Can't Get Used to Losing You (Dead Reckoning series - Part 16)

Continued from Episode 15 (Monday, Monday)

The story so far:   Josiah, having rekindled a romance with an old flame, Jeanette DeVille, has apparently disappeared since his supper with her at Evanley Hall.  Samantha has co-opted Archibald to check Josiah's house but there's no sign of recent occupancy.  Which leaves them, reluctantly, with only one alternative:

 

“You’ll never guess who’s downstairs!” D.S. Stone grinned at his boss, who, with his leg up on one chair, looked less than comfortable.

“Lots of blokes in uniforms, am I close?”

“Oh, come on, humour me!” D.S. Stone pleaded.

“I don’t have to humour you, Stoney.  I’m your boss, if anything, you should be humouring me!” D.I. Wood eased his leg off the chair and winced as his foot touched the floor, “Those bloody pills from the hospital don’t make any bloody difference” He grumbled.

“You have to remember to take them” D.S. Stone pointed out, primly.

“I DO remember to take them!” D.I. Wood glared at his subordinate, “Well, most of the time, anyway”

“Are you going to guess?”

“No, I am not going to guess, Stoney.  If you’ve got something to tell me, either spit it out or clear off!” D.I. Wood snarled.

“It’s only that woman, Frankie Knight’s missus” D.S. Stone looked smug.

“Bloody cheek!  What the hell’s she doing here?”  D.I. Wood snapped, and then looked hopeful, for the first time for weeks.  “Has she come to confess?”

“No such luck!” D.S. Stone shook his head, “She wants to report a missing person”

“She’s got a nerve!  If it’s Frankie she’s lost, tell her to try HMP., they’ve got him banged up somewhere”

“No, it’s not Frankie.  She’s lost that bloke who runs the Funeral Director’s” D.S. Stone studied a piece of paper he was holding, “Josiah Oakshott”

“Oh, bugger me, not them again!” D.I. Wood raised his eyes to the ceiling, “You can tell her to get stuffed, I’m not chasing around after those two and that’s final!”

“Do you want me to have a word, sir?”

“If you must!” D.I. Wood winced with pain, again, and adjusted himself in his chair, “but don’t waste any time on this, Stoney.  Get the details and chuck her out.  Bloody nerve of her, coming in here, large as life!”

“I’ll go and see what it’s all about” D.S. Stone made a discreet exit.

* * * *

“I don’t like it in ‘ere” Archibald grumbled, as he fidgeted next to Samantha on the plastic bench.

“I’m not a big fan, myself” Samantha shook her head, “and don’t forget, I was here for a lot longer than you were!”

“Yeah, but…” More fidgeting, “I didn’t reckon I’d be back here, already!”

“Neither did I” Samantha looked around, gloomily, “but, needs must, as they say”

“Who do?” Archibald looked puzzled.

“Who do what?”

“Say that what you said, about that ‘knees rust’ stuff”

“No, it’s not ‘knees rust’, it’s ‘needs must’” Samantha pinched the bridge of her nose, and reflected on the amazing patience of Josiah Oakshott.

“Oh, only I thought it explained all that creaking and groaning what goes on”

“What would explain what?”  Samantha shook her head.

“That ‘knees rust’ lark” Archibald explained, “you should hear me Nan’s knees, they make a hell of a racket when she tries to get up.  Not that she can get up, not most of the time”

“I think it’s from a saying, ‘needs must when the devil drives’” Samantha said, searching her memory.

“Drives what?”

“Pardon?” Samantha looked pained.

“What is it, what the devil drives?  Only I’d have thought it’d have been tricky, what with his tail and all that.  You’d have to put a hole in the seat or summat, don’t you reckon?”

“I can’t really say I’d thought about it” Samantha rubbed her brow, “to be honest, Archie, I don’t know much about the saying.  I’m sure Josiah could give you chapter and verse”

“Yeah, he would an’ all” Archibald grinned, “not that he’s been his usual self, not lately any road.  What with that Mrs. Devil and stuff”

“Perhaps it’s her that the saying’s about” Samantha winked, “she did insist on him being driven, didn’t she?”

“D’you think?” Archibald was wide-eyed with amazement.

“Erm, probably not” Samantha conceded, “but it is a thought, isn’t it?”

“Mrs. Knight, how can I help you?” D.S. Stone had appeared whilst they were deep in conversation.

“Oh!” Samantha jumped, a little, “Sorry, didn’t see you there!  Detective Sergeant Stone, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.  So, what’s brought you to us, today, eh?”

“I told your Desk Sergeant, we seem to have lost Mr. Oakshott” Samantha explained.

D.S. Stone opened a manilla folder and consulted the single sheet of paper within it.

“Yes, so I see.”  He nodded, “it says here that you think he’s been missing since Saturday?”

“Yes, that’s correct” Samantha agreed.

“He went off on a date” Archibald supplied.

“Did he?” D.S. Stone raised an eyebrow, “And you think he hasn’t been home, since?”

“I don’t think so” Samantha shook her head.

“Mrs. Knight, with the best will in the world” D.S. Stone sighed, and settled himself beside Samantha, “Mr. Oakshott is a grown man.  He’s quite entitled to have the odd romantic liaison.  Very odd, I would imagine” He commented, “Anyway, if that’s what he wants, that’s what he wants.  It might be surprising, but there’s no accounting for tastes, is there?  And, bear in mind that you don’t know for sure that he hasn’t been back since last Saturday, do you?”

“Well, not for sure, no…” Samantha conceded.

“There you are, then!” D.S. Stone smiled a reassuring smile, “For all you know, he could be anywhere around Merkin-under-Heathwood, living the high life.  Even if he hasn’t been home…”

“He hasn’t, I’m convinced of it” Samantha said, determinedly.

“Well, even if he hasn’t, my guess would be that he’s just having a rather good time and hasn’t noticed how long he’s been away.  I would bet good money that he’ll turn up, any day now, with lipstick on his collar, a faraway look in his eyes and a happy smile on his face.” D.S. Stone resisted the temptation to pat her hand, but it was a close-run thing. “You mark my words, it happens all of the time” He concluded, although he was unable to think of a single instance.

“But, it’s just not like him.  He wouldn’t go missing!  You know what he’s like, his work is his world!” Samantha sniffled.

“He’s always there, that’s right enough” Archibald nodded.

“Romance does funny things to people” D.S. Stone pointed out, blushing slightly at the memory of how Chantelle had taken him for a mug on the ferry, “particularly these late-blossoming romances.  I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if I were you” He got up to leave.

“So, you’re not going to do anything?” Samantha glared at him.

“No, Mrs. Knight, we’re not” D.S. Stone shook his head, “if he hasn’t shown up, say, by the end of the week, let us know and we might make a few more enquiries but, for now…”

“Well, thanks a lot!” Samantha jumped up from her seat, grabbed Archibald by the elbow, and stormed out.

“You’re welcome!” D.S. Stone shouted after her, sarcastically.

Out on the street, Samantha dabbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Well, Archibald, it looks like we’re on our own”

“He did say he’d do summat if he wasn’t back by the end of the week” Archibald pointed out.

“Anything could have happened, by then!” Samantha snapped.

“I don’t know what else we can do?” Archibald flapped his arms.

“I think I do” Samantha said, grimly.

Now read Part 17