Skinner's Ordeal Read Online Free PDF Page A

talked to your eye-witness in the van, whether he's ready for it or not.'
    He led the way across to the blue minibus. The man was sitting in the second row of seats, staring over his shoulder away from the valley, down the hillside to where a flock of sheep had gathered dumbly around the body of the slaughtered ewe. Chief Superintendent Radcliffe opened the passenger door and leaned inside.
    `How are you feeling, sir?' he asked.
    The shepherd shrugged his shoulders, helplessly.
    `There's someone here who has to speak to you. Is that okay?' The man nodded. Radcliffe backed out of the vehicle and allowed the DCC to climb into the front seat.
    `Good morning,' he said. 'My name's Bob Skinner. What's yours?'
    The man looked at him as if he was trying to remember. Seated, he looked short, but stockily built. He had thick, black, matted curly hair, and wore a dirty tweed jacket over a heavyweight check shirt. His hands were in his lap. Skinner was shocked to see that they were stained with blood. He looked at the man's face properly for the first time, and saw a red smear by his right temple.
    The shepherd blinked. 'Ronnie Thacker. My name's Ronnie Thacker.'
    `What were you doing up here, Mr Thacker?'
    `Getherin' in the sheep. It was time tae bring them back tae the ferm.
    `Mr Radcliffe said he found you running down the road. You didn't have a vehicle, then?'
    `Lost ma licence!' The man glared at him, as if he should have known. 'The boss dropped me off on the hillside, then went back for his breakfast.'
    `So. Let's talk about the crash, Ronnie. Take your time, now, and try to remember everything. When did you see the plane first?'
    Thacker knitted his brows. Àh dinna ken really. Ah just looked up and it was there, comin' towards the ground.'
    Was there anything in particular that made you look up?'
    The shepherd paused, as if struggling to express himself. Àh dinna ken for sure. At first, Ah thought Ah heard a shot, far away, like. Ah thought tae myself, "Wha's out wi' a twelve-bore at this time o' day?" It was then Ah saw the plane.'
    `Can you describe it, as it came down?'
    Ìt . . . It . . . It seemed tae be in slow motion at first. It just sort of drifted down. Then the closer it got, the faster it seemed tae be goin'. Ah couldna dae a thing, ken. Ah thought it was goin' tae hit me, but Ah couldna move. Then it went past me and crashed intae the valley. The tail tore aff and then a'thing just blew up. Great big dods o' metal goin' up in the air, and fallin' all about me. Yin bit just missed me. It hit wan o' ma ewes, though.
    Turned the poor bugger inside out. Never seen a mess like yon, outside of a knacker's yard.'
    He held up his bloody hands to illustrate the point. Skinner winced:
    `That's when Ah panicked. Ah just had tae get away from that thing. Ah never thought where Ah wis goin' other than just down the road, away frae here. Ah walked and walked .
    . . Then Ah met your lot, and the buggers brought me back!'
    Skinner smiled at him gently. 'You're an important man, Ronnie. You're maybe the only witness we've got.'
    A light seemed to go on in a dark recess of the shepherd's brain. D'ye think I might get money, like? Frae the papers?'
    `Don't book your holidays on the strength of it. Now, let's go back to the crash. I want you to think carefully. When the plane hit the ground, what happened to the nose-cone?'
    `The whit?'
    The bit at the sharp-end, Ronnie. Where the driver sits.'
    The shepherd's brow furrowed again. D'ye ken, that's a funny thing. And it never occurred tae me till you said. The bit at the front. It wisna there!'
    `You didn't see it at all?'
    `Naw. It wisna there, Ah tell ye. The front was open. There wis smoke and some flames comin' out. But Ah never saw the bit at the sharp end. Not at all!'
    Skinner sat and stared at the man for several seconds. `Honest!' said Thacker, plaintively.
    Òkay, okay. I believe you!' He stepped out of the car, and beckoned to Radcliffe.
    `Charlie. I want you to put this boy