in no hurry to confront a belligerent drunk, a hysterical wife (widow?), and a woman who looked as if a good sneeze could send her into epeirogenic contractions. “When they realize the cupboard’s bare, they’ll settle down.”
“Wimp,” said Ellie.
The paramedic pushed Cressida to one side and pulled open the doors.
Everyone, including the trio from the Volvo, peered inside.
For a moment it looked as if Pascoe was right.
There was a moment of complete and blessed silence.
Then it was broken by the slamming of a car door, presumably belonging to the newly arrived vehicle invisible behind the Volvo’s dazzling headlights.
The noise cracked through the stillness like a starting gun and had much the same effect.
Cressida turned her attention from the ambulance’s emptiness to the others around her, seeming to register them for the first time. Her attention focused on the tall slim woman.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” she demanded.
“Hello, Cressida,” said the woman mildly. “I think we ought to ask someone in authority just what’s happened here, don’t you?”
“Oh, you do, do you? Well, any interest you might have had in what happens here ended ten fucking years ago. Now all you’re doing is trespassing. Get off my property before I throw you off,” snarled Cressida, taking an aggressive step towards the tall woman.
“Your property, Cress? What do you mean, your property? It’s as much mine as yours, and Kay’s here with me, so just shut up!”
This was Gaea, her voice shrill, her pretty face contorted.
“Jesus Christ, can’t you two just grow up and stop acting like a pair of sodding schoolgirls! It’s Pal, my husband, your brother, we should be worried about here, not who owns what, right?”
This was the Spider Woman. Her reproaches, far from calming things down, merely drew the fire of both the sisters, who seemed united in dislike of their sister-in-law if nothing else.
The Handsome Sailor meanwhile was heading towards the house. He looked in superb shape but Bonnick, who made such a big thing of physical fitness, ought to be able to take care of him, thought Pascoe. On the other hand once the trio of quarrelling women diverted their attention from the ambulance and each other to what lay inside the house, even the redoubtable Bonnick could be in bother.
The blond reached the doorway, the sergeant spoke to him, the young man began to push past, Bonnick tried to apply a basic armlock which the other evaded with practised ease. Realizing he was dealing with someone who’d done the same unarmed-combat courses as himself, the sergeant threw restraint to the winds and the young man to the ground, only to have his legs swept from under him. Next moment, the two were grappling on the doorstep, while the angry voices of the three women rose in volume and intensity.
Definitely time to assert his authority, thought Pascoe, taking a deep breath. At least things couldn’t get any worse.
He was of course wrong.
As he moved unhappily towards the ambulance, he heard a great voice as of a trumpet speak to him from the darkness behind the headlights.
“Evening, Chief Inspector. I’m glad to see you’ve got everything here under control.”
And out of the mist into the light stepped the bulky figure of Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel.
10 A SHARK IN THE POOL
It would be hard to describe Andy Dalziel as a soothing presence, but like a shark dumped in a swimming pool, he provided a new and unignorable focus of attention.
Reactions to his arrival were various.
Pascoe said, “What the fuck’s he doing here?”
Ellie said, “God alone knows, but I’m sure if we wait he’ll tell us.”
The wrestlers carried on wrestling.
Cressida, Spider Woman and Earth Mother regarded him with wary neutrality.
Only the tall slim woman looked pleased to see him.
“Andy, it’s so good to see you again,” she said, smiling as if she meant it.
She stepped forward to meet him,
“Wimp,” said Ellie.
The paramedic pushed Cressida to one side and pulled open the doors.
Everyone, including the trio from the Volvo, peered inside.
For a moment it looked as if Pascoe was right.
There was a moment of complete and blessed silence.
Then it was broken by the slamming of a car door, presumably belonging to the newly arrived vehicle invisible behind the Volvo’s dazzling headlights.
The noise cracked through the stillness like a starting gun and had much the same effect.
Cressida turned her attention from the ambulance’s emptiness to the others around her, seeming to register them for the first time. Her attention focused on the tall slim woman.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” she demanded.
“Hello, Cressida,” said the woman mildly. “I think we ought to ask someone in authority just what’s happened here, don’t you?”
“Oh, you do, do you? Well, any interest you might have had in what happens here ended ten fucking years ago. Now all you’re doing is trespassing. Get off my property before I throw you off,” snarled Cressida, taking an aggressive step towards the tall woman.
“Your property, Cress? What do you mean, your property? It’s as much mine as yours, and Kay’s here with me, so just shut up!”
This was Gaea, her voice shrill, her pretty face contorted.
“Jesus Christ, can’t you two just grow up and stop acting like a pair of sodding schoolgirls! It’s Pal, my husband, your brother, we should be worried about here, not who owns what, right?”
This was the Spider Woman. Her reproaches, far from calming things down, merely drew the fire of both the sisters, who seemed united in dislike of their sister-in-law if nothing else.
The Handsome Sailor meanwhile was heading towards the house. He looked in superb shape but Bonnick, who made such a big thing of physical fitness, ought to be able to take care of him, thought Pascoe. On the other hand once the trio of quarrelling women diverted their attention from the ambulance and each other to what lay inside the house, even the redoubtable Bonnick could be in bother.
The blond reached the doorway, the sergeant spoke to him, the young man began to push past, Bonnick tried to apply a basic armlock which the other evaded with practised ease. Realizing he was dealing with someone who’d done the same unarmed-combat courses as himself, the sergeant threw restraint to the winds and the young man to the ground, only to have his legs swept from under him. Next moment, the two were grappling on the doorstep, while the angry voices of the three women rose in volume and intensity.
Definitely time to assert his authority, thought Pascoe, taking a deep breath. At least things couldn’t get any worse.
He was of course wrong.
As he moved unhappily towards the ambulance, he heard a great voice as of a trumpet speak to him from the darkness behind the headlights.
“Evening, Chief Inspector. I’m glad to see you’ve got everything here under control.”
And out of the mist into the light stepped the bulky figure of Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel.
10 A SHARK IN THE POOL
It would be hard to describe Andy Dalziel as a soothing presence, but like a shark dumped in a swimming pool, he provided a new and unignorable focus of attention.
Reactions to his arrival were various.
Pascoe said, “What the fuck’s he doing here?”
Ellie said, “God alone knows, but I’m sure if we wait he’ll tell us.”
The wrestlers carried on wrestling.
Cressida, Spider Woman and Earth Mother regarded him with wary neutrality.
Only the tall slim woman looked pleased to see him.
“Andy, it’s so good to see you again,” she said, smiling as if she meant it.
She stepped forward to meet him,
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