Garibaldi stood onstage in the centre circle at Loftus Road. Beside him was Emmylou Harris and in his hands was a guitar. He looked down at it, baffled. Emmylou smiled, leaned towards him and mouthed something Garibaldi couldn’t decipher. He raised his eyebrows.
Emmylou leaned in further and put her mouth to his ear. ‘People Like Us,’ she said. ‘You know it?’
People Like Us? Garibaldi had never heard of it. He shook his head. Emmylou gave him the chords but they were just letters to him – he had no idea how to play them.
He looked down at his hands on the guitar. They were frozen, unable to move.
Emmylou nodded and counted him in. ‘One, two, three …’
The Loftus Road tannoy system blasted out a loud ring. Emmylou looked at him in a panic.
‘It’s all right,’ said Garibaldi. ‘We’re OK. People like us are OK.’
The ringing continued, loud in Garibaldi’s ears.
He opened his eyes, turned his head and picked up the phone.
‘Garibaldi.’ 281
‘DI Garibaldi? It’s Roddy Ireland. Something’s happened.’
‘What is it?’
‘I’ve been assaulted.’
Garibaldi wiped his eyes and looked at the clock. He’d slept in. A 2–0 win over Fulham and more beers with Alfie in the pub afterwards …
‘Are you OK?’
‘No, I’m not OK. I’ve been assaulted. At knifepoint.’
‘Are you injured?’
‘A cut, but it’s nothing. Could have been worse, so much worse.’
‘When did this happen?’
‘Last night when I was out for a walk. I would have rung you then but I thought it was too late.’
‘OK. I’m on my way round.’
Felicia Ireland sat beside her husband on the sofa, her hand clasping his. Roddy looked tense, his brow furrowed, the corners of his tight-lipped mouth turned down in a grim frown. His hand touched the white bandage on the side of his neck.
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Roddy. ‘I really don’t believe it.’
Garibaldi took out his notebook. ‘You’ll need to come in and give a statement, Mr Ireland, but maybe you could take me through what happened.’
‘It was last night at about eleven, I think. I’d just taken Hector out.’
‘Hector?’
‘Our dog. I take him out last thing at night so he can relieve himself. Last night I got back in and I was still feeling a bit restless, going over everything that had happened, so thought I’d go out for another walk by myself to clear my head. So I set out as I said at about eleven.’ 282
‘Where did you go?’
‘I headed to the pond. There were a few people about, but not many. A few youngsters on the benches, some other late-night dog-walkers. And it was when I was heading back via the common and I came to the bridge over Beverley Brook that I got the sense I was being followed. I could hear steps behind me. Some way off at first but they grew closer. I thought someone wanted to overtake me so when we got close to this little bridge – which as you know is only wide enough for one person – I turned round to see if he wanted to pass.’
‘He? You knew it was a man at this stage?’
‘Not at this stage, no. But I did pretty soon after.’
‘So you saw what this man looked like?’
Roddy shook his head. ‘No. He had a hoodie pulled over his head and when he saw me turn he turned his head away. In the brief flash I got of him it looked like he might have had a mask or a scarf over his face. It was all very quick, I didn’t see much.’
‘So you turned round. Then what happened?’
‘I walked over the bridge and I heard the steps breaking into a run and the next thing I know I’ve got an arm round my neck and I’m being dragged down through the bushes and I’ve been shoved on my front right by the brook and there’s a body pinning me down. There’s a weight on my back and I can’t move and there’s a hand round my mouth and …’
Roddy stopped and took a breath to calm himself.
‘I’m sorry, just telling it to you brings it back and …’
Felicia gave his hand a squeeze.
‘Take your time, Mr Ireland,’ said Garibaldi. ‘I know this must be painful for you, but it’s important we get every detail.’ 283
Roddy sighed. ‘OK, so one hand was round my mouth, then I felt something against my neck. Something sharp. And the bloke said, “Feel this? It’s a knife and I’m happy to use it. Understand? So listen. Remember what happened to Giles? Keep your mouth shut. One step out of line and you’ll get this.” And then I don’t know where I got the strength from but I wriggled and pushed up against him and I managed to get him off – I don’t know how – and I tried to hit him with my hand and that’s when he did this—’
Roddy pointed to the bandage on his neck.
‘Looks pretty bad.’
‘It’s nothing. Just a scratch.’
‘Can I see?’
‘Sure.’ Roddy undid the bandage.
Garibaldi leaned close. It was a small cut, one or two inches long. It didn’t look too deep.
‘Did you get anyone to look at it?’
‘Felicia cleaned it and dressed it last night. Good to have a wife who’s done a first aid course.’
‘You should get it checked out.’
‘I’ll see if I can see a nurse at the GP today,’ said Roddy. ‘It’s certainly not a case of A and E.’
‘Can we go back over what this man said,’ said Garibaldi. ‘“One step out of line”. Were those his exact words?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘And tell me, Mr Ireland, how long did the struggle last, would you say?’
‘I can’t be exact. Seemed to go on forever.’
‘What clothes were you wearing?’
‘I’m wearing them, I’m afraid. I’m still shocked, couldn’t be bothered to find anything else this morning. And a jacket, I had a jacket on.’ 284
‘I’d like to take those clothes away now, Mr Ireland. DNA.’
Roddy looked momentarily baffled. ‘It has to be the same man.’
‘It may very well be, but we need all the evidence we can get.’
Felicia let go of Roddy’s hand. ‘Detective Inspector, this is extremely serious. If there was any doubt that Forum Tutors is being targeted, it’s gone. And my question is, what should we do to protect ourselves and more importantly what are you going to do to protect us?’
‘I advise caution,’ said Garibaldi. ‘That applies to both of you and to all your tutors.’
‘Is that it?’ said Felicia. ‘Is that all we get?’
‘We’re doing all we can, Mrs Ireland. Believe me.’ Garibaldi looked at Roddy. ‘Your clothes?’
Roddy had the look of a reluctant schoolboy being told to change for swimming.
He left the room leaving Garibaldi to his wife’s glare and frosty silence.