Deadfall (29 page)

Rockley nodded in sympathy. ‘The world is slowly being dragged to a halt by red tape. And the police force is a prime example. How long before you get this beauty going again?' They had reached the first footbridge and he was looking at the wheel.

‘Next month, all being well, but there are no guarantees.'

‘Are you having a grand opening? I'd like to come, if you do.'

‘I'll let you know,' Linc promised. ‘So, what can I do for you? Or are top brass visiting the station again?'

They wandered on to the second bridge and paused to watch the water gushing from the pipe into the by-pass stream.

‘Manston tells me you've been in trouble again,' Rockley commented.

‘Yes, but not of my making.'

‘Have you heard from the doctor?'

‘Not yet. Have you?'

‘As a matter of fact, yes. And he had nothing to tell. The results of your blood test showed no suspicious substances in your system.'

‘There must have been! I wasn't drunk, if that's what you think.'

‘No. That would have showed in your test, too.'

Linc was bewildered. ‘So what are you saying? That I had some sort of attack or seizure?' The thought was deeply disturbing.

‘Not necessarily. There are a couple of substances that are very difficult to detect. Rohypnol and GHB; the date-rape drugs. Because their effects can mimic those of alcohol abuse, they often go unsuspected, and unless specific tests are carried out within a few hours, their use is almost impossible to prove.'

‘But the blood test . . .?'

‘It has to be a urine test,' Rockley stated. ‘And it isn't something that hospitals are set up to test for. Usually it's done by a police lab. So you see, unless someone has, or is given, an amount which
constitutes an overdose, such as in your case, these drugs probably wouldn't even be considered.'

‘Would it have been in my drink?'

‘Probably. GHB in particular is very easy to disguise. It's a clear liquid, and although it has a salty taste, you need so little of it, you could put it in almost any fruity or alcoholic drink and the recipient would be none the wiser.'

‘Like fruit punch.'

‘Yes, like fruit punch.'

‘But why do it? What did they hope to achieve? Not . . . not rape, surely.' Linc could hardly bring himself to say the word and his face reflected the abhorrence he felt.

‘It's unlikely.'

Rockley bent and picked up half a dozen stones from the path and began to toss them, one by one, into the running water.

‘Although it is known as a date-rape drug, GHB – Gamma hydroxy butyrate – is quite widely taken in our larger cities as a recreational drug, because in low to medium doses, as I said, it produces an effect not unlike that of alcoholic intoxication. The problem is that as a liquid GHB comes in very varied degrees of concentration. Unless you know and trust your source it is frighteningly easy to overdose.'

‘But where does it come from? It's a banned substance, obviously, so . . .'

‘Ah, but it's not.' Rockley dropped the last of the pebbles and turned to face Linc. ‘It's a prescribed sedative. But it's unfortunately also fairly easy to make and there are internet sites that tell you exactly how to go about it. The boys at the lab tell
me it's basically a degreasing solvent mixed with drain cleaner!'

‘Oh, God! No wonder I was ill!'

‘They also tell me that it's a substance produced in minute quantities by the body itself, but that doesn't, as some of its proponents argue, make it safe to consume. The main danger is that it's extremely dose-sensitive, and by that I mean that the dose needed to induce dangerous effects is only slightly greater than the dose some people regularly enjoy taking. Any other contributing factors, such as combining it with other drugs, or alcohol consumption, or even something as simple as taking it on an empty stomach, can drastically increase the effect it has on an individual.'

‘I don't know whether I'd eaten,' Linc told him. ‘But I suppose there was probably alcohol in the punch. I don't remember.'

‘Your sister-in-law said there was a little.'

‘I still don't see the point of it all.'

‘Well, as a date-rape drug it renders the victim extremely susceptible to suggestion. They experience a lack of inhibition and find it almost impossible to exert their own will. To add to our difficulties, victims also suffer amnesia. It's a bugger! The effects of overdose are – among other things – prolonged unrouseable sleep, possible respiratory disorders, vomiting, and death. Many hospitals don't recognise the symptoms and there have been a number of fatalities in the States – where it's no longer available on prescription, by the way.'

Linc was frowning, struggling to take it all in.

‘So, given that I fit all the criteria, what do you
think the intention was? Was the overdose deliberate?'

Rockley sighed. ‘I wish I could tell you. Whatever the answer, I'd say you were lucky your friend Sandy Wilkes came along.'

‘He said he found me in the passenger seat,' Linc mentioned, remembering.

‘Yes. It was in his statement. Any idea why?'

Linc leaned over the railing, staring at the water. The idea forming in his brain was unpalatable, to say the least, and he was reluctant to give voice to it, as if doing so would somehow give it substance.

‘What if I changed sides because I was told to; so someone else could drive the car with me in it.' He paused, thinking hard.

‘Go on,' Rockley prompted.

‘Well, what if the car was stopped by the bridge on purpose and I was supposed to get back into my side but by then I was unconscious?'

He looked up and found Rockley watching him intently.

‘Do you remember old River Joe? I can't recall his real name, but you remember what happened to him?'

Rockley nodded. ‘Indeed I do. And I'm right with you. If you'd gone over into the river in your car, with its soft-top, you'd have been very lucky to have got out alive.'

Linc was appalled at where this was leading, but he'd gone too far to stop now. ‘It's a very quiet lane,' he went on. ‘If there
was
someone else, they could quite reasonably have expected to have plenty of time to set it all up. Especially if I was unconscious. It was just a matter of luck that
Sandy came along at that moment. He said he didn't see anyone else, but maybe whoever it was panicked. It would be easy enough to drop down into the river and under the bridge until the coast was clear.'

‘And if it had gone to plan, it would appear that you'd driven off the road accidentally. Sad, but it had happened before. By the time you were found there would quite possibly be no trace of the drug in your body to give the game away, even if anyone thought to test for it.' Rockley paused. ‘It's certainly possible. In fact, I'm very much afraid you could be right. But why, Linc? Tell me. What have you done or found out? Why should someone risk so much to get rid of you? Because that's what it boils down to, you know. Someone is terrified of what you might do or say. So, if you know anything – anything at all – you must tell me.'

‘I wish to God I could!' Linc exclaimed. ‘But I honestly don't. I'm not exactly ecstatic about the idea that someone may be trying to bump me off! You heard about the latest note, I suppose?'

‘Yes. Forensics have had a look at it and come up with absolutely zilch, except that it apparently comes from the
Mail
instead of the
Sun
this time. I'm not sure if there's any significance in that or not.' He groaned, running his fingers through his hair. ‘I'm finding it hard to think straight at all at the moment, to be honest. We've got a new Chief Super and he's determined to make his mark. Talk about a new broom . . . It's enough to drive you mad. Or, in the words of one of my younger colleagues, “It's doing my head in.” I suppose he'll get over it eventually.' He sighed heavily and looked at his
watch. ‘Well, I must get going. And you, to quote the last note, “Watch your back”, okay? We're doing what we can but we haven't had a lot to go on and quite frankly it's baffling. You say you've not been nosing around . . .'

‘And I haven't.'

‘Then why do they still feel threatened? Why risk breaking cover to attack you, when there's no real need? Especially now young Abby's on the mend. Are you sure you've told us everything?'

‘Absolutely,' Linc assured him.

‘Oh, well . . .' Rockley sighed, turning away from the stream and back towards his car. ‘As I said, look after yourself. Try to stay away from lonely places, dark alleys and the like. We'll be in touch.'

He held out his hand and Linc shook it. The night they had first met, he would have taken long odds against ever liking the detective, but surprisingly he found he now did.

‘Have there been any more tack thefts recently?' he asked.

‘No. Not on my patch. They've either moved on or decided to lay low for the time being. Why?' the detective added suspiciously.

‘Just curious.'

‘Hmm.' Rockley didn't sound convinced, but nevertheless, after a long hard look at Linc, waved a hand and moved away.

Linc reviewed their conversation in his mind as he watched the big silver car nose its way out of sight into Mill Lane. Then suddenly there was a slithering noise from above, followed by a warning shout, and he flashed a glance upwards even as he
ducked sideways into the shelter of the wall. Two tumbling, spinning black shapes missed him by a whisker, shattering dramatically on the stones at his feet.

A roof tile, or two – it was difficult to tell, the pieces had scattered over quite an area. Linc prudently waited a moment and moved a foot or two along the wall before venturing away from the protection of the overhang. Looking up, he could see two of the roofing team gazing anxiously back at him and waved a hand.

‘Bloody hell! You all right, mate?' one of them called. ‘It didn't hit you, did it?'

Linc shook his head. ‘No. You'll have to try harder than that!' he called in reply. But, joking aside, he should have been wearing a hard hat on site. It was a stipulation of the contractors, the grantors, and the funding partners.

‘Bloody thing snapped in two when I picked it up,' the workman shouted. ‘Must have been a dud, sorry.'

‘S'okay. How's it going?'

‘Pretty good. End of the week, I reckon.'

‘That's brilliant! Well done!' Linc waved a hand and moved on, pleased. They were ahead of target. Weather permitting, they would finish a full two days early.

As he reached the Discovery, he paused.

‘Watch your back' Rockley had advised; the note had said the same. Not much point watching his back if the danger came from above.

It may only have been an accident but if he'd been a fraction of a second slower, the tile could have split his skull.

His reactions had saved him again, but Linc wondered, with a shiver, just how long his luck could hold.

THE HATHAWAYS WERE
still basking in the euphoria engendered by Abby's return to consciousness when they were cruelly knocked back by the news that, in her weakened state, she had succumbed to an infection and was once more seriously ill.

It was Ruth who gave Linc the news when he arrived to ride Noddy on the Friday morning.

‘The doctors are worried that she could go down with pneumonia,' she reported, looking even more tired and dispirited than she had in the days following the attack. ‘It's awful. We were all so happy. So sure that everything was finally going to be all right. Why did this have to happen? Haven't we been through enough? Hasn't
she
?'

Linc didn't know what to say. There didn't seem to be anything that wouldn't sound trite and unconvincing, so instead he went to her and put his arms round her.

‘Is there anything I can do?' he asked.

Leaning against him, Ruth shook her red-gold curls. ‘You're doing it,' she said into his fleece.

‘Where's Josie?'

‘She drove Mum to the hospital this morning.' Ruth stepped back, looking up at him. ‘Mum's in a state. It's like she'd been strong for so long and then she just relaxed. I heard her telling Dad she didn't think she could cope with any more. It's awful. When you're a kid, no matter what happens, you can always turn to your parents for comfort, then suddenly one day you find that they don't have all the answers – that they need comforting themselves, and it's kind of scary. I suppose it's called growing up,' she added, with a flash of a self-conscious smile. ‘But just at the moment I don't want to.'

‘It's been hard on all of you,' Linc said softly. ‘But you're a wonderfully strong family. You'll pull through.' They would, too. Whereas his own family had all but fallen apart after the death of one of its members, he felt that even should the worst happen, the Hathaways would survive.

‘Oh, Josie said to tell you she's very sorry but she won't be able to groom for you at Coopers Down tomorrow. She'll ring you later anyway.'

‘That's no problem. I'll manage. Or I might even ask Nikki again. I think she quite enjoyed it.'

‘I shan't take Magic. I just feel I want to be around, in case . . . well, you know.'

‘Yeah, I know.'

When Josie did ring Linc it was to report no change in her sister's condition, but then Ruth came on the line to ask if he'd like to ride Magic in the following day's competition. Linc had initially protested but Ruth seemed very keen that he should, so he agreed with, to be honest, no real reluctance. The mare was
fun to ride and, at sixteen hands, was well up to his weight.

So Linc set off for Somerset early on Saturday morning with Noddy and Magic in the back of the lorry, and Nikki, who had happily agreed to groom for him, with him in the cab. The downside of the arrangement was that Beverley had decided to offer her services too, in spite of Linc's assuring her that there was no real need. Nevertheless, with Dee Ellis and Steamer also attending, he looked forward with pleasure to a busy day.