Free Policeman's Progress by Bernard Knight Page A

breathed heavily and snapped on the television in reprisal. The six o’clock news was just finishing and the local Look North news magazine came on the screen. ‘… just reported that members of Tyneside Criminal Investigation Department were called to a dredger at North Shields late this afternoon when a body was recovered from the River Tyne. Apart from the fact that foul play could not be ruled out, a police spokesman would make no comment, but a Press release is expected later this evening.’
    Alec raised his eyebrows at the little screen. To his experienced ears, this phraseology suggested that ‘something was up’. He had left Headquarters fairly early and had heard nothing about any flap. It was none of his business, but anything that went on at the ‘shop’ was interesting.
    His ruminations were rudely shattered by the appearance of his wife and daughter.
    â€˜Do you want this thing on?’
    Without waiting for an answer, Vera switched the set off. Betty Bolam muttered a subdued ‘hello’ and they all sat at the table in silence.
    Vera was the first to break it. ‘You said you’d mend that plug on the landing – it’s not done yet. I can’t use the Hoover,’ she said accusingly.
    â€˜I can’t do it in the dark, can I? – I’ll have to turn the power off. It’ll have to wait till Saturday afternoon. Anyway, I told you, I’ve got to go out tonight.’
    Betty went a shade whiter around the mouth. She was a slim, pale girl and her blanched cheeks made her hair and eyes all the darker by contrast. She stared at her plate, then spoke. ‘You – you’re not going round the clubs again tonight?’
    Alec stared at her grimly. ‘I am indeed – what about it?’
    She gulped, but said nothing.
    Her father thumped the table with his fist. ‘I spoke to you, miss … by some chance, are you thinking of going to a certain club as well? Is that it?’ His voice rose to a shout.
    Betty burst into tears. She jumped from the table and ran from the room.
    As her daughter’s feet hammered up the stairs, Vera Bolam went into action. ‘You’ve done it again. Why don’t you mind your own business?’ she hissed. ‘If she wants to go out with King Kong, that’s up to her. You damned, interfering …’
    He wasn’t listening. Striding out into the hall, he looked up the stairs, then stamped up after his daughter. She had locked her bedroom door by the time he got there. He thumped on the thin panels, before putting his face to them. ‘Listen, my girl, just because you’ve got your mother on your side, you needn’t think it will make any difference. You may be twenty-one now, but you’ll get fixed up with that layabout over my dead body, and by God, I mean that!’
    There was a fresh outburst of sobbing from inside.
    â€˜He’s no good, Betty. If he’s up to what I think, he’ll be before the court before long. And then you can do your courting on visiting days in Durham jail!’ He listened again. ‘D’you hear me, then?’
    There was no reply and he came slowly down the stairs, baffled. At the bottom, his wife stood waiting, her hands on her hips. She said nothing, only looked at him with almost a pitying hatred. He brushed past her into the lounge and stood glowering in the middle of the carpet. She followed him in.
    â€˜Come on then, say it,’ he snapped. ‘Why don’t I mind my own business? Look, Vera, if you knew that fellow like I do – knew his sort, the types he mixes with … twitchy with pep pills, and making pin money flogging his spare ones around the town.’
    She still said nothing, just looked at him. Sitting down at the table, she began sipping her cup of tea.
    Alec rounded on her. ‘All right, stay dumb – I’m off!’ He tore out of the room, grabbed his coat from the hall and