him, if that’s what you mean.’
    â€˜Then I wonder why so many people in Hartington seem to think you did.’
    â€˜I can’t help what they think. I never touched him.’
    â€˜You have a motor-cycle?’
    â€˜Yes. So have all the other lads.’
    â€˜Was Dutch ever on your pillion?’
    â€˜No!’ Gil shouted. ‘Never! I wouldn’t take a greaser like that on my pillion. Or have anything to do with him.’
    â€˜Or cut his hair?’
    â€˜Who cut his hair? I didn’t. I didn’t know anything about that. If someone cut his hair off it wasn’t me.’
    â€˜But it might have been, Gil? I mean you or some of your friends have been known to cut off long hair from what you call the greasers, haven’t you?’
    â€˜Not me. Some of them have. Well, they’re such——ing cissies with hair half down their back. Some of the lads don’t like to see it.’ He turned on his friend. ‘Tell him about the cushion,’ he said.
    â€˜It’s only that they’re stuffing a cushion with the greasers’ hair. Like Indians with scalps. Not Gil, mind you. Some of the other lads.’
    Carolus had to be content with that information, at least for the moment.
    â€˜Now you answer me some questions,’ suggested Gil, whose courage seemed to be regained. ‘Are you the Law?’
    â€˜No. Just a private individual, but interested,’ said Carolus. ‘Why doesn’t your aunt want you to have anything to do with her little daughter?’
    â€˜Who says she doesn’t? She’s never taken any interest in young Liz herself. Leaves her to run about the streets all day. Then she tells you I have to keep away from her.’
    â€˜Why?’ persisted Carolus.
    â€˜I don’t know why. Because she’s an old bitch, I suppose. She’d sooner let that greaser take her about than what she would me. What the kid needs is her mother to look after her.’
    â€˜Your aunt seems to work very hard.’
    â€˜No more than anyone else. And she doesn’t need to. She’s got a pension from my Uncle Jack.’
    â€˜We’re getting away from the subject. You say you had nothing to do with Dutch’s death. Who do you suggest might have, then?’
    â€˜Almost anybody. No one liked him. Even his brother had no use for him. And the rest of his greaser friends—Grayne and White and all that lot. You should have heard them talk about him. They’re supposed to have said they meant to do for him one day…’
    â€˜To whom did they say that?’
    â€˜I don’t know. That’s what I heard, anyway. I wouldn’t put it past his own father for that matter. Or that bitch he’s living with.’
    â€˜What about his mother?’
    Gil grinned.
    â€˜Have you
seen
her?’ he asked. ‘But I never liked that Pakistani