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effect.”
    â€œYou’d better have a word with him then. He operates in a room round behind the workshop.”
    Mercer said thanks, and moved off. As he turned the corner he looked back. Jack Bull was standing watching him. When other pictures had faded, Mercer was to remember that particular one. The man, massive and unmoving, dressed only in a singlet and denim trousers. The army surgeon had taken the left arm off neatly at the elbow. The end of the stump was puckered and seamed.
    Most men hide their wounds, thought Mercer. But not Jack Bull.

Chapter Five
    â€œDid you get anything out of him?” asked Rye.
    â€œI got what you always get out of a dipso,” said Mercer. “I got a load of old crap. First he couldn’t remember the girl at all. Then he did remember her very vaguely. ‘Time passes so quickly, Inspector. There’ve been other girls. I couldn’t tell you their names, Inspector. That wouldn’t be right, would it?’ “
    Rye laughed, and said, “You’ll find Stoneferry is a permissive place. It’s something to do with being on the river, I expect. Romantic.”
    â€œWhat you mean is that a punt is more convenient than the back seat of a car.”
    â€œSomething in that,” said Rye. “Talking of cars, is she yours?”
    They were standing at the window of the C.I.D. room overlooking the yard.
    â€œDo you like her?”
    â€œQuite a nice-looking bus,” said Rye. “What did Jack Bull sting you?”
    â€œTwo hundred and fifty, and unlimited time to pay.”
    â€œIt’s a gift.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought.”
    â€œAll the same,” said Rye, “I wouldn’t have done it myself.”
    â€œOh. Why?”
    â€œIt makes it a bit awkward if you owe local people money.”
    â€œOddly enough,” said Mercer, “I’ve never found that to be so.” He was smiling again the smile which Rye found disconcerting. “All my life I’ve owed people things. It was usually them who found it awkward, not me. Who is Bull?”
    â€œLived here all his life. Went off to the war. Lost an arm at Arnhem. Came back. Bought the garage with his gratuity and a mortgage. Did all right. Paid off the mortgage.”
    â€œAny form?”
    â€œGood heavens, no,” said Rye. He sounded genuinely shocked. “He was on the council for ten years. Member of the Rotary. Past chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. President of the Ex-Service Organisation. You might call him the unofficial mayor of Stoneferry.”
    â€œA solid citizen.”
    â€œSolid as they come. Why? You don’t think—?”
    â€œI don’t think anything,” said Mercer. “It’s just that he seems to be on Christian name terms with an awful lot of senior policemen.”
    â€œHe’s a friendly short of chap. He let me keep my car in one of his lock-ups.”
    â€œFree?”
    â€œPractically. I think I paid him a bob a week.”
    â€œDid Sergeant Rollo have the same arrangement?”
    Rye looked up quickly. Mercer had his back to him and was staring out of the window. Rye said, “Has someone been talking to you about Sergeant Rollo?”
    â€œThe name cropped up. He ran into a bit of trouble, didn’t he?”
    â€œDick Rollo was a damn nice boy,” said Rye.
    When that seemed to be all he was going to say, Mercer swung round. He wasn’t smiling. He said, “Cough it up, Tom. I’ve got to know about it some time.”
    â€œHe had a warning that disciplinary proceedings might be taken. They sent two men down from Central to look into it. Preliminary investigation.”
    â€œWhat charge?”
    â€œAccepting payments to compound an offence.”
    â€œDid they peg him?”
    â€œThey didn’t peg him. There were no proceedings. He opted out.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œSince you’re so bloody interested, he ran a length of hosepipe