Page 6 of Four of Hearts

‘And what would that be, then?’ he asked, wondering what had got Matt so bent out of shape.

‘When you were going to tell us.’

‘Tell you what?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Exactly what?’

‘Exactly what you didn’t tell us. Any of us, actually. Kept it a secret, didn’t you? No idea why. None of us has a clue. And I don’t just mean us in here, either, by the way.’ He jabbed a finger at the window, which stared out onto the lane leading down into Hawes. ‘I mean everyone out there, too. Up and down the dale, folk are talking about it, muttering. Odd behaviour, Harry, very odd.’

Even Fly, who was curled up with Smudge by the radiator, gave Harry a look of moderate disappointment.

Harry had a strong suspicion of where this was going. ‘You’ll need to be a little more specific,’ he said, deciding to play along for a while. ‘Any chance of a hint?’

‘You mean like in charades?’ asked Dave. ‘I’m brilliant at charades.’

Dave’s comment had a good number of the team laughing.

‘No, not like charades,’ corrected Matt. ‘We just need Harry to clarify what’s going on, why he’s keeping secrets. Not just him, but Grace, too, and Ben, and’ - he eyeballed Liz - ‘PCSO Coates, here.’

Harry burst out laughing.

‘You’re kidding, right?’

‘You tell me, Harry,’ Matt said, arms folded across his chest like a pub owner barring someone from entering his establishment. ‘You tell me, and then we’ll see who’s kidding, won’t we?’

Harry needed a moment, needed Grace, had neither. Liz was there, though, and he could tell she’d realised too, and was shaking her head, eyes rolling.

‘You do know you’re jumping the gun, don’t you, Matt?’

That comment had Matt’s eyes nearly pop out of his skull.

‘Jumping the gun? JUMPING THE GUN? I’m not the one keeping secrets, am I? And neither is anyone else. Except for you lot, I hasten to add.’

Harry cast an eye around the team. Apart from Liz and Jen, Harry noticed with a wry smile, they were all wearing the oddest of expressions. Some were frowning, others look baffled, most were caught between those two, and the strain of resisting the urge to laugh.

‘What is it that you know, then?’ Harry asked, winking at Liz.

He was keen now to make Matt suffer a little. If he wanted to be Mr Grumpy Pants so early in the day, then Harry would certainly make him pay a high price for it.

‘I know enough, like,’ said Matt.

‘Go on, then. I’m all ears. Liz is, too, isn’t that right?’

‘I’ve stuck a pair of extra-large ones on each side of my bonce, just so’s I don’t miss a word,’ said Liz.

Matt shuffled in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.

‘I know that you and Grace, along with Ben, and Liz here, got married at the weekend, didn’t you?’

‘Impressive detective skills, Matt,’ Harry smiled. ‘Not sure we’ve committed a crime, though.’

Matt, Harry thought, looked rather peeved at that suggestion. This was proving to be rather fun.

‘I didn’t say that you had,’ Matt sighed.

Harry could hear that he was trying to make him understand something he deemed to be supremely important, but failing to get that across.