Doctor Who_ The Hollow Men - Keith Topping [43]
„Yes?‟
„There are columns in these records for births, christenings, marriages and deaths. And there‟s also one other column. It hardly seems to be used, except every couple of years there‟s a date next to one of the names.‟ She pointed to the 1937 entry in her hand. Like here: Grace Partnoll, first of July 1937.What‟s all that about?‟
„That column refers to people who have left the village for one reason or another. If you look at the next page you‟ll see it says that Miss Partnoll is no longer part of the village list.‟
„Oh yes,‟ said Ace, flicking over the page. „So it does...‟ She stood to give the vicar back his glass, glancing at the newer volume that he held. „Has somebody just left?‟ she said, pointing to that day‟s date on the page, partly obscured by Baber‟s thumb.
„Yes indeed,‟ said the vicar. „Mr and Mrs Tyley informed me just this morning that young William has left the village to go to London.‟ He sighed. „Such a debauched place.‟
„I come from London,‟ said Ace sharply, not sure if she was being insulted or not. She pointed to the small wooden cupboard which had contained the up-to-date register. „I noticed when you got the new ledger out, it looked like there were some old photographs in there, too. May I have a look?‟
„No, you may not,‟ said Baber, suddenly stiffening. „I‟m afraid that I really haven‟t the time to show you those.
Anyway, they‟re family heirlooms, and have no relevance to your researches. And now...‟ He looked at his watch. „I must ask you if you would be so good as to allow me to lock up.‟
Ace shrugged, and closed the ledger, placing it carefully back in the chest. „Thanks for your time,‟ she said.
„I hope you found what you were looking for,‟ said Baber, seemingly torn between hustling Ace from the church and maintaining a show of being the genial host.
„I‟ve certainly got a few leads worth pursuing,‟ said Ace with a wicked grin, trying to remember the last time she had broken into a church.
The radio was turned up much too loud, but at least it rendered the taxi driver almost inaudible.
„Many people have accused you of pursuing vendettas, of concentrating on individual troublemakers at the expense of wider police work.‟ The female interviewer‟s voice was breathy and forward, obviously used to chasing after the stray morsels dropped by politicians and film stars.
„No, no,‟ responded the man, his slow, deliberate voice oozing cool authority. „That would be unfair. You see, what you‟ve got to realise, especially in Liverpool, is that one or two people do account for ninety per cent of the crime. It‟s a proven fact. To call them “troublemakers” makes it sound like they‟re teenagers who play their music too loud. In actual fact, I want to pursue the ringleaders, the kingpins, the drug barons, all the way into prison. And, if you‟ve heard complaints, let me suggest to you that they‟re from the families of these thugs, not from the decent, law-abiding people of Merseyside.‟
„If I can put another commonly expressed concern to you,‟
continued the interviewer, „it‟s that you enjoy a high public profile, and -‟
„Enjoy is not the right word,‟ interrupted the guest. „I‟ve never sought the interest of the media, but I‟ve always been happy to respond honestly when asked about any subject.‟
Damn him, thought Nicola Denman. She couldn‟t even escape from her father in the back of a cab.
She leaned forward. „Would you mind turning that off?‟ she asked.
„Whatever you say, miss,‟ said the taxi driver. „He‟s got a point, though, hasn‟t he? That copper. I think we‟ve tried to understand them criminals for far too long. Should just lock
„em up, and throw away the key.‟
„Yeah,‟ said Nicola, bored and irritated. Thankfully, the taxi driver seemed to want to talk about the latest spate of burglaries in his area, and Nicola was content to grunt at the appropriate moments. Five minutes later the vehicle came to a halt.
„The Catholic Cathedral, miss,‟ announced the driver grandly.
Nicola scooped the required money into the man‟s hand, and set off at a nervous run.