Albert pointed at her and giggled. “You got it.”

“Any drugs?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was it just alcohol, or did you take any drugs?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Coke, amphetamines, marijuana.”

“The wacky baccy? No, I don’t do that stuff. It makes you stupid. And Paul’s not into drugs, either.”

“Were you fit to drive?”

“I should say not.”

“I understand you do a bit of driving on the side, though.”

Albert’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Driving. You know.” Annie stuck her arms out and mimed turning a steering wheel.

“I know what you mean, but what are you getting at?”

“Do you or don’t you do some driving for a man called Jim Nuttall?”

“Jim?”

“Yes. He’s got an auto parts business in Stockton, Specialist stuff. For collectors and the like.”

“I know Jim, yeah. So what? What did he tell you?”

“Do you make deliveries and pickups for him?”

“Yeah, but it’s all legit stuff. It’s nothing to do with drugs or anything. I just help out now and then. Us unemployed people got to take what we can get, you know.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t legitimate, Albert. Did you have a delivery on Tuesday, during the day?”

“Well, yeah, as a matter of fact. I was in Sheffield in the afternoon. Got back about an hour or so before the meeting, parked the car at the back of Paul’s, as usual, and got a couple down me in the Hope and Anchor.”

“And Wednesday?”

“Sunderland. Afternoon. I was a bit late. I had a f—”

“Yes, you’ve told us, Albert. Why didn’t you tell us about this before?”

“I don’t know. It didn’t come up, did it? And I’d just heard about Mimsy. I was gutted.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t because Jim Nuttall told you not to mention it to anyone, that he could get into trouble for paying you cash under the counter and not running it through his books?”

“Whatever Jim does is up to him.”

“But he told you to keep quiet about it.”

“Well . . . yeah. There’s no harm in that.”

“So between Tuesday evening, when you got back from Sheffield, and Wednesday afternoon, when you made the delivery in Sunderland, where was Mr. Nuttall’s van parked?”

“I told you. Lane round the back of Paul’s place.”

“Do you often park it there?”

“If I know we’re likely to be going back there for a few bevvies and movies. But it depends. If I’m not working for a few days I’ll take it back to Jim’s yard and he’ll give me a ride home from Stockton.”

“But on this occasion you were driving two days in a row?”