Of Night and Dark Obscurity

“Are you married?”

“No.”

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“A sweetheart?”

“No.”

“And you say this pick pocketing charge is false?” Val asked.

“It is indeed. I was falsely accused.”

“I see.” Val nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Mr. Sawyer where do you live when you aren’t inside the Metropolitan Police Station?”

Mr. Sawyer gave an address and Val frowned. “Where would that be?”

He stumbled over the answer and Val felt the first sense that he was absolutely right and his gut instincts had not failed him.

“Do you have any hobbies Mr. Sawyer?” He asked randomly.

“What do you mean hobbies?”

“Well. Some gentlemen like to look at the stars, other gentlemen like to gamble. I wonder if you might have any such idle fancies.”

Mr. Sawyer looked at Val oddly. “Why would you care about my hobbies? That’s a strange question if I do say so for a policeman to ask.”

“It is, isn’t it.”

“It is.”

“So, do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Have any hobbies?”

Mr. Sawyer looked about the room. “I suppose I like to take long walks. Clears the mind.”

“I could see it would. Where do you go when you walk, to the park?”

Mr. Sawyer shrugged. “I don’t know. I just walk.”

Val nodded. “I see.”

An awkward silence stretched between the two men. Val looked intently at Mr. Sawyer who tried just as intently to avoid his gaze.

“I have one or two hobbies myself but they aren’t much to talk about,” Val said absently. “You see I sketch.”

Mr. Sawyer looked blankly at Val and Val smiled. “I have no formal training. I just do it for myself. Would you like to see my sketches?”

Mr. Sawyer shrugged but he seemed to want to do anything but see the inspector’s sketching.

Val smiled and opened up the folder he had before him. Carefully he placed the sheet of paper in front of Mr. Sawyer and pointed at it.

“What do you think? Do you like it?”

Mr. Sawyer looked down at the piece of paper and his face fell. He looked up at Val and then back down at the sketch of Irene Derry that had been found at Lyle Bowler’s flat.