Reginald Hill

The best thing on the staff,’ he said. ‘ Miss. Soper must have strong powers of attraction. Let’s see. I would say, at a guess, without actually handling the merchandise, that she can’t be any more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight at the outside. Probably twenty-seven. Does that suggest anything to you?” “Wait a minute!’ said Pascoe. ‘ wasn’t on the list of staff employed when Girling was boss!”

“So!”

“So … I don’t know. Perhaps she was just commissioned to do the job and got a full-time post later?”

“Commissioned for a job like this at twenty-one?”

Twenty-one? Yes, twenty-one. Of course!’ said Pascoe. ‘ must have been a student.”

“Well done! Yes, one of Al’s famous gals. And here, if I’m not mistaken, she comes.”

Pascoe looked along the beech hedge. At the far end a uniformed constable appeared with Marion Cargo. He pointed towards the two detectives, put a finger to his helmet and went on his way.

“Very gallant,’ observed Dalziel. ‘. Cargo, how nice of you to come!”

He had to raise his voice as she was still some twenty yards away.

Pascoe watched her approach with interest.

Nice, he thought. Not built on traditional art-mistress lines, all bum and bosom, but none the worse for that. She could go to the vicar’s tea-party dressed like that and still put a bit of strength in the sexton’s arm. Oh, yes.

His thoughts turned rather guiltily to Ellie. What the hell. There were no ties there. Last night’s encounter had been the chance-in-a-million crossing of orbits which now would spin them light-years apart.

He liked the image. Perhaps Ellie could use it in her book. He had tried the first chapter over breakfast. It hadn’t held him but he felt he ought to persevere.

“Why do you want to see me, Superintendent?’ asked Marion. Then she saw the statue through the open door.

“Oh,’ she said in neutral tones.

“It’s a pity,’ said Dalziel, ‘ it should be lying here out of sight.

Like all that stuff in the basement of the National Gallery.”

That’s it, thought Pascoe. He’ll mention

“The Stag at Bay’ then he’s shot his bolt.

“Not really,’ said Marion. ”s not very good.”

“You mustn’t say that. I’m no judge, but I know what I like, and this looks fine to me.”

Dalziel nodded sagely as though he had just bestowed a Nobel Prize.

“But,’ he went on, ‘ you place so little value on it, why were you so upset when it came down? Everyone remarked on it.”

“Everyone,’ had been Landor.

Marion flushed.

“Not because of the statue itself,’ she said. ‘ know it’s absurd but, well, it had a sentimental value. That’s all.”

“Really? You mean, because of Miss. Girling?”

“Yes. It was her idea, you see … “

“Her idea!’ broke in Pascoe. Dalziel looked at him reprovingly.

‘… and she gave me so much encouragement. She was really super. The others didn’t want it, you know, they didn’t think it was the thing. I thought they’d have banned it after it all happened, but instead they decided to use it as … “

She stopped and turned away.

“There, there,’ said Dalziel, patting her shoulder avuncularly. But his eyes were glancing smugly at Pascoe.

“I’m sorry,’ she said finally, moving from under the next of Dalziel’s blows.

“Not at all. Quite understand,’ he said. ‘, Miss. Cargo, you started work on the statue in … “

‘… September. It should have gone up before Christmas, but the weather was so awful that they didn’t get the hole dug for the base till the last week of term.”

“You’d be a final year student at the time?”

That’s right.”

“And after Miss. Girling’s reported death, it was decided to use your statue as a memorial to her?” “Yes. Like I said, not everyone agreed. Miss. Scotby was very much against it.”

“And Miss. Disney?”

“No, actually. It was her and Henry Saltecombe who talked the others into it. It was a bit absurd, I mean, the thing was meant to symbolize youthful drive and energy.” “And the base,’ continued Dalziel, ‘ did they put the concrete base into the hole?”

“I’m not sure,’ said Marion. ‘ it important?” “Yes,’ said Dalziel.

She thought hard.

“I can’t say, I’m afraid. There was a hole there when we left for the hols, and the base was in when we got back. That’s all I can say.”

“Sergeant Pascoe, perhaps you could … “

Pascoe did not wait for him to finish, but nodded and began to step out rapidly towards the college.

“And when did you come back to the college?”

“Oh, just a year ago. I’d done a bit of teaching, got some extra qualifications on part-time courses, then this job came. up. It seemed like fate somehow. I’d said I’d never come back after the last year. But that all seemed such a long time before. Now it’s all started again.”

She slammed shut the door of the shed, frightening a blackbird which had been perched on the roof, observing them.

“Sorry,’ she called contritely after it, but it didn’t look round.

“Thank you very much, my dear,’ said Dalziel. ‘ me walk you back to college.”

He turned to the low archway cut in the hedge which led through into the garden.