Gently with the Innocents Read Online Free PDF Page B

joked about him. That kind of thing. Dare say he didn’t mean any harm.’
    ‘What sort of jokes.’
    ‘Just jokes. About the way he lived, what he wore. How he used to wash down in the kitchen. How he made tea in an old billy-can.’
    ‘And he’d tell you about the house?’
    ‘No. Why should he?’
    ‘About what you’d find behind those windows?’
    ‘I tell you—’
    ‘And the door that was never bolted?’
    ‘Look—’
    Gently puffed. ‘Yes?’ he said.
    Colkett was staring with real fear, his roughened hands grasping the edge of the table. He sent a scared little side-glance towards Gissing. The local man was watching with stolid attention.
    But then Colkett’s hands relaxed a little, his taut breathing became easier.
    ‘All right, gents – you’re cops. I know you have to put the boot in. It’s all in the way of business, isn’t it? Way you blokes make a living.’
    ‘Did you know about the door?’ Gently said.
    ‘Go on – ask me! No offence.’
    ‘So I’m asking.’
    ‘Yes,’ Colkett said. ‘The nevvy asked me to keep an eye on it.’
    He brewed the tea. He didn’t seem to notice the steady silence in the little office. He smirked as he poured out in chipped cups to which dashes of tinned milk had been added.
    ‘I reckon I’m auntie every day – never got married, you with me? Don’t fancy settling down with a mawther. They’re all right on the other side of the fence. You gents take sugar?’
    He stirred it in himself. The result was strong, camp-fire tea. From a drawer in the table he took a snap-tin which contained sandwiches and a slice of cake.
    ‘Cheers – and I hope you catches him!’
    Was he somewhow trying to put them in their place? He began on a sandwich with a noisy nonchalance, as though sure they knew better than to interrupt him.
    Gently sipped a little tea, then put the cup by.
    ‘So you kept an eye on the house,’ he said.
    ‘That’s right,’ Colkett said, through sandwich. ‘You keep asking. I’ve nothing to hide.’
    ‘You’d know Peachment’s movements.’
    ‘Of course I’d know them. He went up town every day. Mornings mostly, about eleven o’clock time. Sometimes in the afternoon.’
    ‘And in the evening?’
    ‘Wouldn’t know, would I?’
    Was that answer rather hurried?
    ‘I close up here at five-thirty. You don’t catch me hanging around after that.’
    ‘You’re never here later?’
    ‘No. Never.’
    ‘You never have a load arrive here late?’
    ‘Well . . . no, not really late, I haven’t. Not so’s I’m kept here all hours of the night.’
    ‘But that does happen – you’re sometimes here later?’
    ‘All right then, it does – once in a blue moon. But not the night they did old Peachey . . . look, I got time-sheets round here somewhere.’
    ‘Not October 27th.’
    ‘No. I’m telling you.’ He was fumbling through a folder of dockets and receipts. ‘Here – this is it. One load that day. Warmingers. Come in during the morning.’
    ‘Let me see.’
    Gently took the sheet.’
    ‘And . . . on October 26th?’
    ‘So what about October 26th? Didn’t I say I was kept late sometimes?’
    He snatched up a sandwich and bit a huge lump from it, his eyes glinting indignantly at Gently. Then he washed down the mouthful with a gulp of tea, making a deliberate sucking sound.
    ‘You think I’m telling you lies, then?’
    Gently shrugged. ‘Did you see Peachment on the night of the 26th?’
    ‘No, I didn’t. I was too busy. They bust open a great big case of nuts and bolts.’
    ‘You saw his light?’ Gently stared through the window.
    ‘Do you think I’m always gaping over there?’
    ‘You’d have to see it,’ Gently said. ‘You’re looking straight across at the house.’
    ‘So maybe I did see it and didn’t notice.’
    ‘Did you?’
    Colkett hung on for a moment.
    ‘All right . . . I don’t know! Will that suit you? It’s a month ago since all this happened.’
    ‘I think you did see it,’ Gently said.