attack. You’ll get to know everyone living at Dunsworthy, find outwhat they do all day, what they think, what star sign they are. Sorry, mate – that’s the way this game has to be played. Your only hope for a rest between now and Valentine’s Day is if Hillcock comes out with a confession, backed up with motive and evidence. On the positive side, I’d say that isn’t totally beyond the realms of possibility. Otherwise, it’s grindstone time.’
‘Right, sir,’ said Den gloomily. He couldn’t fault the logic, however strong his sense of injustice might be.
CHAPTER SIX
When questioned again that morning, with Den present, Hillcock had sighed and slowly shaken his head. ‘I don’t remember anything more than I’ve told you already.’ He said it over and over again. The solicitor, summoned by Gordon’s mother, sat motionless and impassive throughout.
‘Please try, sir,’ DI Hemsley had persisted. ‘It is very important, as I’m sure you’ll realise. Shall we go back a bit? When did you last see Sean O’Farrell alive?’
‘About ten-thirty yesterday morning.’
‘And how would you describe his frame of mind?’
‘He was all right. A bit grumpy at the change.’
‘Grumpy? Change?’
‘I told you – I’d asked him to swap that afternoon’s milking with me. I’d do Tuesday if he did Saturday. I had plans for the weekend. It made him grumpy – though hardly more than usual. You wouldn’t call Sean a cheerful man at the best of times.’
Den took note of Hillcock’s pallor after a night at the police station. He didn’t suppose he’d managed much sleep. But his manner was calm and relatively cooperative; he didn’t seem frightened or defensive. Den looked at Gordon’s hands, clasped loosely in his lap, just visible over the edge of the table, as the DI continued his questions. Had they wielded a heavy fork and thrust it twice into another man’s body? Den had seen the hands of murderers before, had even suffered unpleasant dreams about them, but he knew better than to suppose that he could identify guilt from them. Gordon had short fingers and square palms. The joints were pronounced, the nails clean. None of the oil that Sean O’Farrell had had ingrained into his skin and nails could be found on Hillcock. Did the farmer leave the unpleasant jobs to his employees, while he contented himself with paperwork and an occasional stroll along his hedgerows?
Hemsley appeared to have run out of questions, giving the solicitor an opening to push out his chin and demand that his client bepermitted to leave. With a sigh, the DI nodded. ‘We would ask that you remain in the vicinity for the next few days,’ he said. ‘Detective Sergeant Cooper will be interviewing the Speedwell family this morning, and there will be further forensic examination of the yards and buildings. Please ensure that nobody goes into the barn where the body was found until we give you the all clear.’
Gordon snorted slightly, but said nothing. Then, in a sudden rush, all four men got to their feet and skirmished briefly at the door before leaving the room in single file.
Den and Danny exchanged a few more words before going their separate ways. ‘Mrs O’Farrell says that Sean went back up to the yard after lunch – at two o’clock,’ Hemsley observed. ‘If Hillcock was there too, why does he say he never saw him?’
‘It’s a complicated collection of buildings,’ Den explained. ‘They could easily have missed each other.’
The Inspector put his hands together, pressing a fingertip into a spot beneath is chin. ‘When did Speedwell last see O’Farrell?’
‘I don’t think I asked him,’ Den flipped through his report and shook his head. ‘But it looks bad for Hillcock, eh?’ he couldn’t resist blurting.‘No alibi for that forty minutes, inconsistencies, opportunity …’
‘And not a morsel of proof,’ Hemsley reminded him. ‘Early days, my friend. And a mind so open, I could get the
‘Right, sir,’ said Den gloomily. He couldn’t fault the logic, however strong his sense of injustice might be.
CHAPTER SIX
When questioned again that morning, with Den present, Hillcock had sighed and slowly shaken his head. ‘I don’t remember anything more than I’ve told you already.’ He said it over and over again. The solicitor, summoned by Gordon’s mother, sat motionless and impassive throughout.
‘Please try, sir,’ DI Hemsley had persisted. ‘It is very important, as I’m sure you’ll realise. Shall we go back a bit? When did you last see Sean O’Farrell alive?’
‘About ten-thirty yesterday morning.’
‘And how would you describe his frame of mind?’
‘He was all right. A bit grumpy at the change.’
‘Grumpy? Change?’
‘I told you – I’d asked him to swap that afternoon’s milking with me. I’d do Tuesday if he did Saturday. I had plans for the weekend. It made him grumpy – though hardly more than usual. You wouldn’t call Sean a cheerful man at the best of times.’
Den took note of Hillcock’s pallor after a night at the police station. He didn’t suppose he’d managed much sleep. But his manner was calm and relatively cooperative; he didn’t seem frightened or defensive. Den looked at Gordon’s hands, clasped loosely in his lap, just visible over the edge of the table, as the DI continued his questions. Had they wielded a heavy fork and thrust it twice into another man’s body? Den had seen the hands of murderers before, had even suffered unpleasant dreams about them, but he knew better than to suppose that he could identify guilt from them. Gordon had short fingers and square palms. The joints were pronounced, the nails clean. None of the oil that Sean O’Farrell had had ingrained into his skin and nails could be found on Hillcock. Did the farmer leave the unpleasant jobs to his employees, while he contented himself with paperwork and an occasional stroll along his hedgerows?
Hemsley appeared to have run out of questions, giving the solicitor an opening to push out his chin and demand that his client bepermitted to leave. With a sigh, the DI nodded. ‘We would ask that you remain in the vicinity for the next few days,’ he said. ‘Detective Sergeant Cooper will be interviewing the Speedwell family this morning, and there will be further forensic examination of the yards and buildings. Please ensure that nobody goes into the barn where the body was found until we give you the all clear.’
Gordon snorted slightly, but said nothing. Then, in a sudden rush, all four men got to their feet and skirmished briefly at the door before leaving the room in single file.
Den and Danny exchanged a few more words before going their separate ways. ‘Mrs O’Farrell says that Sean went back up to the yard after lunch – at two o’clock,’ Hemsley observed. ‘If Hillcock was there too, why does he say he never saw him?’
‘It’s a complicated collection of buildings,’ Den explained. ‘They could easily have missed each other.’
The Inspector put his hands together, pressing a fingertip into a spot beneath is chin. ‘When did Speedwell last see O’Farrell?’
‘I don’t think I asked him,’ Den flipped through his report and shook his head. ‘But it looks bad for Hillcock, eh?’ he couldn’t resist blurting.‘No alibi for that forty minutes, inconsistencies, opportunity …’
‘And not a morsel of proof,’ Hemsley reminded him. ‘Early days, my friend. And a mind so open, I could get the
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