Gallows Bird by Margaret Duffy

Author:Margaret Duffy [Duffy, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

This is not the story of Patrick’s Gulf War so it is unnecessary for me to go into details. It was obvious though that what I can’t help but call the dead hand of Nicholas Haldane was very much in evidence.

Initially, I was in total ignorance of what was happening to Patrick, finding myself again, as I had during the Falklands conflict, a service wife who happened to write books. When we first got married, all those years ago, I had regarded myself as a writer with a soldier husband. Perhaps my priorities have changed merely because I am now a successful author, I hope not.

I had not agonized over Patrick then as at that time we were separated, but I did now, along with thousands of other wives and mothers. I watched the TV news bulletins and pictured his coffin, along with many others, being unloaded from an RAF Hercules at Brize Norton. When, after a week, he rang me from Riyadh, I first of all felt weak with relief and then, as he continued talking, extremely worried. On the day the air war started I felt so wretched, not even able to concentrate on writing a new novel that so far was shaping splendidly, that I left Justin in Dawn’s capable hands and drove into Plymouth. It was only after I had parked the car near the Hoe that I decided to see if Inspector Bell-Chamber was available for a chat. A chat, I reasoned, could do no harm.

‘Sorry, but there was very pressing business,’ he said when I was shown into his office after waiting for half an hour. He pulled forward a chair for me, giving me an appraising glance as he did so. ‘I hope the Major’s well.’

‘Patrick’s in the Gulf. And I’m sure I’m only wasting your time.’

He looked at his watch. ‘Coffee time,’ he announced. ‘There’s an excellent little cafe around the corner from here where the toasted tea cakes are without parallel. Will you join me?’

We spoke of other things until, with buttery fingers, Bell-Chamber said, ‘He’s not likely to be in the front line though, is he?’

‘I’ll tell you the tale,’ I replied. ‘When he arrived he was put in charge of a small unit whose duties involve checking stores. In other words, counting things like tents, rations and medical supplies. The Lieutenant-Colonel who gave him his orders ‒ younger than Patrick incidentally ‒ kindly gave him to understand that this was deemed to be within his standard of competence.’

‘You’re not serious?’ Bell-Chamber whispered.

‘I am,’ I said. ‘Patrick must have looked as shattered as he felt because the man went on to explain that he’d received a telex informing him that Patrick’s records had been mislaid. But it gave a few details to the effect that this officer had been invalided out of 14th Intelligence ‒ it didn’t say why ‒ and that he had served briefly with MI5 ‒ in which capacity was not stated ‒ but had proved to be unsuitable due to mental instability and insubordination.

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