Part 17 (1/2)

Frost's drink-befuddled brain switched falteringly in and out of focus. 'Which cashpoint?'

'The one in Market Square. The same one as before.'

'What time?'

'Four minutes past one. You did catch him, didn't you?'

'I'll get back to you,' said Frost, slamming the phone down. 'If we'd caught him, I'd have bleeding said so, wouldn't I, you stupid prat,' he yelled at the handset.

The team had gone silent, all eyes on Frost, realising something had gone badly wrong. Frost spun round in his chair. 'He took another five hundred quid from the till in Market Square about a minute after we pulled out. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d must have known we were there. Where's Taffy Morgan? He was supposed to be watching that cashpoint.'

They looked blankly at each other.

'He never came back with us,' said Collier after a pause.

Frost turned to Jordan. 'I thought you were picking him up?'

'He wasn't there. I a.s.sumed he'd gone with Collier.'

Collier shook his head. 'He didn't come with me, Inspector.'

Frost fished out his mobile and keyed in Morgan's number. 'I bet the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's fallen asleep and is snoring his head off in the shop doorway.' The whisky was making him sweat. He wanted to go into the washroom and stick his head under the tap. Morgan's mobile was ringing. 'Come on, come on, you Welsh git,' urged Frost. But it just went on ringing. He clicked off and beckoned Jordan over. 'You sober enough to drive?'

Jordan nodded. 'Just about.'

'Go and look for him. Wake him up gently. A knee in the goolies should do.'

'Shall I check his digs?' asked Simms.

He looked flushed, but in slightly better shape than Jordan.

Before Frost could answer, the phone rang. 'This will be him,' he said, picking up the hand set ready to give the DC an earful.

'Inspector Frost? PC Wilson here from Traffic. I'm calling from Denton General Hospital. We've followed up an ambulance 999 call. Bloke found unconscious in the gutter. No identification. We thought it was a hit and run.'

'There's a point to this, I hope,' said Frost, wedging the phone between his head and shoulder as he poked a cigarette in his mouth and reached for his lighter.

'Yes, there is a point, Inspector. When we got to the hospital we recognised the victim. It's DC Morgan.'

'Morgan?' echoed Frost.

'Yes. He was unconscious when they brought him in. The doctor reckons he's been clouted on the head with something heavy.'

'Is he all right?'

'Nothing broken, according to the X-rays, but they want to keep an eye on him overnight in case of complications.'

'And you said there was no ID on him?'

'That's right. Whoever whammed him must have taken his wallet.'

'Thanks,' said Frost. 'You can get back to booking motorists. I'll be right over.'

He replaced the phone and raised his eyes to the ceiling. 'The end of a perfect bleeding night. Unauthorised overtime, the money taken any way, Morgan knocked unconscious and robbed and I've got a splitting bleeding headache.' He looked across at Kate Holby. 'You're the only sober one here, love. You'd better drive me to the hospital.'

He followed the young nurse through a darkened ward to a curtained bed at the far end. Somewhere in the background a feeble voice kept calling, 'Nurse . . . nurse,' but she took no notice.

'Shouldn't someone see to him?' asked Frost. She shook her head. 'He only wants to know the time, then when you tell him, five minutes later he wants to know again.' She opened the curtains so Frost could enter.

Morgan lay in the bed, eyes closed, a white bandage round his head.

'Someone to see you, Mr Morgan,' said the nurse.

Morgan's eyelids fluttered as he turned his head. 'h.e.l.lo, Guv.'

'Not too long,' said the nurse.

'Most girls think it's long enough,' nodded Frost, dragging a chair to the side of the bed. He unhooked the chart from the foot of the bed and flipped through it. 'What does ”Do Not Resuscitate” mean?'

Morgan grinned, wincing as the effort hurt his head. 'What do you reckon to that young nurse, Guv? I wouldn't mind a bit of that in bed with me.'

'No chance, Taff,' said Frost, pretending to read from the chart. 'It says here ”Nil by d.i.c.k”.' He tossed the chart on the bed. 'So what happened?'

'I'm sorry; Guv,' Morgan murmured, putting on his shame-faced expression. 'I let you down.'

'Deja flaming vu,' said Frost. 'I get the impression you've said that a few times before. So what happened tonight?'

'It was him, Guv. The blackmailer.'

Frost's head shot up. 'What? Are you sure?'

'I nearly had him - I nearly b.l.o.o.d.y had him. I tried to stop him, but he had something in his hand.'

'His d.i.c.k?'

'No, Guv. Something heavy. One of those long torches, I think. He welted me round the head and I went out like a light. Next thing I knew I was in hospital and that lovely nurse was leaning over me. I thought I was in heaven, Guv.'

'You're s.e.x mad,' said Frost. 'A couple of t.i.ts stuck up your nose and you're away. Now, start from the beginning.'

'Right, Guv. I see him approach the cashpoint.'