“We’re keen to know if you’ve seen anything today of a fellow called Will Legat.”
The woman in reception at Julian House had been running her sympathetic eyes over their clothes, in particular Diamond’s creased suit, shiny in places. Were these two in need of support? At the mention of Legat, her face switched on like the Blackpool lights. “Will? Is he back?” She made him sound like the first swallow of summer.
“You know him, then?”
“Everyone here knows Will. He turns up every year around this time. He’s often in the day centre for a meal when he’s in town. Cheers us all up.”
But there was disappointment.
“Has he been in today?”
“Not today and not last night. He never uses the night shelter because he won’t be parted from his dog. Our bed spaces are too small, four foot by seven. Is he all right?”
Diamond couldn’t suppress a sigh of annoyance. “He’s fine, only we’d like to know where he is. Any idea where we might find him?”
“He’s not in trouble, I hope?”
All the sympathy for Legat was irksome. Everyone who met the man fell under some sort of spell. “He’s in a good state of health, if that’s what you’re asking, ma’am. We saw him yesterday.”
“In town?”
“En route.”
“So, he is back?”
“As of this morning, yes.”
“Where was he, then?”
“Charmy Down.”
“In that case, I know where he might be. The Together Project.”
It sounded like a dating agency. Legat looking for romance? Diamond couldn’t get his head around that.
“They’re wonderful,” the woman said. “They’re all registered vets who provide a free service for homeless people’s pets. They do it from the goodness of their hearts.”
Pets made more sense.
“They volunteer to give up several hours a week to make sure the animals, dogs mostly, get the treatment they need. The first thing Will does each year is take Caesar — that’s his dog — for his medication, the flea and worm treatment.”
Diamond nodded as if the flea and worm treatment was as familiar as getting out of bed in the morning.
“And of course the annual vaccination,” she added. “Personally, I wouldn’t go anywhere near Caesar with a needle and syringe.”
“Me neither.”
“You can tell how devoted Will must be, toiling up the hill with the pram and his backpack and all his bits and pieces and Caesar in tow, dragging on the lead. Animals know what’s in store, don’t they? I wouldn’t care to try it.”
“Which hill do you mean? Is that where these vets are?”
“Claverton Down. The cat and dog home. It’s a Together Project clinic.”
Diamond knew the place on the Avenue, past the university campus. Whichever route you took, it was a stiff climb.
“I’ll phone if you like and see if he’s been there,” the woman offered.
“No need. We’d prefer to surprise him.”
Halliwell did the driving in his shiny new Prius and it was all too obvious something was troubling him. “If we want to bring him in, we’ll need extra transport,” he made clear to Diamond. “I can’t possibly fit a man, a pram and that dog into my car.”
Diamond was quick to say, “Legat can have my seat. I wouldn’t wish to sit in a car with them.” He knew full well that they’d need to send for a van. He just enjoyed Halliwell’s appalled reaction.
Before reaching the cat and dog home, they were treated to the sight of Legat in a high-visibility jacket moving down Claverton Down Road at such a brisk rate behind the ancient pram that Caesar was trotting to keep up. “The Julian House lady knew what she was talking about,” Diamond said.
Halliwell pulled over and Caesar tugged on the rope and barked at the car.
“Phone for a van and tell transport division it’s a secret mission. They’re to keep this strictly to themselves.” He didn’t want Georgina finding out.
Halliwell wasted no time getting through.
Diamond lowered the window just enough to speak without being savaged. He had to shout. “Can’t you control him?”
“He’s just had his shot,” Legat shouted back. “He doesn’t trust anyone now, least of all me.”
He’s not the only one, Diamond thought. He had to bellow to be heard. “Where are you making for?”
“The centre of town.”
“We’d like to speak to you first. We’ll organise a van.”
“I can make my own way, thanks. It’s easier downhill than coming up. Calm down, old lad.”
Caesar made a leap for the window and spattered it with froth, trying to force his muzzle through.
“His paws are scratching my paintwork,” Halliwell said, as pained as if his own skin was being scarred.
“It’s his teeth that worry me. Look at the size of them.” They had to wait for Legat to get control of the dog and it wasn’t done quickly. When it was finally safe to lower the window a fraction more, Diamond made himself heard and insisted on a formal interview. The message wasn’t well received.
“We have other plans,” Legat said.
“I don’t want to be forced to arrest you.”
“Then don’t.”
Halliwell told Diamond the van was not far off.
Legat said, “Come, Caesar. We’re moving on.”
But Caesar didn’t wish to go without leaving his mark on these annoying policemen. He reared up again, claws scraping the window, and the barking began afresh. Minutes later, when the Transit van arrived, he switched his attack to that.
An incredibly brave or idiotically reckless driver got out the other side and unlocked the rear doors and Caesar, seeing what he took to be the guts of the thing, jumped inside. Legat, muttering protests, followed him in and the driver lifted the pram aboard and slammed the door.
The interrogation took place at Keynsham police station, the nearest with interviewing facilities and a custody suite. Caesar, by this time exhausted from his medication and all the excitement, wasn’t involved. He remained flat out in the van, snoring.
Before entering the interview room, Diamond called Concorde House and asked Jean Sharp for the results of her research into Legat. She sent her notes electronically and he had a copy printed. Minor misdemeanours right across the home counties and southwest, but no record of violence.
He told Halliwell to say nothing at the start about the blood found on the belt. “We’ll learn a lot from his face when he starts to worry how much we know.”
“I want my solicitor present,” Legat said before they’d sat down.
“This isn’t under caution, Will,” Diamond told him. “It’s only a chat, to get a few things straight.”
“I know my rights. I’m refusing to answer questions without legal representation.”
“We’d tell you if you were under arrest.”
“So it’s voluntary, is it? I can walk out of here just so that you can nick me and recite your little homily about not needing to say anything unless I want to get shot to pieces later in court. I wasn’t born yesterday.”
“We know when you were born from the last time you were pulled in for questioning.” Diamond made a performance of studying the printout. In the short time she’d had, Jean Sharp had assembled enough facts to give some leverage if needed. “We want to ask you about something more recent, up at Charmy Down. How did you come to be there when the TV people were filming?”
“I told all this to the young constable. The airfield is one of my regular stops on my way down to Bath. Caesar and I limit our daily perambulation to no more than ten miles. I plan my sleeping places and the old control tower is one of them. It’s not the royal suite at the Savoy, but it rates pretty high in my book.” Legat was a windbag in love with his own voice. He’d already forgotten about not answering questions.