Free Mr. Dixon disappears: a mobile library mystery by Ian Sansom Page A

haven't done anything wrong. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'
    'Well, I believe you obviously. I hardly think you'd be capable of pulling off a daring and audacious robbery.'
    'Thank you.'
    'You're welcome. But, I doubt the Mobile Library Steering Committee will be of the same opinion I'm afraid. So…'
    Linda made for the door.
    'Hang on,' said Israel. 'That's it?'
    'Yes,' said Linda. 'That's it. Thank you, goodbye.'
    'Hang on! Who's going to be doing the mobile?'
    'Ted. He'll be doing it on his own for the moment, when he can, although we'll have to be operating a reduced service, obviously.'
    'But…'
    'Ah, yes!' said Linda. 'Which brings me to the third thing. Point three. Before you leave, please.' She walked back behind her desk and sat down. 'Sit down. Please,' she said. 'Sit down! Thank you. Yes. About your lovely assistant on the library.'
    'Ted?'
    'No. Not Ted! Rosie.'
    'Rosie?'
    'Rosie Hart has been helping you out, I believe, in the fulfilment of your duties.'
    'Yes. That's right. She's very good with the readers.'
    'Yes.' Linda sipped at her tea. 'I'm sure that's not the only thing she's good with.'
    'What?'
    'With your reputation, Mr Armstrong, you need to be very careful.'
    'My reputation?'
    'Yes. We've not forgotten your dealings with the gutter press, Mr Armstrong—'
    'If you mean by that my…friendship with Veronica Byrd of the Impartial Recorder —'
    'Not something we wish to go into, Mr Armstrong. Has Ms Hart been offering her services to you for free?'
    'Her services?'
    'On the mobile library? Has she been working for you for free?'
    'Not exactly.'
    'So you've been paying her yourself?'
    'Well…I've been…'
    'Yes?' Linda peered over the top of her glasses.
    'Erm. Yes, using the petty cash to…'
    'Yes?'
    'Give her a few pounds. Just to help her out, you know.'
    'I see. This is what we'd heard. So you have been using the monies of the Department of Entertainment, Leisure and Community Services to pay for an extra member of staff. Do you deny it?'
    'No, not exactly.'
    'With no authorisation.'
    'Erm…'
    'Or agreement. With no advertisement. No Equal Opportunities monitoring.'
    'Well—'
    'Which is in itself an extremely grave matter, Mr Armstrong, as I'm sure you can appreciate, never mind your unfortunate position vis-à-vis the robbery and kidnapping.'
    'I don't have an unfortunate position vis-à-vis the robbery and kidnapping!'
    'We want her off the bus, Mr Armstrong.'
    'But—'
    'Thank you. And I'm afraid during your suspension you will have to attend a disciplinary hearing of the Mobile Library Steering Committee.'
    'But—'
    'You are going to have to learn, Mr Armstrong, that you can't just come over here and start playing fast and loose: there are rules here, you know, same as anywhere else. It's not a free-for-all.'
    Linda once more made for the door, but then paused.
    'Keys, please.' She held out her hand. 'For the van.'
    'I can't give you the keys,' said Israel.
    'Keys.'
    'But I'll be stranded without the van.'
    'Well, you should have thought of that before—'
    'Linda, it's still at Dixon and—'
    'We'll collect it. Thank you. Goodbye.' She was holding open the door.
    'This is ridiculous, Linda,' said Israel. 'I have been unjustly accused of a crime I did not commit. This is a civil liberties issue.'
    Linda laughed–and a wave of hot peppermint tea fumes came over Israel.
    'You're hardly Nelson Mandela, Mr Armstrong.'
    'I didn't say I was Nelson bloody Mandela, did I.'
    'Racist remarks of any kind, Mr Armstrong, are a serious disciplinary offence, and I have already had to warn you about this today.'
    'I wasn't making a—'
    'Nelson Mandela was the father of a nation.'
    'Yes. I know.'
    'Which is not a category you find yourself in, unless I'm much mistaken.'
    'No. I didn't—'
    'Unless you do have anything of any substance to add, I think that'll be all. Keys. Please.'
    'I haven't got the keys, the police have got the keys.'
    'Very good,' said Linda. 'Thank you, Mr Armstrong.