McQueen's Agency by Maureen Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page B

when the police officer arrived he looked friendly.
    ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Johns, Mr Burns. Would you like to come this way.’
    Tam followed him down a long corridor and was finally shown into a small office with only enough room for a desk, a couple of chairs and a filing cabinet. A small window overlooked what seemed to be a brick wall.
    ‘Now, Mr Burns, you were saying you knew the deceased man, Harry Hawkins.’
    ‘Yes I did … briefly. As I told the officer on the desk we met the night before he was due to sail. We had drinks in the City Centre Bar.’
    Tam described his bewilderment the following morning when Harry had seemingly disappeared.
    ‘Well, it is definitely Mr Hawkins. He still had his wallet in his pocket and he’s been identified by the captain of The Mary Anne . It’s a ship that docks regularly in Dundee and, as luck would have it, it’s back with another cargo.’
    Tam was puzzled. ‘But Harry said he had never been in Dundee before. How can that be when it’s a regular port of call for the boat?’
    Sergeant Johns leaned back on his chair. ‘No you’re right. The captain said Mr Hawkins signed on before the last trip. He had been on a freight ship from Hull to Rotterdam but apparently changed ships because the Hull boat was being laid up for a few weeks for repairs.’
    Tam felt sad. Harry’s first trip to Dundee had turned out to be his final journey.
    ‘How much did he have to drink in the bar?’
    ‘He wasn’t drunk if that’s what you’re thinking,’ said Tam, annoyed that this might be classed as the cause of death. ‘We had two rums each and I think he had one drink before that.’
    ‘The post mortem shows quite a bit of alcohol in his stomach. At least six measures … maybe eight.’
    ‘Well yes, we had double measures but that still doesn’t account for his death. How did he die?’
    ‘We think he got his foot entangled in a coil of rope that was lying on the wharf and hit his head when he fell into the water. He must have been unconscious because he drowned. The head wound must have knocked him out, but it wasn’t the cause of death.’
    Tam couldn’t accept this. ‘But Harry had been at sea since he was sixteen. He would never have tripped over a coil of rope. Never in a hundred years. He must have walked over hundreds of wharves.’
    ‘Maybe,’ said the sergeant. ‘He was probably very careful when he was sober, but after quite a few drinks his judgement would have been impaired.’
    Tam shook his head in disbelief. ‘I don’t believe it.’
    The man stood up. ‘Well, it’s being recorded as an accidental death. Thank you for coming in and filling us in with his last moments, Mr Burns.’
    He walked down the corridor with Tam and stood at the front door.
    As Tam untied Rover, DS Johns rubbed his chin. He had a funny feeling about this case but, without a witness to the event, it would remain an accidental death.
    Tam walked away with Rover. He couldn’t believe Harry had tripped over a bit of rope. Not an old seadog like him.
    When he reached his house he was annoyed at forgetting to ask when the funeral was and if it would be in Dundee. He would maybe go back to the police station or it might be in the death column of the paper. He would have to look out for it. Harry would have precious few mourners and Tam was determined to be one. It’s the least I can do, he thought. Old sailors had to stick together.
    Tam tried to recall all the conversation on that night but although he racked his brains, he couldn’t think of anything else. He had told the police all he knew but they were sure it was an accident.

9
    On Thursday afternoon, Molly was finishing a pile of invoices when Lena arrived back from the shop. The weather had turned warm and thundery and Molly was looking forward to setting off for home and having a long cool bath.
    ‘Kenneth has had to go and see to some containers coming in. I’ve had to look after the shop all day.’ She sounded