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The squad followed Luncardy's commands unhesitatingly and to the letter, leaping into action with impressive coordination and skill, like a machine of many well-oiled and finely polished parts in intricate motion. It was a master-class in the precision and predictability of police training, with all eyes and attention fixed on the old farmhouse. Not another shot was fired during the incursion, for which I was entirely grateful, although nobody could have been sure that Drummond, or anyone else still inside, would not have gone loco under pressure and resolved to go out fighting in a suicidal blaze of gunfire. Two brave souls rushed over to where Argaty lay, scooped her up by the armpits - one either side - and dragged her to the dubious safety of the bank under the hedge. Sadly, their heroism was in vain, as it turned out; I would later learn that Argaty was already dead, killed mercifully quickly by Drummond's bullet. Following close behind, two more cops apprehended Clathy, dragging her off in the same direction as her grandmother. Admittedly, she made no attempt to evade the clutches of the law, but slumped passively, now almost catatonic in grief. Meanwhile, inside the house, I would later be told, the remainder of the squad soon found and overwhelmed Drummond, who was confused and undirected, shaken by the sudden desertion of Clathy rather than the shooting of an ancient, a person irrelevant and probably completely unknown to himself. I had agreed with the Inspector that I was not to involve myself, so I watched from behind the hedge as events unfolded. As I crouched there, feeling about as useful as a chocolate teapot, I heard the faintest of noises from the field behind me. I pricked up my ears - a literal action for a Goblin - and swivelled around. There seemed to be sounds of stealthy movement, mostly - but not entirely - masked by the noises from the coppers in the basement. If I hadn't been left behind, if I had been part of the team now assaulting the farmhouse, I would never have noticed a thing. I scuttled across the road as quickly and quietly as I could, determined to investigate. Sure, it could have been a fox or a badger, but these creatures are naturally wary when Goblins are about, and there had been silence from the undergrowth hitherto. I wormed my way through the hedge, adding to the scratches on my hands, and the dirt and damage to my clothes. By the time I got through, whatever it was had already gone. I stood motionless, silent, every sense alert, but there was nothing to be seen or heard, nothing to suggest that I had not imagined the whole episode. The brightness of the floodlights had ruined my night vision in any case, so I was relying more on hearing than sight. I gave up and went back to the road, where the house lights were finally extinguished, just too late. Several coppers were now emerging from the house with a prisoner in tow. Clathy was led away, now screaming hysterically and trying to get to Drummond, the cops desperately trying to silence her so as not to disturb the human residents of the well-maintained properties closer to the station. Drummond himself was surly and unresponsive, handcuffed to one of the larger of the officers. He was guided back to the cars we had abandoned with shoves and whispered imprecations. I watched them go. I doubted I would have anything more to do with either of them. It was all in the hands of the police now. Both of them had gone well beyond anything I could influence. Killers, both of them - or at least accessories after the fact - kidnapping and conspiracy. Worse still, Clathy had fooled me, taken me in completely with her little-girl-lost impersonation. I really should know better. I shook my head and turned back to look at the house just as a surprisingly large number of cops guided out Clunie. She looked remarkably well for someone who had been abducted and locked away. She rushed up to me and clasped me to her very expansive bosom like an old friend or a worried child. Finally I managed to extricate myself. "Findo!" Clunie squeaked, "I thought you would never find me." "All part of the service," I replied, stepping back, "And of course I had lots of help." I caught sight of Luncardy looking faintly amused at my discomfort, pausing for a second at her favourite role of directing in some detail the actions of her squad. Finally, she took pity on me, came over and addressed Clunie directly. "Miss Ford," she said formally, "I'm afraid I must ask you to accompany my officers to the precinct station, as a witness, of course." Clunie glanced at me, as if to reassure herself that it was okay for her to go. "You go with the police," I said, trying not to let my relief show in my face, "It's standard practice. They'll want to get a formal statement from you. I'm sure it won't take long, and I'll catch up with you at home later on. Make sure you tell them everything you can remember." She looked dubious for a moment, then brightened. "Sure. Okay then, if you think so." Once again escorted by more than the necessary minimum number of coppers, Clunie was taken back to the Lower Realms.
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Part 85