A Lesser Evil - Lesley Pearse [191]
‘What d’you reckon Bolton was going to grass Trueman up about?’ Roper asked.
‘’Spect’e guessed what was going on.’ Alfie had the grace to look a little sheepish. ‘John didn’t like stuff like that. Always were a bit of a gent, even when we was kids. There weren’t no love lost between’im and Trueman anyways. I’eard Trueman sacked’im from’is club cos John wouldn’t kowtow to’im. See, John weren’t nobody’s man, know what I mean?’
That was exactly what Roper had always felt about John Bolton too. A rogue, but one with pride and a kind of honour.
Alfie went on to complain that meeting Trueman had ruined his life. He said his old mates stopped coming to the card parties, and Molly became greedier and greedier.
‘She always’ ad’er eye on the main chance, but once ’e came along she were impossible. Trueman knew ’ow to play ’er,’e’d tell her she was beautiful and that, but it were only so she’d get’im what’e wanted.’
Roper found Alfie making himself out to be a victim a bit tedious; he preferred it when the man swaggered and boasted. But he sensed Alfie was getting things off his chest because he felt safe now Trueman was locked up and couldn’t come after him. If Roper pushed him a bit harder, he might reveal even more.
‘Molly said you buggered that young lad too,’ Roper lied, almost believing it himself because he managed to say it so calmly. ‘She said you couldn’t even wait your turn.’
‘She fuckin’ what?’ Alfie turned purple, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. ‘I ain’t a poofter. I only goes fer women. It made me sick just to ’ear ’em at it, bloody perverts. Then they expected me to stow it away fer ’em.’
Roper felt a prickling down his spine. Alfie wasn’t the most articulate of men, and that last statement could have meant anything from comforting the abused lad to cleaning the floor. But Roper had a feeling it meant a great deal more than that. He glanced sideways at Wallis and saw he had reacted to it too. He was rigid, leaning forward on to the table, his eyes glued to Alfie.
‘Molly told us the lad died,’ Roper bluffed. ‘She didn’t tell us that you had to get rid of the body though. Where did you take it?’
For the first time since his arrest Alfie looked stricken with fear and an animal smell wafted from him. His mouth opened and shut again. Clearly he realized he’d dropped himself right in it.
‘It’s okay, Alfie,’ Wallis said calmly. ‘Molly told us about this ages ago. We haven’t questioned you about it before because we were waiting to get Trueman in custody. Molly said it was you who killed him, but we don’t believe that. It was Trueman, wasn’t it? It’s safe to tell us, he can’t get at you now.’
Alfie was gulping so hard his Adam’s apple looked likely to burst out of his throat. ‘’E never meant to kill’im,’ he blurted out. ‘One of the blokes said they thought’e just accidentally broke the kid’s neck while’e was’olding him.’ Alfie stood up, miming bending forward over someone and holding on to their neck. The mime made Roper cringe because it was clear Alfie had been an avid observer at this gang bang.
‘One minute the lad were crying, the next he went all limp. He were dead.’
Roper felt sick, and even without looking at Wallis he knew he was in the same state. But they had to continue what they’d started now. A body along with a statement would keep Alfie and Molly in prison and hopefully Trueman would hang.
‘And you were made to get rid of the body? Where did you take it?’
‘I dunno exactly, it were dark and I don’t know me way that far out in the sticks. It were way beyond Lewisham, I know that much. Trueman told Chas to drive us.’E knew the way.’
Roper closed his eyes for a second. He felt he ought to be elated, for everything was falling into place. He was certain the place Alfie