Who Watches the Watch

Chapter 2

Vimes got up from his desk. "All right. Get word to Angua and tell her to stay where she is. I'm coming to join her."

"Yes, sir. Meanwhile, I'll start the man-hunt."

"The man-hunt?"

"The search for Noakes, sir."

"Carrot, he's only wanted for questioning. We can't be sure yet if he's committed a crime."

"Right, sir. And I think I'll ask a few questions around the city myself, sir. And I'll send some of our dwarf officers underground."

"Underground?"

"Yes, sir. We can't assume Noakes won't enter the sewers, sir. It's the perfect place to hide."

"No. No, of course not."

"And Cheery should already be at work on the body..."

"She should?"

"Yes, sir, as instructed... Which only leaves our witness to pick up, sir. I don't think I've left anything out, sir, have I?"

"No, Carrot. I think you've covered just about everything."

"Jolly good," said Carrot.

Yes, thought Vimes. Jolly good.

-o0o-

When Vimes arrived at the scene, Angua had already changed back into human form. She acknowledged the commander as he ducked under the police tape.

"Pity we hadn't got that up earlier," she said, nodding to the flimsy barrier flapping in the wind. "There's nothing left here now that we don't already know about."

Vimes grimaced. "It's all right, Angua. I wasn't expecting the area to remain uncontaminated for long."

Vimes took a look around. The bloodstain on the ground was clear in his torchlight. But apart from manky curry cartons and used sonkies, there wasn't much else to see. He held up his torch. The window the witness had looked out of was still open. Apart from the poor light, there was no denying she had a clear view. But what had she actually seen...?

"Noakes had been here earlier, sir," said Angua. "That much I can confirm."

Vimes nodded. "But he wasn't the only one, was he?"

"Hardly, sir. A whole army's been down here in the last hour."

"Including our killer..."

"Sir?"

Vimes crossed the alley and held up his torch. A rickety fire escape clung for dear life to the far wall. "Let's see... There's only one entrance into the alley. So, after the woman was killed, if no one saw the killer leave the alley, where did he go?" He nodded to the decrepit ladder. "Where does that lead, do you think?"

"To the roof, I expect, sir. But just look at the state of it, you'd have to be mad to leave by that route."

"Or desperate..."

"It's one hell of a climb, too," said Angua. "Whoever it was would have to be fit."

"Well, I think you'll agree Captain Noakes is no slouch?"

Angua followed his gaze. "You can't seriously want me to climb up there, sir?"

"No, I'll climb up... Once I know it's safe, I'll give you a hand."

Angua finally threw a leg over the last crumbling stage as Vimes hauled her in. It felt good to have her feet on something solid again.

"You know, we could have got someone else to come up here, sir," she said, brushing herself off.

"Yes, I know. But I wanted to take a look around myself..." Vimes walked among the chimney pots. It wouldn't be light for a good few hours yet, but he wanted to see the scene in the same light the killer had... Now, where would he go from here?

"Any chance of picking up a trail?" he asked.

"I could give it a try, sir."

"Do it."

Angua disappeared behind the chimneystacks. A moment later, she reappeared in wolf-form. Vimes collected her clothing for her, and was happy to see her pick up a trail almost as soon as she started. "Found something?"

Angua emitted a low growl.

Vimes felt oddly satisfied as he followed her. Her help was invaluable; he knew that. Without it, this task would be almost impossible. The place was a damn maze.

They'd covered quite some distance before Angua finally stopped. "Is that it?" said Vimes. "End of the trail?"

Angua snarled, and padded up to collect her clothes. She disappeared behind the chimneystacks again.

Vimes moved to the edge and walked around the perimeter. Right, you bastard, where did you go? It was a sheer drop almost all the way around. The roofs of nearby buildings didn't offer much of a foothold either. Unless...

"What do you think about that, Angua?" said Vimes, nodding into the night.

Angua returned, straightening her clothes. She followed Vimes' gaze.

"I think you're pulling my leg, sir."

"No, I'm dead serious."

"You'd be just plain dead if you contemplated that jump, sir."

"Onto an almost flat roof?"

"Sir, I agreed Noakes is fit. I didn't say he could fly. Besides, where would he go from there? There's nowhere to... Sir...?"

Angua turned.

Vimes was back between the chimneystacks. He appeared to be pacing out a run-up. Suddenly he stopped, and slipped off his heavy cape...

"Sir! I can't allow you to—"

Vimes tucked in his elbows and flew straight past her. He sprang athletically from the ledge and sailed through the air... And rather less athletically, smacked chest-first into the opposite wall. With the air forced from his lungs, he scrabbled for a hold, miraculously finding enough strength to pull himself up.

Angua alighted gracefully beside him.

"Not quite as far as it looks, sir, is it?" she said.

"No..." Vimes rasped, nursing his aching ribs. "Right. Now that we know the killer made the jump... where to next?"

They looked around. There really was nowhere else to go.

"He obviously dropped down into the streets from here, sir," said Angua, leaning over the edge. "He picked the right spot, too. This has to be one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area."

"Damn. And you can bet your life he's gone underground. Hiding out in the sewers. Just like Carrot said he would."

"Well, that's a job for the dwarfs, sir."

"Already taken care of, Angua..."

"So, what's our next move, sir?"

"Well, I'd like to meet up with Carrot again. Hopefully, he's made some progress. I'd like you to go back to the yard."

"Okay, sir."

"But before you go, Angua. That trail you picked up... Any idea who it might've been?"

Angua gave him an odd look. "Yes, sir. It was Noakes."

-o0o-

Vimes couldn't easily explain the feeling in his gut as he set off to meet Carrot. What, exactly, was making him so sure Noakes wasn't the killer? The fact that he was a watchman? That didn't make sense. Anyone was capable of killing under the right conditions, he knew that. Hells, how many times had he fought his own Beast? So why was he still refusing to believe it?

Vimes met Carrot again on Contract Bridge.

"What have you managed to find out, Carrot?" he asked, as they made their way back to the Watch House.

"Well, the search for Captain Noakes is underway, sir. But so far, there's still no sign of him. We also know he hasn't been home."

"What else?"

"There appears to be no other witnesses, sir. Although, we are still looking."

"Any good news?"

"Cheery has confirmed stabbing as the cause of death, sir?"

"Gracious me." Vimes spared Carrot the sideways look and quickened his step. "Well, we've got one witness at least. I really want to talk to her."

"Ah. Bit of a problem there, sir..."

Vimes stopped. "What?"

"It appears she's gone into hiding, sir."

"Hiding? What in the hells for?"

"Well, the killer is still out there, sir. She seems to think he'll come back for her."

"Come back for—?" Vimes stared; he was too angry for words.

He stomped off. "Great!" he shouted, when he was halfway across the bridge. "How many more people do I have to look for?"

-o0o-