Murders Without Motive (13 page)

“I suspected that. I have been there myself many times how can I help?”

“Well” she replied “I am about to take Pearson off the case, in fact hand it to an outside force to deal with, I thought, not having heard from you for a while, I would just speak before I bang down the hammer on Pearson, it will be the finish of him in CID of course.”

Jack thought and replied” Chief may I please ask you to have a little faith, just give Pearson and myself a few days, say one week. If the matter is not resolved then by all means sack us both.

“Well Jack I am really putting my own head on the line here”, she hesitated and replied.

“I will do what I can but a week and that is it”.

“Fair enough” said Jack adding” "Chief, please ensure that nothing, but nothing takes Pearson off the case. Then be certain you give instructions that whatever he asks for in the way of assistance, he gets it. Finally there may be flak from certain quarters, have faith in us, ignore the flak if it comes”.

“I will give you one week, alright Jack?”

“Yes alright Jack as the saying goes”, he retorted.

The call ended, he smiled, this would be one of his biggest tests.

PART FIVE

THE FINAL SOLUTION

Wednesday the 8
^th
of May 2013

It was five minutes past the hour of nine o’clock on a fine bright sunny morning when Detective Inspector Pearson and Mr Jack Richards presented themselves at the enquiry office at Chester Crown Court.

“May I be of assistance to you gentleman?” Asked the man behind the armoured glass”.

Aged in his early sixties he was tall, portly with a pale drawn face which contrasted with the rest of his physique.

He stood tall and erect, clearly a military man or ex copper thought Jack.

His black uniform was immaculate, as was his white shirt and black tie. Not a sign of tea stains or anything else unseemly.

This contrasted with those uniformed police officers standing around the foyer.

Their shoes and boots had never seen polish from the day they left the factory in India. Their trousers were similarly not to the standard required in Jacks days when he had attended Crown Courts.

A clean shirt, pressed trousers with only one crease, that was straight and true, the remainder of the trousers showing neither stains nor any signs of the pressing iron leaving the mark of a shine

These officers were dressed in some new uniform and they appeared at best bedraggled at worst bloody scruffy thought Jack.

“I am detective Inspector Pearson of Chester Police Station; this is my associate Mr Jack Richards. We are investigating the recent murder at Crampton Hall.” He said to the court security officer.

“I see well how can the Crown Court be of assistance? You haven’t brought the murderer in with you unannounced have you?” said the man flippantly, rubbing his badge which announced he was George  the senior security officer.

“Nothing like that” replied Pearson; “we need to make a very urgent application before Lord Justice Stevens”.

“Well” said George, “this is very unusual, I will speak with the Clerk of the Peace, I doubt you can be fitted in and certainly not without consent and representation from the Crown Prosecution Service”.

Jack shaking his head said, “George, please, just speak with the Clerk and ask him to pass on the request to Judge Stevens, telling him who is seeking a hearing in chambers, let him decide.”

George turned, disgruntled but thought he had better let the Clerk decide in case the shit hit the fan so to speak.

He was gone about fifteen minutes and on his return he smiled and said “the Judge will see you gentlemen, please follow me”.

They walked along two corridors arriving at a door marked "Judge Stevens”

They went inside; his clerk was seated but didn’t speak.

“Yes gentlemen” said the Judge now all geared up with robes and wig.

“We are here my lord to seek a warrant,” said Pearson.

“I see and Mr Jack Richards is your associate, I take it”

“Yes” replied Pearson.

“In that case”, replied the Judge, then he looked at his clerk who handed Pearson a copy of the New Testament.

Taking hold of it, he knew all too well what to say.

“I Richard Pearson a Detective Inspector of the Chester police do hereby swear that the evidence which I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.

The clerk took the testament and sat down.

Pearson and Richards remaining standing, the Judge said,

“Officer, are you requesting an arrest warrant or a search warrant?”

Pearson standing to attention looked at Jack then towards the judge who had a twinkle in his eyes. He could tell Pearson was windy and seeking support from Jack the Hat, a long time known witness to Lord Justice Stevens.

“I request a search warrant, and I would add your Lordship, I make this application in chambers, on the grounds that the cases involved are of several murders.”

“It is vital to keep the application confidential and more so that very urgent action needs to be taken by the police in the interest of justice”, said Pearson, now more confident.

“I see yes indeed,” said Stevens, “I presume these are the recent murders involving Colonel Crampton and his family?”

The Judge hesitated momentarily and then continued.

“Please officer, relate to the court the evidence you have upon which you are basing your application for a search warrant”.

This was Pearson’s moment; he had never done such a duty before, looking at Jack all calm, he had obviously done it countless times and apparently before the same judge.

Pearson took a breath and holding his notes commenced to make his application.

Meanwhile Joanne Watkiss was dreading yet another meeting with the Commissioner. Seated with Chief Superintendent Tabo Jinton a tray of tea on the table, one cup still turned upside down on its saucer.

A knock on the door and the sound of the voice of Mildred, her secretary was about to announce the arrival of Sir Claude Pendergast, the newly elected Police Commissioner. He had always used every opportunity, being a dedicated male chauvinist, to criticise the first lady Chief-Constable.

“Welcome Sir” she said as he walked in and sat down without invitation, after all, he is The Commissioner, was his attitude.

“The dreadful murder and the lack of progress by this force Chief Constable. It is very worrying; we will be a laughing stock”. Shaking his head as he spoke.

She was about to reply but hesitated as he, Sir Claude, leaned over the table turned over the spare cup. Seeing something which was objectionable to him, he violently shook the cup downwards, and then inserted a finger wiping out same, then wiping whatever he had removed onto the front of his shirt. It had been a very small fly, which was now flattened and spread across the front of his shirt.

Watkiss and Jinton looked at each with a smile for he had not actually taken the cup provided but another of hers and which she had forgotten to remove.

They said nothing but smiled at each other discreetly, of course.

Claude then poured out his tea and added milk and unbelievably four teaspoons of sugar.

His antics so far were only surpassed when having picked up the cup he took a long, very long slurp, followed by an equally long, ah.

“Well Sir,” she commenced but was cut off in mid flow by Pendergast

“Let me just sum up the position Chief-Constable, now correct me if I am wrong”

“We have one of the leading families in the county living nearby and one by one on your own admission they have been murdered”.

“There was only one member left here, young Mr Charles. The only action the police appear to have done is arrest him”.

“Once arrested a man of previous good character in a state of mourning, is permitted to attempt to take his own life”.

“To add insult to injury he is released without charge. The force is now set to be sued for false arrest. Now Chief Constable what if anything did I say that was wrong and I might finally add, what have you done that is right”.

His oration ended and so she spoke.

“Sir Claude”, said she, “we, the police have interviewed all the staff and made local enquiries but I accept that to date from my briefings we neither have any suspect nor any motive for these crimes”

“Exactly” said Pendergast then he stopped, “You say you have no suspect, what of Charles, please do not say his arrest and this suicide business was all for nothing?”

“Well” said she, “We have some circumstantial evidence I am told and we were waiting for results from the Forensic Laboratory”

“Don’t tell me, have you messed that up or had reports back clearing Mr Charles?”

Neither sir,” she said, “but I can say Mr Charles Crampton is no longer a suspect for he has been found dead at his home, hanging in fact. Thought to be suicide but now we believe he was also murdered.”

As she spoke, Pendergast dropped his cup spilling hot tea over his trousers adding more glamour to his appearance.

“Murdered, murdered?” he exclaimed.

“Yes the enquiry is ongoing” she replied.

Clearly shaken if not flabbergasted he mumbled, then blurted

“Pray Miss Watkiss, what the hell do you intend to do about it?”

He added, “Call in another force. Yes that is it, contact Chief Constable Myers at North Wales get him to send that Ianto fellow over here".

“Commissioner a new approach is being undertaken as I speak”

“And what the hell might that be?” he asked. Now putting the cup onto the table, he missed, for his hand was shaking with rage, the cup rolled over on the saucer then fell to the floor.

He was about to stamp on it with rage but hesitated, then realised after all they were still cops, well dressed but still cops. Not risking arrest he calmed and stopped

He was unaware that Miss Renton, the Chief’s secretary had lifted the phone considering calling an ambulance with a view to getting the Commissioner admitted to Denbigh, the nearby mental institution.

“Calm yourself, Sir Claude” said Tabo Jinton, gripping his uniform cap and almost wiping off the braiding from the peak.

“What is this new approach?” he asked.

“I am, for operational reasons, unable to disclose this information but I will schedule a conference or such like within a week, all will revealed”.

Pendergast rose walked to the door, turned and said.

“If these matters are not brought to a satisfactory conclusion, madam, I intend to contact The Home Office and seek a review from them with a view to forcing you to appoint an outside force to clear up this bloody mess. I assume with the review will be your resignation”

He left banging the door.

There was silence for a moment, when Jinton, spoke asking

“Ma`am may I be informed as to this magical new approach”.

She smiled, poured another drink, topping up his cup and said.

“Chief Superintendent, I have not one clue, Jack Richards is active, I know that much. I also know he asked me to have faith, as for the rest I await with the greatest of anticipation. He has one week and it appears so do I”

Jack the Hat and Pearson walked into the offices of Templeton and Co. Solicitors at Law.

It was an old building, scattered around the walls were ancient drawings of legal beagles long since departed.

There was a counter at which no one sat or stood the place completely silent. Seemingly a common occurrence for there was an ancient brass bell upon the counter.

Pearson pressed the bell several times. The silence persisted then suddenly a door opened.

A young lady, with long blonde hair carrying a pile of files about two feet tall, way above her head in fact.

She stopped, and then her head appeared around one side.

“Yes" she said "do you have an appointment?"

With that the top files dropped onto the floor and were scattered here, there and everywhere.

Richards and Pearson remained still and silent, the poor girl a secretary according to her name badge was Jocelyn, Legal Secretary, put the remaining files on the counter then picked up the rest.