Page 94 of The Scene of the Crime
‘A man’s Rolex, with a black face and a diamond-studded dial,’ Chapman said.
‘No, definitely not. Me and my husband run a decent pub. If we think someone is trying to sell hooky gear, we give them a warning and say to do it elsewhere, or you’re barred.’
Chapman got a picture of Palmer out of his pocket. ‘Do you know this man?’
‘Yeah, I’ve seen him in here before. He’s as bald as a coot, so it’s hard not to notice him. What’s he been up to?’
‘His name is Liam Palmer, and we heard he was trying to sell a Rolex in here.’
Pauline chuckled. ‘Are you being serious? I’d soon know if he had, and believe me, he’d have been out on his arse before he knew it. Excuse me a second.’
‘Is there anything else you can tell me about Liam?’ Chapman asked.
Pauline shrugged. ‘He comes in here now and again, but mostly at lunchtime ’cause he works nights, though I have seen him on the occasional Saturday night.’
‘Has Liam ever tried to sell or buy any property you thought might be stolen?’
Pauline shook her head. ‘No, never, and like I say, I’d soon know if he had. The older punters don’t like troublemakers coming in here, so they always tell me or my husband who is up to no good. I give them a free pint to tell me what’s going on. It’s like having an extra pair of eyes and ears in the place. None of them have ever said Liam is a wrong ’un.’
‘What do you make of Liam?’ Jessica asked.
‘What do I make of him? I dunno, seems a nice lad. He’s quite shy, you know, pretty much keeps himself to himself. He likes a game of pool and often just plays on his own if it’s quiet. He comes out of his shell a bit when he’s pissed.’
‘Is there anyone he particularly mixes with, or you’d consider a friend?’ Jessica asked.
‘Not really. If you talk to him, he’ll talk to you, but mostly just about the latest computer games.’
‘We found a stolen laptop and two games consoles at his flat. He said he got them at a car boot sale, but we think he bought them knowing they were stolen,’ Chapman told Pauline.
‘Liam’s not the brightest, if you know what I mean. I’d say it’d be easy to pull the wool over his eyes.’
Chapman nodded. ‘If, say, Liam wanted to buy a games console, an iPad or something like that on the cheap, is there anyone you can think of he might approach, but not in here necessarily?’ Chapman asked.
Pauline looked around to see if anyone was listening, then leaned forward. ‘You might want to speak to a real nasty bugger called Wheeler, aka The Dealer.’
‘Wheeler handles stolen gear then?’ Chapman asked.
‘I didn’t say that, but supposedly he’s the man to go to if you want something cheap with no questions asked. He’s a big bloke, too, and quick with his fists.’
‘Has Wheeler ever caused any trouble in here?’
‘He did once a couple of months back. Knocked a young lad out with a sucker punch from behind. My old man Mick doesn’t stand for any nonsense. Wheeler backed off when Mick confronted him with a pool cue. He barred him. Thankfully, he’s not been in since.’
‘Do you know Wheeler’s first name?’ Chapman asked.
‘No, I just know everyone calls him Wheeler or The Dealer. Hang on, I’ll be back in a second.’ Pauline went and spoke with the barmaid.
‘I think it might be worth our while trying to find this Wheeler and having a chat with him,’ Chapman said.
Pauline returned. ‘Holly was born and bred around here. She thinks Wheeler’s first name is John or Jim, and he might live in one of the tower blocks on Montague Road.’
‘Did Holly know which one?’ Chapman asked.
‘No, but Liam lives in one of them as well. I also asked her if Liam and Wheeler were friends. She doubted it.’
‘Do you know if Wheeler was ever in the military?’ Jessica asked.
Pauline shrugged. ‘No idea, but he’s a big bugger and looks fit. If that’s all, I need to finish my bookkeeping darlin’.’
