按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'She …' he said； 'his employer is a woman…I phoned her when I got the letter； to check the reference； you see。 She couldn't have been more plimentary about the man if she'd tried； but 。。。 I don't know 。。。 She was too plimentary； if you see what I mean。'
'You mean you think she might be glad to see the back of him？'
'You don't hang about； Sid。 That's exactly what I mean。'
He gave me the testimonial letter of fluorescent praise。
'No problem；' I said； reading it。 'One day's fee； plus travel expenses。 I'll phone you； then send you a written report。'
'You still look like a jockey；' he plained。 'You're a damned sight more expensive on your feet。'
I smiled； put the letter away in a pocket； drank his Scotch and applauded the string of winners he'd had recently； cheering him up before separating him from his cash。
I drifted around pleasurably but unprofitably for the rest of the day； slept thankfully without nightmares and found on a dry and sunny Derby Day morning that my friendly Pump reporter had really done his stuff。
'Lock up your colts；' he directed in the paper。 'You've heard of foot…fetishists？ This is one beyond belief。'
He outlined in succinct paragraphs the similarities in 'the affair of the four severed fetlocks' and pointed out that on that very night after the Derby the biggest race of all there would be moonlight enough at 3。00 a。m。 for torches to be unnecessary。 All two…year…old colts should； like Cinderella； be safe indoors by midnight。 'And if 。。。' he finished with a flourish； '。。。 you should spy anyone creeping through the fields armed with a machete； phone ex…jockey turned gumshoe Sid Halley； who provided the information gathered here and can be reached via The Pump's special Hotline。 Phone The Pump！ Save the colts！ Halley to the rescue！'
I couldn't imagine how he had got that last bit…including a telephone number…past any editor； but I needn't have worried about spreading the message on the racecourse。 No one spoke to me about anything else all afternoon。
I phoned The Pump myself and reached someone eventually who told me that Kevin Mills had gone to a train crash； sorry。
'Damn；' I said。 'So how are you re…routing calls about colts to me？ I didn't arrange this。 How will it work？'
'Hold on。'
I held on。 A different voice came back。
'As Kevin isn't available； we're re…routing all Halley Hotline calls to this number；' he said； and he read out my own Pont Square number。
'Where's your bloody Mills？ I'll wring his neck。'
'Gone to the train crash。 Before he left he gave us this number for reaching you。 He said you would want to know at once about any colts。'
That was true enough but hell's bloody bells； I thought； I could have set it up better if he'd warned me。
I watched the Derby with inattention。 An outsider won。
Ellis teased me about the piece in The Pump。
'Hotline Halley；' he said； laughing and clapping me on the shoulder； tall and deeply friendly and wiping out in a flash the incredulous doubts I'd been having about him。 'It's an extraordinary coincidence； Sid； but I actually saw one of those colts。 Alive； of course。 I was staying with some chums for York； and after we'd gone home someone vandalised their colt。 Such fun people。 They didn't deserve anything like that。'
'No one does。'
'True。'
'The really puzzling thing is motive；' I said。 'I went to see all the owners。 None of the colts was insured。 Nor was Rachel Ferns' pony； of course。'
He said interestedly； 'Did you think it was an insurance scam？'
'It jumps to mind； doesn't it？ Theoretically it's possible to insure a horse and collect the lucre without the owner knowing anything about it。 It's been done。 But if that's what this is all about； perhaps someone in an insurance pany somewhere will see the piece in The Pump and connect a couple of things。 。 e to think of it；' I finished slowly； 'I might send a copy to every likely insurance pany's board of directors； asking； and warning them。'
'Good idea；' he said。 'Does insurance and so on really take the place of racing？ It sounds a pretty dull life for you； after what we used to do。'
'Does television replace it for you？'
'Not a hope。' He laughed。 'Danger is addictive； wouldn't you say？ The only dangerous job in television is reporting wars and have you noticed？…the same few war reporters get out there all the time； talking with their earnest mitted faces about this or that month's little dust…up； while bullets fly and chip off bits of stone in the background to prove how brave they are。'
'You're jealous；' I smiled。
'I get sodding bored sometimes with being a chat…show celebrity； even if it's nice being liked。 Don't you ache for speed？'
'Every day；' I said。
'You're about the only person who understands me。 No one else can see that fame's no substitute for danger。'
'It depends what you risk。'
Hands； I thought。 One could risk hands。
'Good luck； Hotline；' Ellis said。
It was the owners of two…year…old colts that had the good luck。 My telephone jammed and rang non…stop all evening and all night when I got home after the Derby； but the calls were all from people enjoying their shivers and jumping at shadows。 The moonlight shone on quiet fields； and no animal； whether colt or two…year…old thoroughbred or children's pony； lost a foot。
In the days that followed； interest and expectation dimmed and died。 It was twelve days after the Derby； on the last night of the Royal Ascot meeting； that the screaming heeby…jeebies re…awoke。
CHAPTER 4
On the Monday after the Derby I trailed off on the one…day dig into the overblown reference and； without talking to the lady…employer herself （which would clearly have been counter…productive） I uncovered enough to phone the tight…fisted trainer with sound advice。
'She wants to get rid of him without risk of being accused of unfair dismissal；' I said。 'He steals small things from her house which pass through a couple of hands and turn up in the local antique shop。 She can't prove they were hers。 The antique shop owner is whining about his innocence。 The lady has apparently said she won't try to prosecute her houseman if he gets the heck out。 Her testimonial is part of the bargain。 The houseman is a regular in the local betting shop； and gambles heavily on horses。 Do you want to employ him？'
'Like hell。'
'The report I'll write and send to you；' I told him； 'will say only； 〃Work done on recruitment of staff。〃 You can claim tax relief on it。'
He laughed dryly。 'Any time you want a reference；' he said； pleased； 'I'll write you an affidavit。'
'You never know；' I said； 'and thanks。'
I had phoned the report from the car park of a motorway service station on my way home late in the dusky evening； but it was when I reached Pont Square that the day grew doubly dark。 There was a two…page Fax waiting on my machine and I read it standing in the sitting…room with all thoughts of a friendly glass of Scotch evaporating into disbelief and the onset of misery。
The pages were from the Kevin Mills。 'I don't know why you want this list of the great and good；' he wrote； 'but for what it's worth and because I promised； here is a l