Hail and Farewell (The Lakeland Murders) Read Online Free PDF Page B

will make a first-class SIO.’
     
    Jane drove like God’s chauffeur until they reached home, and Andy told her what he knew about the case. ‘Gorham has arranged for you and Ian to attend a team briefing in the morning, the Super at Workington knows you’re coming already, and facilities are sorting out a hotel for you both. So you’re all set.’
    ‘Fantastic.’ She reached across and took his hand. ‘But will you be all right, Andy?’
    ‘Of course. It’ just a twisted knee, at the end of the day. Bloody painful though.’
    ‘Of course it is. Bound to be, love. When we get inside you rest up and I’ll go and do that shopping, how’s that? Maybe I’ll get you a few treats.’
    ‘Don’t do that, for Christ’s sake. The whole idea of this was to lose weight, not put it on.’
    ‘We’ll see. And you’ll phone Ian while I’m out, will you?’
    ‘Yes, I will. At least he can’t come round and duff me up, what with me being injured and everything.’
    ‘Do you honestly think it would make any difference to the outcome, even if you were fighting fit?’
    ‘No, of course not. I just meant he wouldn’t hit a wounded man. That would run completely counter to his whole code of honour.’
     
    She couldn’t tell if Hall was hurt by her comment about his lack of physical prowess or not. She thought he probably was.
    ‘Come on, let’s get you inside and settled in bed. I expect you’ll have read and memorised the entire case file by the time I get back from the shops. I don’t know about your knee, but there’s not too much wrong with your brain, Andy Hall. And it’s the sexiest bit of the body. Everyone knows that.’
    ‘I bet you say that to all the boys.’
    ‘Hardly. I’m a copper, remember.’
    They both laughed, although Hall stopped and winced as he tried to get out of the car. He couldn’t quite remember when he could take his next painkiller, but it couldn’t come soon enough.
     
    As soon as Jane had gone he phoned Ian Mann. He started by telling him about his accident and Mann tried, briefly, to sound sympathetic. And then he told Hall a particularly grisly story about something that had happened to a mate of his during the first Gulf war. Hall wasn’t entirely sure how it was supposed to make him feel better, and it most certainly didn’t.
    ‘But that’s not why I called, Ian.’
    ‘Oh, aye. What’s the craic then?
    ‘I’ve had the ACC on the phone, wanting us to take on that death at Uppies and Downies on Friday.’
    ‘I heard about that. What a shame. It’s just a bit of harmless fun, usually.’
    ‘Compared to what? Nuclear war?’
    Mann laughed. ‘Well, I thought so, anyway.’
    ‘So you’ve played?’
    ‘Oh aye, three or four times. When I was a bit younger, like. Really enjoyed it too.’
    ‘But you’re Kendalian. How do you know if you’re an Uppie or a Downie? I thought it was handed down from father to son.’
    ‘That doesn’t matter. Not really. Me and a couple of mates just used to rock up and ask around and find out which side was weakest that year, then we played for them. I had the chance to hail the ball once, but I passed it to one of the local lads. They get to keep it, see.’
    ‘So you’re up for a trip up there to work the case? The ACC has stood the DI and the DS in Workington down, because they were in the scrum when it happened. So they might be tempted to call it accidental she reckons, just to avoid any repercussions.’
    ‘Shit.’
    ‘Exactly. But in fairness they had a tip that the two local underworld chiefs had their lads settling their differences in the game on Friday. That’s why they were there, or so they say.’
    ‘Last man standing was it, that sort of thing?’
    ‘More or less.’
    ‘So who’s SIO, if the dynamic duo have been stood down, like?’
     
    Hall hesitated. He’d expected the question, but he needed to re-frame his answer.
    ‘I’m taking charge managerially, so the strategic input will come from me. That should