Spanish Inquisition (10 page)

‘Or by Norton herself,' put in Tom. ‘I'll tell you what we know as of now and maybe you can add to our perception of her.'

At the end of Tom's concise precis, Su Carfax denied any knowledge of her corporal's involvement with Staff Sergeant Andrews.

‘I deal with their professional problems, that's all. I'm not their nanny. Their private lives are private. Unless they approach me for advice I respect their right to occupy their off duty time as they wish.'

‘Providing it's within the law,' said Tom.

Again there was a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. ‘Maria Norton is a very attractive woman, and knows it, but she's very intelligent, enthusiastic and first class at her job. I can only believe she was under immense pressure for her to do what she has. She had everything going for her. Certain promotion, widespread applause for her portrayal of Carmen, an offer to sing with the Drumdorran band when they give concerts. These things would be immensely important to her. As I said before, her military career and her singing are her great enthusiasms. She spends as much as her colleagues spend on clothes to pay for lessons with a coach in town. And because her neighbours complained, she persuaded one of the PT Instructors to allow her to use an office in the gymnasium for her vocal exercises. That's how keen she is.'

Max said with a smile, ‘I think you undersold yourself just now. You do take an interest in the off duty pursuits of your troop members.'

‘It's impossible not to with someone as vivid as she.'

Tom broke into the duologue.' Do you know the name of the singing teacher?'

‘I'm sorry. Is it important?'

‘Could be, if she's holed-up with him right now.'

There was a quiet moment before Lieutenant Carfax stood, setting the men also on their feet. ‘So we have reached no conclusion on why Corporal Norton left the base in a painful and bruised state, risking those things that are so important to her.'

‘Nor do we yet know why she made a damaging false accusation against our sergeant,' Tom replied bluntly. ‘That'll be added to any further charges she might incur.'

Max walked towards the door with the visitor. ‘Are you at all reassured on the problem you came here with?'

‘No, that will only come when you unearth the truth. Or when . . .' She broke off and hurried to the main entrance with mumbled thanks.

As Max stood watching her, Tom came up beside him. ‘Well, well, what was that all about?'

‘Yes. Interesting. Norton apparently saw something damning about a person on this base, and they're afraid she informed him, got a beating to make her keep quiet and ran to get away from him.'

The more prosaic Tom said, ‘They only have to interrogate him.'

‘But they'd risk betraying classified info if their theory is wrong. All the same, whatever they know must be high octane stuff to cause such concern.'

R
eturning to Max's office to consider this new development in relation to what they already knew about the case, they had not progressed far when Piercey appeared in the doorway.

‘The Regional Commander has just driven up, sir.'

Max pulled a face. ‘Oh God! Tom, this is where you tell him I pulled rank on you.'

‘Why would you have done that? You've simply called in in passing, hoping for coffee and a bun.'

‘So I have,' he replied with a grin as Piercey returned to his desk.

Tall and thin, with a neat brown moustache, Major Keith Pinkney was known to regret his appointment to senior office. A man of action, he now saw himself as no more than a meddler in other men's investigations when he yearned to run his own once more. With the appointment came the abundance of paperwork to tie him to his desk – an occupation he considered only the most complete philistine would relish.

Walking directly to where Max and Tom were now standing casually alongside the shelf bearing an electric kettle and a selection of mugs, Pinkney's strident voice accused Max.

‘Heard you were back and putting your spoke in where it shouldn't be, Captain Rydal.'

Straightening to attention beside Tom, Max said genially, while cursing the fact that there were spies on the base, ‘Good morning, sir. Can we offer you some coffee?'

‘Certainly can,' came the clipped reply. ‘And while I'm drinking it you can explain how you came to so badly miscalculate the length of your convalescent leave.'

Setting about making coffee, Tom said diplomatically, ‘I'll bring it to Captain Rydal's office when it's ready, sir.'

‘Yes, do that, Mr Black. Don't go off anywhere. I shall want to hear of your progress on this tacky business that's under way.'

Back in his office Max knew subterfuge was useless. Who the hell had ratted on him? Pinkney remained standing, for which Max was glad. The ache between his shoulders was increasing and being upright allowed him to ease it by movement.

‘You know you're due to face a medical board next month, Max. D'you want to pass it and get back to work, or take chances which could delay that for another month? Or two?' Into the pause, he asked, ‘Have you even had a check-up with the MO?'

Max ignored that last. ‘I flew in from Spain on Sunday night to learn that Sergeant Piercey, one of my own team, had been accused of violent assault against a female corporal. I not unnaturally wanted the details, feeling certain it was a case of mistaken identity because the scenario didn't fit what I know of Piercey. All I have done is talk to him man to man to assess his defence. That was yesterday. When I heard the girl had gone AWOL I decided to come in this morning for the briefing, which I hoped would go some way to supporting Piercey's assertion that he's innocent of the charge.' He looked Pinkney in the eye to add, ‘I've not “put my spoke in” anything. Tom Black is still commanding the Section, and making a fine job of it, sir. As for the Doc, she was on the spot in the company of Major MacPherson when that tanker hit a load of gas cylinders last night, so they spent the greater part of it helping with the casualties. There's been no opportunity for me to get checked out by either of them . . . yet.'

Tom had clearly been eavesdropping, for he made a nicely timed entrance with the coffee. Pinkney took the bone china mug reserved for visiting seniors, then sank on one of the chairs facing Max's desk.

‘Sit down, both of you. Fill me in on where you've got to on this assault case.'

Although Max took his usual chair behind his desk, he made no attempt to lead the conversation. Tom gave a precis of the stage they had reached in what appeared to be two cases tenuously linked to Phil Piercey.

‘He's dumbfounded, sir. Has no idea why he's being victimized, or by whom.'

‘It's more than likely to be someone whom Piercey crossed during a past case. An eye for an eye.'

‘Or he just happens to be a handy scapegoat,' offered Max. ‘Norton must have known her fiction would be easily disproved. My guess is that, in her state of collapse after the beating, his name was the obvious one to quote in order to avert blame from someone she tried to shield, or was afraid to betray.' Warming to his theme, he added, ‘There's obviously a deeper issue here. Why else would Norton run?'

Pinkney eyed him speculatively. ‘Haven't put your spoke in? Balls! Captain Goodey knew what she was doing when she installed you far away in Spain. Only way to make you relax and heal, man.'

‘I
have
healed. I'm back to full fitness . . . as she'll be forced to record when I finally manage to secure an appointment for a check-up.'

The Regional Commander stood, causing the other two to do the same. ‘Thank you for bringing me up to speed with this rather disturbing affair, Tom. Early days, yet, but keep me informed on a daily basis. We'll do our best to keep it out of the tabloids, but there's always a blabbermouth willing to tell tales.'

‘
Isn't
there, sir,' agreed Max pointedly.

Pinkney laughed. ‘Keep a low profile for the next two weeks. Nourishing food, nothing too strenuous, and early nights. Maybe a little light reading such as a detective story concerning an SIB sergeant wrongly accused of ABH.' He offered his hand. ‘Good to see you back on your feet, Max, and with everything intact. Any problems, call me.'

Turning to Tom, he said, ‘You've done a first class job over the past four months. Don't let him rob you of the last few days.'

Returning to the subject of Su Carfax's concern over an item of sensitive information Maria Norton had been made aware of, Max and Tom hammered out the possible influence it might have had on the pregnant woman's subsequent actions.

Tom delivered the coup de grace to the Signals' lieutenant's fears. ‘I watched Norton give a bravura performance on stage only eight hours after receiving that transmission, and another of equal vivacity at the party that followed. Bill Jensen saw her still flirting with three admirers when he was waiting to lock the place up. Is that the behaviour of a woman worried by what she had been privy to?'

‘A red herring?' suggested Max.

‘One we should put in the freezer and only defrost when all else has been chewed over and spat out.'

‘Or when . . . as the Anglo-Chinese beauty left tantalizingly unfinished.' Max frowned. ‘I suspect there's another storm brewing which, when it arrives, could very probably concern SIB.'

Any comment Tom might have made on that was deferred by the ring tone of Max's mobile. His expression as he answered sent Tom hotfoot from the room.

‘Good morning, Captain Goodey,' Max said, knowing Keith Pinkney had meant what he said.

‘Where are you?'

‘About ten minutes' drive from where you are.'

‘I'll look for you in ten minutes, then.'

‘Yes, ma'am.'

He hummed lightheartedly as he travelled the perimeter road. Just the sound of Clare's voice had banished the ache between his shoulders. Also the feeling that he was on the outside looking in. As he approached the Medical Centre he saw Clare emerge and stand waiting. Their reunion would have been better at the riverside inn, but the sight of her put such warmth in his veins he had no further doubts about the kind of relationship he wanted with this calm but commanding woman. He recalled her words at their intitial meeting. ‘I'm small, slim and female, but don't let any man on this base underestimate me.'

He drew up and was surprised when she slid on to the passenger seat. ‘Follow that car,' she instructed in the manner of film detectives, pointing to a three-ton truck lumbering past.

‘With siren and flashing blue lights?' he asked teasingly.

She kept her eyes on the road. ‘There'll be sirens and flashing lights by the time I've finished with you. Park your car in the empty slot furthest from the Mess, unless you want everyone to hear what I'm going to say, then fall silent when we enter.'

Only then did he realize that she was seriously angry, and swiftly prepared a defence. Reaching the Officers' Mess, he drove to the far side of the car park where the hedge that had been burned down four months ago showed signs of springtime new growth. Coming to a halt with the bonnet facing away from the large square building he switched off, released the seat belt and turned to face her.

‘What the hell do you think you're doing?' she demanded with quiet venom, her blue eyes blazing. ‘You'd already gone when I woke up this morning; gone without leaving a message for me. I assumed you'd headed for the nearest supermarket to stock up, then Duncan came in just now and mentioned that he'd seen you going into SIB Headquarters a couple of hours ago.'

Trust him to be the one who reported my movements to her, Max thought savagely, jealousy of the large, handsome Scot still lurking beneath the surface of his feelings for Clare.

‘The three months' leave considered necessary for convalescence by a panel of doctors when you left the hospital has two more weeks to run. You then have to undergo a thorough examination by that same panel before any decision is made on your fitness to return to full duties.'

‘I haven't,' he protested, but she was not listening.

‘You left Spain without reference to me, and . . .'

‘I ensured your property was spotless and secure.'

‘. . . and sneaked into your apartment hoping I wouldn't know you were back, but you forgot my Sunday ritual of inspecting your apartment. I had to learn of your covert return by being scared out of my wits on seeing a body in your bed.'

‘It wasn't a covert return,' he began, remembering guiltily how he had ensured no lights would be seen at the front of the building. ‘You weren't there when I arrived, and I was tired after the flight.'

‘There are pens and paper, emails, mobile phones. No, you sneaked in expressly to avoid me.'

‘
You weren't there
,' he repeated emphatically.

‘Had you told me you were coming home I would have been.'

‘I wanted to surprise you,' he wheedled with sudden inspiration.

‘Don't try to avoid the issue using blatant cajolery that's so out of character it's laughable.'

‘I've forgotten what the issue is, ma'am.'

‘No, you haven't,' she snapped. ‘Now you're back on the base you've become one of my patients again, and I refuse to allow you to undertake any form of military duty until passed by a medical board. You sustained serious injuries in that explosion. A foot closer and you'd have been killed along with Jeremy Knott. I thought you had more sense than the average male who thinks it's macho to defy medical advice, then ends up twice as ill.'

‘Clare, I'm not being irresponsibly stupid.' He tried to take her hand, but she pushed his away. ‘I hear what you're saying, but you know damn well there are hundreds of instances when doctors are proved wrong. Miracles of mind over matter, or a guardian angel hovering. I know my body took a beating in that explosion. It ached, it burned, it produced so much pain I thought it would never end. But it has. A week ago I suddenly realized I was back to normal.