Blood and Judgement Read Free Page A

and formed his own bunch out of what was left. Jacko, Curly, Ritzy Moritz–”
    “Is Moritz very tall and thin – a fancy dresser?”
    “That’s right,” said Gwilliam.
    “Well, he was in the pub tonight,” said Petrella. “Sorry. Go on.”
    “I was only going to say,” said Gwilliam, “that I heard that when Howton took over Monk’s boys he took over his Rosa at the same time. When Monk got out, we were tipped off to watch that crowd, in case Monk had got ideas of sorting things out personally. Only he never went near them. Hopped straight across to France.”
    Petrella said, “It’s a small world, isn’t it? I was checking the pawn list tonight for a piece of stuff that was meant to be part of one of Monk’s jobs.” There was a clatter of footsteps in the passage.
    The station sergeant opened the door and said, with a grin on his face, “Three gentlemen to see you.”
    Petrella knew most of the boys in his manor and he recognized the leader of the deputation.
    “Hullo, Ray, what’s it this time?”
    “We told the constable what we saw,” said Ray, “and he told us to come straight along here and tell you. That’s right, innit?”
    The two smaller boys nodded gravely. Their faces were black with an underlayer of stove blacking and an overlayer of smoke and gunpowder and their clothes were indescribable; but they stood their ground, conscious that what they had to say would more than pay for their sins.
    “Start at the beginning,” said Petrella.
    “We were up on Binford Sports Ground,” said Ray, “getting more wood for our bonfire. The man said we could. And we found this gate. It was loose, see, and we got through.”
    “Which end of the sports ground?”
    “The far end. Behind the running track.”
    “Then you must have been in the private ground round the reservoir.”
    “’Sright,” said Ray. “Only the gate was open – well, it was loose. So how were we to know?”
    “All right,” said Petrella. “You were trespassing innocently, Water Board property, looking for firewood for your bonfire. So far I’m with you. What happened next?”
    “That’s when we found her. A woman.”
    The three black faces looked up hopefully.

2
The Body of a Woman
     
    “We’ll go in the car,” said Petrella.
    Binford Park Reservoir was an awkward place to get at. It was wedged between the embanked main railway line on one side and the sports ground on the other. At the bottom there was an entrance from the road and a motorable track opposite the filter beds. But if they used that, it would mean waste of time getting the keys and a scramble along the steeply sloping reservoir side.
    “We’ll go to the sports ground,” he said to the driver, “the entrance is in Carslake Road.”
    “What about me cushions?”
    “That’s all right,” said Petrella. “It’s their faces that are dirty, not their bottoms. Hop in, boys, and sit quiet.”
    They found the gates to the sports ground open and a worried little man standing beside them.
    “Jackson,” he said. “I’m the secretary here. I hope it’s all right about those boys. There’s a lot of dead wood behind the pavilion. I told them they could have that–”
    “That’s all right, Mr Jackson,” said Petrella. “Could you hold the gate a little wider so we can get the car in.”
    “It’s terribly muddy beyond the pavilion.”
    “I expect we shall manage.”
    They bumped off up a path which soon degenerated into a track.
    “Lucky we got four-wheel drive,” said the driver, nursing the heavy car skillfully. “Can’t go much further without chains.”
    “All right. We’ll walk from here. See if you can turn her round without getting bogged. I don’t know what we’re going to need yet.”
    He set off into the darkness, with the boys trotting behind him. In the middle of nowhere they stopped, sodden grass under their feet. The mist was thicker.
    “Where now?”
    The boys consulted, doubtfully. Petrella had an inspiration. “Did