Land Rites (Detective Ford) by Andy Maslen (best ereader for manga TXT) 📕

work is still in my blood. If you tell me it’s up there, I want you to go and find it.’

He nodded. That was what he intended to do. And he needed to do it fast. The Bolters were sniffing around where they had no business sniffing, and despite his threat to JJ, he was sure they’d be keeping up their own private investigation into Tommy’s murder.

Lord Baverstock hated the public who traipsed around his grounds from April to September. Worse still, because they required his grinning, suited presence, were the tedious fundraisers to whom Coco devoted so much of her time. Away from both, he preferred his own name to the burdensome title that came with the stately home he struggled to keep afloat.

He’d tried to get the staff to call him Philip, but the looks they gave him on receipt of his suggestion ranged from puzzlement to outright horror. Had he asked them to call him Your Most Evil Satanic Majesty, he couldn’t imagine shocking them more.

At least Joe didn’t call him ‘Your Lordship’ or ‘My Lord’. He stuck to ‘Major Martival’. Joe sat before him now, in the library, a cut-glass tumbler of single malt in his right hand. With his left, he scratched the top of a black Lab’s glossy head. The Lab’s tongue lolled from its mouth, and when Joe’s fingers found a particularly pleasurable spot, it emitted a low rumble of satisfaction.

Late-afternoon sunlight illuminated the leather spines of the books, picking out the gold-tooled lettering. The grandfather clock in the corner struck five.

Martival took a deep breath. ‘We’ve been through some times together, Joe, haven’t we?’

‘Yes, Major, we have.’

‘I want you to know that since you came to work for me at Alverchalke, I’ve seen you change. For the better,’ he added, in case Joe didn’t get the compliment.

‘I love the work, Major, you know that. And I want you to know that I’ll never forget what you did for me in Helmand. Ever.’

Martival nodded. He knew that. Save a chap’s life, he owed you. He closed his eyes. Heard the whine of bullets and the screams of his wounded sergeant thousands of miles and many years distant, but as fresh as yesterday’s new blooms in the rose garden. He sipped his whisky, enjoying the burn as the spirit hit his throat.

‘The police are getting close, Joe. I don’t think I can hold them off much longer. I had Inspector Ford up here earlier, grilling me about you.’

‘That’s all right. When they talked to me, I knew what I’d have to do. It was just a matter of time before we put your plan into action.’

‘Good man. Now, a little bird at Bourne Hill tells me they’re coming for you tomorrow morning at oh-six-hundred. I want you to go quietly, Joe. No fuss.’

Joe frowned. Took a pull on his drink. He stopped scratching the dog and, in response, it butted its blocky head against his thigh. He ignored it.

‘You’re sure this is the only way, Major?’

Martival looked at his gamekeeper. He liked Joe. Respected him, even. But a good commander knew when sacrifices had to be made, however unpleasant.

‘No other option. It’s for the best.’

Joe sighed and resumed scratching the dog’s head. ‘I understand, Major. What shall I tell Ford?’

‘You found Long trespassing. He acted aggressively towards you. Then he grabbed your gun and in the struggle it went off. Tragic accident. Self-defence, even.’

‘What about Bolter? They know we had a fight.’

Martival thought back to his earlier conversation with the detective. ‘We’ll talk to the lawyer, but my feeling is we go for the PTSD angle. Say the accident with Long disturbed the balance of your mind. Bolter tried to blackmail you and the stress caused a blackout.’

‘Will that work?’

‘Honestly, Joe? I don’t know. I never went in for that barrack-room lawyer nonsense. But if it does all go to shit, I will fight for you tooth and nail, like I did in Afghanistan,’ Martival said, leaning on the last word. ‘I will get you the best lawyers money can buy, starting with my own solicitor. Coco knows a few QCs up in town. We’ll ask around. If it comes to trial, you’ll plead not guilty. If they convict anyway, we’ll try and get you into a decent prison. And when you get out, you’ll come straight back here to your old job.’

Joe finished his drink and set the glass down. ‘Thanks, Major. I won’t let you down. Just like you didn’t let me down.’

‘Least I can do, Joe. Now, you’ll have to forgive me, but I need to go and put some stuff together. I’m going up to London tonight. I’ll be gone for a couple of days. You’ll be all right, yes?’

‘Yes, Major. Right as rain.’

The Lab began whining, a thready, high-pitched sound that for the first time ever set Martival’s teeth on edge. They said dogs were adept at picking up on their owners’ emotions. He made an effort to calm himself and smiled at his gamekeeper.

‘Probably best if we don’t have any more contact till they arrest you,’ he said. ‘One never knows who’s listening in on one’s calls.’

JJ pointed to a chair opposite him at the long, polished table in the hacienda’s meeting room. He pushed the bottle across to Rye.

‘Sit down. We need to talk.’

Rye dropped into the chair, poured brandy into the heavy tumbler and drank off half in a single gulp. ‘What about?’

‘What do you think, you muppet? Ford.’

Rye’s voice took on a complaining tone. ‘I gave the kid a warning and look what happened.’

JJ took a pull on his own drink, then shook his head. ‘I told you not to do anything and you ignored me.’

‘He tasered me. We should make a complaint.’

‘For fuck’s sake, are you really that stupid? You threatened his kid in broad fucking daylight. And he got you on video. Ford’s right. He could say he came to arrest you and it went