Crunch Time (33 page)

The remarriage was hastily arranged, taking place in a local registry office with close family and a few friends attending, including the newly reunited Karl and Karen Donaldson and their tribe. It had been a great day all round, followed by a couple of days in Lisbon for the happy couple. The honeymoon proper would take place after Ingram's trial, because Henry wanted to be present for every day of that. He had secretly booked a trip to the British Virgin Islands, even though he couldn't really afford it.

‘God, I would have fucked your brains out, you know?' Andrea admitted. She let Henry's hand go.

‘And if I'd got a hard on, I would have let you,' he admitted.

‘But you didn't, because Kate was on your mind, wasn't she?'

‘She was. Did you know that thirty per cent of erectile dysfunction problems are psychological? Not plumbing issues?'

‘I'll remember that when my next lover can't get a stiffy,' she laughed. ‘Anyway, whatever.' She turned and hugged him tight and rubbed herself naughtily up against him. They had reached and were standing in the covered walkway running past the entrance to Preston fish market. A vagrant with a dog and a blanket watched them through bleary eyes. And despite the location and the moment, Henry could not help but respond to her, so he pushed her gently away.

‘Jeez,' he said. ‘Blood rush.'

‘Just testing,' she said cheekily.

Then, one of those incidents happened which had no rhyme or reason. As they stood facing each other, the door of the fish market opened and a lager-carrying youth of about nineteen came out, swaggering toughly. Henry saw him out of the corner of his eye. The lad, drunk even at that time of day, spotted the vagrant up against the wall. He yelled something and ran towards the man and simply kicked him in the head, sending him sprawling.

For the briefest of seconds the two cops were immobile, then Henry yelled, ‘Let's get him.'

And before he knew what had happened, the youth with the lager had been arrested.

It took a couple of hours to process the youth, and by the time they returned to the court, there had been a lunch break and the prosecution barrister hurried towards them in his wig and robes.

‘Where the hell have you been?' he demanded.

‘Why? You don't need us yet, do you?'

‘Not as such … but there has been a major development,' the man said excitedly. ‘Ingram has changed his plea – he's now going guilty on everything.'

Andrea and Henry swapped amazed glances.

‘Why?' she asked.

‘No idea, changed his mind over lunch. Court resumes in twenty minutes.' He left them and hurried away.

Stunned, the two stood in the court foyer, speechless. Then Henry had a strange creeping sensation.

‘I wonder …' he said. He reached for his mobile phone and tabbed through to Karl Donaldson's number, which he called. ‘Karl, it's Henry … hi, pal … I know this might sound a strange question, but have you heard about Ryan Ingram?

Henry listened for a moment, smiled and ended the call.

Andrea said, ‘And?'

‘Hasn't heard a thing,' Henry said. He folded his phone and slid it back in his pocket, an enigmatic smile quivering on his lips.