Last Detective (37 page)

Authors: Leslie Thomas

BOOK: Last Detective

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â“But on this night, I felt so bad after drinking the rum that I did not think I could drive the van to the rendezvous. It was then that PC Vernon Yardbird offered to take over the duty for me. He had been drinking with the rest but he seemed to be all right. I let him take over and I went to the flat of a friend in the district and had a cup of coffee and a lie down. After about an hour I felt better and I walked to the cemetery gates intending to meet PC Yardbird with the van. It was not there and I walked along the High Street until I finally spotted it near the pawnbroker's shop. There was no one in it. I could see someone moving down the alleyway leading to the canal. Someone was in the verge by the allotments.

â“I called and eventually PC Yardbird came up the alley. He looked very strange, white-faced, sweating and there was blood on his cheek as though he had been scratched, and he told me he was going home because he thought he had drunk too much. I thanked him for doing me the favour and I got into the driving seat of the van. On the floor by the passenger seat I found a lipstick. I put this in my pocket but later I threw it away in case my wife found it. It is not until nowâa month laterâwhen the case of Celia Norris's disappearance had come into prominence, that I have begun to think that the lipstick and the state PC Yardbird was in that night might have had any bearing on the case. The lipstick was a type sold in Woolworth's and was of the same type that Celia Norris was said to have had. This statement is true.”'

Davies looked up at the others. âHe's signed it. James Henry Dudley, PC. August, 1951.' He held the registered envelope in his hands, as though weighing it. âAnd that is a duplicate of the statement contained in this package.' His natural pessimism asserted itself. âI hope.'

Chapter Twenty

I
t was difficult to hold a cosy gathering at the police station. Nevertheless the cleaning lady had dusted the charge room for once and had put a bunch of dried flowers on the table which, remembering Celia's flowers, Davies thought was accidentally appropriate.

Detective Sergeant Green of the Special Branch helped Mod to get Davies's wheeled chair up the front steps to the station. He had come out purposely and leaned close to Davies's ear when they had reached the top step. âWhat have you been doing to Yardbird?' he inquired quietly. âHe's bloody livid. He's supposed to make this presentation to you this morning but something's happened. I think he'd rather strangle you.'

âOh dear,' said Davies mildly. âI think I must have embarrassed him.'

âChrist, you've done more than embarrassed him. Apparently went berserk in his office half an hour ago and he said he wasn't going to make the presentation. But my boss, Bob Carter, has insisted that he does it. And Yardbird won't say why he's blowing his top.'

âI see,' said Davies. âI think I know why he's so upset, Mr Green.'

âWhat is it?'

âI'll tell you soon. Would you do me a favour?'

âWhat?'

âAfter our little ceremony is overâas soon as I give you the eyeâwould you take your boss, Detective Superintendent Carter, into the CID room. I'll come in very shortly after with Inspector Yardbird. I have something I would like to say to him in your presence.'

Green nodded silently. He was a man well accustomed to the odd twists of life. He let Mod push the wheeled chair towards the charge room when the duty sergeant, the shiny Ben, appeared like a substantial shadow and pulled him aside.

âVery quickly,' whispered Ben. âI don't know what you've been up to, Dangerous, but the old man is fucking furious. It happened first thing this morning, as soon as Yardbird came in. I gather there's been a complaint against you from somebody called Boot. Says you've been terrorizing him, beating him up, he says. Anyway he's been telling tales on you. Then old Yardbird comes down to the CID room and gets the key to your locker, which he empties all over the floor. And he went out frothing at the bloody mouth with a photograph of some young girl. I didn't see this, but PC Westerman was in there with a nosebleed. He said it was a photo of a girl.' Ben looked at Davies curiously. âYou haven't been dabbling in indecent pictures, have you, Dangerous?'

Davies smiled. âSort of,' he said.

Ben stared at him but said nothing more. He helped Mod to wheel the chair into the charge room which was full of people drinking Cyprus sherry. As he came in they all clapped and he gave a short, embarrassed wave. Then through the door came Detective Superintendent Carter and Detective Sergeant Green of the Special Branch and, stiff-faced, Inspector Yardbird.

Davies sat in his chair, feeling its wheels vibrating from his own trembling. Mod stood one side of him and Josie on the other. To his amazement Doris and Mrs Fulljames then arrived both extravagantly kissing him before retiring to a short distance, looking smug and apparently not noticing Josie or her proximity to Davies.

He knew that Mrs Fulljames was pleased because the rag-and-bone man had that day restored the brass bedstead to âBali Hi', Furtman Gardens. Davies had seen the piece in the yard when he had gone to give the horse a cabbage for saving his life. He purchased it, at a special police discount, the man alleging that he bought it from an honest-looking Persian who was in a hurry.

It was Detective Superintendent Carter who made the speech. Inspector Yardbird stood behind like a wax figure.

âThis is in the nature of a very private function,' âCarter said. âThe implications in the matter which was concluded at Bracken Farm, Uxbridge, are still going on. Mr Ramscar and others are still to go for trial, as you know. But I felt, and I know others did, that in some personal and private way we should make some presentation to Detective Constable Davies, known to you all as Dangerous Davies. Official recognition of his performance may well follow. That's not for me to say. But this is our own private show. As we can all see he has been severely injured in this affair, although I am glad to hear that he will soon be walking again. I hope that this small presentation from his colleagues will make up for some of it. I will ask his own station inspector, Inspector Yardbird, who himself has known the unique difficulties of a policeman's life in this particular district, for a good many years, to make the presentation.'

Yardbird, staring at Davies, stepped forward. Davies wheeled the chair across the floor. His hands trembled on the rim of the wheels. The Inspector, shaking more than Davies, presented a silver marmalade pot, plate and spoon. He said no word. Davies thanked them all from his wheeled chair, shook hands with Carter and then held his hand out to Yardbird. Yardbird pushed out a freezing hand. Davies held it strongly.

All around there was more applause and the Cyprus sherry began to flow. Davies was in his chair next to the stiff legs of Yardbird. As Yardbird was about to move away, Davies reached up and tentatively tugged the edge of his tunic. Yardbird looked down into a big stony smile.

âSir,' Davies said diffidently. âDo you think I might have a few words with you? In private?'

To Eric Hiscock
who encouraged me at the start

All the characters and events portrayed in this work are fictitious.

DANGEROUS DAVIES: THE LAST DETECTIVE

A Felony & Mayhem “British” mystery

PUBLISHING HISTORY

First U.K. print edition (Eyre Methuen): 1976
First U.S. print edition (Dell): 1982
Felony & Mayhem print edition: 2011
Felony & Mayhem electronic edition: 2013

E-book ISBN: 978-1-937384-81-4

You are reading a book in the Felony & Mayhem “British” category. These books are set in or around the U.K. and feature the highly literate, often witty prose that fans of British mystery demand. If you enjoy this book, you may well like other “British” titles from Felony & Mayhem Press.

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