command pipeline somehow had hastened Wells to the grave. But the main point of contention between him and Rivers had been Private Eric Parker, a cocksure eye-winker and smoker of fags, and Riversâs best friend. Rivers had talked Parker into joining the London Regiment and therefore (or so Lamb would eventually come to discover) felt duty-bound to protect Parker from the ravages of the war, an impossible task. For his part, Parker had felt no enmity toward Lamb and Lamb had come to see Parker as one of his best and most dependable men. But Parker
had
been killed and Rivers had held himâLambâresponsible.
Rivers spoke first, his head turned to the window. âYouâre married with a daughter.â
Lamb wondered how Rivers knew. Obviously heâd done some checking.
âYes. You?â
âMarried to the job.â
âThat has advantages.â
âIt does.â
They drove in silence for ten minutes, Lamb doing his best to concentrate on the road. But he hadnât volunteered to drive Rivers to Winchester in order to fail to divine why Rivers suddenly had parachuted into Hampshire. He didnât want a showdown with Rivers, merely an explanation.
âWhy are you here, Harry?â Lamb asked.
Rivers shrugged. âI was transferred, wasnât I?â He looked at Lamb. âWar shortages in the southâthatâs what they told me, anyway. And because Iâm a good soldier, when they told me to move, I saluted and did my duty.â
Lamb knew those last words were meant to pierce him and, to a degree, they hit the mark. âBut you havenât answered my question,â he said.
âHavenât I?â
âI assume you knew that I was here.â
âI knew. But I had no choice.â Rivers smiled his lopsided grin. âNo reason to lie, after all. Fact is, I bollixed a case. I got a little impatient with the way things were going and pressed the matter; broke into a blokeâs house and got the goods. But it wasnât allowed into evidence, so the bastard is a free man today.â He shrugged. âMy âmistake,ââ he added, in a tone that suggested that he hadnât really considered it a mistake. âThen they suddenly needed men down south and the man I worked for up there saw his chance to be rid of me.â
âDoes Harding know about your mistake?â
âHe knows. But he decided heâd rather have an experienced man with a blemish than someone green. It also didnât hurt that the man I worked for in Warwickshire is one of Hardingâs old chums.â He smiled againâbitterly, Lamb thought. âLucky for me, eh?â
âA second chance, then?â Lamb asked.
âYou might say that.â
That seemed to end their initial skirmish. They drove the rest of the way to Winchester in silence, each wondering what the other was thinking.
Wallace walked alone through the blacked-out streets of Winchester to The Fallen Diva.
He arrived a little after nine and was pleasantly surprised to find the woman heâd seen earlier that day sitting alone at the same table,the same half-expectant look on her face. Her purse was on the table, along with a half pint of beer and an ashtray partially filled with stubbed-out cigarettes. As Wallace passed her, he caught the scent of her perfume and glanced at her; she met his eyes and then glanced away. He was thirsty and hungryâhungry for something he hadnât had enough of in too long a time.
He went to the bar and ordered a pint. He told himself that he would limit himself to three beers. âWhoâs the bird at the table?â he asked the man behind the bar.
âNo idea. Never saw her before until three days ago. Just sits there, all alone.â
âIs she waiting for someone?â
âIf she is, he hasnât shown up.â
âAny blokes try it on with her?â
âOne did last night. But he gave up.â
Wallace
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