agreed?’
Hall nodded, and almost commented on the fact that Wilson was every bit as well-informed as he’d claimed to be.
‘The name just came up, that’s all.’
‘Tell that to the judge, mate. He won’t believe you, any more than I do. So you’ve swallowed Burke’s story then. He’s an innocent man, and I put him away for the best years of his life, did I? Is that what we’re getting round to?’
‘It wasn’t just you, Billy.’
That didn’t seem to be the answer that Wilson was hoping for. When he spoke again his voice was over half way to a shout. Two birds flew up from the lawn in alarm.
‘So who did it then? Jack Lee? This doctor? Because I tell you one thing, Andy. Sharon Burke did not strangle herself, and chuck herself in the bloody lake. So who did it then, smart-arse?’
‘I can’t tell you that. Not because I know and don’t want to, but because I just don’t know. Maybe I’ll never know. But we’ve already made real progress, I do know that.’
‘Progress, my arse. You’re all the same, you university coppers. We should all feel sorry for the bloody cons. If only their mums had given them more hugs as a child, all that.’
‘I don’t…’
‘Well, you listen to me, matey boy. The only way that you’ll ever take this one anywhere is if you can produce hard evidence proving that someone else killed Sharon Burke. And after all this time, you know how much chance of that you’ve got?’
‘Not much, I realise that.’
‘Not much? Absolutely fuck all I’d say. And you can waste your own time if you want to, but don’t you come round here again, and waste any more of mine. You understand what I’m saying?’
Hall got up, said that he understood perfectly, and reached down to pick up Grace’s car seat. To his surprise he saw that she was awake, and had that dreamy, far away look on her face that told him exactly what she was doing at that moment. And he couldn’t have agreed with her more.
He was planning to tell Jane about what a waste of time seeing Billy Wilson had been when he saw her that evening, but he never got the chance. Because he was just turning off the motorway at the north Kendal junction when his phone rang. It was Jane.
‘I was just thinking about you, love’, he said.
‘Same here.’
‘That’s nice to know.’
‘Well it shouldn’t be, Andy. I’ve just come off the phone with the ACC, who bollocked me once, and then did it again, just for good measure. He says you’re out of control. He told me to close you down. Christ, what on earth did you say to old Billy Wilson? It sounds like you set his bloody house on fire or something.’
‘Nothing much. Just that I don’t think Jack Lee’s alibi is anything like watertight, and that Adam Burke may indeed have been drugged by his wife. We’ve got some information suggesting that it’s perfectly possible. Oh, yes, and I told him that we now know for certain the identity of the man that Sharon had been having an affair with. Dr. Fleming admitted it to Ray earlier.’
‘Well, you’re really set the cat among the pigeons this time, Andy. The ACC must be really shitting himself about this, judging by the way he just spoke to me.’
‘I expect he is, and I’m sorry if he took it out on you, love. But we can talk about it when you get home, can’t we?’
‘No, love, that’s why I’m calling. We’re pulling the file from you. No further co-operation, I’m afraid. I told the ACC that you’d go public if he did that, and he said it’s what he expected you to do. I know it’s a shame, love, but you had no real chance of getting anywhere with this one, did you? Not after all these years.’
‘That’s what people keep telling me. But they’re wrong, Jane. Because I know that Adam Burke didn’t kill his wife, and in a few more days I’ll be able to prove it. So just a bit longer, please, love.’
‘No, Andy. Look, be reasonable here. Adam Burke has done his time,
Hall nodded, and almost commented on the fact that Wilson was every bit as well-informed as he’d claimed to be.
‘The name just came up, that’s all.’
‘Tell that to the judge, mate. He won’t believe you, any more than I do. So you’ve swallowed Burke’s story then. He’s an innocent man, and I put him away for the best years of his life, did I? Is that what we’re getting round to?’
‘It wasn’t just you, Billy.’
That didn’t seem to be the answer that Wilson was hoping for. When he spoke again his voice was over half way to a shout. Two birds flew up from the lawn in alarm.
‘So who did it then? Jack Lee? This doctor? Because I tell you one thing, Andy. Sharon Burke did not strangle herself, and chuck herself in the bloody lake. So who did it then, smart-arse?’
‘I can’t tell you that. Not because I know and don’t want to, but because I just don’t know. Maybe I’ll never know. But we’ve already made real progress, I do know that.’
‘Progress, my arse. You’re all the same, you university coppers. We should all feel sorry for the bloody cons. If only their mums had given them more hugs as a child, all that.’
‘I don’t…’
‘Well, you listen to me, matey boy. The only way that you’ll ever take this one anywhere is if you can produce hard evidence proving that someone else killed Sharon Burke. And after all this time, you know how much chance of that you’ve got?’
‘Not much, I realise that.’
‘Not much? Absolutely fuck all I’d say. And you can waste your own time if you want to, but don’t you come round here again, and waste any more of mine. You understand what I’m saying?’
Hall got up, said that he understood perfectly, and reached down to pick up Grace’s car seat. To his surprise he saw that she was awake, and had that dreamy, far away look on her face that told him exactly what she was doing at that moment. And he couldn’t have agreed with her more.
He was planning to tell Jane about what a waste of time seeing Billy Wilson had been when he saw her that evening, but he never got the chance. Because he was just turning off the motorway at the north Kendal junction when his phone rang. It was Jane.
‘I was just thinking about you, love’, he said.
‘Same here.’
‘That’s nice to know.’
‘Well it shouldn’t be, Andy. I’ve just come off the phone with the ACC, who bollocked me once, and then did it again, just for good measure. He says you’re out of control. He told me to close you down. Christ, what on earth did you say to old Billy Wilson? It sounds like you set his bloody house on fire or something.’
‘Nothing much. Just that I don’t think Jack Lee’s alibi is anything like watertight, and that Adam Burke may indeed have been drugged by his wife. We’ve got some information suggesting that it’s perfectly possible. Oh, yes, and I told him that we now know for certain the identity of the man that Sharon had been having an affair with. Dr. Fleming admitted it to Ray earlier.’
‘Well, you’re really set the cat among the pigeons this time, Andy. The ACC must be really shitting himself about this, judging by the way he just spoke to me.’
‘I expect he is, and I’m sorry if he took it out on you, love. But we can talk about it when you get home, can’t we?’
‘No, love, that’s why I’m calling. We’re pulling the file from you. No further co-operation, I’m afraid. I told the ACC that you’d go public if he did that, and he said it’s what he expected you to do. I know it’s a shame, love, but you had no real chance of getting anywhere with this one, did you? Not after all these years.’
‘That’s what people keep telling me. But they’re wrong, Jane. Because I know that Adam Burke didn’t kill his wife, and in a few more days I’ll be able to prove it. So just a bit longer, please, love.’
‘No, Andy. Look, be reasonable here. Adam Burke has done his time,
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