Free The Crooked Beat by Nick Quantrill Page B

a little. The bruising to his face was starting to come out a little more and his left eye had started to reopen. The mantelpiece had framed photographs of him on holiday with Sarah and Lauren. These were bookended with ones of Don with his wife. She’d died several years ago. I picked up the book he was reading. A Geoffrey Boycott biography. I smiled. Yorkshire to the core.
    ‘How’s the bowling going?’ I asked him.
    ‘It keeps me busy.’
    ‘Good.’ I’d been surprised to learn Don had taken up bowls in the local park, something to pass the time. Sarah had told me he was going to give it a go, but I hadn’t expected him to stick with it. He wasn’t the sort of person I imagined enjoying leisure activities.
    Don spoke to Sarah. ‘Put the kettle on, please.’
    I sat down opposite him and waited for her to leave the room before speaking. ‘We’ve spoken with Roger Millfield,’ I said.
    ‘Both of you?’
    ‘Sarah’s keen to help.’
    He stared at me, like he wanted to say it wasn’t a good idea, but eventually let it go. ‘Did he have anything to say?’
    ‘He told me he longer required my services.’ Our eyes stayed on each other. He wasn’t giving anything away. ‘How come you’re working for Roger Millfield?’
    ‘He asked me to.’
    ‘I thought you’d retired?’
    He shrugged. ‘We go way back.’
    I wasn’t buying it. ‘You were attacked straight after getting involved.’
    ‘Don’t look for things that aren’t there, Joe.’
    ‘You must have enemies?’
    ‘None worth talking about.’
    ‘I’m not the only one concerned about you. I’ve been talking to Acting Detective Inspector Coleman.’
    ‘He had a word with me.’
    ‘Why would a man of that rank be interested? It doesn’t make sense.’
    Don simply shrugged. ‘I’m one of them. It’s the way it works.’
    ‘He mentioned an ongoing investigation.’
    ‘I wouldn’t know. Only Coleman can tell you about that.’
    Sarah walked into the room with our drinks. Don thanked her and said he had some washing he needed hanging out. I didn’t dare look at Sarah. She knew he was excluding her from our conversation.
    I waited until I heard the back door open before speaking. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about your affair with Kath Millfield?’
    He wasn’t surprised by the question. ‘How do you know?’
    ‘It’s not important.’ We sat in silence. I was waiting for him to speak.
    He eventually sighed and spoke. ‘There are things you don’t need to know about me. Things Sarah certainly doesn’t need to know about me.’ He pointed at me. ‘And you’re going to keep them to yourself. Is that clear?’ He couldn’t look me in the eye. ‘I’m not proud of myself. My marriage wasn’t working back then. I was investigating some seriously sick people. I can’t begin to explain what a strain it puts on you. I’ve seen the dead bodies of sexually abused children, children who were nothing more than punch-bags for their short lives, knowing how miserable their short time here was. I’ve seen bodies burnt beyond all recognition. I’ve had to intrude on families of decent people who were murdered because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It takes its toll on better people than me, I can tell you that much, and I’ve seen it all first-hand.’
    ‘It doesn’t excuse what you did.’
    ‘I’m not saying it does.’
    ‘How did you meet Kath Millfield?’
    ‘Through her husband. He helped us out at with some investigation or other. I got to know her socially and one thing led to another.’
    ‘One thing led to another?’ I repeated. ‘That’s all you’ve got to say?’
    ‘You leave the Millfields alone. I don’t want you bothering them. Am I clear?’ He sat back, his point made, and changed the subject. ‘Sarah tells me your brother is in trouble.’
    I told him about the smuggled cigarettes, the words sounding no less ridiculous than the first time I’d said them.
    ‘Have you thought about going to