Body below the Bridge by Diane M Dickson

Author:Diane M Dickson [Dickson, Diane M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 40

Frank Dirkin was staggering around his kitchen wearing a heavy wool dressing gown, steadying himself with a stick and the backs of chairs. There was the offer of tea and toast. Jordan took the drink and turned down the food. Who knew how much bread the old man had left? He had brought a box of tea bags, though. “We don’t like this brand. Penny brought them back from London. One of the cousins had got a pile of them. Didn’t ask where from. Better not to know sometimes. Don’t think they’re hinky, but well…”

The old man laughed. “What you don’t know can’t hurt you, eh?”

“I wish that was true, Frank. In my work, what you don’t know is often the very thing that does the most harm.”

“Aye. I can see that. You no nearer to finding out what happened to them across the road?”

“Some things are becoming clearer, I guess. We know they’d cancelled their carers and we reckon they’d taken on someone else. Haven’t found out who yet.”

“And the van?”

Jordan shook his head. “Nothing certain. There is one round at that empty house, as you said. I took a picture. Could you say whether this was the one?”

Frank fished his glasses out of the dressing gown pocket and squinted down at the screen. “I don’t remember all that colour on the side. It’s the right sort. I like them VWs. Okay, they’re German, but we’ve let bygones be bygones and they make good cars. Like I say, I don’t think so but it could be. Maybe they painted it.”

“Did you know the woman who lived there? She’s dead now.”

Frank shook his head. “Too far round. Funny how you know the ones nearby but, unless you work with them, travel on the same train or whatever, you don’t often know the ones further away. I expect it’s different if you have kids. You see folk at the school gate, don’t you? But we never had none.”

“Seems as though she was related to Tony Yates, the bloke from the corner house.”

“Oh, aye. Can’t say as I knew him, neither. Didn’t like what I saw of him. Used to have dodgy blokes coming round. You know the type, flash cars and leather jackets. Now I come to think of it, though…”

“Yes?”

“One of them had a van. Now, that was a plain one. I never thought of that, perhaps I’ve caught that Alzheimer’s. Don’t think that helps much. Haven’t seen him for a bit.”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your memory, Frank. Could you describe the bloke that had the van? How long ago did you see him?”

“Oh, it’s a bit since, perhaps six months. Like I say, a bit rough looking. Another one with a shaved head. I know it’s the fashion now, but it makes ’em all look like thugs. Not as tall as you. White, thick set, no beard.” The old man closed his eyes. “Nearly always wore a leather coat if it were cold. Not a jacket.

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