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 12
Overnight, Tom had begun to have doubts about his role in the events that would unfold that day. He was concerned that it would soon become clear that he was not a corporate lawyer and that one of the four suspects might recognise him as Martin's partner. As they drove towards Freddy's country mansion Tom raised these doubts with his partner. Martin could see that there might be a difficulty with the first issue and thought that there was little chance of the second being true. However, as a compromise, Martin suggested that they simply say that Freddy and Tom had been recently involved in a case and that Freddy had asked him to come along to advise on off shore company registration, which was something Tom's law firm dealt with. On the second point Martin thought that his partner was exaggerating and suffering from `pre-match nerves'. Martin pointed out that he and Tom had never been at events where any of the suspects had been, and the couple made a point of never being photographed together in public. In addition, although their names were known in the gay community, it would take a very bright person to connect the two of them at just one meeting. Finally Martin pointed out that even if one of them did make the linkage it would be too late by that time. This was because the whole house and grounds would have been sealed off as soon as the last suspect had arrived. Tom was forced to concede that his lover had more or less satisfied his concerns and, as he knew that Martin really wanted him to be there to assist if necessary, he let the matter drop.
The journey to Freddy's house was extremely enjoyable taking the couple through the city of London and its suburbs and then on into the green and pleasant countryside beyond. Tom and Martin had left early and the traffic was light. As the car approached the village, on whose outskirts Eversley Hall lay, the sun began to shine brightly and the whole area looked like a picture postcard. Just outside the village they saw a high stonewall which marked the outer boundary of Freddy's land. They drove for quite a few minutes before they saw the gates to the property. Tom stopped the car and announced their names and the electronic gates opened to allow them through. The roadway leading to the house wound round in a gentle bend until it widened out in front of a very imposing mansion. The Eversleys had lived in the Hall since the restoration of Charles II in 1660, a reward for their loyalty to the exiled monarch. The Hall still maintained some of its Tudor and Stuart heritage but successive generations had extended and altered it. Over the centuries the Eversley family had incorporated an increasingly large area of land into their ownership. Freddy had inherited the property when his father died some fifteen years earlier. As soon as he could, Freddy had reversed the decision, taken by his grandfather, and opened the Hall to the public. The Hall was still closed during the winter months and Freddy entertained in the private part of the house, which was accessed from a side entrance and was permanently closed to the public. On his death, Freddy, the last of the direct descendants, had informally agreed to leave the property to the National Trust, although a distant relative in Australia had volunteered to carry on the family line and ownership.
As soon as they parked the car down the side of the property that was closed to the public, Martin and Tom walked back towards the main portico. Freddy was waiting for them as they got to the entrance to the Hall and he ushered them through the grand entrance hall and guided them to the room that they would occupy. On the way Tom and Martin noted the fine paintings on the walls and the faces of long dead Eversleys looked down on them as they climbed the stairs. Tom noticed that Brad was also there when they arrived and the American academic waved to them from across the hallway as Martin and Tom carried their bags upstairs. The suite Martin and Tom were to occupy was spacious was on the west side of the building with views across the formal garden to the meadows beyond. Apart from the main bedroom, the suite had a smaller room off it as well as an en-suite bathroom. The room had been carefully chosen so that Martin could be hidden from view should any of the suspects decide to pop in to see Tom for any reason. In addition, the room was situated in such a way that Martin could overhear what was said at dinner and be ready to appear at the pre-arranged signal to make the arrest. The Superintendent would also be able to alert his men should any danger signals be overheard or one of the suspects tried to leave. Tom had been briefed, as would be the others involved in the party, on what to do if the murderer for any reason began to get agitated. In these circumstances, Martin and the police officers hiding in the house would enter the dining room immediately and secure the arrest.
By late morning it was clear that everything was going to plan and that all the principal police contingents had arrived. There had even been time before this briefing started for a number of the key players to have a tour round the house and grounds to identify the best locations for the police deployment. It was therefore possible for Martin to hold the briefing for senior police officers from his own team, officers from the local force, Tom, Brad and Freddy as scheduled at two o'clock. The briefing was used to confirm the arrangements that had been agreed privately by Martin and his senior officers in conjunction with Freddy, Tom and Brad. The local police would be expected to be ready to move in and seal off the grounds as soon as the last suspect had arrived at Eversley Hall. Bob Matthews would be in charge of their deployment in collaboration with the local Inspector and either Bob or the local man would communicate by radio with Martin to inform him when all the police were effectively deployed and the grounds secure. Meanwhile, members of Martin's own team would be placed around the outside of the house guarding all the doors and windows in order to cut off any attempted escape. In addition, a small number of officers would be inside the house disguised as members of the catering staff employed by the company that had been hired to supply the food. These officers would also be on hand to assist with the arrest. Mark Jamieson would be in command of this team and, like Bob, would be in radio communication with the Superintendent.
There was one change to the original plan that all at the briefing thought was a good one. Instead of trying to arrest the murderer in the dining room it was agreed that Martin should be waiting them on their return to the drawing room for coffee and brandy after the meal. The change of plan would give the suspect little opportunity to escape but should still come as a complete surprise. The change also meant that a potential escape route through the kitchens, with all its hot surfaces and sharp implements, would also be cut off. Under the revised arrangement, once it was clear that the meal was coming to an end, Martin would leave his room and take up a position in the drawing room, which would be out of the view of those coming in. Once everything was ready, the Superintendent would then give a signal to alert his teams that he was about to arrest the suspect. The other arresting officers would enter the drawing room and be on hand to help detain the murderer. Although there was a short discussion about this change of plan at the briefing in general all the main participants seemed happy with the revised arrangements that Martin had outlined to them. For his part, the Superintendent expressed his thanks to all concerned for the cooperation. As he closed the meeting, Martin wished everyone the very best of luck, a sentiment that was reciprocated to him and the others by all those present. The senior police officers present then left the house to brief their own teams. When they had gone, Martin and the people who would remain in the house also dispersed to make their final preparations. Needless to say all of those involved -- police, Tom, Freddy and Brad -- now waited anxiously for the suspects to arrive.
Back in London, the surveillance teams outside each of the suspect's homes began to report movement. None of the suspects had all that far to travel but the weekend traffic could be heavy so they had all got up reasonably early and left in good time. For once, Graeme Adams did not pull any stunts, leaving in his own large and very luxurious saloon car and driving carefully and in full view of his tail all the way to Eversley Hall. Joe Smith drove his own rather older car over the river and north through the City of London heading directly for Freddy's place. He was aware that not far behind him there was an unmarked police car tailing him all the way. It might have been expected that Peter Collins and Ed Wilson would have spent the night before together and then have travelled together to Freddy's mansion. This was especially so because, unlike Ed who had driven them to the location before, Peter did not know the way and his wife was away in America so he would not have to invent an excuse. However, Ed had made an excuse and had not been able to come over the night before but suggested instead that Peter should come over early the next morning and pick him up. Peter, who had been slightly disappointed and upset by his lover's refusal to spend the night with him, had indicated that, as it was likely to be busy on the roads, it would be better if they travelled separately. Ed had agreed with this suggestion and added that, in any case, they would have the rest of the weekend in which to enjoy each other's company. By early afternoon, all four of the suspects were well on their way and, according to the police that were tailing them, were likely to arrive at Eversley Hall at roughly the same time.
As it turned out, Joe Smith was the first to arrive as he had been to Eversley Hall several time before and knew the way very well. The lorry driver drove in through the impressive gates opened after he had announced his name over the intercom. Joe made his way up the drive and found a good parking space away from the trees that last time had dropped a sticky sap residue onto his car that had taken him a long time to clean off. At the front door, Freddy welcomed Joe as a returning visitor to the house. The host had just enough time to escort his guest to his room before Graeme Adams arrived. The DJ was also familiar with the route and had made good time. Graeme parked his car next to Joe's rather more ancient vehicle, equally aware of the need to avoid parking under the trees. Once the two early arrivals had both had time to settle in, Freddy suggested to Graeme and Joe that, while waiting for the remaining guests to arrive, they might like to stroll in the grounds before the whole group met up for pre-dinner drinks. The two unsuspecting guests seemed pleased with the suggestion and wandered off to explore the spacious gardens and the fields beyond. Martin had already agreed that Freddy should encourage the guests to have free rein in the grounds and the Superintendent had ordered that his men should remain well concealed so that they did not arouse any undue suspicion.
It was some time before the third guest, Ed Wilson, arrived. Although he had been to Freddy's mansion once before, Ed had got lost between the motorway and the village but had managed to find an alternative route that brought him to the gates of the estate from an slightly unusual angle. Fortunately for Martin and his team, Ed had been so concerned with concentrating on finding his way and not getting lost again that he did not notice the unusually large number of unmarked vans parked around the back lanes close to Eversley Hall. If Ed had noticed their presence then he might have said something to the other members of the group that would have aroused concerns and prompted awkward questions. On Ed's arrival Freddy was as polite and charming as ever as he welcomed the young sales executive to his home once again. Ed was led upstairs to a large double suite, the mirror of the one that Tom and Martin were occupying and diagonally opposite them on the east wing of the mansion. Freddy explained to Ed that he assumed that he and Peter would want to share a room over the weekend and that the one he had chosen was one of his favourites with a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside. Ed thanked his host and began to unpack his bags as Freddy made his excuses and left him to supervise the final preparations for the evening.
The last guest to arrive was Peter Collins who had never driven to Eversley Hall before and had got off the motorway one exit too late. This meant that it had been necessary for him to follow a somewhat complicated and rather convoluted route back to his destination. He arrived somewhat flustered and later than the six o'clock arrival time. Charming as ever, Freddy brushed aside Peter's apologies and was suitably reassuring to his guest that the other members of the party were not all waiting impatiently for the last arrival. He led Peter to the room he was to share with Ed, who smiled warmly when his lover entered the room. Before Freddy left the two lovers alone he pointed out that drinks would be served very shortly in the drawing room. Once the door had closed behind Freddy, the two lovers embraced and then hugged each other tight before Peter eventually broke free and said that they would gave to get ready for drinks and dinner, adding that there would be plenty of time for more intimate moments over the weekend.
When the other members of their party arrived in the drawing room, Freddy, Brad and Tom were already standing close to a fine antique sideboard covered with glasses and drinks. Graeme was the first to appear, followed within minutes by the other three. Tom and Brad were introduced to the guests and none of the suspects showed any sign of recognition of Tom's true identity or of his relationship to Martin. There was an array of Brad's family wine available for the group to taste and Freddy began to offer them to his guests. None of the suspects, except possibly Graeme, would claim to have any expert knowledge but all declared themselves delighted by the quality of the wine on offer. After about forty minutes and having noted that the party had consumed an appropriate but not excessive amount of Brad's wine, Freddy suggested that they make their way to the dining room where dinner would be served. A mixture of regular catering staff and police served the food that was, as might have been expected, of the highest quality. Each course was washed down by several more bottles of Brad's wine. Over dinner there was a brief general discussion of the outlines of Brad's proposed business venture but it was agreed that the details should be discussed once the meals was over. When the meal was coming to an end, Freddy suggested that they all retire to the comfort of the drawing room where the main business of the gathering could be conducted over brandy and liqueurs.
Sitting alone in the room upstairs, Martin had been brought some food by one of the Constables working in the kitchen. Although the tray of food had smelt delicious, Martin had only picked at it rather nervously. As soon as he heard Freddy announce that the diners should soon be moving back to the drawing room, the Superintendent contacted the leaders of his team to tell them that an arrest was imminent. Martin then quietly left his room and crept down the stairs to the drawing room and took up his position behind the door. The Superintendent was just in time. Martin had only just settled himself out of sight when he heard Freddy's loud voice coming from down the corridor as the dinner party walked back from the dining room. Freddy, Brad and Tom led the other guests into the drawing room and the host walked over to the table where brandy and other after dinner drinks were set out. The remaining members of the party arranged themselves on the comfortable chairs around the room. As soon as they were settled, Martin made his move. Martin appeared from his place of concealment and stood in the doorway. Once there, the Superintendent began to speak,
"Good evening, Gentlemen. This is the first time I have had the pleasure of seeing all of you together in one place."
Martin paused for a moment and looked around the room to see if the killer showed any sign of movement or agitation. All four of the suspects, however, remained still, presumably surprised and not a little shocked by the sudden appearance of the Superintendent, who, smiling at the party's host, quickly continued,
"Thank you Freddy for arranging things so well."
Freddy nodded and smiled nervously back at the Martin as some of the other guests in the room turned their heads to look at the host. For the first time it dawned on the four guests that the party had been a set-up. Martin drew the group's attention back to him as he began to speak again,
"I have to tell you that I am here to arrest someone in connection with the murders of eight persons, one a considerable number of years ago and the rest in the last few months."
Martin walked round the room slowly and stopped behind the chairs of the suspects, who each looked rather apprehensively up at the Superintendent. Having walked past all the suspects, Martin then turned and walked quickly back to stand in front of his target. With great solemnity Martin announced,
"Edward Thomas Wilson, I am arresting you for the murder of Darren Evans, David Brown, Christopher Jarvis, Aaron Dunn, Paul Laycock, Steve Mason, Harry King Busia and Timothy Owen. You are not obliged to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand, Mr Wilson?"
As Martin said these words the room filled up with a large number of policemen led by Inspector Mark Jamieson. This was to ensure that Ed Wilson would not try to escape. One of the Constables who entered went up to Ed Wilson and quickly slipped handcuffs over his wrists. The reaction of the other three former suspects was mixed. Joe Wilson sat staring blankly ahead of him, almost at a loss to make anything of what was happening. He gave no sign of understanding for several moments before a look of relief came over his face, although it was not immediately clear about what he was so relieved. Graeme Adams gave out a slightly nervous laugh, which he tried with difficulty to suppress. He had sufficiently recovered to recognise that the Constable that had handcuffed Ed Wilson was none other than PC Rickwood, the young policeman that the DJ had regarded as the most attractive of those who until recently had been keeping him under surveillance. Peter Collins gave out a tiny cry of shock when he heard the Superintendent charge his lover. A look, first of alarm and then of incredulity, crossed Peter's face as he stared at Ed and then his face changed to an imploring look as he blurted out,
"It isn't true! It can't be true! Tell them, Ed, they've made a mistake!"
Martin, while not unsympathetic to Peter Collins' feelings, interrupted this outburst,
"I'm afraid it is true, isn't it, Mr Wilson?"
Peter again interrupted to warn Ed,
"Get a lawyer, Ed. Don't say anything until you are legally represented."
Peter looked for confirmation from Tom who nodded his head in agreement. Peter now knew that Tom was involved with Martin in some way and that he was not the right person to represent his lover, Ed. Despite his partner's warning, Ed, who had been sitting almost completely immobile since the Superintendent had confronted him and he had been put in handcuffs, took no notice. A strange and to Martin's eyes, a not very pleasant hard look came over Ed's face and the arrested man began to speak quietly,
"Yes, yes, it's true. It's all true."
During the arrest process, Freddy had been busy pouring brandy into large glasses, which he began to distribute among his shocked guests. Martin and the other police present in the room refused the offer of a glass no doubt on the grounds that they were on duty. With the handcuffed Ed sitting motionless in his chair, the other three guests had begun to recover some of their composure. Joe took the offered glass of brandy and drank the whole of it at once. Graeme also took a large drink from his glass as he shifted in his chair so that he could listen to what was being said and, at the same time, feast his eyes on the good-looking PC Mike Rickwood. Peter Collins was naturally still the most shocked of all and had a look of disbelief or denial on his face as he gratefully took hold of the glass of brandy that Freddy offered him. Once again Peter began to protest,
"Ed doesn't know what he's saying! He's confused! He's in shock! It can't be true. I was always with Ed when these recent murders took place. He couldn't have done them if I was with him. So he must be innocent! You've got the wrong man. I won't believe it until I hear it from Ed's own lips."
Martin looked grimly at the distraught Peter and said, gently but firmly,
"But you weren't with him all the time, were you Peter? There were times when you and Ed were apart. I believe Ed used these opportunities to embark on a series of killings."
Peter was not finished yet and he snapped angrily at Martin,
"So why did he do it? Tell me that, Superintendent!' and then, turning to his lover, Peter added, "Why is the Superintendent saying you did it, Ed? Please say it's all a mistake."
Joe and Graeme also stared at Ed willing him to explain or deny what the Superintendent had alleged. However, Ed remained silent and made no effort to deny the charge. Martin thought that he even detected the hint of relief in Ed's face. The Superintendent decided that it was time to present his evidence against Ed Wilson. Addressing the group, the Superintendent embarked on his explanation,
"The key to this case was the photograph that I showed you all the other day. Until then we didn't have a motive but once we had enhanced the picture and seen the likeness of the younger boy to Ed then that's what got us onto him. Ed's cousin Gareth Thomas was the boy in the picture and when his face was enhanced we recognised the resemblance at once. We knew that Gareth had had an adolescent affair with the first victim, Darren Evans, who was a couple of years older than Ed's cousin. It was nothing serious, just a bit of mutual wanking and the occasional opportunity for oral sex. After a while Gareth wanted more and for the relationship to continue and develop but Darren didn't want that. Darren was afraid that the teenagers would be caught and that his parents, the swimming club and the school would find out and then his chance of going to Oxford would vanish. So, Darren decided to end the relationship once and for all. When his older lover left the swimming club, it broke Gareth's heart and somehow his cousin, Ed here, found out. He could see how upset his cousin was and he vowed revenge.
Ed discovered that at some point the truth had emerged and that Darren had been forced out of his home when his sexual orientation had become known to his parents, so he tracked him down and probably befriended him somehow. Darren did not recognise the likeness but this was because Ed had grown a student-like beard. I am sure that if we ask for witnesses from that time we'll find that they will recall a bearded young man who used the hostel's facilities including the swimming pool. Ed engineered a meeting with Darren and then somehow managed to lure this bright but slightly gullible boy with promises perhaps of a real adult sexual relationship and maybe a holiday. Whatever it was that Ed said to persuade Darren to go off with him, it worked. Ed met Darren one night in that summer nearly ten years ago and then he took him to a wooded area nearby that was known as a gay haunt. It was secluded and, once they got there, Ed started to make sexual advances towards Darren. As soon as Darren began to engage in the sexual activity, Ed killed him by asphyxiating the teenager with a plastic bag. It's possible that Ed may even have told Darren that the plastic bag would increase the intensity of the sexual excitement and orgasm he was about to experience. Once Darren was dead, for some reason Ed tried to cut off the teenager's genitals but the knife he used was too blunt and the job was botched. Ed knew that he had to act quickly because the area was likely to get busier as the evening drew on. Ed moved the body into a denser part of the wood and buried Darren's still clothed remains in a shallow grave covered with a layer of earth and leaves before he made good his escape. Darren was not missed immediately and, in fact, his body was not discovered until a considerable time after his death and so Ed had got away with it, or so he thought. Isn't that what happened, Ed?"
"Very good, Superintendent, not a bad attempt but not entirely accurate. The facts about Darren's death are almost right but, although I did not know it at the time, the irony was that I'd killed the wrong person. It was only later that I discovered that my vengeance had been directed against the wrong man."
"OK then, Ed", the Superintendent said quietly, "tell us what really happened and how you discovered that you'd made a terrible mistake."
"Well, I found out the truth largely by accident. But first let me tell you a bit about my relationship with my cousin Gareth. I had always loved my aunt and uncle in Wales, rather more than my own mother and even more so after she died. I'd visit them a lot, especially in the summer holidays. Although Gareth was younger than I was, we got on well right from the start and I came to regard him as a kind of younger brother. On one visit when he was about 14 Gareth and I went camping together and as we were getting ready to sleep he got to see my naked body and especially my cock close to for the first time. As I was a few years older than he was, he started saying things that really shocked and surprised me because at his age I had never been very sexually aware. Gareth looked at my naked body and told me that I had a nice big cock and that, as he'd expected, it was uncircumcised like his was. We talked for a bit and naturally the subject of sex and wanking came up. I told him it was perfectly normal to wank and that I did it all the time. Gareth said that he did it quite often as well but that when he did he thought a lot about other boys. He said he thought that this made him gay. Then my cousin asked me what I thought about when I wanked and whether I was gay as well. I laughed and said something like I thought I might also be gay and that there must be something in our mothers' genes -- they were twins -- that made us that way.
"Gareth then asked me if I wanted to fuck him with my big cock. I was a bit taken aback and asked him if he had ever been fucked before and he told me that he had. On a previous visit Gareth had told me about his best friend, a lad called Darren. It seemed to me that he was now admitting that the pair of them had engaged in sexual experimentation with each other. In the tent that night, Gareth told me that the person who had first fucked him did not have a foreskin and was circumcised but that he had recently left the swimming club and this had made my cousin very upset and miserable. Gareth began to cry so I drew him closer to me and put my arms around him to comfort him. However I made it clear that I did not think we should indulge in sexual activity that night. However I later relented and agreed to a mutual masturbation session, which we both enjoyed. Despite his confession to me about his sexual activity, I thought that Gareth was still very young and probably confused about his sexual orientation and that he might still grow out of this stage of sexual development. I did not want to do anything that might encourage him towards the gay life. I also knew that Gareth's parents would be devastated at the thought of never having grandchildren. Of course it turned out that I was too late, but I did not know that for sure and I really did want to give him a chance to go down the heterosexual route if that was possible.
"When I discovered that Darren had left the swimming club and that he was circumcised -- I saw him in the hostel toilets one day after we had both been swimming in the indoor pool there -- I put two and two together. I vowed to revenge Gareth for the heartache he had been caused by Darren. It was only later that I discovered that there was someone else apart from Darren, one of the coaches at the swimming club, a man called Owen Griffiths, had also been having sex with my cousin. It was he and not Darren that had taught Gareth to fuck and had sent him down the road that led to his death. Griffiths had also introduced my cousin the idea of being fucked and, I'm afraid, he lost all control. Much to his parents' disappointment, Gareth gave up swimming something he was really good at and his parents, my aunt and uncle, were bitterly disappointed about it. He never told them about his sexual orientation, it would have killed them. However, after he left the swimming club he became increasingly promiscuous and would have sex with anyone he could find and, I later discovered, he never took precautions.
"That's why I say that Darren's death was a mistake. I guess I should have realised this sooner because, when I finally met him, Darren was so innocent about gay sex. When I asked him he was so keen to come away with me for sex that I suppose I should have known he was still a virgin. However, at the time I didn't think about it. As you correctly said, Superintendent, I took Darren to a local wood and told him that it would increase his pleasure while I brought him off if he was half asphyxiated. He was so trusting that he even helped me to put the plastic bag over his head. When he was dead I carried him deeper into the woods and down into a small hollow where I could bury him. His cock was still sticking out of his jeans and it made me think about what Darren had done to Gareth with it and I wanted to remove it. I tried to cut it off with my camping knife but it was too blunt to remove his cock and balls completely so I had to give up. As you know, I left him in a shallow grave covered with a layer of soil. I was amazed he was not found for such a long time.
"Once I began to think about what happened and learned more from Gareth about his relationship with the coach, Griffiths, I realised my mistake and that Darren had almost certainly been the wrong guy. After that I tried looking for this coach Griffiths but he seemed to have disappeared and I kind of lost interest. I'd got away with one murder, but I might not be so lucky next time. As time went by and I got on with my life I did not do much more about looking for Griffiths. Then Gareth told me that he was HIV and once again I started thinking about finding that bastard of a coach. But tracking him down was almost impossible. He'd disappeared before I got onto what was happening. Initially everyone said that they thought that he had gone abroad, but my enquiries suggested he was still somewhere in this country. I did not realise until later that he had changed his name. I also found out that he might have moved to the Bath area, which ironically had been close to where I was a student. However, until I got my present job there was little chance of trying to find him."
Martin had been paying close attention as Ed made his confession. Other police officers in the room were busy recording what was being said. Thoughtfully, Freddy had provided a tape recorder, which he had switched on as Ed began to speak so that a full transcript would be available. Peter Collins still had a look of complete devastation on his face and was being comforted by both Joe and, perhaps more surprisingly, Graeme. As Peter fought back the tears, each of the other two placed an arm round his shoulders. When Ed paused in his narrative, the Superintendent took the opportunity to speak again. His voice was soft and not entirely unsympathetic but he still had a job to do,
"Thank you for being so frank, Ed. I understand why you behaved as you did but you know it can't be condoned. I accept that for you the whole issue started up again when Gareth became seriously ill from AIDS and died earlier this year. Was that what triggered you into a new spate of killings, Ed?"
Ed was about to resume his narrative when Peter again began to speak. With tears streaming down his cheeks, Ed's lover cried out,
"Don't say any more, Ed, please! You don't know what you're saying. There must be another explanation. You can't have done these things, you can't .. you just can't!!"
Ed ignored these pleadings and began to explain the most recent murders. In slow and measured tones Ed gave an account of each one of the murders as the other people in the room listened intently to his words. There was a hint of remorse in his voice but Ed made no attempt either to varnish the truth or to seek exoneration for his actions. The remaining three former suspects listened as intently as the police each in his way relieved of a burden but also, particularly Peter Collins, profoundly upset by what they heard.
Ed began the next part of his story by saying that the death of his cousin several months before had indeed brought a new impetus to his desire to seek vengeance. He became increasingly obsessed with the need to track down the swimming coach that had first introduced Gareth to the full extent of gay sex. Since his brief and murderous encounter with Darren, Ed had rarely if ever met a circumcised guy in England and of the few that he had met he had avoided having sex with them because they reminded him too much of the young man he had killed. The death of his cousin had however set off a raging anger inside Ed that he had fought an ultimately unsuccessful battle to control. He had somehow managed to control himself for several months until the night in Manchester when he met the student, David Brown, the first of his victims.
On the day in question, Ed's lover, Peter, had been delayed on his way up to Manchester where the two sales executives had planned to spend a couple of nights together. They had both been invited to one of Graeme Adams' famous parties to be held after his disco performance and the two executives were due to drive on to Leeds a day or so later. Both lovers had regarded it as a great excuse to spend some time together. However, because of Peter's delayed arrival on that fateful evening, the couple had agreed to meet at the disco rather than the hotel as originally planned. While waiting for Peter to arrive at the disco, Ed had seen David Brown at the bar and they had chatted and drunk a beer together. After a short while, David invited Ed to dance and they had found a dark corner where they could get more physical. When he pushed the older sales executive's hand firmly into his crotch, David indicated that he wanted to have sex with the older man. Ed could feel the student's hard cock through the material of his jeans and suggested that they move somewhere quieter. David had willingly agreed to this suggestion and he led the pair of them to a secluded area behind the car park. As they were preparing to have sex something came over Ed and he pulled a plastic bag out from his pocket and asphyxiated the student. In retrospect, Ed said that he thought it was the fact that David was circumcised and a looked a bit like a slightly older version of Darren that set him off. Having killed the student, Ed quickly got his car, placed the body inside and then drove off to look for a suitable place to dispose of it. Having found a place not far away that was secluded from the road, Ed left the body in an area that was screened from the road by some trees. Just before he left the body, Ed had stripped the student of his clothes and, somewhat as an afterthought, had removed the young man's genitals with a sharp knife. Ed dumped the clothes in a skip he had seen by the roadside and then had thrown the genitals and plastic bag into a local canal before he drove back to the disco. To his relief the younger sales executive arrived back at the disco before Peter appeared and together the two lovers had gone off to Graeme's party. Throughout the rest of this visit to Manchester Ed had acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.
As Ed completed his account of the first murder, another gasp came from the audience and Peter Collins could be heard once again sobbing uncontrollably as his lover revealed a side of his character that the older man had never even imagined possible. Freddy had thoughtfully provided a second round of drinks, which he had distributed to the gathering, including Ed. Ed then began again giving an account of the murders of Christopher Jarvis and Aaron Dunn. The motive was similar in each case, as the Superintendent had already surmised. Ed had murdered these two while offering them sexual favours. In the case of Aaron Dunn he had noted the American waiting for a lift to Graeme's party and had decided to pick him up and murder him instead. He knew that Aaron was circumcised and by now he was prepared to kill any such person that he found. He had got away with three murders, the police did not have a clue and he saw no reason why they should catch up with him. In the case of Christopher Jarvis Ed had gone off with him and he had murdered him like the first victim in a car park. Aaron Dunn had died shortly after he got into Ed's car. Both bodies had been disposed of quickly and their clothing and genitals removed and got rid of. Ed spared the others the full details but it was clear that he had developed a pattern to his killing. The only tricky murder, Ed explained, had been that of Steve Mason, and Harry King Busia, both of whom he had been murdered on the same night. As Martin had thought, they had been killed separately but disposed of together. Ed described how he had lured first one, then the other, to their death and spoke dispassionately of the disposal of their bodies, clothes and genitals. At this point, Ed spared the assembled group much of the detail of the four killings by taking a break from telling his story. Martin knew that at subsequent and more private interrogations, Ed would have to explain in more detail the circumstances of the five most recent killings. However, the Superintendent did want to learn more about the remaining two killings and felt that the others in the room also wanted to know about them as well. Martin used the momentary silence to interject a question,
"One thing is puzzling me, Ed, and it is this, why did you kill Paul Laycock? You surely didn't think he was coach Griffiths?"
Peter stopped whimpering for a moment and began to whisper softly,
"He couldn't have killed that man Laycock, I .. was .. with .. him .. that .. nig .."
Peter's voice tailed off and the Superintendent again interrupted him,
"No you weren't. It was the night you both had a row. You stormed off, Peter and Ed told you and us that, apart from getting a drink from the bar he stayed in his room and was there when you got back but that wasn't true. I think that during the time you were away, Peter, Ed slipped out of the hotel and found his next victim. It was a gamble but, as it turned out, Ed had plenty of time to murder Paul Laycock and get back to the hotel before you reappeared. So why him, Ed?"
Ed shrugged his shoulder slightly and began to explanation,
"As you know, Superintendent, I was angry when I got to the hotel, I'd lost a valuable contract and Peter was a convenient punch bag. I had no plan to kill anyone, to be honest, I never did actually plan the killings, they sort of happened if you know what I mean. Circumstance, place, opportunity all seemed to occur at certain times and I took them. I'm sorry about Paul Laycock, he was just a poor guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"The first piece of my statement was true. I did get a drink from the bar and took it to my room. However when I'd finished it and Peter was not back, I went out in my car. I knew I had been followed to the hotel but somehow I managed to get past the surveillance team without them seeing me. I needed to get away from the hotel, to get some fresh country air and to clear my head so I drove around the area for a while. I thought I would go to the pub where the disco we had planned to attend was taking place to see if Peter was there, but he wasn't. I stayed for a short while and had a drink and was joined by that guy, Joe, over there. He did not recognise me as he had only seen me very briefly once when Peter and I came to a party here."
Ed paused for a moment and Martin looked across at Joe whose face showed that he had suddenly remembered the meeting and the fact that now he could put a name to the face that he had met back in Birmingham. Then Ed resumed his account,
"Joe offered to buy me a drink but after he had gone to the bar and was away for some little time I changed my mind and decided to return to the hotel in the hope that peter would be back. However, the drinks I had already had went straight through me and quite soon I needed to take a leak. I noticed a signpost indicating a toilet and parked the car near to the entrance and went into this rather sordid old toilet. I knew it was the kind where Gareth used to go to find men to have sex with and I did not want to go in, but I needed to piss so badly. When I went in, there he was, this stranger, just standing at the urinal with his obviously hard, circumcised dick on full display. He kept looking at me but I stood at the urinal and refused to acknowledge him. In the end, however, I did look at him. He gave me the nod and I indicated that he should follow me. I led him back to my car and he got in the back. I told him I'd needed to get a condom and he accepted this. I found a plastic bag in the glove compartment and picked it up and joined him in the back of the car. Like the others, it was easy to kill him, one quick move and he was trapped. After he was dead, I drove to the next convenient and secluded lay-by and got rid of the body in the usual way. As I said, his death was not really planned, he just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Again luck was on my side as I was back at the hotel and in bed before Peter returned."
Martin acknowledged the full and frank nature of Ed's confession even though the Superintendent found it hard to feel much sympathy for the arrested man. The Superintendent also noted another lapse by his surveillance team, a defect that he would ensure was remedied when he held his debriefing session with the team back in London. However, Martin needed one last piece of the jigsaw before the session could be ended. In a gentle, but not very warm, tone Martin asked his final question,
"And then you found out the new identity and whereabouts of the man you believed was ultimately, if indirectly, responsible for your cousin's death, the man who called himself Timothy Owen, but who you knew to be Owen Timothy Griffiths. Will you tell us what happened in this case, Ed?"
Ed looked around the room. He was the centre of everyone's attention and a slight smile crossed his lips as he again began to speak in a quiet but also confident tone.
"Yes, Superintendent. I did a fine detective job in tracking him down. I hadn't realised how close I had been to the man when I was a student in Bath. If I'd found him then, maybe the other deaths would have been avoided. However as a student I found other things to do with my time. It was only once Gareth was really ill that I began my search again. As I told your earlier, I found out that Owen Griffiths had not left the country as most people thought but had merely moved across the Bristol Channel. I can't remember how I found out, but I think it came from my aunt or one of her friends. I think I overheard a conversation in which someone mentioned that they'd heard Griffiths was living near Bath. Of course, my interest was aroused by that information and I began to search for him again. My investigation was helped by my work, because my regional management responsibility included Bath.
"Pinpointing exactly where Griffiths lived was more difficult than I expected but nevertheless I think I did an excellent job. I began by tracked down all people in and around Bath with the surname Griffiths. Unfortunately I had to accept that none of those I found in the area was the person I was looking for. So then I widened my search and began looking for different combinations of his name. I finally found my man after several days of very intensive work. All I had to do then was to contact him and arrange a meeting. My chance came with this conference near Bath as it was not far from where he lived. My attempt to locate and kill Griffiths was complicated by being under surveillance but I thought I could manage it somehow. I had a fall back plan that involved using Graeme's decoy plan. I'd overheard him describing it to someone at one of his recent parties and I made a note of it but as chance would have it I only needed to use it when I got rid of the body during the early hours of the morning.
"I planned the killing of Griffiths very thoroughly but I did not expect that I would be able to do it while the conference was being held. My plan was that I would contact Griffiths and pretend to be Gareth. I could do a good impression of him and after all this time I doubted that Griffiths wouldn't know it wasn't him. Also I banked on him not knowing that Gareth had died. As far as I knew Griffiths had not maintained contact with people in Cardiff since he left, no doubt for fear of getting the Police interested in him again. I telephoned him the first time shortly after I got to the hotel. I told him that I was Gareth and asked if he remembered me and said I hoped so as I still remembered the fun we had had at the swimming club all those years before. I think Griffiths was slightly shocked to hear from me and by the fact that I had discovered his whereabouts but he seemed genuinely pleased to hear from the person he believed to be Gareth. I told him I really wanted to see him again and hoped we could have fun like we did in the old times. He was a bit wary at first and said that all that had been a long time ago but in the end he agreed to meet me. I don't think he had any idea I wasn't really Gareth or that I was luring him into a trap. I explained to him that I was attending a conference and that I might not be able to meet him until the following morning but if I could get away earlier I would telephone him and let him know.
"As it turned out, that evening Peter said he wanted to have a look round Bath, so I told him that I would meet him later at the disco. I said that I wanted to use the opportunity to look for somewhere to live in the Bath area but in reality I knew it was an opportunity to find and, if possible, kill Griffiths. Once Peter had left the hotel, I made up my mind that I would go and see if I could locate the village where Griffiths lived. I looked for it on the map and it was a bit tricky but the windy roads might give me the chance to shake off your surveillance team, Superintendent. I drove off knowing I would be followed but luck was on my side. I managed to shake off the tail in the narrow and winding lanes. I had thoroughly checked the route and, once I knew I was clear, I phoned Griffiths from the car. I told him that I would toot my horn and wait for him in the car when I got to his house. As soon as I arrived and blew my horn, Griffiths came out of the door of his cottage to meet me.
"He started to ask me inside but as he leaned into the car I quickly fitted a bag over his head and bundled him into the back. He was dead in seconds. I then drove round in a circle and as I came back out of the next village on the lane leading to the main road I saw your men, Superintendent, looking for me. They more or less escorted me back to the disco, unaware of what I had lying in the back of the car. I went into the disco and then after it had finished Peter and I drove back in our cars to the hotel. Once back at the hotel I joined Peter in our room. We went to bed and had sex and Peter fell asleep quite quickly after that. Once I was sure he was dead to the world, I was able to slip out quietly without disturbing him. I had arranged for one of my team to leave his car nearby. I told the guy that I needed some samples he had stored in his boot so he left his car in the car park close to where I was parked and gave the keys in for me to collect from reception. I moved Griffiths' body easily from my car to the other one and then, keeping my head down, drove past the watching police. Once I knew I was not being followed, I found a secluded place that I had located before I arrived at the hotel that morning and left Griffiths' body there. After I had disposed of the bastard's clothes and his genitals, I drove back to the hotel, re-parked the colleague's car and went inside to re-join Peter in bed for the rest of the night. I was with him when he woke up the next morning completely unaware of what I had been up to while he was sleeping. It all turned out to be so easy, so very easy. I felt really satisfied when I killed Griffiths it was like an enormous weight had been lifted off me."
Ed paused for a moment and then looked up at the Superintendent, a slight smile crossing his lips as he began to speak again,
"After I killed that bastard who ruined my cousin's life, I knew I had exorcised my demons, Superintendent. I also knew that I would not need to kill again. Gareth's death had been avenged and the man responsible for ruining his life had paid the full price!! I hoped that I would get away with it; that I would not be a suspect. I recognised the danger signs when I saw that you had managed to get hold of a copy of the photograph with Darren and Gareth on it. However it was of such poor quality that I hoped you would not be able to make the connection. I'd forgotten about the photograph's existence to be honest. I'd also forgotten about modern computer technology that can enhance the quality of almost any photograph however poor its quality. In the end it's the unexpected little things that trap you, isn't it? Have I told you all you need to know, Superintendent?"
"I think so, Ed, you've made a very full confession. There are details of the other murders that I will need to clear up but those can wait. I think everyone here has heard more than enough for today."
All the listeners in the room were silent for a moment as Ed's confession came to an end and Martin took this to be a sign that they agreed with his last remark. Mark Jamieson stepped forward with a Constable and indicated that it was time for Ed to be taken into the waiting police van and driven away to the Police Station for formal interview. Ed walked slowly past the others in the room and paused for a moment by Peter's chair. Ed's lover sat still, too shocked and upset to say anything but Ed placed his hand on Peter's shoulder and said softly,
"I'm sorry, Peter. I really did love you .. I do love you .. but this had to be done. I didn't mean to hurt you or involve you and I am truly sorry that I have."
Through his tear covered face Peter forced a smile and nodded as his lover was led away. Slowly the police that had filled the room also began to drift away until only Martin and the former suspects were left. Martin spoke to each of them in turn offering his regrets that they had been involved and explaining that, until almost the end of the investigation, he really did not know for certain which of the four was guilty. He also said that he might need to speak to some or all of them again but not immediately. Joe nodded his understanding and mumbled his thanks. Graeme also smiled slightly and accepted that the Superintendent had acted in the only way possible under the circumstances. Martin wished them all well for the future and hoped that they would soon recover from the unpleasant ordeal they had been through. Peter continued to stare blankly ahead of him. The Superintendent spoke softly to Ed's distraught lover but he knew that there was little he could really say that would be of any comfort. Despite his devastation, Peter manage to say a few words before Martin left the room,
"What happens now? What will happen to Ed?"
Martin looked sympathetically back at the shattered sales executive and replied as soothingly as he could,
"Well, he'll be charged of course and interviewed. He's admitted the offences, which is a good start. What happens after that is not up to me, it's up to the Court, but if I was to guess, I doubt if he'll get less than a life sentence and a long minimum sentence to serve."
Peter acknowledged that his worst fear had been confirmed but did not speak again. Martin thanked Freddy and Brad for their role in the arrangements and for the use of Eversley Hall but said that he would have to leave, as there were things to be seen to back at the Police Station. Brad smiled and nodded at this and Freddy accepted the thanks with a dismissive wave of the hand. Freddy walked with the Superintendent and Tom to the door of his mansion. At the door the three men shook hands, Freddy lingering as he said goodbye to Tom. Tom wondered what it would have been like if he and Freddy had ever got together seriously. He might have lived in this stately home but then he dismissed the thought, life with Martin was much, much better in every way.
As soon as Martin and Tom had left the room, Freddy returned to the remaining guests and began dispensing yet another round of drinks. The genial and generous host was fully aware that it would take more than a few kind words of apology and sympathy to heal the wounds. Freddy was determined to help in any way he could. He would see that Brad's wine venture got off the ground and that Peter and Joe benefited from it. Freddy would also use his influence to ensure that Graeme's career was not permanently affected by the adverse publicity he had received.
After he had returned to the Police Station and reported the arrest to his superiors back in London, Martin was allowed to make a brief press statement announcing Ed Wilson's arrest. Next Martin thanked the whole team for all their efforts, mentioning almost all the officers involved by name and finding something good to say about their contribution. Before he had left his home, Freddy had asked whether Martin and Tom would like to stay on at Eversley Hall that night but the Superintendent had declined this offer as well. Martin gave Freddy a number of reasons for this decision. First it would not be politic to be in the same house as some former suspects and now potential witnesses. Second, there was still work to be done to complete the case before it could be brought to a conclusion. Ed needed to be interviewed formally and invited to make a full statement on the record and with his legal representative present. Once he had the chance, Martin wanted to take a short break away from it all and spend some time with his lover, Tom. The couple had postponed a decision on whether to pursue the idea of children but that decision could not be put off forever. Whatever they decided would change their lives forever and it could not be rushed. It had been a gruelling few weeks and Martin knew that he and the team as well as those close to them, including Tom, now needed to be given priority. Tom agreed with Martin and decided he would return to London as soon as he could. Martin told his lover that he would follow him home later and watched as Tom drove off back towards London. After Tom's car had disappeared from sight, the Superintendent sighed and slowly walked back inside the Police Station.
If you have any comments on this story, please let me know cutrose40@yahoo.co.uk