The Broken Man by Josephine Cox Page B

The naïve, trusting little girl who eventually ran off and left him. She owed him, and she was still his wife … whether she liked it or not.
    He chuckled to himself. If she really thought he might never come looking for her, she was in for a real surprise.
    He continued to wander up and down the back alley, growing increasingly agitated, his sharp eyes constantly scanning the houses.
    When a couple of people turned into the alley and wandered past him, he flattened himself against the wall, pretending to light a cigarette. As they went past, he nodded amiably to them. ‘Morning.’
    After a fleeting acknowledgement, the couple walked on, though they turned once to take another look at him. When he stared back, they made a hasty exit.
    The policeman had not long turned the corner into Roff Avenue when he saw the man head into the alley, and now, as he noticed the couple hurrying out, he grew curious and crossed the street to investigate.
    Edward Carter saw the policeman approaching, and, speaking in his finest voice, he cunningly made his way towards him.
    ‘Good morning, officer. I wonder if you might be able to help me?’
    Surprised by this untidy man’s refined voice and manner, the policeman replied in a friendly but authoritative tone, ‘If I can help you, I will, but it’s not wise to be loitering about these back alleys. It tends to make people nervous, and that makes me nervous.’
    ‘Of course. I do understand, but I’m looking for an old friend … a woman by the name of Anne Carter. When she moved away from her previous address, she gave me the street and town, but forgot to write down the number of her aunt’s house … that’s where she’s staying.’
    He began to rummage in his pocket. ‘I can show you what she wrote … Roff Avenue, Bedford. I promised to visit when I was able. The thing is, her old aunt Ada doesn’t have a telephone, doesn’t like them, so I’m told.’ He gave a warm smile.
    The policeman nodded. ‘I know a lot of people who seem a bit timid of the idea. I expect they’re used to going down to the red box outside. My mother’s exactly the same … won’t even hear of a telephone in the house.’
    Still putting on a show, Carter pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, feigning a groan when he read it. ‘Oh, wrong one. Sorry, officer. It must be in my inside pocket …’ He made a big fuss of digging about in his pockets.
    The policeman accepted his story hook, line and sinker. ‘Look, I understand. I’m afraid I can’t help you, but I tell you what –’ he pointed back down the alley – ‘go back the same way you came in, and turn left. You’ll see a pub on the corner. The landlord’s always up and working, and there’s an old fella keeps the place spick and span. Like as not he might know where your friend is living, especially if there’s an old aunt, because the old ’uns do have a communal spirit round these parts.’
    ‘Well, thank you very much, officer. I was about to go and knock on a couple of doors, but I’ll have a word at the pub instead.’
    ‘I’m sure that’s the thing to do, because you won’t find her wandering about in the back alleys, will you?’
    ‘No, you’re right. I don’t suppose I will.’
    ‘The pub isn’t open yet but if you knock on the door, the landlord or his wife will be sure to hear you. Ted and Mary have lived round these parts for some time, so they know the locals better than anybody.’ The policeman gave a knowing little smile. ‘Oh, and you might even find a few old codgers playing darts in the corner, enjoying a crafty pint out of hours. They think we’re not on to them yet, but sometimes we find it wiser to look the other way … but don’t tell anyone I said that.’
    Satisfied that there was nothing to worry about here, he continued on his beat, thinking what an odd sort the stranger was. He found it hard to reconcile the fact that the man was dressed little better than a tramp, while