Hail and Farewell (The Lakeland Murders) by J. J. Salkeld Read Free Book Online Page B

and you take over on the timeline and background on our victim?’
    ‘Sounds about right to me.’
    ‘Fine, let’s do that then. But stand ready to join in on interviews, OK?’ Mann nodded. ‘And let’s get together tonight and chat it through with Andy.’
    ‘If he’s not having a little nap.’
    ‘It’s his knee that’s gone, not his mind. You know Andy as well as I do, He’ll be poring over every word that’s in the file, and reading every word of every statement.’
    ‘He will, right enough, but you’re wrong about one thing, Jane. I’m glad to say that I don’t know Andy anything like as well as you do.’
    She laughed. ‘Let’s get on with it. I’ve got a feeling we’re in for a long day.’
     
     
    It was after 5pm when Iredale phoned Jane to confirm that he’d found Pete Crone, and that he was waiting in interview room 2. Jane told him to offer Crone a brew, and that she’d be down to join them in five minutes.
    ‘Do you want to come and watch from the observation room, Ian?’
    He smiled. ‘Thanks for the offer, Jane, but we’re not joined at the hip. I get it, you’re the SIO and that’s fine. I’m still up to my ears on Chris Brown’s background. Everyone in this town seems to be related, which doesn’t help.’
    ‘The joys of coming from a small community, eh?’
    ‘Don’t knock it. Gives you a sense of belonging.’
    ‘And a disturbing deficiency in the toe department?’
    ‘Aye, that too. Sometimes. Me, I’ve got six toes on each foot, like, so I’m laughing.’
    She grinned. ‘All right. I’ll let you know how I get on.’
    ‘You’ve had a look at Crone’s previous I take it?’
    ‘Yes. That’s what I’ve been doing pretty much all afternoon.’
    ‘Like that, is it?’
    ‘How do they manage to get caught so often, and spend so little time inside? It’s not all petty stuff either, because the bloke’s got plenty of nasty, violent offences on the list. But he’s still only done about eighteen months in total. Honestly, they’re barely worth nicking, people like him.’
    ‘I bet you won’t be saying that after you’ve spent ten minutes with the bastard. That’ll soon get your enthusiasm for feeling collars back, I’ll bet.’
     
    Pete Crone looked at home in the interview room, and he was chatting to Iredale when Jane Francis came in. He barely even bothered to look up. So she just smiled briefly at Iredale, and sat down next to him, opposite Crone.
    ‘Do you know why you’re here, Mr. Crone?’
    ‘Some sort of civic award, is it?’
    ‘It’s about the Uppies and Downies game on Friday.’
    ‘Oh, aye?’
    ‘What time did you join the game?’
    ‘Who says I was there?’
    Jane sighed, and Iredale replied.
    ‘Don’t piss us about, Pete. We’re too busy. A dozen witnesses saw you, you’re on CCTV, and it’s not a crime to play, is it?’
    ‘Never know with you lot.’
    ‘So what time did you arrive?’ asked Jane.
    ‘I don’t remember exactly. About half ten, something like that. Only a few minutes before that young lad died.’
    ‘And what did you do, when you joined the game?’
    ‘Got stuck in, like. I touched the ball a couple of times, as a matter of fact. Had a feeling that I might actually hail it this year, like.’
    ‘And did you have any contact with the deceased, Mr. Brown?’
    Crone laughed. ‘How would I know, love? I couldn’t tell who was next to me, most of the time. It’s every man for himself in there.’
    ‘But you were in the game when you all went back into the beck.’
    ‘Oh aye, it’s half the fun, is that.’
    ‘But you weren’t aware of what happened to Mr. Brown?’
    ‘No, and nor were any of the other lads. If someone goes down, gets hurt, then we all pull back and give them a bit of space. It’s just an unwritten law, is that.’
    ‘So how about the injuries sustained by the other players?’
    ‘I wouldn’t know anything about them.’
    Jane looked steadily across the table at Crone, and he returned