Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen

Author:Rhys Bowen [Bowen, Rhys]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery & Detective, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9781574902136
Google: DwAEAAAACAAJ
Amazon: B00BQMLIP2
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published: 1998-08-14T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Evans-the-Meat was just emerging from the walk-in refrigerator carrying a side of lamb as the two policemen came in.

“I’m not open yet,” he said, throwing down the carcass on the marble slab and picking up a cleaver. Sergeant Watkins came to an abrupt halt at the sight of the cleaver and the blood-spattered apron. Then the butcher appeared to focus on them and muttered, “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”

“How’s the headache this morning, Gareth?” Evan asked.

“I’ve had worse.” Evans-the-Meat started chopping as he spoke.

“This is Detective Sergeant Watkins from Caernarfon, Gareth,” Evan said. “He’s got some questions he wants to ask you.”

“You didn’t report me for last night, did you?” Evans-the-Meat demanded. “So I had a couple too many and that fool made me lose my temper—”

“That fool is dead, Gareth,” Evan said calmly.

Evans-the-Meat’s mouth dropped open. “Ted Morgan is dead?”

“He killed himself last night, apparently,” Evan told him.

Evans-the-Meat passed his hand across his face. “Ted Morgan? Killed himself? Go on—you’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”

“Deadly serious, sir,” Sergeant Watkins said.

Evans-the-Meat laughed uneasily. “I can’t say I’m heartbroken by the news. I just find it hard to believe. You didn’t know Ted Morgan. He would be the last person on earth to kill himself. He thought too much of himself to do that—always did. Even when he was a little kid he used to carry a comb around in his top pocket and take peeks at himself in all the shop windows. Nah, Ted wasn’t a man who’d kill himself on purpose. Was it an accidental overdose, do you think?”

“They found him with a gun in his hand,” Evan said.

“Ted Morgan—shoot himself?” Evans-the-Meat shook his head. “Why would he want to do that?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out, Mr. Evans,” Watkins said. “I hear that you two were old enemies.”

Evans-the-Meat passed his tongue nervously over his lips. “Yes, but we hadn’t seen each other for twenty-odd years. Besides, why would he want to kill himself just when he was gloating at scoring a triumph over me?”

“My inspector is going to be arriving shortly. I expect he’ll want to talk to you, so don’t leave town without letting us know, will you?”

“Me? Why would he want to talk to me?” Evans-the-Meat’s voice rose. Beads of sweat were visible on his broad forehead. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“Just routine, Gareth,” Evan said. “Just answer his questions, say no more than you’re asked and keep your hair on, okay?”

“What does he think I’ve got to do with it?” Evans-the-Meat yelled after them, swinging down the meat cleaver with a savage blow that cut the carcass in half.

“You’re right,” Watkins muttered. “He’d make a bad suspect. He had guilt written all over him. But you don’t think he did it, do you?”

“If he did, then he’s a good actor. All the color drained out of his face when he heard the news. I could swear he was genuinely surprised. And he said he doubted Morgan would ever kill himself.

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