The Knock

Maggie Broadbent answered the knock at her front door with a look of weary resignation.

'What the hell do you want this time?' she demanded.

'It's about Tony,' replied DCI Hudson warily, 'I need to know if you've any idea where he is.'

'I've told you before, not to come bothering me with your silly bloody questions. If I knew where he was I wouldn't tell you; now bugger off.'

'Come on Maggie, this is important. At least tell me what he was wearing when you last saw him.'

Maggie's seasoned defiance softened a little as she registered the unusually conciliatory tone in Hudson's voice.

'If this is another of your attempts to fit him up for something he hasn't done, then you're wasting your time.' Her voice now more cautious and uncertain.

'This isn't about fitting anybody up Maggie. I just need to know what he was wearing when you last saw him; this is important and it would make things a lot easier if we could talk about this inside.'

'Is this some sort of trick Hudson; some smarmy way of getting inside my house without a warrant?'

'No tricks Maggie; honestly. I need to know what Tony was wearing so that I can eliminate him from my enquiries.'

'I couldn't care less about your enquiries, so get off my front step.'

'Look Maggie, there's no other way of putting this, but was Tony wearing his leather jacket when you last saw him; the one with the eagle motif on the back of it?'

A cold chill swept through Maggie and she grasped the edge of the partly opened front door.

'He never wears anything else these days; you know that. Oh God!Something’s happened to him hasn't it?'

The facial features of the body that they had fished out of the canal that morning were unrecognisable, but Hudson was convinced that he knew exactly who it was.

'You'd better let me in Maggie because I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you, the sort that shouldn't be given on the doorstep.'