Read Online Good Morning, Midnight by Reginald Hill - Free Book Online
Authors: Reginald Hill
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holding out her hand.
“You too, Kay,” said Dalziel, taking the hand. “Though mebbe not here.”
“On the contrary,” said the woman, who had a soft unobtrusive American accent. “Here is perfect. We need to know what’s going on, and I’m sure if anyone can tell us, you can.”
“I’d best find out then,” he said, releasing the hand, which he’d been holding in a kissing rather than a shaking grip. “Ladies, if you’d just be patient a bit longer…”
Cressida looked as if she might be about to assert that in her view patience was for monuments but subsided as his gaze locked with hers for a second before passing on to the ambulance crew.
“Detective Superintendent Dalziel,” he said. “What’s going off, lads?”
“Nothing for us here.” The driver glanced towards the women and lowered his voice. “Just body removal, and your lot don’t know when that will be authorized.”
“So you thought you’d shog off home?”
“No! We got an all-units call. Big pile-up in fog on the bypass.”
“Oh aye? Then what are you still skiving round here for?” demanded Dalziel.
Indignation at the injustice of this rose in the ambulance men’s eyes, decided it didn’t care for the view, and dived back under.
“Right, we’ll be off then,” said the driver.
The ambulance pulled away. Kay Kafka put her arm as far round the Earth Mother as it would go. The other two women exchanged a glower then concentrated on the Fat Man’s retreating figure. On the doorstep the Handsome Sailor had been subdued, but only after Bonnick had been reinforced by the arrival of PC Maycock. For the moment peace was restored.
“Right, sunshine,” said Dalziel. “What’s going off then, apart from bloody chaos?”
“How should I know?” retorted Pascoe. “I just got here myself. I’m not psychic.”
“Hoity-toity,” said Dalziel. “See you brought the family. Little Rosie’s in the back of the car, is she?”
“No, she isn’t. I just happened to be picking up Ellie when I heard the call.”
“So none of that lot’s with you?”
“Well actually, Cressida-she’s the one with the hair-it was her house I was picking up Ellie from…”
“So you said, ‘Fancy a lift, luv?’ Kind of you, Peter. Gets the Force a good name. Did you pick up the others en route?”
“Of course not,” said Pascoe indignantly. “They all turned up after I got here, which was when the trouble started. How the hell did they get past Jennison on the gate anyway?
“How owt gets past yon bugger, I don’t know. Man can’t have any self-respect to let himself get in that shape,” said Dalziel sanctimoniously. Perhaps, thought Pascoe incredulously, he sees himself as slim!
“Any road,” he went on, “I gather there’s a body in here and I’d say this gang have all turned up ’cos they’re worried it’s Pal Maciver. So let’s go in and see if we can put them out of their misery. Or do I mean into it?”
He strode towards the front door. As he passed Ellie he said, “What fettle, luv? Enjoying your night out?”
“Always a pleasure watching professionals at their work, Andy,” she replied.
Pascoe said to her, “Look, I’m going to be tied up here for a while. Why don’t you take the car and head off home?”
“Before I find out what’s happened? You’re joking. Besides, Cress might need me.”
“I thought that was why I had to pick you up early,” said Pascoe.
He caught up with Dalziel at the door.
“You all right, Sergeant?” the Fat Man said to Bonnick.
“Fine, sir.”
“Good. And how about you, son?”
Dunn said, “Look, I’m sorry-I was out of… but I was worried-we’d heard that… and he didn’t show, so I thought that… that… that…”
He stammered to a halt. He really was Billy Budd, thought Pascoe.
“What’s your problem, lad?” enquired Dalziel. “Apart from not being able to finish sentences? Here, don’t I know you?”
“I don’t think so-please, I didn’t
“You too, Kay,” said Dalziel, taking the hand. “Though mebbe not here.”
“On the contrary,” said the woman, who had a soft unobtrusive American accent. “Here is perfect. We need to know what’s going on, and I’m sure if anyone can tell us, you can.”
“I’d best find out then,” he said, releasing the hand, which he’d been holding in a kissing rather than a shaking grip. “Ladies, if you’d just be patient a bit longer…”
Cressida looked as if she might be about to assert that in her view patience was for monuments but subsided as his gaze locked with hers for a second before passing on to the ambulance crew.
“Detective Superintendent Dalziel,” he said. “What’s going off, lads?”
“Nothing for us here.” The driver glanced towards the women and lowered his voice. “Just body removal, and your lot don’t know when that will be authorized.”
“So you thought you’d shog off home?”
“No! We got an all-units call. Big pile-up in fog on the bypass.”
“Oh aye? Then what are you still skiving round here for?” demanded Dalziel.
Indignation at the injustice of this rose in the ambulance men’s eyes, decided it didn’t care for the view, and dived back under.
“Right, we’ll be off then,” said the driver.
The ambulance pulled away. Kay Kafka put her arm as far round the Earth Mother as it would go. The other two women exchanged a glower then concentrated on the Fat Man’s retreating figure. On the doorstep the Handsome Sailor had been subdued, but only after Bonnick had been reinforced by the arrival of PC Maycock. For the moment peace was restored.
“Right, sunshine,” said Dalziel. “What’s going off then, apart from bloody chaos?”
“How should I know?” retorted Pascoe. “I just got here myself. I’m not psychic.”
“Hoity-toity,” said Dalziel. “See you brought the family. Little Rosie’s in the back of the car, is she?”
“No, she isn’t. I just happened to be picking up Ellie when I heard the call.”
“So none of that lot’s with you?”
“Well actually, Cressida-she’s the one with the hair-it was her house I was picking up Ellie from…”
“So you said, ‘Fancy a lift, luv?’ Kind of you, Peter. Gets the Force a good name. Did you pick up the others en route?”
“Of course not,” said Pascoe indignantly. “They all turned up after I got here, which was when the trouble started. How the hell did they get past Jennison on the gate anyway?
“How owt gets past yon bugger, I don’t know. Man can’t have any self-respect to let himself get in that shape,” said Dalziel sanctimoniously. Perhaps, thought Pascoe incredulously, he sees himself as slim!
“Any road,” he went on, “I gather there’s a body in here and I’d say this gang have all turned up ’cos they’re worried it’s Pal Maciver. So let’s go in and see if we can put them out of their misery. Or do I mean into it?”
He strode towards the front door. As he passed Ellie he said, “What fettle, luv? Enjoying your night out?”
“Always a pleasure watching professionals at their work, Andy,” she replied.
Pascoe said to her, “Look, I’m going to be tied up here for a while. Why don’t you take the car and head off home?”
“Before I find out what’s happened? You’re joking. Besides, Cress might need me.”
“I thought that was why I had to pick you up early,” said Pascoe.
He caught up with Dalziel at the door.
“You all right, Sergeant?” the Fat Man said to Bonnick.
“Fine, sir.”
“Good. And how about you, son?”
Dunn said, “Look, I’m sorry-I was out of… but I was worried-we’d heard that… and he didn’t show, so I thought that… that… that…”
He stammered to a halt. He really was Billy Budd, thought Pascoe.
“What’s your problem, lad?” enquired Dalziel. “Apart from not being able to finish sentences? Here, don’t I know you?”
“I don’t think so-please, I didn’t
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