DISCLAIMER:
This is a story. None of the characters in the story exist and the events that take place are purely imaginary. This is a detective story with sexual overtones. I hope that you like this as a piece of writing.
WARNING:
Do not read this story if you are in any way offended by acts of a homosexual nature.
Do not read this if you are under the legal age for accessing adult sites.
Always indulge in safe sex.
MARTIN ROBERTS INVESTIGATES
Chapter 10
After his Inspector had left for home, Martin had sat alone in his office waiting for the return of Bob Matthews from South Wales. To pass the time the Superintendent decided that he would tidy up a few things. First he wrote a memo to the Commander, his immediate superior, outlining the recent developments in the case and explaining the importance of the photograph that they had acquired. Martin also suggested in his memo that he would want to resist a press statement at this stage but that he hoped to have firmer news by the end of the week. When he had completed the memo, Martin next turned his attention to a large file on his desk. This was the one that had been sent over by the Home Office pathologist and contained his detailed report on the autopsy evidence of the first six victims.
Martin could tell that, as expected, the Home Office pathologist had been extremely thorough and his report was enormously detailed. There was, fortunately for Martin, a summary sheet, which informed him that the original autopsy reports had been accurate and that the Home Office pathologist could find nothing more that was new to add. However, the report was able to provide more comparative detail because this pathologist had been able to review all the cases. The specialist doctor confirmed that each of the victims had been asphyxiated. The killer had almost certainly used some kind of plastic bag pulled tightly over his victim's head. The pathologist commented that it was well known that there were people, who sometimes used this method in order to heighten sexual stimulation. However, he added, the absence of genitalia and semen on the body or at the scene of the dumping of the bodies suggested that this had not been true in these cases. Finally, the pathologist confirmed the view already taken locally that the victims had been killed at some other location and then moved almost certainly in a vehicle of some kind, to where they were eventually found.
As a result of his comparative study, the Home Office pathologist was also able to report that a similar knife had been used to remove the victim's genitals in each case. The pathologist could not say for certain whether it was the exact same knife that was used in each case but merely that one of a similar kind had been used on each occasion. The knife was of the sort that was commonly used by chefs and butchers, however, it was also, unfortunately, a brand that was widely used in many households. Indeed, Martin himself recognised the brand name of knife as being the same as the one that he and Tom used in their own kitchen. Martin inwardly groaned at the thought that this information had signally failed to narrow down the search at all. As far as he was concerned there were likely to be thousands of similar knife sets in use throughout the UK.
The Superintendent then looked at the detailed photographs and other information used to confirm the findings about the knife. Placed neatly at the end of the report was a further faxed message from the pathologist on the latest victim in Bath along with a report on the autopsy and photographs evidence from Darren Evans, whose remains were sadly no longer available for direct examination. This extra information again confirmed that the same pattern of killing had been used in both these cases. The first victim, Darren Evans, had not had his genitals removed but a crude and unsuccessful attempt had been made to do so. In the case of Timothy Owen, the last victim, a knife similar to the one used in previous more recent cases had been successfully used. The pathologist ended his report by arguing that, taking all the information together, he could not resist the conclusion that the same person was responsible for all the crimes, including the murder, all those years ago, of Darren Evans.
After an hour, there was still no sign of Bob Matthews and the new photograph so Martin decided to contact them to see where they were. When he discovered that it would be another hour or so before they arrived back at Scotland Yard, the Superintendent decided to abandon his plan to wait for them. His decision was reinforced first by a call from Tom asking where he was and when he would be home and then by one from Mark who seemed somewhat surprised that his boss was still in the office. Over the radio link the Superintendent told Bob not to bother coming back to Scotland Yard but to go straight home. After that he should then let PC Rickwood drive on home as well. The Superintendent concluded his conversation by saying that he would see the Inspector first thing the following morning and examine the photograph then. Martin as usual looked in on the night staff and then made his weary way home. All his hopes were pinned on the photograph that would be waiting for him in the morning. He was sure it contained the clue to unlock the mystery, but he would have to wait until the next day to find out.
The rush hour was over which meant that Martin made good time back to his apartment. As he let himself in, he was surprised to hear the sound of voices coming from the main living room. Tom, who had heard the door opening, emerged from the room and walked down the hallway to greet Martin. Tom gave Martin a warm and loving kiss on the lips. Then he said, with a broad smile across his face,
"Hi, Marty, it's so good to see you, I've missed you!! We've got a visitor, you'll probably remember him even though we haven't seen him some time. I didn't bump into him until the current case, which we have just won, by the way! The opposition capitulated this afternoon, much to the annoyance of my friendly judge, but even he had to accept that they could not proceed."
Martin was pleased to hear some good news for once but was still mystified as to the identity of the visitor. The matter was cleared up as soon as Martin entered the room. Sitting in one of the chairs and trying hard to rise to greet him was a very overweight man, whom Martin immediately recognised as being Freddy Eversley. Martin had met Freddy at about the same time that he and Tom had first moved in together. Some of Tom's friends sometimes claimed that Martin had replaced Freddy as Tom's lover, a claim that Tom had always strenuously denied. Tom had been friendly with Freddy at University and had remained so after they both qualified as lawyers. Although there was his admission of a brief affair at University Tom had always strongly asserted that it did not last for very long and that it certainly did not continue after the older of the two, Freddy, had graduated.
Martin strode across the room and shook Freddy's hand. Freddy had just managed to get out of the chair as Martin got to him.
"It's really good to see you again, Freddy", Martin said, thinking to himself with a large degree of satisfaction that, although he was several years older than Freddy, he was in better physical condition than the man he had just greeted. When they had last met, Freddy had been quite a dapper man, but over the years he had put on a lot of weight. Martin thought that this was no doubt a result of too many good meals out and the life of luxury that he was able to enjoy as a result of his considerable fortune. Freddy owned a large country house not too far outside London and, from time to time, he and Tom had received invitations to attend weekend parties there. However, as these parties were reputed to be little more than an excuse for a huge orgy of eating, drinking and having promiscuous gay sex, to date neither Martin nor Tom had been tempted to attend.
Tom looked on as the two men shook hands and then said,
"I hope you don't mind, Martin, but I've invited Freddy to stay for dinner and sleep here overnight. I thought that, as we'll be having a bit of a celebration as a result of our famous victory, it would not be a good idea for Freddy to be driving home tonight."
Martin noted that both Freddy and Tom were already clutching large glasses of wine and by the looks of things not their first of the evening. Martin signified his agreement to Tom as he poured himself an equally large glass of the wine. He then went over and sat down on the large sofa next to his lover. Martin smiled at Tom and then turned to Freddy and asked,
"So, how did you get involved in this case?"
"Ah", laughed Freddy, "Good old Martin, always the investigator! Well, actually, it involved one of my business interests, although I also had a legal interest as well. That's it really. But I tell you it was a famous victory today, mainly thanks to Tom's skill and despite the worst efforts of that old fascist of a judge! I loved his face when he had no option other than to find for us and the look he gave Tommy here was priceless, absolutely priceless."
Martin winced inwardly as he knew how much his partner hated being referred to as `Tommy'. Tom who had decided he'd like to change the subject as he wanted to hear about Martin's day, which he already knew had not been as successful as his own, so he said,
"Let's eat and, over dinner, perhaps Martin can tell us the latest news on his investigation and whether he had had any luck finding the famous photograph?"
Over the meal, Martin gave the pair a summary of what had happened during the day and how he expected better results when he saw the photograph the following day. Tom and Freddy listened intently as the Superintendent talked them through the case. His narrative was interspersed with a liberal distribution of more wine and by several questions from the other two. In response to one such query from Tom, Martin confirmed that, like all the other's, the last victim, Timothy Owen, had been circumcised. Bob Matthews had reported this earlier in the day after checking with the victim's doctor. When he had completed his account, Martin looked tired and, to Tom, his voice betrayed his frustration at the lack of progress. Tom was about to say something of a comforting nature when Freddy suddenly intervened,
"You know, Martin, this really is a very bad business. I would love to try to assist you in some way, but I'm not sure how that could be. The names you have mentioned -- confidentially of course -- are not unfamiliar to me. As you know, because I invite you often enough - even though you never come! -- I have house parties several times a year. Well all four of your suspects, I regret to say, have been guests of mine on at least one occasion. Joe Smith is a rather rough lorry driver, but some of my people like their partners to be of that sort now and again, so he has been several times. I must say that he seems harmless enough to my untrained eye. Tends to go for the younger element too and they go for him, though I can never see the attraction myself! Then there's Peter Collins. He seems to be a reasonable sort of fellow, but a bit uptight. He's only attended once though so it's hard to tell. His secret partner, Ed Wilson, brought him along. They tended to keep themselves to themselves and, hardly ever joined in the group activities in the sauna and swimming pool. But just content enough to join in if and when they felt like it. I'm not sure why I would continue to invite them, except that Ed Wilson works for a company that I have a large shareholding in and they want to keep him. But if you want my amateur view neither of them seemed all that violent or angry. The other chap, Graeme Adams, I have to say I regard as a bit of a sycophant, always sucking up to the rich and powerful and sucking them off as well I shouldn't wonder. A real creep, happy to sleep his way to the top and use his sexual proclivities to stay there! Sorry about that, but I can't say that I like the man but he does provide good music and he's popular with my other guests. Again didn't strike me as the murdering kind unless it was someone in the way of his progress to the top! I don't suppose my views count for much but I thought I'd tell you anyway. The thought that one of those four might be a killer is just too horrible. But remember, if there's anything -- anything at all - I can do to help, please let me know. I want the bastard who's committing these murders caught almost as much as you do!"
Martin thanked Freddy for his comments and for his offer of help and said that, if he did think of any way in which he thought that Freddy could help, then of he would not hesitate to get in touch. At this point Tom rather pointedly looked at the clock and then at Martin and said,
"Well it's getting late and you have an early start tomorrow from what you said earlier, Martin, so I suggest we all get to bed."
"Good idea" said Freddy as he lumbered to his feet and thanked his hosts profusely for the fine meal, the excellent wines and the stimulating conversation. Then Freddy slowly ambled towards the spare bedroom where he was to sleep. Tom and Martin followed Freddy down the corridor to their own bedroom a few minutes later. Once the two lovers were in bed Tom looked lovingly at Martin and said,
"I know you're tired but I'd like you to make love to me tonight, right now, in fact! You've always known that there was never anything between Freddy and me after he left the university. However tonight brought something else home to me. I realised, not for the first time and, I hope, not for the last, how lucky I am to have you!! You are much better looking than he is, much fitter and, from my memory of the couple of nights I spent with Freddy, a much better lover! Not only that, but your dick is much nicer to play with than his was, even though he was cut like you are. So, if you have the energy I'd like you to make love to me so that we can seal our bond of love together!"
Tom had already moved his hand towards Martin's groin and had found the object of his desire, which was hardening to his touch as he spoke. Martin's response was not by words, but by actions. He took hold of Tom and pulled his younger lover on top of him, feeling his partner's engorged cock squash against his stomach. Tom moved away slightly so that he could sit up and then he pushed Martin down flat onto the bed. >From this position Tom was easily able to manoeuvre himself so that he could sit on Martin's prick. Pausing only to adjust his older partner's rampant tool, Tom expertly lowered himself onto it. Martin gasped with pleasure as he felt the full length of the dick disappear inside the warm welcoming hole until only his balls remained outside. Tom began to ride up and down on his lover's erect tool and Martin reached up and took hold of Tom's equally hard penis. Martin wanked Tom's cock as the younger man rode up and down on the prick that was buried deep inside his hole. Martin continued to cry out with pleasure as he felt the inevitable effects of the attention he was receiving build up inside him. Soon it all became too much and Martin could hold out no longer. The older man began to gasp for breath as his orgasm approached. At the same time, Martin increased the speed of his wanking action on his lover's cock. Between their groans and moans the pair called out encouragingly to each other. Neither of the two seemed to either know or care whether the noise that they were making penetrated to other parts of the apartment. It certainly did not worry them that Freddy, sleeping alone across the corridor in their spare room, might hear them. Tom shouted out loudly as he felt his lover's cock swell inside him,
"Oh, yes!! Fuck me Marty!! I love you Marty!! I want to feel you cum inside me!! Wank my cock harder, let's try to shoot together!!"
Martin, gasping for breath, responded equally forcefully,
"I love you too, Tom!! Ride my dick and make me cum!! I love the feel of your tight arse and I also love the hardness of your cock as I wank it!! Don't stop now, Tom!! I .. love ... yooooouuu!!!!"
Martin's prick exploded deep inside Tom and, at the very same moment, creamy spunk sprayed from the younger man's cock and splattered over Martin's chest, neck and face. Martin stuck out his tongue and began to lick up some of the spunk and then gathered the rest on his fingers and shared the creamy jizz with his partner. After his orgasm, Tom had slumped forward on top of Martin and the two lay together for some while as they recovered from their lovemaking. Even after they had rolled apart, the couple continued to caress and touch each other for some while as they lay close together. Eventually the need for sleep led them to separate. However, by the time unconsciousness finally overwhelmed them they were once again cuddled close together.
Despite his tiredness of the night before and the exertions of the lovemaking he had indulged in, Martin woke early the next morning. He made coffee for himself, Tom and their guest and took the cups back to the bedrooms. Martin knocked on the door of Freddy's bedroom and, on hearing a kind of snorting noise, entered the room and gave their guest his drink. Standing close to the bed, Martin enquired, politely,
"I hope that you found everything OK last night, towels, extra blankets stuff like that. Did you also sleep alright, Freddy?"
Ever the perfect guest, Freddy replied unconvincingly,
"Like a top, my dear! Out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow."
Freddy, had laid in the unfamiliar bed for quite some time unable to get to sleep and then, just when he had begun to drift off, the noise of the lovemaking from the main bedroom had kept him awake for sometime after that, but it would have been indelicate to mention it.
Martin noted the insincerity in Freddy's response but, feeling he had nothing to apologise for, chose to ignore it,
"I hope you don't mind coffee at this hour but I have to leave early today so I wanted to pop in and say `goodbye' before I left. Tom won't be up for a while yet, so stay where you are for as long as you like. I expect you and he will want to go on celebrating your victory for a little longer before you leave."
"Thanks, Martin. I will stay in bed for a while if you don't mind. Two things before you go. Firstly, I hope that some of our success of yesterday rubs off on you today and that the photograph proves to be the breakthrough you hope and expect it to be. Secondly, just to remind you, if there is ever anything I can do to help in any way, however large or small, please don't hesitate to get in touch."
"Thanks, Freddy. You are very kind. At the moment I can't think of anything but I'll bear your offer in mind. Either way, I'll let you know how things go."
With that Martin got up and left the room. He returned to his own room and placed a cup of the still hot coffee on the bedside table next to Tom. The younger man was still rather sleepy and barely acknowledged the coffee. Martin went off to have a shower and returned to find Tom still drowsy but awake, sitting up and sipping his coffee. Martin kissed his lover on the lips and then said quietly,
"I've seen Freddy, he says he's OK but I think he heard us last night! I told him to stay in bed for a while and that you and he would probably go on celebrating a bit longer."
"Thanks, Marty. I do love you!! I'll see that he's gone by the time you get home tonight. Hopefully by then you might have some good news of your own to celebrate."
Tom leaned up and kissed his partner and then Martin pulled himself away, afraid that if he did not his wish for an early start would not be fulfilled. In the kitchen, Martin grabbed some cereal and ate some toast and then returned to say a last `goodbye' to Tom. Kissing him for a third time, Martin whispered a farewell and quietly left the apartment and started his journey to Scotland Yard.
At the Underground Station, the Superintendent bought a newspaper from the kiosk. At this time in the morning, the trains were half empty so the journey proved to be uneventful. Martin read the newspaper on the underground and found that he was again featured in them. Much of the report was highly critical of the Superintendent's handling of the murder investigation to date as well its failure to produce results. Part of Martin wished that he had agreed to issue a press statement the day before in which he could have played up the discovery of the photograph and the possible linkage to the earlier murder of Darren Evans, but in his heart of hearts the Superintendent knew that to have done so would, in all likelihood, have made matters worse. Although it was true that all the suspects now knew that the investigators had a copy of the photograph, it was also possible that the killer would not know whether they had made the linkage to South Wales, even though they probably would do soon. Nevertheless, the Superintendent was still wary of going public for fear of prompting more desperate actions on the part of the killer. Furthermore, the lead might prove to be a false one and the linkage might not exist and the photograph might produce nothing further, although Martin rather doubted this. If and when the team finally cracked the secrets of the photograph, then the Superintendent would have a press statement that would put his critics firmly in their place. At that point also the net would be closing around the killer and an arrest imminent.
When he arrived at Scotland Yard, Martin dodged the bevy of pressmen waiting for him at the main entrance and managed to get to his office without being spotted. The Superintendent was the first of the senior members of the team to arrive and so he waited, slightly impatiently, for the others to arrive. As he did so, Martin glanced at the reports from the night shift and the surveillance teams but none of these produced anything startling or original. All the suspects, even Graeme Adams, had behaved impeccably after their interviews at Scotland Yard. None had left home or gone out and about at all. After about ten minutes, Bob Matthews, fresh from his trip to Wales, arrived with the long awaited better copy of the photograph. A few minutes later, Mark followed Bob into the office. The young Inspector looked rather less than rested after an apparently difficult night with the new baby.
As soon as they had settled in, the three police officers crowded round the desk to look at the copy of the photograph that Bob Matthews had retrieved from the archives in Wales. When they saw it they quickly realised that their high expectations for this piece of evidence had been somewhat misplaced. The problem was that the photograph was extremely small and the quality was not significantly better than the earlier one. The figures were clearer but the facial features were still hardly recognisable. The look on Martin's face probably summed up the general disappointment. However, Mark came up with a couple of suggestions that all agreed with. The Inspector proposed that first of all they ask for enlargements of the photographs to be made and that each of them should get a copy and then study it carefully in their own offices. Mark's second suggestion was that they ask the computer experts to enhance all or parts of the photograph for them to look at. Martin agreed with Mark's suggestions and asked him and Bob to arrange for the enlargements to be made and the computer experts to be contacted. He indicated that he wanted this done as quickly as possible. The Superintendent also suggested that, when the enlarged photographs arrive the three officers should spend no more than an hour studying it. After that time, they should all meet back in his office to share ideas and thoughts. While they were waiting, they could each get on with other matters. The Superintendent said that he would go to see the Commander and brief him on the latest developments.
By the time the Superintendent had completed a rather sticky interview with the Commander in which he had explained in great detail what the latest situation was, Martin hoped that the photographic enlargements would be available. As he left the Commander's office to return to his own, Martin was only too well aware that he was probably being given a last throw of the dice. If nothing emerged from the examination of the photograph, or if it proved to be a false lead, then a fresh approach under different leadership would almost certainly have to be attempted, especially in light of the hostile press coverage the investigation was receiving. As luck would have it, the enlargements arrived just as the Superintendent got back to his office and he immediately distributed copies to the other two officers. The Superintendent stressed to the two Inspectors that the Commander was putting on the pressure. Although the other two did not need to have the consequences of failure spelt out to them, Martin asked that they should all agree to meet back in his office in forty-five minutes time. Bob and Mark readily agreed and disappeared to their offices, leaving Martin to study his copy of the enlargement.
Martin wished that he had thought to bring from home the powerful lighted magnifier he used with his coin collection because the quality of the enlargement was not all that much better than the smaller version. Although the people were larger, their details were still hazy. Martin could see about a dozen young members of the swimming club standing in swimming costumes and smiling at the camera. The Superintendent could readily identify Darren Evans and knew from what had already been discovered that the boy next to him was Gareth Thomas. Standing to each side of the swimmers were a couple of older, fully dressed men, obviously coaches, also smiling. However Martin was rather intrigued by the fact that the face of the one at the end furthest away from the camera was extremely blurred. As before, Martin knew instinctively that the photograph held the key to solving the mystery and unmasking the killer but even the enlargement was not clear enough to enable him to see immediately what it was.
Bang on time, the two Inspectors arrived at Martin's office and, after knocking on the door, went into the Superintendent's office. All three were wearing grim expressions, which indicated that none of them had found anything positive from their study of the photograph. As usual, the two Inspectors waited fro Martin to lead the discussion,
"I think we will have to wait until we can have the faces enhanced before we can get any further. What do you two think?"
Mark and Bob indicated their agreement with this proposal and Bob said,
"I was on to the computer people again just before I left my office to come here, sir. They say they will be with us very soon, probably in about ten minutes."
"Good, thanks, Bob, let's hope they are that quick! Now before they come what do you think we ought to concentrate on?"
Mark spoke for the first time,
"I think we need to enhance both Darren and this friend Gareth first, just to confirm that it is them in the photo."
Bob agreed and then the Superintendent said that he'd like to have the faces of the two coaches enhanced as well, adding that he'd also like to get their names if that was at all possible. Bob said that he would take care of that right away and Martin thanked him. As the Inspector left the room, Mark looked quizzically at his superior officer and Martin explained his thinking to him,
"Well, Mark. If you think about it most of the victims are relatively young except for Paul Laycock and the last one, Timothy Owen. Also these were the only two that we can not directly connect to some contact at a disco or club. I rather doubt that Laycock was ever a swimming coach. From what we know about him, it would appear that he lived all his life in or around Birmingham. So, I suspect, his death was at best unplanned and might just have happened because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the last victim, Owen, has a mysterious past that we have yet to unravel. What if he was somehow connected to the swimming club? It might explain his death, which, because of his age, also seems to have been something of an anomaly."
"I see your drift, sir, but it's a bit of a long shot, isn't it?" responded Mark.
If he had been pressed, Martin probably would have been forced to agree but the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a small, youthful man in civilian clothes. The young man knocked on the door and, after receiving an acknowledgement from Martin, walked in.
"Afternoon, Superintendent. I'm Alan Phillips. I'm a civilian member of the Metropolitan Police Force, working in the IT services section. I believe you need help to enhance a photograph?"
"Yes, we do. Thanks for coming. Shall I show you what we want done?"
Alan Phillips gave an affirmative answer and seated himself at the computer terminal and switched it on. Once established at the desk and sitting in front of the computer screen, Alan asked if a copy of the photograph could be scanned to a disk. While they waited for this to be done, the IT man inserted a software CD and loaded it onto the computer, telling Martin and Mark that the software was extremely effective and they would have good clear pictures very soon. A disk bearing the scanned image of the photo soon arrived and it, too, was loaded into the computer. The Superintendent and Mark watched closely as the scanned image of the original photograph appeared, as if by magic, in the program window. Martin then directed Alan to the areas that he wished to have enhanced and received a reassuring smile from the technician, which indicated that he understood what was wanted, and that it would cause no problems at all.
The first face to be enhanced was that of Darren Evans and it was instantly recognisable. Then, for some reason, the technician decided to switch to the least easy of the subjects and began to work on the partially obscured coach. As he was doing this, Bob returned from his office and joined them. Mark brought his fellow Inspector up to speed and they all watched as the features of the coach became gradually clearer. Mark looked increasingly surprised as the face came into clearer focus and he recognised it as a younger version of the last victim from Bath and suddenly exclaimed,
"My God, sir, you were right! That's Timothy Owen!!"
Bob interjected at this point,
"Actually it's Owen Timothy Griffiths. I got the name from that retired Inspector, David Williams. Apparently, Griffiths was a swimming coach at the club where Darren and Gareth were members. He left under something of a cloud. He was accused of sexual assault although nothing was ever proved. Even so he was forced to resign from the post as swimming club coach and he'd certainly left Cardiff before Darren disappeared. I think the Cardiff boys tried to find him after Darren's body was found but he had appeared completely. Where he went to, nobody knew but I guess that by the time he got to Bath he'd changed his name. Not very original I suppose but good enough if he lived quietly in a small village and kept out of the limelight."
Martin then intervened,
"Thanks for that information, Bob. Well we've got a connection between the last victim and the swimming club, which suggests there is a tie-in there, but I don't expect any of the other murder victims, apart from Darren, are on this photograph. Let's have a look at his friend. Can you enhance that one next, please?"
Alan, the technical wizard, moved his cursor onto the face of Gareth Thomas. The three police officers watched as the face got clearer. As it did so Martin and Mark looked at each other in amazement. Mark was the first to speak,
"You know who that reminds me of, sir?"
"Yes, Mark I do. Another case of someone changing their name and their identity, do you think?"
Bob realised what Martin was saying and intervened,
"Sorry, sir, but if you're saying that you think Gareth Thomas changed his name and is the murderer, it's not possible. You see, I had a similar thought yesterday on the way to get the photograph. I thought that the killer might be Gareth so I we went to see David Williams on the way back. Sorry about the detour and being late, by the way, sir. Anyway, David told me that Gareth died earlier this year. So he can't be the murderer."
Mark and Martin were forced to concede that this initial theory could not be sustained. However, the young Inspector persisted,
"I still think that it looks uncannily like...
A loud knocking on the door rather rudely interrupted Mark's comments. All three men turned to see who it was. Standing there, slightly flushed and breathless, was PC Mike Rickwood. Martin looked at the young Constable and said rather sharply,
"This had better be good, Mike. You must see that we are busy."
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir but I do think this is very significant, sir, otherwise I wouldn't have interrupted you. I think I've found out something that could be important. I've been looking into Gareth Thomas' life this morning. There's a number of points I've discovered. First of all I found out that Gareth`s mother had a twin sister. Angela and Mary Stephens were born and grew up in London but Mary met and married her husband Jeffrey and went to live in South Wales. Gareth was their only child and I suppose his life style was a great disappointment to his parents. But that's not the most interesting thing. A few years before Mary got married Angela Stephens also had a son, but she was not married until after he was born. Shortly after her wedding, she got pregnant again but she and the baby died in childbirth. The son continued to live with his stepfather and eventually took his name. I've written it all down here, sir. I'll leave it for you as you're busy."
"No, Mike. Thank you, that's excellent work and very useful. It helps to explain the similarity between Gareth and his cousin. It may also give us a motive for the killings."
"Do you want us to go and arrest him straight away, sir?" Mark asked the Superintendent.
"Not just yet, Mark. We need to do some more digging so that we can make the charges stick, just in case he doesn't confess. We also need to develop more evidence as to motive, so why don't you start thinking and digging about that before we charge in and arrest him and then find he gets off on a technicality. I don't want any mistakes on this one. Our man is under constant surveillance and that means we can arrest him at any time if it looks like any trouble is brewing. I think I might arrange a surprise party for our killer. I'd like to expose him in front of his fellow suspects and I believe I have a means of doing it, so I'm going to get onto it straight away."
Martin then indicated that he wanted to be left alone and, having been warned not to talk to anyone else about the latest discovery, the three officers left the room. The Superintendent knew that he would have to clear his plan with the Commander but the news that there was an imminent arrest made that part of his plan easy. Next, Martin telephoned home and Tom answered the telephone.
"I don't suppose by any chance Freddy's still with you is he?"
Tom answered that he was not.
"Damn! I was hoping to catch him. Do you have a number where I could reach him? He said he'd be happy to help with the case and I've just thought of something he could do."
Tom asked Martin to wait and then gave his lover the number of Freddy's mobile phone. Tom knew better than to ask why Martin needed to speak to Freddy so urgently but could tell from the excited tone in his partner's voice that it was important and could mean that the murder case was close to being solved. Martin thanked Tom, told him he loved him and hung up. Immediately after that the Superintendent picked up the phone again and dialled the number for Freddy's mobile and, after a brief pause, the booming voice answered,
"Freddy Eversley! Who's calling?"
"Hello, Freddy. It's Martin. You know you said that I should call you if there is anything you could do to help? Well, there is something."
"Anything, my dear, anything. Just ask."
Martin explained that what he wanted was for Freddy to organise a small weekend party at his country mansion for the coming weekend. Martin left the choice of evening to Freddy but made it clear that he only wanted the four suspects to be invited, along with himself and Tom.
"Oh how terrible Hercules Poirot of you", commented Freddy after Martin had explained his plan, "I'll get onto it right away and let you know what day it is to be. I hope all us innocents will be safe and that there will be large numbers of burly policemen to protect us and carry off the guilty, unless, of course, you expect him to do the honourable thing, with a revolver in the library! Am I allowed to know who is the guilty party."
"No, Freddy. Best for you not to know. I don't want the killer being alerted. Like the others you'll just have to wait and see. Let me know when all is arranged."
"Will do, my dear, will do."
The line went dead. Martin set in motion his end of the operation although the necessary decision over when to deploy the police to ensure that there was no escape for the murderer could not be finalised until the date of Freddy's party was determined. It was getting late and Martin called Bob, Mark and Mike Rickwood back to his office. The Superintendent explained that although they now knew the identity of the murderer, they had yet to establish a motive and, that until they had found one, the name had to remain completely confidential. In answer to a question from Mark, Martin said that he was satisfied that he had done all that he could to ensure that there were no further killings. Martin then thanked them for their hard work and told them to go home. The following day they would try to piece together the sequence of events and the motive for the killings. As usual having decided that he could return home, Martin looked in on the night shift and reminded the surveillance team that it was vital that they kept in contact with all the suspects. This done, Martin headed towards the underground station and made his way home. He was returning in a far happier mood than when he had left that morning. This time, when he arrived home, he too, would have something to celebrate along with his partner, Tom.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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