The Courthouse Murder: A 1940s Chief Inspector Bryce story (Chief Inspector Bryce Murder Mysteries Book 2) by Peter Zander-Howell

Author:Peter Zander-Howell [Zander-Howell, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2022-04-21T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Constable Ratcliffe had returned with the fingerprint kit while Forbes was being interviewed. However, the officers were interrupted before any progress could be made with the tests, as Mr Pargeter chose that moment to arrive. Haig covered the knife again, and resumed his interviewing duties.

“I doubt I shall keep you long, Mr Pargeter,” the Sergeant began. “First, can you give me an idea of how you saw Mr Bignold’s character.”

“You’re quite right that my description of Bignold’s character won’t take very long,” replied Pargeter sourly. “The man was a vile, bad-tempered, big-headed, bully. I could use far worse language to describe him, but I wouldn’t want to shock the young Constable here!”

Ratcliffe grinned.

“Understood,” said Haig. “I can’t say you’re telling me anything we haven’t heard from other people, but it’s all useful to get a picture.”

“I’ll give you a simple example from yesterday,” continued Pargeter, going on to describe the incident between Bignold and himself in the corridor. “There was room for a double-decker bus between me and him. I learned later that Bignold had savaged me in open court – accusing me of inefficiency as well as dumb insolence. I wouldn’t deny he might have seen that in my face. The man enjoyed making the lives of anyone who couldn’t answer back as unbearable as he could.

“But I was very pleased to hear that Mr Valentine gave me his support – it was never easy for anyone to stand up to the man.”

Haig nodded his acknowledgement.

“Now, I need to know about your movements – and what you know of anyone else’s movements between the court and the rear corridor around lunchtime yesterday?”

“Well, I’d been almost entirely in Court Two in the morning, and I’d been out in the corridor several times, taking papers to the police station and so on. It was on one of those trips that I had my to-do with Bignold.

“Anyway, when Mr Forbes rose for lunch, I didn’t go into the back corridor again; I went out of the public concourse entrance, and had a pint and a pie at The Feathers. Yesterday was by no means the worst of the many times Bignold ripped me to ribbons – both to my face as well as behind my back. I retire in two years, but lately I’ve seriously thought of going early. Now he’s dead, I shall stay on, very happy!”

Noticing Haig’s expression, Pargeter hurriedly added, “I didn’t kill the man, Sergeant. But I’ll gladly shake the hand of whoever did, because he’s done me and a lot of others a favour. And I’ll contribute a few bob to his defence fund, as well!”

There was a lack of guile about the Usher which Haig found himself warming to. Whilst he had certainly come across a few senior police officers who could be unpleasant, he had never met – or even heard of – anyone nearly so awful as the late Derek Bignold appeared to have been.

Standing up, Haig thanked the usher for his help.

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