in the bungalow. He stepped up to the front door. Carter followed. There was an air of neglect about the place. While the doorknob and the keyhole were well used, the white paintwork on the door needed a good clean down and small cobwebs removed from across the corners of the lintel. There was a bell push at the side. He pressed it and heard chimes ring out inside.
They waited. There was no reply. They looked at each other.
‘ Just like it was before, sir,’ Carter said.
He nodded. ‘Have a walk round, sergeant. See if all the window glass is sound and the back door is locked.’
She rushed off.
Angel pressed the bell again.
Then suddenly he heard a voice, a loud, raucous voice, a voice that sounded as if the owner of it gargled with formaldehyde. ‘Hey, you there.’
Angel looked round.
The bellowing came from a big man in a vest and jeans standing outside the open door of the bungalow next door.
‘ Who are you ?’ he bawled. ‘ What are you? Jehovah’s Witnesses? He’s out. I saw your mate earlier. You never give up, do you? Pity you haven’t got homes to go to.’
Angel called back, ‘I’m a police officer. I want to speak to Mr Angus Peel on a very urgent matter. Who are you, sir?’
The tone of the man changed. ‘Oh? Police?’ he said, and he came across his drive to the low concrete and wire fence between the two bungalows.
Angel crossed to meet him. He waved his warrant card in his direction, even though it was too dark for the man to be able to read it.
‘ He’s out,’ the man said. ‘His van isn’t here. We’re trying to keep the estate respectable, you know? There’s always somebody knocking on our doors trying to peddle us something. Not always honest.’
Angel knew what he meant. ‘Any idea where Mr Peel might be?’
‘ He works late hours occasionally and sometimes eats out or brings in a takeaway. Don’t know what he gets up to,’ he said. ‘I think he’s got a bird on the side,’ he added with a snigger.
Angel ’s eyebrows went up. ‘Any idea of her name or address?’
‘ No. It was only a joke.’
‘ You said something about someone calling earlier.’
‘ Yes. Strange looking chap. I thought he was a Jehovah’s Witness.’
‘ Can you describe him? It might be important.’
‘ Easy. He was dressed in a white cloak thing, like…like Lawrence of Arabia. He had a beard. I saw him through the front window. He was knocking on Angus’s door. Strange. He’d gone by the time I got outside to see what he wanted.’
Angel ’s heart began to beat like a tom-tom.
Carter arrived back from checking the windows. She saw Angel conversing with the man and rushed up to join them. Angel lifted his head and looked at her.
‘ Nothing, sir,’ she said.
Angel turned back to the man. ‘Anything else?’ he said.
‘ Don’t know,’ the man said. ‘I said I only caught a glimpse. He had a lot of hair, black or dark brown. Can’t think. He looked like the figures you see in big, old churches.’
Angel ’s mind was in turmoil. He must keep calm. ‘What time was this?’
‘ Oh, I don’t know….’
Angel eyed the man closely. He looked yellow in the glow of the halogen streetlight. ‘Could be very important,’ he said. ‘Very important indeed.’
The man frowned. ‘Between five and six,’ he said. ‘No, it was six o’clock exactly. I remember now. I was watching the telly and the news had just started.’
Angel rubbed his chin.
Carter said, ‘How tall was he?’
‘ About your height,’ he said.
‘ Five feet, eight inches?’ she said. ‘Did he come in a car?’
‘ Don’t know. Didn’t see one.’
‘ When he left, which way did he go?’
‘ Don’t know. That’s all I can tell you.’
Angel said, ‘What’s Mr Peel’s van like?’
‘ It’s a white Ford Transit van, new. He’s only had it a few weeks.’
‘ Right,’ Angel said. ‘Thanks very much. If he turns up, tell him that…tell him we want him to report to the police
They waited. There was no reply. They looked at each other.
‘ Just like it was before, sir,’ Carter said.
He nodded. ‘Have a walk round, sergeant. See if all the window glass is sound and the back door is locked.’
She rushed off.
Angel pressed the bell again.
Then suddenly he heard a voice, a loud, raucous voice, a voice that sounded as if the owner of it gargled with formaldehyde. ‘Hey, you there.’
Angel looked round.
The bellowing came from a big man in a vest and jeans standing outside the open door of the bungalow next door.
‘ Who are you ?’ he bawled. ‘ What are you? Jehovah’s Witnesses? He’s out. I saw your mate earlier. You never give up, do you? Pity you haven’t got homes to go to.’
Angel called back, ‘I’m a police officer. I want to speak to Mr Angus Peel on a very urgent matter. Who are you, sir?’
The tone of the man changed. ‘Oh? Police?’ he said, and he came across his drive to the low concrete and wire fence between the two bungalows.
Angel crossed to meet him. He waved his warrant card in his direction, even though it was too dark for the man to be able to read it.
‘ He’s out,’ the man said. ‘His van isn’t here. We’re trying to keep the estate respectable, you know? There’s always somebody knocking on our doors trying to peddle us something. Not always honest.’
Angel knew what he meant. ‘Any idea where Mr Peel might be?’
‘ He works late hours occasionally and sometimes eats out or brings in a takeaway. Don’t know what he gets up to,’ he said. ‘I think he’s got a bird on the side,’ he added with a snigger.
Angel ’s eyebrows went up. ‘Any idea of her name or address?’
‘ No. It was only a joke.’
‘ You said something about someone calling earlier.’
‘ Yes. Strange looking chap. I thought he was a Jehovah’s Witness.’
‘ Can you describe him? It might be important.’
‘ Easy. He was dressed in a white cloak thing, like…like Lawrence of Arabia. He had a beard. I saw him through the front window. He was knocking on Angus’s door. Strange. He’d gone by the time I got outside to see what he wanted.’
Angel ’s heart began to beat like a tom-tom.
Carter arrived back from checking the windows. She saw Angel conversing with the man and rushed up to join them. Angel lifted his head and looked at her.
‘ Nothing, sir,’ she said.
Angel turned back to the man. ‘Anything else?’ he said.
‘ Don’t know,’ the man said. ‘I said I only caught a glimpse. He had a lot of hair, black or dark brown. Can’t think. He looked like the figures you see in big, old churches.’
Angel ’s mind was in turmoil. He must keep calm. ‘What time was this?’
‘ Oh, I don’t know….’
Angel eyed the man closely. He looked yellow in the glow of the halogen streetlight. ‘Could be very important,’ he said. ‘Very important indeed.’
The man frowned. ‘Between five and six,’ he said. ‘No, it was six o’clock exactly. I remember now. I was watching the telly and the news had just started.’
Angel rubbed his chin.
Carter said, ‘How tall was he?’
‘ About your height,’ he said.
‘ Five feet, eight inches?’ she said. ‘Did he come in a car?’
‘ Don’t know. Didn’t see one.’
‘ When he left, which way did he go?’
‘ Don’t know. That’s all I can tell you.’
Angel said, ‘What’s Mr Peel’s van like?’
‘ It’s a white Ford Transit van, new. He’s only had it a few weeks.’
‘ Right,’ Angel said. ‘Thanks very much. If he turns up, tell him that…tell him we want him to report to the police
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