Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories Read Online Free PDF Page A

reader in the preceding paragraphs.
    When it was finished, Morse looked almost as puzzled as (apparently) the prisoner himself had looked earlier.
    “Has Muldoon got any idea that things have gone missing?”
    “Seems not, sir.”
    “He must be suspicious, though—about being offered something for nothing? It’s surely very improbable, isn’t it, that he’s going to spill any beans?”
    “We
do
get informers, though.
And
they get paid.”
    “Unusual currency—sex-videos.”
    “Well, that’s his particular taste, according to Crawford. They found dozens of ’em in his room. Not natural, is it?”
    “Not all that
un
-natural, would you say?”
    “Have you
seen
some of these videos?”
    “No, Lewis. Unlike you, I’ve lived a very sheltered life. I have
tried
to get invited along to one of these porno-parties, but everybody seems to think I’m above such things.”
    “You wouldn’t enjoy ’em, sir. They make you feel—well, cheap, somehow.”
    “Perhaps most of us
are
cheap.”
    Lewis shook his head. “And goodness knows what the missus would say if she knew.”
    “Need
she know?”
    “You’d understand better if you were married, sir.”
    Morse was silent for a short while before continuing. “I’ll tell you one thing: I wish I could understand
Crawford
better. Why doesn’t he do things a bit more
simply?”
    “What are you thinking of?”
    “Well, if he’s lost a beer-can, why doesn’t he just give the fellow
another
beer-can—and then stick it in the exhibits locker?”
    “I’m not sure. But I think he feels it’ll salve his conscience a bit if it comes from Blackbird Leys, you know—not from the prison.”
    “What’s the difference? It’s dishonest either way.”
    “You’d have to ask Crawford that. I don’t know.”
    “And why not just
fiddle
the photo? I know a Spanish chap—name of McSevich—”
    “Spanish? With a name like that?”
    “Like you, Lewis, I am not privy to some of the greater mysteries in life. All I know is that this chap’s a wizard with a camera. He can stick a ghost in the middle of a group-photograph—all that sort of fake stuff. He can probably let you have a snap of the Home Secretary outside a strip-club—in his jock-strap.”
    “In the dark.”
    Morse grinned. “No problem.”
    “That would be even
more
dishonest, though.”
    “What? What are you talking about?”
    “I think—I
think
I understand why Crawford’s doing it this way.”
    “You
do
? Well, tell me. Come on! Come on, Lewis! Try!”
    Lewis took a deep breath. It was going to be difficult—but he would try.
    “Look at it this way, sir. If I—let’s say I was being unfaithful to the missus and going off somewhere with a lady-friend. Let’s say I’d told the missus I was going by train—but I wasn’t really going by train at all, because this lady-friend was going to pick me up in her car somewhere, all right?”
    “Lewis, I look at you in a completely new light!”
    “It’s just that I’d rather have a taxi actually
take
me to the station, and get picked up
there
—rather than meet inSt. Giles’ or somewhere. I know you wouldn’t understand something like that, but …”
    “But I do,” said Morse quietly. “I know exactly what you mean.”
    Lewis felt encouraged to add a gloss: “It’s as if Crawford’s only prepared to be dishonest in an honest sort of way.”
    Morse recited the couplet that had been going through his mind:
    “Honour rooted in Dishonour stood,
    And Faith, unfaithful, kept him falsely true.”
    “Who wrote that, sir?”
    “Forget.”
    Morse rose from his desk, a final thought striking him.
    “You know, if your prisoner’s going to be handcuffed all the while, it’s bound to be a funny old photo, isn’t it? Won’t it give the game away?”
    “No. He’s only got one leg. And he couldn’t scarper if he wanted to. Even
you
could catch him if he tried anything on, sir.”
    “Thank you very much!”
    Lewis too rose from his chair,