Detective Inspector Skelgill Boxset 1 by Bruce Beckham

Author:Bruce Beckham [Beckham, Bruce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lucius
Published: 2020-07-14T22:00:00+00:00

4. LEE HARRIS

Tuesday morning

‘Guv it’s me.’

‘Leyton – where are you?’

‘HQ, Guv. Reckon we might have an ID on that body you went to see yesterday.’

‘Aye?’

‘Name of Lee Harris – ring any bells, Guv?’

This is a common question asked by DS Leyton of his superior; Skelgill being a local man while the former is an exiled Londoner.

‘I’ve got a plug called Harris.’

‘Come again, Guv?’

And this marks the beginnings of a typical exchange between the two, in which Skelgill can be (perhaps intentionally) obtuse, abstruse and antagonistic, while the long-suffering DS Leyton does his best to roll with the punches.

‘Plugging, Leyton – it’s a method of pike fishing.’

Skelgill’s Harris is not an official brand of angling equipment that can be purchased in a tackle shop, but in fact a home-made item that he has fashioned from a paintbrush handle of the same name; nonetheless it is one of his most productive lures.

‘Oh, right, Guv.’

DS Leyton seems to have been knocked out of his stride. After a short pause it is Skelgill that speaks.

‘So why should I know of him?’

‘He’d be about your age, Guv – our age. Late thirties.’

‘Mid thirties.’

‘Yeah, Guv – sorry – mid thirties, I mean.’

Skelgill ponders for a moment – perhaps contemplating how much longer thirty-seven-going-on-thirty-eight will indeed qualify as mid thirties.

‘He doesn’t sound local. Where’s he supposed to be from?’

DS Leyton clears his throat.

‘We’ve had a call from an employer – motorbike joint in Kendal. Geezer who owns it heard the description we issued on Radio Cumbria this morning – says it sounds a bit like a mechanic who’s not turned up for work this week. Hasn’t phoned in and they can’t raise him.’

‘Biker boots.’

‘Sorry, Guv?’

‘The dead guy was wearing biker-style ankle boots.’

‘Sounds promising, then, Guv?’

‘What time is it?’

‘Er... eleven-twenty, Guv, give or take.’

‘Meet me at Tebay at twelve. Bring a photo – one that doesn’t show the rope marks.’

‘Sure, Guv.’

‘If you’re there first, get me the all-day breakfast, will you?’

‘Roger.’

DS Leyton’s sigh of resignation goes unheard, since Skelgill has cleared the line.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.