They comprised a catalogue of domestic violence and included a threat heard by Haines to take revenge on a woman – and the legal profession – whom Potts swore to Jack Haines had stripped him of half his worldly wealth by way of a divorce.Perhaps, noted Sloan, Norman Potts had already taken revenge too, on a nurseryman who had refused to play ball with a disgruntled stepson. The policeman didn’t know that. Not yet.And Jack Haines certainly wasn’t saying anything about that.Not yet, either.Sloan gave the superintendent an edited version of Norman Potts’ reputation as represented by his stepfather and his former wife.Leeyes grunted.The detective inspector glanced down at his notebook. ‘So, sir, I’ve put out a general call for this Norman Potts as a witness in connection with damage caused at the two nurseries.’‘In connection with,’ Superintendent Leeyes rolled the phrase round his tongue appreciatively. ‘I like it. Non-committal, and better than that old chestnut about helping the police with their enquiries.’ ‘Yes, sir.’ In his time, Sloan been assaulted by men said to be helping the police with their enquiries and it hadn’t been of any help at all.‘The press don’t like anything non-committal,’ said the superintendent with some satisfaction.
