‘And Deeming laid for Lister,’ Setters said.
‘Yes,’ Gently said. ‘There was no other way. Lister was angry, he couldn’t be talked out of it, he’d have busted the racket wide open. But he was vulnerable, he was on the road, he was where Deeming could deal with him. There could be a crash that would look quite natural, and no awkward questions afterwards. It was Elton who complicated the job. He was tagging along behind Lister and Betty Turner. So he saw what happened, he knew who did it, he was in a spot from the beginning.’
‘He was a smoker,’ Setters said. ‘They could put some pressure on him.’
‘Yes,’ Gently said. ‘While he was loose. But it worked against them if he was held. It was touch and go for them when you weren’t satisfied and started making a play for Elton. If he’d been kept away from his dope he would probably have cracked and told the truth. So Elton had to disappear, and he went as soon as they could get at him. I like to think he’s still alive, but I can’t think of any reason for it.’
‘I ought to have held him,’ Setters said. ‘The murdering slobs. I gave them the chance.’
Gently shook his head. ‘You did the right thing. You weren’t certain, so you didn’t charge.’
‘It’ll be on my conscience,’ Setters said. He crammed his cigarette butt into the tray. ‘If he’s dead,’ he muttered to himself. He took his hands off the desk.
‘We’ve got the same theme recurring with Bixley,’ Gently said. ‘He’s a smoker, and we’re holding him, and there’s a danger he might crack. I don’t think he will, but the danger’s there, and Deeming could see that danger. That’s why Bixley found a knife in his hand when the ambush was pulled.’
‘It’s coming to me,’ Setters said. ‘That’s what you were driving at just now. Hallman didn’t just happen to have a knife by him which he handed to Bixley.’
‘There was no object in it,’ Gently said. ‘Hallman wouldn’t have thought of a knife. You say yourself there’s been no knife trouble in Latchford lately.’
‘Deeming wanted Bixley to buy something.’
‘Yes,’ Gently said. ‘The lot. Then we wouldn’t pay any attention to what he might tell us about Deeming and Lister. Coming after Bixley had knifed a policeman, it wouldn’t sound very convincing. The more he told it, the more we’d think he did the Lister job himself. And no Elton, no proof. We couldn’t do a thing to Dicky. Hallman’s too much concerned with his hide to admit any knowledge of the knife.’
‘And I was falling for that,’ Setters said, pressing his arms against the desk. ‘I was falling right into it. It’d have gone the way you said. All I could see was chummie Bixley with that knife in his hand. I can’t see much more now. It’s one of those things that stick.’
Gently nodded. ‘Bixley was a tool. It doesn’t excuse him, but he was one. Deeming was throwing him to the wolves, there can be no doubt about that. And we haven’t proved it yet, Deeming’s still riding high. And Bixley can’t prove it for us. He can only tell us where to look for Elton.’
‘He’s going to tell us,’ Setters said.
Gently shrugged. ‘It won’t be easy. Bixley’s tough. He’ll never accept Deeming’s treachery on our say-so.’
‘He’ll tell us,’ Setters said.
‘Also, he’s implicated,’ Gently said.
‘Sooner or later,’ Setters said, ‘he’s going to tell us but everything.’
The door was tapped, Simpson entered. Setters came up off his chair.
‘It’s all right,’ Simpson said. ‘He’s all right. They’ve fixed him up. They had to do an artery job and stitch him, I can’t remember what they called it. But he’s all right, just weak. He had a pint or more from me.’
Setters slowly sat again. ‘Thanks, Simpson,’ he said. ‘Thanks a lot. You’d better knock off. You can come in in the morning if you feel fit.’
‘I’m fine,’ Simpson said. ‘A pint of blood doesn’t worry me. And I’ve brought a message from the medics. You can talk to Betty Turner.’
‘How’s that?’ Setters said.
‘Betty Turner,’ Simpson said. ‘She’s on the mend, she came round last night. You can talk to her if you want to.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
The hospital at Latchford was the South West Northshire and it stood on a swell of rising ground to the north of the town. It had a Georgian foundation which had been added to at other periods, the last addition being a modern ward block connected to two new theatres. Betty Turner was in the modern block, which was the furthest from the car park. After entering the spacious main hall they had to trek down several corridors. A lift took them to the second floor where they were met by the ward sister. She was a determined, strong-voiced woman who read them a lecture as she led them to the room.
‘Five minutes only, and the patient is not to be worried. She is still quite weak and I will not allow her to be hectored.’
‘Does she know we’re coming?’ Gently asked.
‘Of course,’ the ward sister replied. ‘She asked to be permitted to see you. That’s why you are here.’
She took them into a small room with a large window overlooking the town. By the window stood a white-painted bed in which a girl lay propped up with pillows. She had a snub nose and a rounded chin and her head was capped with a bandage. She looked towards the door eagerly. The ward sister closed the door and stood by it.
‘Miss Turner?’ Gently said.
‘Yes,’ the girl said. ‘I’m Betty Turner.’
‘I’m Superintendent Gently,’ Gently said. ‘I’m glad to hear you’re getting better.’
‘Are you a policeman?’ Betty said.
‘Yes,’ Gently said. ‘They tell me so.’
‘I know he’s a policeman,’ Betty said. ‘But I don’t think I’ve seen you before.’
‘The super’s from the Yard,’ Setters said. ‘He knows all about the accident, Betty.’
She blushed underneath her bandage. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know.’
Gently sat on the chair near the bed, spread himself, put his hat on his knees.
‘You wanted to see us, Miss Turner,’ he said. ‘Have you remembered something else about the accident?’
She nodded, still looking doubtful. ‘Has there been much… much fuss about it?’ she asked.
‘A little fuss,’ Gently said. ‘There always fuss in these cases.’
‘I didn’t know,’ she repeated. She moved her hand under the quilt. ‘I just wanted to tell you,’ she said suddenly, ‘that it couldn’t have been Laurie who bumped into us.’
‘Laurie Elton?’ Gently asked.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It couldn’t have been Laurie. I knew there was a reason why it couldn’t be, but I haven’t been able to think. He was going too fast, that’s why.’
‘Who was going too fast?’ Gently asked.
‘The man. The one who bumped into us. He was going a lot faster than we were, and Johnnie was flat out just there.’
‘So it couldn’t have been Elton catching you up?’
‘No,’ Betty said. ‘It just couldn’t have been. Laurie’s bike is an old Ariel, it couldn’t make the ton anyway. He was behind us all the way… he wasn’t very pleased with me. We could see his lights miles away. The man who bumped us came from nowhere.’
‘How do you mean — came from nowhere?’
‘Well, we never saw him,’ Betty said. ‘You can see an awful long way there, and there was nobody behind us except Laurie. Then all of a sudden there was this other light catching us up like mad… and then… and then…’ A shiver went through her. ‘I knew,’ she said. ‘I knew he would hit us.’
The ward sister cleared her throat. Betty laid her head back on the pillows. She had a small, pretty mouth and the mouth was trembling.
‘So that’s how I know,’ she said. ‘Poor old Laurie wouldn’t have done it.’
‘Mmn,’ Gently said. ‘That takes care of that point, Miss Turner.’