Tainted Ground (34 page)

‘William Kadovi
ć
?'

‘A bit of an inventor, he himself bragged. He'd done it with us in mind. Yes, I spoke to Carrick, went to the nick, in fact. After apologizing all over again he told me he has a good case against them and they're tacking that charge on for good luck.' He looked around. ‘Where are the kids?'

‘They should have just come down the drive and be waiting outside for you.'

‘Can't they come in?'

‘No, because the present we've bought you is too big to go through the door.'

The present, Katie's hand on his velvet nose in the hope it would prevent him whinnying, had been secreted in one of Lydtor's hidden lanes by the excited children a few minutes previously, Matthew holding Vicky. Justin was part way up a tree with strict instructions to watch the road and report when Patrick turned into the drive. For this reason I had asked him to ring me when he left Exeter so I could roughly calculate the time of his arrival.

George was dark bay in colour and had been described as a medium-weight hunter in the advertisement but was, I had been pleased to see on inspecting him, on the light side of that and at sixteen hands was ideal for Patrick's height. With slight trepidation I had ridden him out on Dartmoor myself the previous day. The words ‘hunter' and ‘wide-open spaces' can add up to make an explosive equine handful. But George was a perfect gentleman and had cantered off steadily when asked. However, he had at the moment a very light person on the other end of his lead rope and had towed Katie over to Patrick's car where he was busily scratching his chin on the radio aerial.

‘That's George,' I said. ‘He came well recommended by knowledgeable friends.'

‘That's a very good horse,' Patrick murmured. ‘Wow.'

‘I got a pretty massive advance from the States for the screenplay,' I said. ‘Go on, we tacked him up for you.'

Mounted, he said, ‘I still don't have a job.'

‘No, but the vegetable garden needs digging, the apple trees will have to be pruned and a length of gutter has fallen off the cottage. Oh, and the woodstove chimney of the barn needs sweeping.'

‘I quite like the idea of being a kept man,' he said as he rode away, jeans, leather jacket, ordinary shoes and all.

This ambition was thwarted a few days later when a letter arrived from John Brinkley when he humbly proposed a new offer; would Lieutenant Colonel Gillard consider a position that would involve his being called upon to help the Metropolitan Police as an independent adviser on cases of ‘great sensitivity' where his expertise could be utilized to the greatest advantage?

‘He hasn't mentioned you,' Patrick commented.

‘As always,' I said. ‘Two for the price of one.'

‘Do we consider?'

‘When they've given us a few more details?'

‘That's a good idea – play for time to give us a chance to think about it.'

‘And you could go and ask George.'

Patrick went riding.

Sending rescued chickens in all directions in the drive.