The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey Read Free Book Online Page B

be given in evidence. Now tell me about your wife.'
    Jackman said, without moving towards a chair, 'I told them at the desk half an hour ago. They took the details.'
    'Bear with me, professor,' Diamond said with painstaking courtesy. 'I'm in charge and I'd rather hear it from you than read it in the occurrence book. Her name, first.'
    With a resigned air, Jackman planted himself on a chair and said, 'Geraldine Jackman, known to most people as Gerry Snoo. That's her stage name. She'll be thirty-four in a week or two if ... God, I find this whole thing too appalling to contemplate.'
    'Would you describe her, sir?'
    'Do I have to? You must have seen her on television. The Milners. Right? If not, you must have seen the lager ad with the bulldog and the girl. That was Gerry. She did a few commercials after she left the BBC.'
    There was a moment's hiatus. Diamond was studying his man's expression so keenly that he had to catch what he said by mentally playing it over again. 'Oh, I don't see much television. Let's assume I've never seen her. What colour hair does she have?'
    'Reddish-brown. Chestnut red, if you like.'
    'You said auburn to the sergeant.'
    'Auburn, then.' On a rising note that showed the strain he was under, Jackman responded, 'What are you trying to do - catch me out? I wasn't dragged in here for questioning, you know. I'm here because my wife is missing. I'm told she may be dead.'
    'Who told you that?'
    'Some people who know Gerry extremely well saw that picture you showed on television. They said it was exactly like her. They told me they got in touch with you.'
    'Not me personally. We had a massive response to our appeal for information,' Diamond smoothly explained. 'It takes time to check. But now that you have come forward —'
    'Look, I want to know, one way or the other,' Jackman cut in. Concern was etched vividly in his features, but so it would be at this stage of the game, whether he was innocent or not. 'You found a woman. Where is she now?'
    'At Bristol City Mortuary. Let's not leap to conclusions. It may not be neccessary for you to go there if it turns out that your wife's appearance is unlike the woman we found.' Patiently Diamond elicited a description, feature by feature, of Mrs Jackman, and it corresponded closely with the details of the corpse. Encouragingly closely.
    He went on to ask, 'When did you last see her?'
    'On a Monday, three weeks ago.'
    'That would have been 11 September?'
    'Er, yes. I left early for London. She was still in bed. I told her when I expected to be back, and. then left to catch the 8.19 from Bath.'
    'You had business in London?'

    'I'm responsible for an exhibition about Jane Austen in Bath that opened that weekend. I had to see someone about a manuscript.'
    Diamond had never read a book by Jane Austen. He found it difficult to identify with the detectives in TV whodunnits who quoted Shakespeare and wrote poetry in their spare time. Biography was his choice, preferably biography that included the words of the Yard in the tide.
    'And this exhibition kept you away for three weeks?'
    'No, no. I was back on the Wednesday.'
    Diamond straightened up in the chair and shut out all thoughts of Jane Austen. 'Home again?'
    'Yes.'
    'Then you knew your wife was missing as early as Wednesday, 13 September?'
    'Missing, no.' The professor reinforced the denial with a sideways sweep of the hand. 'She wasn't home, but that wasn't any cause for alarm. She often stays over with friends.'
    'And doesn't tell you?'
    'I'm not Gerry's keeper.'
    The answer jarred.
    'But you are her husband. Presumably you like to know where she is.'
    'I don't insist upon it.' There was a period of silence before Professor Jackman thought it appropriate to explain, 'We live fairly independent lives. We are two people who need space to be ourselves. We married on that understanding. So when Gerry isn't around for a day or two I don't immediately call the police.'
    'We're not talking about a day or two, sir.'
    'I