DISCLAIMER:
This is a story. None of the characters in the story exist and the events that take place are purely imaginary.
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/ Party Games Chapter 8
In the Commissioner's office, Sir Thomas looked hard at Martin and then asked again about the document case. Martin explained what had happened and the Commissioner was forced to accept that there were reasons why he had not been informed about this development. However, it was clear that Sir Thomas was not best pleased at being kept in the dark. Martin felt that the Commissioner's displeasure was also due to the fact that the missing document case could indicate robbery rather than a simple `gay bashing'. This, the Commander, reasoned would be even more embarrassing if, as he suspected, Sir Thomas had been the anonymous source of Alan Birch's newspaper article.
After an uncomfortable few minutes with the Commissioner, Martin went back to his office and found that Ron and Mark were still there waiting for him and the two officers smiled with the relief when they saw the Commander return unscathed. Martin explained that he had agreed that the commissioner would be briefed twice daily on the investigation's progress and would appear at future press conferences when there were major developments to report. As they sat together, Mark suggested that he might get in touch with the forensic laboratory to see whether they had anything further to report and Martin signified with a nod that he thought it would be a good idea. Twenty minutes later a triumphant looking Mark returned and announced,
"This just could be our lucky day! We knew yesterday that the piping was used in the attack on Nick Trafford but this morning we have a match to the partial print left on it as well! It turns out the print belongs to a man called Ed Grantham, who has a record of `gay bashing' and violence against other people. I've run a check on him and he has several convictions for GBH and other violent crimes. He's got a flat in Islington. What shall we do, go round ourselves or get the local Police to arrest him?"
Martin thought for a moment and then said,
"I think we should go and arrest him and bring him back here for an interview. At the moment the evidence is circumstantial, but we might get a warrant to search the flat and find some clothing with a speck of blood on that matches that of Nick Trafford. Once we have something more concrete that directly connects this man to the scene or the victim then I'll let the Commissioner know."
Mark nodded and then said,
"Do you want me to contact Islington and arrange for some back up? It appears this guy is a difficult customer and he could resist arrest."
Martin sounded rather reluctant when he agreed to Mark's suggestion but the Commander realised that there was little choice. If the record was to be believed then Mr Grantham was a violent man who would not come quietly and could try to escape. Having obtained Martin's agreement, Mark went off to make the arrangements and returned a short while later to report back and then he and Martin left Scotland Yard and drove speedily through the deserted early morning streets to the address in Islington where Ed Grantham lived. Close to the apartment block two Police vans were parked discretely out of sight of the entrance and Martin and Mark went over to them as soon as they arrived at the scene. As the most senior officer, Martin took charge and the other officers followed his instructions. As soon as he was satisfied that all angles had been covered, Martin gave the order and officers entered the building. Taken by surprise and still half asleep having been awakened from his bed, Ed Grantham offered surprisingly little resistance and was soon in custody. Mark had cautioned the arrested suspect and then he had been bundled into the back of a Police Car to be driven back to Scotland Yard.
It was not too long before Ed Grantham was installed in an interview room with his solicitor, Gordon Clifford. Mr Clifford was a well-known lawyer who numbered amongst his clients many of the top gangsters in London and was always regarded as being only just out of reach of the Police. The two men were waiting for the Commander and Mark Jamieson to begin the interview. Martin had already alerted his other two most trusted senior investigators, Mike Rickwood and Aly Young and they had settled themselves into the observation room to watch the proceedings. Mark led the way into the interview room carrying a small box and some papers and was closely followed by his superior. The arrested man had a truculent look on his face, which it would be difficult to describe as anything other than unpleasant. Ed Grantham had a small round face with threatening eyes and a small nose and mouth that curled into an unpleasant leer. A large diagonal scar that ran down one cheek added to his menacing look. Finally, Martin noted that the man that sat opposite him was well built and clearly very strong and his large hands were covered in rings. Before entering the room, Martin had printed off Ed Grantham's long criminal record. This had contained details of his many convictions and the Commander had noted several had involved attacks on either gays or immigrants. All in all, Mark and Martin had agreed that they had seldom had to deal with a more unpleasant thug.
After brief introductions, Mark began the questioning, which began gently enough with queries over whether the arrested man knew and understood why he was being interviewed and that her was doing so under caution. In answer to this question Ed Grantham snarled response that indicated that he did indeed understand. Mark next turned to the arrested man's long and violent criminal record and was interrupted by the solicitor who raised objections to this line of questioning. Mark shrugged and merely commented,
"I think, Mr Clifford, that your client's record speaks for itself. He is a violent man who hates immigrants and gay people. I wouldn't be wrong in saying that now would I, Mr Grantham?"
Ed Grantham shrugged and said,
"I don't have anything to say except this. If they don't bother me, I don't bother them."
Mark nodded and then said,
"Where were you on the night that Mr Nick Trafford, the MP, was murdered?"
The prisoner looked indifferent as he spoke,
"Who was he? I never heard of him. You say he was murdered. Well it was nothing to do with me."
Mark remained cool as he responded,
"You must have heard of the name, Mr Grantham, the story's been all over the newspapers."
Again Ed Grantham started indifferently at the Superintendent and replied,
"Don't read the papers that much, only the racing and the football."
Mark smiled and said,
"So you've never met Mr Trafford and you don't know who he is?"
The prisoner nodded and mumbled,
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."
At this point Mr Clifford intervened,
"This sounds very much like a fishing trip to me, Superintendent. Have you any evidence linking my client to the scene of the crime or are you arresting all known and alleged perpetrators of violence in London?"
Mark smiled broadly and opened the box that he had carried into the room with him and took out the strip of piping which had been wrapped in plastic sheeting to preserve the evidence. The Superintendent then said,
"For the benefit of the tape, I am showing the suspect a piece of metal piping recovered from Hampstead Heath in the past few days. Tell me, Mr Grantham, do you recognise this piece of metal?"
If he had been surprised, Ed Grantham showed no signs of it and replied with a grunt,
"No, never seen it before in my life."
"In that case", responded Mark smiling at his prisoner, "can you explain how your fingerprints and traces of Mr Nick Trafford's blood were found on this piece of piping?"
Ed Grantham did not make any reply and Mark said,
"For the benefit of the tape, Mr Grantham has not replied to this question. You may consult with your legal advisor if you wish Mr Grantham. He will explain the consequences of refusing to answer a question like this. Do you wish to do so?"
Mr Clifford leaned forward and said,
"My client would like a brief consultation with me at this point, Superintendent."
Mark nodded and said,
"In that case I will suspend the interview for fifteen minutes."
Martin followed Mark out of the room and they joined Aly and Mike and went off to the canteen for a coffee. Aly Young spoke first when they had settled into their table,
"Wasn't he repulsive?"
"Not the nicest fellow I've met", replied Mark and then added, "and Mr Grantham's pretty awful too!!"
The other three laughed for a moment and then Martin spoke,
"You're doing a great job there, Mark and you reeled him in nicely. I want you to hit him with the bloodstains as soon as you can and then I'll have a go at him about the document case and what was in it."
Mike had not spoken up to this point but intervened at this point,
"Even if he killed Nick Trafford, I don't think he would know to steal the document or the case unless someone told him to do it."
Martin nodded,
"I agree. He was probably there on someone's orders and either told what to do next or else there was someone else nearby and that person stepped in and took the case after our Mr Grantham had knocked Nick Trafford to the ground."
"Do you think the main motive was robbery and Nick Trafford got killed by accident then, sir?" Aly Young asked.
"I don't know yet, Aly", Martin replied honestly. "It's possible that robbery was the main intention but if Nick Trafford already had a document that someone desperately wanted to obtain and that what it contained was sensitive or dangerous then maybe killing him was the best way of ensuring that it never reached the light of day. Having a well-known `gay basher' on hand is also very convenient because if anything goes too far then there's a fall guy waiting to be arrested and charged. On the other hand, if Nick Trafford already had the document and it was that explosive why go to see someone who might feel endangered by its existence? If he had the document, I think that he would certainly have kept a copy and someone must have it and their life could be in danger."
Mark thought for a moment and then said,
"What if he was meeting a potential witness or a source of information because he knew there was something missing, a vital document, say? He'd need something to carry the documents in after he's got them. If some unknown party set him up and lured him into a trap he'd want to ensure that he was dead because he wouldn't want Nick Trafford investigating the matter any further."
Again the Commander nodded and said,
"That's my dilemma. Anyway I think time's up for Mr Grantham. Let's go and see what he says when we confront him with the evidence we already have."
The quartet left the canteen and separated as before with Aly and Mike in the observation room and Martin and Mark going in to resume the interview. As he sat down Mark looked enquiringly at the solicitor and Mr Clifford cleared his throat and said,
"My client sometimes works as a plumber's mate. He had been working in a house quite recently and it is possible that he handled the piece of metal piping you showed us in the course of that work. My client cannot remember every bit of raw material he handled all the time. What he is prepared to say is that he might have touched it when he took the unused material to the skip. However, I'm sure you would agree anyone could have removed it from there. I don't think that you can directly link my client to the scene of the crime and you have no evidence, no witness who saw my client attack this MP."
Mark smiled and said,
"I have to accept that you have a point Mr Clifford. However if your client is innocent he will be able to tell us where he was and what he was wearing at the time of the murder and provide witnesses to support his story."
Mark reminded the prisoner of the date and time of the murder and Ed Grantham told the Superintendent that he had been wearing a short weather proof jacket and blue jeans on the night that nick Trafford was killed. The prisoner then went on to supply an alibi for the time of the killing,
"I was on my way to a pub in the East End where I met some friends. I got to the pub at about nine o'clock but I had been travelling for some time before that on the tube. You know what they're like these days, not very reliable."
Mark again smiled,
"And presumably your friends will back you up on this?"
Ed Grantham gave a slight smile as he said confidently,
"Of course."
Mark nodded,
"Perhaps you can give me their names and we will go an check your story. While we are doing that I am going to ask that you be remanded in custody. Oh and while you're waiting, you will have no objection if we go back to your flat and examine the clothes you say you were wearing on the night in question, will you?"
A slight frown came over Ed Grantham's face but he eventually nodded in agreement. The solicitor spoke at this point,
"I must protest that you have little or no evidence against my client and I shall be seeking bail at the earliest opportunity."
Martin spoke in the interview room for the first time,
"That is your client's right, Mr Clifford, but given the nature of the crime, the record of your client and the fact that our enquiries are not yet complete, I do not think that you stand much chance of success. I promise you that we will not keep your client in custody longer than is necessary, unless, of course, we decide to charge him. Finally, I would add that you may attend the search of his property if he and you so wish."
Mark stood up and led the prisoner back to the custody suite where he was handed over to the Custody Sergeant and held in the cells to await further interrogation. Martin had gone straight back to his Office and sat there waiting for his friend to return from the cell area where prisoners on remand were held. It had been a long night for the Commander and he was beginning to feel quite tired and guessed that Mark would also be happy with what he was about to suggest. As soon as the Superintendent had returned, Martin asked him, Mike and Aly to come to his office and once they had all assembled he said,
"I must confess that I am feeling a little tired and I expect Mark is as well. What I'd like to do is for me and Mark to go home for an hour or two to get some rest and wait for the forensic results following the search of Mr Grantham's home and the examination of his clothing. In the meanwhile, I'd like you, Mike, to go on examining Nick Trafford's remaining case files and Aly, I want you to take charge of the search of the suspect's property. However before we disperse I'd like to hear what you thought of Mr Grantham's performance during the interview."
Mike spoke first in response to the Commander's last invitation,
"I think you got him rattled, especially when you said you wanted to search the house. I'd lay money on him being the one who carried out the attack, but I don't think he's got the brains to have done it all on his own."
Aly, who had been observing the interview with Mike added her comment,
"Yes, I got the impression he was a habitual criminal who would deny everything even if they were guilty. I thought the Superintendent was brilliant at leading him on and then going in for the kill, but one thing puzzles me, why didn't you ask about the document case?"
Martin smiled at Mark and said quietly,
"Will you explain that to Aly, Mark?"
Mark smiled back at his friend and then turned to Aly,
"The answer is this. We have not yet established beyond doubt that Ed Grantham committed the crime. We all are certain that he was the culprit and we have some circumstantial evidence to link him to the murder weapon, but until we can physically place him at the crime scene I don't think we have enough. Is for the document case, I don't want to lose the element of surprise. I agree with what Mike said. If Ed Grantham took the document case he did so because he was told to do so. The other possibility is that Ed was not alone and that someone else was with him and that he or she is the person that wanted the document case or what was inside it. If we can get Mr Grantham tied in to the scene of the murder and make him see how hopeless his cause is then he might spill the beans on who else was involved."
Martin nodded,
"I agree with that tactic. Don't let them know what we know until we have to. It's a kind of game. I've had another thought as well. I'd like someone to go round and talk to Mrs Powell again. See if she saw anyone leaving the entrance to Hampstead Heath as she was walking towards it. It's just a long shot but might be worth a try. Get Sergeant Hassan to call on her and ask. He looks as though he could do with some tea and cakes!"
Mark was about to leave to make the arrangements when Mike said,
"It's OK, sir, I'll make the arrangements. I think you and the Commander ought to get some rest. I'll look after the shop here and we'll call you if and when there are developments."
The Superintendent looked as though he was about to respond but Martin looked at him and shook his head, indicating that he agreed with Mike. It was rather reluctantly that Mark agreed but he did recognise that he was quite tired and needed to rest before resuming the interrogation of the prisoner.
Tom was delighted when he heard the key turn in the lock and looked with anticipation at the face of his lover but was disappointed to note that Martin looked tired and by no means triumphant. After a few comforting words and a hug, the younger man left his partner alone and allowed him to retire to the bedroom to rest. Martin lay back on the bed and tried to sleep but he found this impossible as too many options and thoughts were buzzing through his brain. The Commander was also anxious to get on with the case and was concerned that the Commissioner would not think highly of him if he let another opportunity to resolve the matter quickly slip through his fingers. On the other hand, Martin was also conscious of the fact that too many things had slipped so easily into place and not all of them accorded with other information that had been gathered during the investigation. This was not unusual but one of the key pints of the investigation had not been explained and that was the document case and its potential contents. This suggested very clearly to the Commander that while the hand that did the murder was in all likelihood that of Ed Grantham, the mind that planned the crime was someone else. Martin's train of thought was interrupted when Tom appeared at the bedroom door and asked,
"Coffee? Something to eat?"
Martin nodded, suddenly aware that he was really hungry and welcoming the opportunity not only to eat but also to express his thoughts to his most trusted partner. The older man got up from the bed slowly and, as he had not bothered to undress, followed Tom into the kitchen. On the table there was a spread of cold meats and cheese as well as bread and two steaming cups of coffee. Martin smiled gratefully at his lover and said,
"Thanks for doing all this, Tom. It's gestures like this that make me love you so much!"
Tom smiled back, pleased that his efforts were so appreciated and replied,
"I do it because I care. Do you want to talk about the case?"
Martin filled his lover in on all the details so far and his concerns that there was more to the case than met the eye. Tom could see at once what the problem was and tried to respond sympathetically,
"I see the problem, Marty. You're worried that as soon as you charge this Grantham fellow the Commissioner will say `case closed' and you'll know that it isn't. You're going to have to tell him about the document case as soon as you can."
Martin looked up from his plate and said,
"I know, Tom, but I'm not relishing it. Sir Thomas wants a quick result and so does the Home Secretary. They are not going to like it if I say we have the killer but not a motive."
Tom nodded and said,
"Won't they go down the `gay bashing' route?"
Martin nodded,
"I'm pretty certain that they will, but I know in my bones there's more to it than that!"
"I think you are probably right, Marty, but you have to take the Commissioner along with you", Tom said quietly but firmly.
Martin knew that his lover was right but was still concerned that if he did tell Sir Thomas news of the loose end would get into the press. Despite his reservations, the Commander was satisfied that he had no other course of action other than to inform the Commissioner of what they had been told by the young barman the day before. At about the same time that he made this decision and had told Tom what he had decided the telephone rang and Martin was requested to return to Scotland Yard immediately as there had been a few developments. Martin asked if Mark had also been informed and was told that he had and would be round to pick up the Commander in a short while. Tom had been listening to his lover's end of the conversation and knew that Martin would have to return to Scotland Yard but concealed his disappointment that they would not have much more time to spend together.
It was not long before Martin was sitting in his office and he and Superintendent waited for the first of a series of reports to be given as a result of the various initiatives that had been undertaken during the day. The Commander had begun by informing Mark that he intended to report to the Commissioner the evidence from the eye-witness concerning the document case that Nick Trafford had been carrying just before he died. The Superintendent indicated with a nod that he agreed with his commanding officer's decision but said nothing else, not least because there was a knock on the door indicating that Sergeant Hassan had returned from his visit to Mrs Powell and was ready to report back the results. As Martin had suspected Mrs Powell had not seen anyone leaving Hampstead Heath as she made her way with the dog towards the entrance to the footpath and her subsequent grim discovery. The Commander had always regarded the possibility that Mrs Powell would have seen anything as something of a long shot and was neither surprised nor disappointed at what Sergeant Hassan had told him.
Two other reports that day were, however, more positive. The first was that Mike Rickwood had finally completed his review of all Nick Trafford's investigations and was able to report that there was one complete file missing from the ones seized at his office in Parliament. Mike had a file number from the checklist but no corresponding file to match it. Martin agreed with his Chief Inspector that this was probably the file that the dead MP was carrying on the night he was murdered, although it was also possible that the file was in the earliest stages of preparation. The Commander asked Mike to check with the late MP's researcher, Diana Robinson, to make sure that she had not got the file in her possession. Before he left, Martin also added that the Chief Inspector should also check whether the researcher knew what the case was about, even if the file was not in her possession. Mike Rickwood nodded and disappeared off to find Ms Robinson.
It was some time before Mike tracked Diana Robinson down as the processes of Parliament had meant that the researcher had moved out of the dead MP's office and now had a different location to work from. Once he had established what he wanted to know, Ms Robinson, after some initial resistance, told the Chief Inspector that she did not have the file in her possession but knew that some papers did exist. The researcher seemed genuinely shocked that her former employer might have been killed because of the existence of these papers. Mike was reasonably satisfied that Ms Robinson was telling the truth when she said that she did not know what was in the papers or the details of the case, but the researcher was able to supply the senior police officer with sufficient information for him to access the official transcript of the case himself. Mike hurried back to Scotland Yard to report to his Commanding Officer and get the necessary authorisation to obtain the papers that were concerned with the potential miscarriage of justice.
By the time Mike arrived back at Scotland Yard, the Commander was no longer in his office but was acting on the third piece of information he had received that day. This had come from the forensic laboratories that had managed to find evidence supporting the fact that Ed Grantham had recently been on Hampstead Heath. Bits of mud that had been found on the detained man's shoes matched soil samples taken from the area where Nick Trafford had been murdered. Aly Young had been very excited when she had telephoned this news back to the Commander who expressed his great pleasure in receiving this piece of information. The icing on the cake came a few moments later when the young Inspector called for a second time to report that the forensic team had found a small speck of blood on the suspect's trousers and that it matched that of the dead MP. Although this information merely confirmed what the investigation team already suspected, Martin was delighted to have this degree of confirmation and to be able to link Ed Grantham so firmly to the scene of the murder and to the dead man. The Commander asked Aly to thank the forensic team and to return to Scotland Yard with the written report as soon as she could. Immediately he had ended his conversation with the Inspector, Martin had informed his colleague, Mark Jamieson, of the latest development and they had agreed with him that he would make the necessary arrangements to resume the interview with Ed Grantham as soon as the detainee's lawyer could be present.
Superintendent Jamieson had enjoyed making the call to Gordon Clifford informing the solicitor that new forensic evidence had been found and that he and the Commander wished to resume the interview with Mr Grantham as soon as possible. The lawyer had indicated that it would be a short while before he could return to Scotland Yard but neither Mark nor Martin were all that surprised to learn that he had arrived within ten minutes of the Superintendent's call. Gordon Clifford asked for details of the forensic evidence that had been discovered and Martin had great delight in informing the solicitor of what had been found. At this point Mr Clifford, looking somewhat ashen asked for and was granted a short while to confer alone with his client. It was not long, however, before the lawyer re-emerged to indicate that his client was now ready for interview. Watched by Aly Young from the observation room next door, Mark and Martin went into the interview room and joined the prisoner and his lawyer. Mark switched on the tape and Martin began the interview,
"I assume, Mr Grantham, that your legal representative had informed you of the forensic evidence that we have obtained that links you clearly to the murder scene and to the victim. I hope that he has explained to you that this evidence is overwhelming and you can only benefit yourself by making a full and frank statement about what happened."
The bravado and resistance of the day before had all but crumbled and, urged on by his solicitor, Ed Grantham made his response,
"All Right, yes, I killed the queer! He come on to me and I found it disgusting and so I hit him! I was protecting myself from his unwanted attention," Ed Grantham glared across at the Commander and added vehemently, "I hate queers!!"
"Yes, I know that," Martin answered quietly, "your record clearly indicates a liking for queer bashing'. However, I am not inclined to believe your story. Why would Mr Trafford come on' to you? Why were you on Hampstead Heath in the first place, but not only that but in a well known gay cruising area?"
The detained man looked back angrily and said,
"I was going to meet some friends for a drink. I went the quickest way and it's not a crime to walk on a public space, well not yet anyway but when he approached me, then I hit him. It was self defence!"
The Commander absorbed the reply and then said,
"So nobody told you to go up onto Hampstead Heath, wait for a particular person to come by and then attack them?"
Ed Grantham's face was contorted with loathing as he replied,
"No. He approached me that's why I hit him!"
Mark joined in at this point asking sharply,
"So why did you steal his document case and its contents?"
A look that seemed to be a cross between amazement and disbelief crossed the face of the arrested man and he struggled to respond,
"What document case? I didn't see a document case and I certainly didn't steal one!"
The Superintendent ignored the denial and asked again,
"If you didn't take it, do you know who did?"
Ed Grantham was even more confused now and said,
"I just told you, I didn't see a document case. I admit I hit him but I didn't take anything from him."
Mark again ignored the suspect's comment and asked a third time,
"If you didn't take the document case, who else did? Was there someone else there with you?"
The arrested man looked at his lawyer hopelessly and then said,
"I don't know who took it. I didn't know that he had a document case with him, I told you. What I do know is that when I met him he was alone and so was I. Maybe he threw the case away or left it for someone to collect somewhere on the route. What I do know is that I didn't take it!! I've admitted that assault, why should I lie about this?"
Mark was about to follow up when the Commander indicated that he should pause. Martin looked across at the suspect's lawyer and said quietly,
"Mr Clifford, we have a written statement from an eye witness who says that he saw the victim carrying a document case only a few moments before he was killed. Your client has admitted hitting Mr Trafford, a blow that we know killed him. As a result of this admission Mr Grantham is in serious trouble, I suggest you try to talk some sense into him and get him to tell us everything. Would you like a few minutes to consult with your client?"
Gordon Clifford inclined his head slightly and indicated that he would accept the Commander's offer and Martin and Mark left the room for a few moments. Aly Young, who had come down from her observation point, joined the two senior investigators outside the interview room and the young Inspector looked quizzically at them and said,
"Why did you let him off the hook like that?"
Martin smiled and said,
"We weren't getting anywhere and Ed Grantham is no grass so he has to persuaded to tell the truth. If, as we all suspect, he has been put up to this job by a third party, I'd like to give him a chance to tell us in his own words. He may not tell us everything we want to know but at least this way we'll know we're on the right lines."
The Inspector still looked uncertain but any further comment was prevented by the emergence of Gordon Clifford from the interview room. The solicitor indicated that after due consideration his client now wished to make a full statement. Mark and Martin followed the lawyer back into the room and the Superintendent switched on the recorder as the murder suspect made his statement. Ed Grantham, faced with the growing evidence against him, told the investigators that he had met Nick Trafford and had attacked him as he had already said. However, the suspect added that he had been a member of an extreme right-wing organisation that had long campaigned to rid the British isles of all immigrants and that he had told by an anonymous caller where a leading black politician, who was also a gay, would be that evening. The arrested man did not admit that he had been told to steal anything and reasserted that he had not seen or taken the document case. Unable to shake Ed Grantham's story, Martin and Mark were forced to accept this version of events and, having charged the prisoner with murder, arranged for him to be taken back to the cells to await a Court appearance the following day.
Later, when they had returned to his office, Martin looked at Mark and said,
"I think he was set up by someone pretending to be a member of his extremist group and they wanted and get whatever was in the document case, don't you?"
Mark nodded,
"I think you're right, but proving it is going to be very difficult. In addition, we're going to be under pressure to close the case because we have arrested the man who killed Nick Trafford." Martin agreed and said solemnly,
"Yes, we are, unless Mike comes up with something from his enquiries and we find out what those papers were."
Mike Rickwood was unaware of the urgency of his enquiry but he was making progress. He had already traced the particular case and had, after some difficulty, found Diana Robinson, who had told him that she did not have the papers but suggested that he contact various places where he could obtain a copy of the trial transcript. As the interview with Ed Grantham was just coming to an end, Mike Rickwood was standing looking at a thick document that contained the detailed transcript of the case that Nick Trafford had been investigating when he was killed. The Chief Inspector opened the document and did not have to read far. A name with which he was very familiar leapt at him from the opening page. The name was Digby Jackson, who was the main Opposition spokesman on Home Affairs in the House of Commons. Unable to contain his excitement, Mike ran from the building and, as soon as he could, called in with this new piece of information and alerted his fellow investigators to this latest twist.
Martin was not in his Office when the call came through. The Commander was reporting the latest developments to the Commissioner. Sir Thomas seemed pleased with the progress that had been made and told Martin that he would be reporting the events of the day to the Home Secretary and would expect a written account of the investigation to follow before the end of the day. Sir Thomas gave a half smile as he said,
"You and your team have done well. You've identified the murderer and done so with exemplary speed. I think we can say that the case is closed."
Martin was prepared for this approach and said,
"There are still a number of loose ends, sir. We need to find out what happened to the document case for a start."
The Commissioner's eyes narrowed and he responded coldly,
"Do we? Are you sure that the witness wasn't just mistaken or was looking for publicity?"
The Commander did not flinch,
"No sir. We have independent corroborative evidence and I believe these documents may have a bearing on the case. If I make a report tonight it will be incomplete and the case will not be closed satisfactorily. I have a man out there at the moment investigating this whole matter. I hope to know more by the end of today. May I have 48 hours more to complete my investigation?"
The Commissioner did not change his expression but made a small concession,
"You can have 24 hours, but I will still want an interim report by tonight so that I can brief the Home Secretary."
Martin recognised that he had won a small victory and accepted it gracefully,
"Thank you sir! I'll let you have my final report by tomorrow night."
Sir Thomas could not resist a parting shot,
"Indeed you will, Commander, whether or not all the loose ends are tied together!"
Martin returned to his office in a somewhat despondent mood and was rather relieved to see Mark and Mike Jamieson standing waiting for him. The Superintendent ushered his two most trusted and senior colleagues into his room and shut the door and then he spoke,
"Sir Thomas is, as we speak, briefing the Home Secretary on the case which he sees as having been completed satisfactorily. I have persuaded him to give us just over another day to try to tie up the loose ends. I hope that the fact that you are here, Mike, means that you something useful and helpful to tell me!"
The chief inspector smiled slightly as he replied,
"I hope so, sir. I've tracked down the detail of the last case and it involves Digby Jackson, the Opposition Shadow Home Secretary. He was the prosecuting counsel in the case that Nick Trafford was investigating. I've been going through the transcript and I can't find too much wrong with the case but there may be something I'm missing. I wanted to know if we could go and interview Mr Jackson as soon as possible."
Martin looked at his watch and said,
"I don't see why not. It's early afternoon now, the House will be in session and there's a debate later on the Government's proposal to guillotine the Police Bill, but he should be able to see us if we hurry. Mike, could you ring his office and set it up. We can be there in fifteen minutes."
Mike left the room and Martin and Mark continued to chat briefly about the case while they waited for the Chief Inspector to return. Less than a minute later, Mike was back and the three senior officers left for their meeting with at the House of Commons.
Digby Jackson was a large man with greying hair and had a permanent look of bemusement on his face but he smiled warmly as Martin and his colleagues were shown into his spacious office deep in the Palace of Westminster and leapt from his chair to shake them warmly by the hand as martin introduced his colleagues in turn. Having invited his guests to sit down, the MP spoke warmly to Martin,
"I'm delighted to meet you, Commander, and your colleagues, of course. I'm sorry that we have failed to persuade the Government to change the Bill that you so dislike, but at least we forced them to introduce a guillotine motion, but there is still the Lords, who might amend it as well. However, I gather you want to talk to me about the death of Nick Trafford. I can't understand why, I hardly knew the chap and what little I did know about him, it struck me he wasn't my type at all!"
Martin smiled back and said courteously,
"Thank you for your efforts, Mr Jackson, but you are correct, we have come about the murder of Nick Trafford. Can you think of any reason why he was investigating a case that you were involved in a few years ago at the Old Bailey involving a black man accused of rape?"
The MP looked taken aback for a moment but recovered quickly and said,
"Yes I remember it very well. It was my last case before I entered Parliament. But why would Nick Trafford have an interest in that case?"
Mike Rickwood intervened at this point,
"Well, sir, Mr Trafford had a large file of cases where he believed there had been a miscarriage of justice and this case was on his list. However, the papers from the file were missing and we only just traced the case and have just acquired the transcript. Can you remember anything unusual about the case, sir?"
Digby Jackson looked straight back at his inquisitor and replied, firmly,
"Absolutely nothing, Chief Inspector, it was an open and shut case. The victim identified the culprit, we had forensic evidence and I had no doubt that the man was guilty. The judge gave a fair and balance -- too balanced if you ask me -- summing up and the jury found the defendant guilty and he got life imprisonment. I repeat it was an open and shut case and we didn't withhold anything or get up to any tricks and neither did the Police, I might add!"
Martin leaned forward and said,
"So, it's a mystery to you why Mr Trafford had started to look into the case?"
The MP nodded emphatically,
"Yes, it is! Read the transcript. I defy you to find any flaw in the case or the trial!"
Digby Jackson looked at his watch and Martin took the hint and said,
"Well, thank you, Mr Jackson, I expect that this matter will remain a mystery. I hope we will not have to trouble you again. We certainly will have to study the transcript but I'm sure everything will be in order. Maybe Mr Trafford was just fishing. Thank you for your time and I hope that you do well in the guillotine debate tonight."
Digby Jackson thanked the Commander and ushered his guests out of his room and back towards the Central Lobby and the exit from the Palace of Westminster. Once outside, Martin turned to his colleague and looked enquiringly at them,
"Well, what did you make of that?"
Mike Rickwood spoke first in reply,
"He's a politician, sir. He didn't tell us anything. However, the clearly is something about the case that wasn't quite right. The more I learn about Nick Trafford, the more I respect his nose for trouble."
Mark Jamieson nodded and said,
"I agree with Mike. Although Mr Jackson did not tell us anything, I believe there is something about the case that we need to discover and it will unlock the case."
Martin smiled at his two colleagues and said grimly,
"Well, gentlemen, I think we are in for a long night. I am in unison with you about Nick Trafford's nose for a miscarriage of justice, but I have to say that I thought Mr Jackson was telling the truth. If there is something about the case, then I suggest we look elsewhere. I'd like you two, and Aly Young, to go through the trial documentation ands see if you can come up with anything. We've only got until five o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I think I'd better telephone home and tell Tom and the boys not to expect me until late, if at all, tonight. I expect you'll want to tell Ruth much the same thing won't you, Mark?"
The Superintendent nodded to indicate that he would let his wife know about the arrangements for that night. As they approached the entrance to Scotland Yard, Martin said,
"OK, you two, if one of you could find Aly and then all three of you get to work on the documents that would be great. While you're doing that I'm going to see if I can find out anything from one of my most reliable sources of information."
Mike and Mark exchanged a glance which showed that they understood that Martin intended to talk to Freddy Eversley who was often able to find out or supply information that seemed to elude other people. The two most trusted colleagues went off towards the area where they expected to find Aly Young and Martin went into his office. As the Commander closed the door he called out to his colleagues,
"Let's have a break for sandwiches and a drink after a couple of hours, or earlier if any of us comes up with anything."
Mark and Mike raised a hand in acknowledgement and the senior investigators began a long night of feverish activity.
If you liked the story, please let me know cutrose40@yahoo.co.uk