Chosen by Bill Kitson Page B

Properties, have you thought of trying Charleston’s? They’re a big outfit, with branches all over the place. They’ll even help you move home.’
    â€˜Sorry, I’m not with you.’
    â€˜They’ve all sorts of additional services to offer. Not the sort Helen Tate has in mind for you,’ Clara added with a wicked grin, ‘but equally useful. Charleston’s have a removal company, a firm of solicitors, mortgage brokers, the lot. They even own the firm that puts up the FOR SALE signs. They’d be my first port of call. But then, I don’t fancy Helen Tate.’
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    The Home Office didn’t consider their part of North Yorkshire warranted a full-time pathology department, so post-mortem examinations in the area were carried out by Pedro Ramirez, Professor of Pathology from York University. At some stage, an officer with a better than nodding acquaintance with The Ballad of Eskimo Nell had nicknamed him ‘Mexican Pete’. Despite the fact that he hailed from Madrid!
    Nash got a call regarding the post-mortem. The conversation was brief to the point of curtness: ‘I viewed the body yesterday. I have lectures all day. Be at Netherdale Hospital at 6 p.m.’ Before Nash could reply the line went dead. He stared at the phone for a bemused second.
    Mironova was watching, a smile on her face. ‘Mexican Pete?’
    Nash nodded.
    â€˜Talkative was he?’
    â€˜As ever,’ Nash agreed.
    â€˜He’s a damned good pathologist, even though he is a pervert. He tries to feel my backside every time he sees me.’
    â€˜That’s not perverted. That’s good taste. I’m off to see Rawlings again. Want to come?’
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    Predictably, Rawlings was studying the morning’s racing paper. He was sitting on a bar stool, a mug of coffee and an overflowing
ashtray in front of him. He looked up as they entered. ‘What is it this time?’ His tone was resigned, but Nash guessed this was more habit than genuine resentment.
    â€˜Some questions, I’m afraid.’
    â€˜As long as you’re quick. It’s the barman’s day off and I want to phone the bookies before the pub gets busy.’
    â€˜We’ll keep it as short as we can.’
    â€˜Fire away then,’ Rawlings lit another cigarette and looked at them directly for the first time. ‘What do you want to know?’
    â€˜The lists of customers that were in the bar yesterday lunchtime. Was there anyone on, or not on them for that matter, that Lizzie might have been seeing on a regular basis over, say, the last year?’
    Rawlings thought about it. ‘Not to my knowledge, not the last twelve months, and I reckon I’d know.’
    â€˜How, Mr Rawlings?’ Clara asked.
    He gave her an amused smile. ‘It’s a landlord’s business to notice things like that. Comes in very handy: especially in a place like this. Knowing who to keep apart, stop a fight breaking out.’
    Nash persisted. ‘The way you said it, sounded as if you knew something outside that time limit.’
    Rawlings grunted. ‘You don’t miss much, do you? Lizzie and Alec Jennings were going at it hammer and tongs a while back. Alec wasn’t in yesterday; that’s why he’s not on your lists. I teased Lizzie about toy boys, because Alec’s ten years younger.’
    â€˜How’d you find out about it?’
    â€˜Usual way,’ Rawlings grinned. ‘Caught them at it. Had to change a barrel one night and when I took the empty outside, I found him giving her a knee trembler in the yard. His girlfriend had just walked out, so I suppose it was a case of any port in a storm. Anyway, I said, “Don’t mind me, carry on”, and you know what, they did. It went on for a few months, then fizzled out about a year back when Cindy, that’s Alec’s girlfriend, moved back in. Alec didn’t waste any time, maybe he wasn’t prepared to risk