‘Dear God.’ Sullivan stopped in her tracks.
‘The police dismissed his version out of hand. So, Gregson’s father hung himself, not to protect his son, but to avoid the shaming and disgrace of the murder himself.’
‘Why didn’t you tell him when you had the chance?’ Sullivan asked.
‘Gregson had a knife at your throat, if you remember? I thought it best not to aggravate him further. The truth for him, you see, may well have been more horrific than the fantasy.’
Sullivan took a moment for this to sink in. Broderick thought it time to change the subject.
‘So, at the end of your first couple of weeks on The Rock, do you have any observations, assistance or advice you’d care to give me?’
‘Come to think of it, one of each, sir. I observe that your collar is twisted at the back, so I’ll assist you by straightening it out.’ she said, smiling as she did so. ‘And my advice would be to go home and pour yourself a large scotch.’
‘And to think you came all the way from London just to tell me that. Almost a waste of valuable police resources’
‘Oh, that’s just for starters, sir. I can waste a lot more than that.’
Broderick smiled as he moved off across the lawn to his parked Mercedes. Sullivan watched him go. Without looking back, Broderick called to her.
‘You need a lift, Detective Sergeant?’
‘Yes,please, guv’ a surprised Sullivan answered.
‘Well get a bloody move on, then!’
Sullivan smiled to herself and looked up at The Rock towering high above her. It had been there for a million years and more, but tonight, as she headed across the lawn of The Captain’s House to Broderick’s waiting car, that simple fact gave her an unexpected and much needed sense of comfort.
Robert Daws
As an actor, Robert has appeared in leading roles in a number of award winning and long running British television series, including Jeeves and Wooster, Casualty, The House of Eliot, Outside Edge, Roger,Roger, Rock and Chips and The Royal.
For the stage his recent work includes the national tours of Michael Frayn’s Alarms and Excursions and David Harrower’s Blackbird. In the West End he has recently appeared as Dr John Watson in The Secret of Sherlock Holmes. Geoffrey Hammond in Public Property and Jim Hacker in Yes Prime Minister.
His many BBC radio performances include Arthur Lowe in Dear Arthur, Love John and Trueman and Riley, the returning police detective series he co-created with its writer Brian B Thompson.
As a writer, Robert is currently working on a second Sullivan and Broderick mystery as well as a number of projects for theatre and television.