Page 12 of Four of Hearts

Once back in Hawes, Harry made his way to the office for the second time that day, and was pleased this time to not be almost knocked over by someone leaving. Ethan was on the phone. Dave was at the coffee machine. He turned on hearing Harry enter, and met him halfway across the floor with a mug as Smudge headed over to drop herself down beneath the radiator.

‘Here you go,’ he said.

Harry took the mug.

‘Much appreciated. Liz around?’

‘Left a few minutes ago,’ said Dave.

‘Something important?’

‘Yes,’ said Ethan, and Harry turned round to see the young detective inspector looking up at him, his phone call now over. ‘Report came in of an abandoned vehicle. Liz has nipped off on the motorbike for a look.’

‘Why the urgency.’

‘The description,’ said Ethan. ‘Matches the one you gave me for the vehicle that slammed into Matt.’

‘Where?’

‘Top of Beggarman’s Lane.’

Harry looked at Dave.

‘Don’t suppose there’s a travel mug in any of the cupboards, is there?’

Dave had a quick rummage and returned with something covered in pink flowers.

‘Who’s is that?’

‘No idea,’ said Dave, took the mug off Harry, quickly washed out the travel mug, then poured in the coffee. ‘Here you go.’

Harry took the mug.

‘I’ll leave Smudge here,’ he said, making his way back over to the door. ‘Ethan? You’re with me.’

Beggarman’s Lane snaked its way out the back of Gayle, beneath the gaze of Wether Fell. Having meandered through fields and a couple of farms, it then rose steeply up the side of a small, narrow valley, topped by Dodd Fell. The road always felt very exposed, Harry thought. He’d seen cyclists descending it at speeds he wasn’t even sure bikes were capable of.

At the top of the lane, and having passed the entrance to Cam High Road on the left, which was the old Roman Road that led all the way along to Bainbridge, Harry spotted Liz just ahead on the right. He pulled over, parked up, and Liz came to meet him as he and Ethan climbed out of the Rav. She’d parked her motorbike further along and a good distance away from a large, black four-by-four.

‘And this is why I don’t believe in coincidences,’ Harry said, as Liz came to stand in front of him. ‘What’ve we got?’

Liz glanced back at the vehicle before answering.

‘Think you’d best come see for yourself,’ she said.

Frowning, Harry followed Liz, Ethan alongside. As they drew closer to the vehicle, Harry came to a dead stop.

‘Liz, there are people inside. What the hell are they doing? Giving themselves up? Why didn’t you say?’

‘You need to see this, Harry,’ Liz replied, and kept on walking.

Harry followed on, slower now. Whoever they were, they weren’t moving, and that was deeply worrying. He’d seen gang hits before, dealt with them, investigated them, arrested those responsible. This couldn’t be that, could it? Why would anyone crash into Matt, then end up dead in the same vehicle? And how had they been killed anyway? There were no bullet holes that he could see, the windows were all intact, no blood ...

Rounding the front of the vehicle, Harry stared in amazement, and not at the damage to the front, either, mainly because there was very little, thanks to a huge, steel bull bar bolted in place. It was a rusting thing, formed of welded sections of scaffolding, Harry guessed. It covered the grill, and wrapped itself around the headlights, stretching to the front wheel arches on either side.

‘Well, that’s not legal, is it?’ said Ethan.

Harry didn’t answer. His eyes were on the occupants.