Read Online French Leave by Elizabeth Darrell - Free Book Online Page B

sergeant a scathing opinion of the missing man. Even by platoon sergeants’ standards it was excessive. I want to know what Smith had done to prompt such violent reactions in you. I want to know why you were so certain, even on first discovering Smith’s absence, that he had gone AWOL.’ He glanced at the report again. ‘When Sergeant Piercey asked what you meant by stating that men of the West Wilts sorted out their problems without help, you replied, “That’s for you fancy-boy plods to find out”.’
    Tom stared him straight in the eyes. ‘This fancy-boy plod is going to find out before you leave this room. You can be here for an hour or an entire day. We have facilities for an overnight stay too, so it’s entirely up to you.’
    Miller moved uneasily in his chair. ‘Look, he came to my house unannounced, asking questions. My wife was upset; the kids thought I’d done something bad. It riled me.’
    â€˜The way Private Smith did?’
    â€˜I didn’t say that.’
    Tom glanced again at the report. ‘You called him a spineless little worm, a sneaky, snivelling little creep, a waste of space, rotten to the core, a turd and an arse-licker. I’d say he riled you in the extreme.’
    Knowing he was backed into a corner, Miller said, ‘You’ve met ’em, sir. Know from the start they’re going to be bloody useless. Smith never fitted in, became one of the team. OK, so there’s some who keep themselves to themselves off-duty. Reading or doing crosswords; listening to music. We’ve one who even listens to people reading books. But they’re still part of the platoon; have one or two mates.’
    â€˜Go on.’
    â€˜Smith was the opposite. Off-duty he tried to latch on to groups, butted in where he wasn’t wanted, and made himself a bloody nuisance. Couldn’t do anything on his own; always trying to muscle in on what was going down. Even tried to buy a place with some of them,’ he added in disgust. ‘Yet, when they all acted as a platoon, Smith wasn’t bloody having any of it. Made sure the rest did the donkey work. Crafty sod always hung back, fiddling with his sack or rifle. I saw it time and time again. He’d be useless in a war situation.’ He faced Tom defiantly. ‘The West Wilts are better off without him, sir, take my word.’
    â€˜So did you make certain of that by killing him during that assault?’
    Miller visibly relaxed. ‘No chance. I was with the Warrior the whole time. Any case, he wasn’t worth risking a murder charge. He did a runner. It’s obvious.’
    Tom changed direction. ‘Lieutenant Farley said he’d had a word with you about Smith’s isolation from the rest of the platoon, and you’d promised to do something about it. Did you?’
    â€˜Like I said, there wasn’t anything anyone could do. Smith was a bad ’un through and through.’ He drew in breath and exhaled gustily. ‘Lieutenant Farley’s new to the regiment. He hasn’t had any experience of squaddies yet. Doesn’t understand them.’
    â€˜But you do, Sergeant, and I deplore your lack of command in letting the situation reach such a dangerous stage. You should have negotiated Smith’s transfer to another platoon. Better still, to another company. I suspect your overt hatred of him encouraged the men to treat him likewise.’
    Tom allowed a silence to extend long enough to make Miller uneasy once more. ‘Yes, some men are so inefficient, such obvious misfits, so completely averse to team activity as soldiers, it makes you wonder how they ever passed their basic training. Why they would have enlisted. What do you do about it? You do your utmost to help turn them into useful members of your platoon and, when that doesn’t work, you move them on in the hope that they’ll settle down elsewhere. You do not hang on to them harbouring