The Red Hand of Fury by R.N. Morris

Author:R.N. Morris [R. N. Morris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2018-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

Quinn hesitated at the door to the department, watching his sergeants in silence. They were engrossed in their work and unaware of his presence as yet. It seemed that it would be an easy thing to turn round, walk away and never come back. They gave the impression that they did not need him.

At last, Macadam looked up and saw him. ‘There you are, sir.’

Quinn placed the copy of A Furious Energy on Macadam’s desk without a word. Then turned to hang up his ulster and hat. He could sense them watching him closely.

‘So,’ he said, facing them again. ‘Malcolm Grant-Sissons is dead. He died last night. I was with him.’

There were noises of condolence from Macadam and Inchball.

Quinn batted them away. ‘I hardly knew him.’

Macadam touched the book with his fingertips. It was almost a caress. ‘It didn’t work then, sir?’

‘You can’t save a man’s life by reading to him, Macadam. So, Inchball, how did you get on at the asylum?’

‘Your brother …’

‘Grant-Sissons. Call him Grant-Sissons. That is more professional, I think.’

‘Grant-Sissons was indeed an inmate there. According to the superintendent there, Dr Pottinger, he underwent some kind of miracle cure, by the sounds of it. Came in a blithering wreck, and left after a couple of weeks sane as you or me. Well … I mean … you know … completely sane.’

Quinn nodded. ‘Remarkable.’

‘Mind you, I have to say, there’s something fishy about that Pottinger fella. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, first off, he’s never heard of Grant-Sissons. Couldn’t possibly know the names of every loony who gets admitted there. That sort of thing. Then it suddenly comes back to him. How Grant-Sissons is some kind of marvellous success story.’

‘I see. And what about any other patients who may have left there recently?’

‘Nothing came to him, off the top of his head. He said he’d look into it and get back to me. Stalling for time, if you ask me.’

‘Very likely. Keep on him. If we don’t get those details soon, we’ll go back and take them.’ The terms under which the Special Crimes Department was established allowed wide-ranging powers of search and seizure, without the necessity of specific judicial warrants.

Inchball nodded approvingly. ‘One thing he did confirm. It is their practice now to remove the tonsils and teeth from some patients. Summink to do with the germs what cause madness. Didn’t make no sense to me. They ain’t got round to doing everyone yet. But didn’t them first two geezers have their teeth and tonsils removed?’

‘So, further proof they were at Colney Hatch.’

‘As if we were in any doubt. And here’s another thing. As I was leaving, you’ll never guess who I bumped into.’

Quinn shook his head.

‘Only Timon fucking Medway.’

‘Timon Medway?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Yes, of course. We know he was allowed to stay there after … well, after the jury accepted his barrister’s plea of insanity.’

‘He’s no more mad than—’ Inchball broke off, no doubt remembering his earlier embarrassment around the same question.

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