A Necessary End by Peter Robinson Read Free Book Online

told me you’d left. They wouldn’t tell me anything about the prisoners at all. What’s going on?”
    â€œWhere hasn’t he come back to?”
    â€œMy place.”
    â€œDo you live together?”
    Jenny’s eyes hardened and drilled into him like emerald laser beams. “That’s none of your damn business.” She drank some more Scotch. “As a matter of fact, no, we don’t. He was going to come round and tell me about the demonstration. It should have been all over hours ago.”
    â€œYou weren’t there yourself?”
    â€œAre you interrogating me?”
    â€œNo. Just asking.”
    â€œI believe in the cause—I mean, I’m against nuclear power and American missile bases—but I don’t see any point standing in the rain in front of Eastvale Community Centre.”
    â€œI see.” Banks smiled. “It was a nasty night, wasn’t it?”
    â€œAnd there’s no need to be such a cynic. I had work to do.”
    â€œIt was a pretty bad night inside, too.”
    Jenny raised her eyebrows. “The Hon Hon?”
    â€œIndeed.”
    â€œYou were there?”
    â€œI had that dubious honour, yes. Duty.”
    â€œYou poor man. It might have been worth a black eye to get out of that.”
    â€œI take it you haven’t heard the news, then?”
    â€œWhat news?”
    â€œA policeman was killed at that peaceful little demonstration tonight. Not a local chap, but one of us, nonetheless.”
    â€œIs that why Dennis is still at the station?”
    â€œWe’re still questioning people, yes. It’s serious, Jenny. I haven’t seen Dennis Osmond, never even heard of him. But they won’t let him go till they’ve got his statement, and we’re not giving out any information to members of the public yet. It doesn’t mean he’s under suspicion or anything, just that he hasn’t been questioned yet.”
    â€œAnd then?”
    â€œThey’ll let him go. If all’s well you’ll still have some of the night left together.”
    Jenny lowered her head for a moment, then glared at him again. “You’re being a bastard, you know,” she said. “I don’t like being teased that way.”
    â€œWhat do you want me to do?” Banks asked. “Why did you come?”
    â€œI . . . I just wanted to find out what happened.”
    â€œAre you sure you’re not trying to get him special treatment?” Jenny sighed. “Alan, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
    Banks nodded.
    â€œWell,” she went on, “I know you can’t help being a policeman, but if you don’t know where your job ends and your friendships begin . . . Need I go on?”
    Banks rubbed his bristly chin. “No. I’m sorry. It’s been a rough night. But you still haven’t answered my question.”
    â€œI’d just hoped to get some idea of what might have happened to him, that’s all. I got the impression that if I’d lingered a moment longer down at the station they’d have had me in for questioning, too. I didn’t know about the death. I suppose that changes things?”
    â€œOf course it does. It means we’ve got a cop killer on the loose. I’m sure it’s nothing to do with your Dennis, but he’ll have to answer the same questions as the rest. I can’t say exactly how long he’ll be. At least you know he’s not in hospital. Plenty of people are.”
    â€œI can’t believe it, Alan. I can understand tempers getting frayed, fists flying, but not a killing. What happened?”
    â€œHe was stabbed. It was deliberate; there’s no getting around that.” Jenny shook her head.
    â€œSorry I can’t be any more help,” Banks said. “What was Dennis’s involvement with the demo?”
    â€œHe was one of the organizers, along with the Students Union and those people from Maggie’s