DISCLAIMER:
This is a story. None of the characters in the story exist and the events that take place are purely imaginary.
Thanks to all of you who have emailed me with comments and told me how much you enjoyed the first 'John' story. This is the second one and there are more in the pipeline, although there may be a delay as I'm on vacation for the next few weeks.
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.
Chapter 11
Martin arrived at the entrance to the Commissioner's office at exactly five o'clock and was surprised to see Sir Thomas standing waiting for him at the door. Martin recognised what appeared to be a look of triumph on the Commissioner's face as he was escorted into the large office and offered a seat in one of the comfortable chairs that adorned the room. In an affable tone, Sir Thomas said,
"I'm glad to see you are punctual but even so I'm afraid I can't offer you any refreshment as my personal assistant has left for the day. Unless, of course, you'd like a drop of whisky?"
Martin politely declined the offer but watched as the Commissioner poured himself a large measure of whisky and added the same amount of water. Once he had done this, Sir Thomas came across the room and sat on the other large chair, directly across from Martin. Once he was settled, the Commissioner looked quizzically at Martin, who slowly withdrew a file from under his arm. Opening the file, the Commander carefully withdrew a thin sheaf of paper, leaving a rather thicker set of papers still in the file. Sir Thomas smiled encouragingly but looked less than friendly as he indicated that he was ready to receive the Commander's report. Martin looked back with steely determination and said,
"Sir, I have my written report that I have prepared on the case of the murder of Nick Trafford. I will, of course, give you the written report in a moment but I hope that you will allow me to give you an oral version as well."
Sir Thomas continued to smile but was inwardly annoyed by Martin's request but saw no way to deny the request,
"Very well, Commander, but make it short, I'm due to report to the Home Secretary in less than an hour."
Martin smiled back at the Commissioner and said as calmly as he could,
"I will, I hope sir, be as brief as possible, but I would not want you to give the Home Secretary anything other than the fullest briefing. I am ready to start straight away, if you wish me to."
The Commissioner nodded his agreement and sat back as Martin began his report. The first few minutes of what the Commander reported was purely factual information concerning the circumstances, place and cause of Nick Trafford's death. This was old ground and Sir Thomas showed signs of irritation at being told what he already knew. Martin next gave a brief account of the investigation and the discovery of the murder weapon and the link to Ed Grantham and the interview that had been conducted with the suspect. Sensing further irritation growing in the Commissioner at the length of his explanation to date, Martin decided that he had better move on to the part Sir Thomas was waiting to hear,
"I have reviewed the evidence in the case and have also discussed the case with Ms Deborah Stokes of the Crown Prosecution Service and she has agreed that we can proceed with a case against Ed Grantham. As a consequence, as I am making this report to you now, Superintendent Mark Jamieson is formally charging Ed Grantham with the murder of Nick Trafford. I have also arranged for a short statement announcing the charge to be released to the press within the next few minutes."
On hearing these words, Sir Thomas clapped his hands and said,
"Excellent news, Martin, excellent!! James Broadbent will be delighted when I tell him what has happened. I know we haven't seen eye to eye with him about the Police Bill, but this is a good result and will perhaps make him altogether less harsh on us in the long run. I shall be delighted to hand over the file to him when I see him and to update him on the arrest and charges that have been brought. It seemed from what I knew that it would be an open and shut case and no chance of any charge of a miscarriage of justice if the accused man is found guilty."
Martin shifted awkwardly in his seat as he reached to withdraw the rather large file from the folder and said,
"I wouldn't count your chickens, sir. I have told you what I told Ms Stokes from the CPS and she has agreed that we can proceed for the time being. However, I have also handed to her this second file of evidence that we have acquired during the course of the investigation. I told Ms Stokes that the first file, the one I just gave you, was the evidence that we could prove beyond a doubt and could lead to a conviction. On the other hand, I also told her that this second file contains evidence that might give the defence the opportunity to raise a successful challenge to the charge as it stands. As you know there is often a distinction between what we can prove and what we know to be the facts of the case. This time I believe it is working in favour of the defendant. I am sure you would like me to summarise my conclusions on this evidence, as I wouldn't want you to be in for a nasty shock when you meet the Home Secretary."
The expression on Sir Thomas' face had changed markedly as Martin had been speaking. The smile had faded and the face had clouded with anger as he listened to the Commander. The Commissioner was now furious but tried to maintain an air of calm authority,
"You have given precisely what to the CPS?"
Martin looked calmly back at his superior officer,
"I gave Ms Stokes two files. One is the case against Ed Grantham and the reasons we have for charging him with murder. The second is the fullest account of the enquiry that I can provide. I believe I have a duty to justice to reveal everything so that the defence may mount a proper case. I would rather do it voluntarily than have it forced out at a later date. I have taken legal advice and that is the conclusion I have come to."
Sir Thomas recognised that the Commander was acting responsibly but still was annoyed that he would now have to be careful about making too boastful a claim to the Home Secretary and so he looked at Martin encouraging the officer to continue. Martin took the hint,
"If I may, I would like to sketch in some background very briefly and then proceed to the facts as I understand them. I believe that the murder of Nick Trafford was carefully planned and, up to a point, brilliantly executed. Everything was in place to remove a thorn from the government's side but as ever in these matters things did not go exactly to plan. The first method to be tried was the age-old method of dangling government office in front of an ambitious politician. Nick would certainly have accepted and was being vetted by Special Branch with this solution in mind. He was also being kept an eye on by the MP whose office he shared on the promise that he too would get preferment as a consequence. All seemed to be going well until a bombshell struck.
"This problem arose following the revelation that Nick Trafford was investigating the Winston Callendar case. I'm sure you are aware that this case involved a man being set up to take the wrap in a rape case, while the real guilty party was allowed to escape justice. In normal circumstances this would be bad enough but it was even worse than that. The lawyer primarily involved in this matter was none other than Rachel Ferns, who, as you know, is married to the Home Secretary. If Mr Trafford revealed what he knew about this case or got to the truth about it, it would be devastating to the government in general and James Broadbent in particular, especially as he had made so much of highlighting police misconduct and miscarriages of justice. If bringing him into the government on the promise that he would keep quiet about the case could not stop Nick Trafford, then he would have to be stopped in another way. This is when the plot to remove him permanently was, I believe, hatched.
"The first requirement was that Mr Trafford should be lured to somewhere where he could be disposed of quietly and efficiently. This was easy. Hampstead Heath was a well-known cruising ground for gays, if the MP was killed there it could easily be passed off as a gay bashing incident. Even better, it should be possible to have the deed done by someone with a record for just such crimes. If this was achieved, then Nick Trafford's name could be further blackened by revelations about his private life. In both these matters, Special Branch or parts of it could be used most effectively. First, they would be able to find a suitable killer and second they would feed a sympathetic journalist some dirt on the MP's sexual life. Finally, it would be necessary to plant enough clues and even the Metropolitan police would be able to solve the case without much trouble.
"On the day that he died, Nick Trafford was given some intriguing information and asked to meet the informant on Hampstead Heath before travelling on to his political meeting and the debate with me on television. The MP took a document case with him in expectation of receiving some files and met his informant as arranged. The informant was none other than Ed Grantham who, under instruction, bludgeoned the MP to death, but not being sure what to do about the document case thought that it would help if he stole it and disposed of it after he made his escape. A few minutes later Mrs Muriel Powell, who was out walking her dog, found the body. Police were called and then we got involved and everything seemed to be going to plan. The newspapers quickly got the name of the victim and as expected stories about Mr Trafford were generated and our enquiries were drawing a blank as to motive. The idea that Mr Trafford had been killed in a gay cruising spot in an assignation that went wrong or was the result of gay bashing was firmly planted. Furthermore we soon recovered the murder weapon and the fingerprints matched a known criminal and one with a record of violence against gay people. What could be simpler, case closed!
"I was forced to agree with all this but I felt everything was too pat, too easy. Then we got a breakthrough and one that blew the lines of investigation apart. Someone had seen the MP on Hampstead Heath and seen him carrying the document case. The witness, a young man out cruising the area had been reluctant to come forward but did his duty in the end. Now there was another motive for the murder, robbery. Not only that but what could have been in the case that was worth stealing? I now believe the case was empty and that the file on Winston Callendar was removed by David Newman or more likely Colin Smart on the morning after the murder. Provided we did not get onto the Callendar case the fiction that this was a robbery and a gay bashing or both could be sustained. Although the witness was damaging to the conspirators it was still not fatal, but then I got onto the Callendar case and things began to spiral out of control."
Sir Thomas had winced loudly at the word `conspirators' but did not say anything. The colour had drained from his face and he said nothing but indicated that Martin should continue. Martin nodded and went on,
"Someone decided that the best way to stop the investigation was to remove the evidence by removing the witness. Somehow, and I suspect it was by using sexual attraction, a person was introduced to the witness and managed to get into a position whereby he was allowed to stay at the pub where he worked. I believe that the man blown up in the car on the M1 was the person who set fire to the pub and killed its occupants. The people who organised this part of the conspiracy also made sure that their assassin was not captured or in a position to spill the beans by disposing of him as soon as they could. The man that we know as Jason Smart was set up to murder the witness we had and then, in turn, was blown up in his car. No trail, no witness, no survivors. Whoever organised all this knew that I could not pursue the case without more evidence and that was not going to come out of the investigation especially as there were deadlines and pressure was mounting for an early arrest."
This time, Sir Thomas did interrupt,
"You are not suggesting, I hope Commander, that I was party to a conspiracy?"
Martin waited a moment before he answered then slowly shook his head,
"No, sir, I am not, but I believe that you were used to put pressure on the investigation unwittingly. There were some pieces of information that were know only to a relatively few people, namely me and my squad, you and the senior politicians. Once it became clear that if the full story got out it would embarrass the government and James Broadbent in particular I came to the conclusion that the source of the leak lay in that direction."
The Commissioner again interrupted,
"And you have written all this down and given it to the CPS?"
Martin smiled as he realised that Sir Thomas was beginning to calculate the damage the report would do to his personal position,
"I have written the facts of the investigation down, sir. The conclusions I leave to others to draw. I have given you my interpretation of those facts, others, I suppose, could draw different conclusions and place the blame elsewhere but I would stand by my interpretation."
Sir Thomas sighed slightly and then asked,
"Do you expect me to give this second report to the Home Secretary?"
This time it was Martin, who sighed before saying,
"My report implicates and names nobody, sir. However, you must decide whether to give it to Mr Broadbent in full or simply warn him that evidence has been uncovered that might mean that the case against Ed Grantham is put in jeopardy. It will after all be up to the CPS to decide whether to prosecute the accused man for murder or some other charge. I would say that the Home Secretary is bound to find out sooner or later but he will know as you, the CPS and I all know that we cannot prove any of it."
"Do you think the CPS will drop the charges?" Sir Thomas asked quietly.
"They might come under strong political pressure to do so, but this is a high profile case and either way the government will be in trouble."
The Commissioner looked at his watch and said,
"I'm due to see James Broadbent in less than fifteen minutes. I think I need some time to decide exactly how to play this."
Martin took the hint, rose from his chair and walked towards the exit. As he reached the door, the Commander turned and said,
"I realise that this is a difficult problem for you, but that is often the nature of these sensitive cases. Thank you for listening and, may I say, I have every confidence that you will make the right decision."
Without waiting for a reply, Martin left and walked quickly back to his office. If people were surprised to see their Commander back and in reasonably good spirits, they did not show it. Martin went straight into his office and closed the door. A moment later Mark Jamieson knocked and went inside.
"Well?" Mark asked without further ado.
Martin smiled at his friend and said,
"I told the Commissioner the full facts of the case as we have discovered them. I told him the bits we could prove and that the reports are in the hands of the CPS. I left him thinking over what he was going to tell the Home Secretary. What I did not say is that there are also copies of my reports with my solicitor and a number of other trusted friends. If anything happens to me, these people will know what to do."
Mark looked concerned for his friend and Commander,
"Do you seriously think someone might try to do something to you? You haven't been suspended or removed have you?"
Martin smiled broadly,
"I've not been suspended or removed but so far the people behind Nick Trafford's murder have acted quite ruthlessly to undermine the investigation and prevent the truth from emerging. Although I have a pretty shrewd idea who is behind all this, they and I know that I have no proof. It's a kind of stalemate. If they took me out then they run the risk of exposing the conspiracy and their attempts to cover it up."
"Who can I tell about this?" Mark asked in a concerned manner.
"Only Mike and Aly, for the time being. Let's wait and see what happens. I want to thank you for your support during this time, Mark and then I will publicly thank Mike, Aly and the rest of the squad as well as the press squad for their support during the investigation. After that, I'm off home to build bridges with Tom, Simon and Harry."
Martin got up and walked with Mark to the door of his office. As he emerged members of the squad sensed the need for quiet and Martin addressed them, thanking each of them for their efforts and singling out something positive to say about the contribution of each member of the squad. The Commander did the same in the Press and Public Relations Office and, for the second time that evening, was given a spontaneous round of applause as he turned and left.
Martin made it home in good time. For once the Underground was running on time and the journey took him less time than usual. Harry heard the key in the lock and ran to greet Martin, closely followed by Simon and Tom. Martin hugged the two boys and then kissed his partner and walked into the living room where Tom poured them both a large glass of wine and gave the children fruit juice. To Tom's anxious look, Martin simply said,
"I think it's going to be all right."
Later, when the children had gone to bed, Martin told his lover the whole story. Tom was shocked by what had been uncovered and fearful that Martin's earlier reassuring words might not be as realistic as his older partner thought.
In bed that night, Tom initiated a lovemaking session. Kneeling astride his lover, the younger man kissed his way down Martin's chest and teased his nipples before moving further down towards his belly button. Nuzzling his lips through the older man's pubic hairs, Tom allowed his tongue to lick up the thick, hard shaft towards the cut prick head that craved his oral attention. Tired though he was Martin's cock was already producing pre-cum and Tom expertly teased as much as he could from the piss slit and began to spread it over the velvety cock head. The older man moaned with pleasure as his lover swallowed the length into his mouth and down his throat and Martin tried to move position so that he could return the favour on Tom's cock. The younger man remained where he was and insisted with his reaction that he was going to continue as he was. Tom eased his lips back up Martin's rampant shaft and then lifted himself up so that he could slide his willing hole onto his lover's pre-cum and saliva covered prick head. The older man loved to be ridden by his younger lover and groaned with pleasure as he felt the head of his cock push through the welcoming entrance to Tom's love channel. Very slowly, Martin felt his prick being devoured by the younger man's hole until he finally felt Tom's arse cheeks resting on his stomach. The older man could look down and see his lover's cock, hard and throbbing as it lay across his upper stomach and Martin reached down to play with the hard shaft, gently covering and uncovering the head with its loose foreskin. As he played with his lover's cock, the older man moaned with pleasure,
"Oh Tom, it feels soo good having my prick so deep inside your warm and welcoming hole!!"
Tom grinned down at his partner and replied,
"Yes, Marty, for me too and it feels soo right having your beautiful hard dick inside me!!"
As he spoke, the younger man began to work himself back up the hard shaft that impaled him until only the head was still inside his sphincter. As Tom moved up his lover's cock, his own dick pushed up against the grasping hand of his partner, who held it firmly. The process was then reversed and Tom pushed back down again and the cock in Martin's hand pulled back down as well. As the riding up and down increased in speed and intensity, both men were being stimulated to the point of no return. Martin could feel his prick begin to tremble as the ball fluid began to build up in preparation for its dash to his piss slit and the older man was equally aware that his lover was also fast approaching a similar feeling. Neither man wanted the lovemaking to end but each craved the pleasure of release. Martin could not hold back much longer, the tightness of Tom's arse muscles milking his prick was overwhelming and the older lover surrendered to the pleasure of the moment,
"I'm cumming .. Tom .. I'm CUMM .. ING!!!"
Martin fired his hot spunk deep inside his lover's welcoming love channel and felt Tom squeeze his pulsating dick even tighter. As the younger man released his own shower of jizz that flew up out of his piss slit and landed on the older man's chest, he responded through laboured breaths,
"And .. so .. am I!!!"
Tom slumped forward on top of Martin trapping his sticky spunk between the two of them and murmured,
"I love you Marty!!"
Martin bent forward and kissed his lover and whispered,
"I love you more than anything in the world!!"
Tom moved slightly and scooped up some of the sticky jizz that lay on both their bodies and offered some to his lover who licked the offered nectar into his mouth. When Martin had sucked his fingers clean, the younger man scooped up a second load and slipped his fingers into his own mouth and did the same as his partner. Sighing contentedly, Tom slipped off his lover's body and lay down quietly by his side and together the two men drifted off to sleep.
Despite the exertions of their lovemaking, Martin slept fitfully and was awake long before the alarm went off. Tom had, as usual, slept like a log but the older man had awoken with his head full of concerns for what might happen in the wake of the report he had given to the Commissioner and Sir Thomas' subsequent meeting with the Home Secretary. The fact that he had not received a phone call the previous evening could be regarded as a positive sign, but Martin was still apprehensive over how matters would be resolved.
Martin moved back into the bedroom and quietly went into the shower and got himself ready for the day. Once dressed, he went into the kitchen and prepared some coffee and laid the table for breakfast. It would soon be time to rouse Harry and Simon and get them ready for school. Taking the coffee in to his partner, Martin placed a cup on the bedside table and gently roused Tom from his slumbers. The younger man was rather groggy but acknowledged the presence of the steaming cup of coffee before slumping back semi-conscious on his pillow. Martin went in to wake the boys, who were up, out of bed and racing to the shower as soon as he roused them.
Martin returned to the kitchen to start the breakfast proper but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Picking up the receiver, Martin said,
"Roberts."
"Good morning, sir", Mike Rickwood's voce came down the line, "I thought you mike like to know that we have just received a call from Ed Grantham's solicitor. He wishes to see us urgently as he has some new evidence, which he claims will clear his client entirely."
Martin smiled a knowing smile to himself as he thought that this was a very clever move and then replied,
"Tell Mr Clifford that I will be in shortly before eight thirty and I will see him in my office at that time."
Mike Rickwood responded,
"Will do, sir. Any idea what this new evidence is?"
Martin said grimly in reply,
"I expect it will be some rock solid alibi evidence."
Martin's was not far from the truth. As he told Tom later that day, when the Commander arrived at Scotland Yard, he was informed that Gordon Clifford was already there and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Martin decided to let him wait for a short while before taking Mike Rickwood with him to meet the accused man's solicitor. Gordon Clifford was not a man to waste time or to spend much energy on rubbing salt into a wound. As soon as Martin and Mike had sat down, the solicitor produced two pieces of paper and laid them on the desk in front of him and said,
"I have here two sworn statements which give my client an alibi. The first is from a Mrs Dolly Brady, with whom my client had a liaison. My client did not mention this matter before because he wished to protect Mrs Brady, who happens to be the wife of one of his oldest friends and he had promised her that he would never allow her name to be associated with him. However, on hearing that my client had been charged with murder on the very night when he and she were together in a hotel room in Clacton, Mrs Brady made the brave decision to come forward and clear Mr Grantham's name. The second statement is from Mr Roger Grace, the manager of the sea View Hotel in Clacton, who confirms that Mr Grantham and Mrs Brady were guests at his hotel and, at the time of the murder, they were having a drink in the bar."
Martin picked up the two statements and read them through before handing them to Mike Rickwood. The Commander looked straight at the solicitor and said,
"Naturally, I shall need to have this information verified."
"Naturally", Gordon Clifford repeated nodding his head, "but I believe you will find it checks out and that later this morning I shall be applying to the court for the immediate release of my client and the dropping of all charges."
Martin nodded but left unspoken the fact that everyone present at the meeting knew that the `alibi evidence' was a fabrication. Despite the fingerprint evidence on the metal piping that had killed Nick Trafford, the Commander knew that the alibi evidence would be enough to scupper the chances of a successful prosecution. Without emotion, Martin said quietly,
"I expect you will and I am certain that, under those circumstances, your request would be granted. I never thought of Mr Grantham as such an honourable man. I will bear this in mind and try to remember it next time our paths cross, as I'm sure they will."
Gordon Clifford did not respond but merely got up from the table, turned towards the door and walked out.
As was predicted, later that morning the Crown offered no evidence in the case against Ed Grantham and he was released from custody immediately.
Martin had expected to have some feedback from the Commissioner but surprisingly this did not come until shortly after lunch when he received a brief message requesting him to go to the Commissioner's office at three.
Shortly before three, the Commander was at the entrance to Sir Thomas Brown's office and waited for the invitation to enter. The Commissioner's personal assistant gave Martin an encouraging smile as he waited and then the door opened and he was summoned inside. Sir Thomas sat behind his large desk and nodded to Martin and indicated that the Commander should sit down,
"I gave your reports to the Home Secretary last night. To say that he was stunned by what you had found out is an understatement. I told him very firmly that you had my full support in making these reports and told him that you had, quite properly, shared the information with the CPS. I do not think that he had been prepared for either of those two pieces of information. He told me that he regarded you and your -- er partner, Tom, as friends. I told him that you were a professional and always did a thorough job without fear or favour. At the end of our conversation he told me that he fully understood and that he knew what he must do."
Martin thanked the Commissioner for telling him what had happened and, in return, briefed Sir Thomas on the events that had led to the release of Ed Grantham. The Commissioner said,
"I think that confirms your suspicions and your second report and, to be honest, I don't think it is quite the end of the matter. I told you some time ago that I wanted you to do the two jobs as head of the Special and Sensitive Crimes squad and Press and Public Relations. I've had a change of heart. I believe you have shown the need to have someone like you in charge of the special squad and I am hereby relieving you of command of the Press and Public Relations unit. Superintendent Alder will take over command with immediate effect. Incidentally, I notice that you are due for some leave, so I would like to suggest that you take it as soon as possible and then take over the reins at your unit when you return. Until then I see no reason why Superintendent Jamieson and Chief Inspector Rickwood should continue to run the squad."
Martin thanked the Commissioner for his support and the decision he had made and indicated that he would indeed take the leave that was owed to him and go on holiday with his partner and their children. The Commissioner nodded and it became clear that the interview was over.
Martin returned to the squad room and, having told his most trusted colleagues what had happened, the news spread like wildfire around the other officers in both the Special and Sensitive cases squad and in the Press and Public Relations unit. By way of celebration, Martin invited everyone to the local pub for a drink and they were all sitting together in the bar when Ron Alder came in to join them. Martin immediately got up to congratulate his colleague and to buy him a drink. As he stood at the bar Martin glanced at the television that was on the wall just to one side of him. At that very moment a newsflash appeared on the screen alongside a picture of James Broadbent, the Home Secretary and Martin strained to hear what was being said. The newsreader's voice was barely audible,
"In shock move tonight, only hours after his Police and Justice Bill finally passed all its parliamentary stages, Home Secretary James Broadbent has resigned from the Government. In an exchange of letters, Mr Broadbent told the Prime Minister that he believed that the new Act would be a lasting monument to his time at the Home Office and be a great credit to the Government but that he now wished to spend more time with his wife and growing children. The Prime Minister in reply paid tribute to the major contribution the Home Secretary had made to the work and policies of his political party both in government and in opposition. The Prime Minister added that he understood the reasons for Mr Broadbent's decision but expressed the hope that he would one day return to the forefront of British public life."
Martin paid for the drinks and hurried over to his group of fellow Police Officers to tell them the news. Mark Jamieson looked across at his friend and said quietly,
"Well, I suppose we should regard that as a result."
Martin nodded and said,
"Of a sort, but not the cleanest way to end a case."
Mark agreed with his colleague but still regarded the outcome as a vindication of his friend's persistence and his unwillingness to be manipulated.
At that moment, Martin's phone rang and he answered it. The caller was his partner, Tom,
"I expect you've heard the news, Martin. James Broadbent has resigned!"
"Yes, I have Tom and I'm sorry that it ended this way especially as he was a friend." Martin replied, without a hint of triumphalism.
Tom responded instantly,
"No, Marty, you were right to stick to your guns. After what you told me last night and at lunchtime yesterday I have no doubt that you have done the right thing and so, in his way, has James. Where are you at the moment, it sounds very noisy?"
Martin had to speak loudly over the noise,
"I'm at the pub. I've just lost one job and regained my old one!! In addition, I've got some good news for you and the boys. I am going to take a short break and we can all go on holiday together. I think the school term ends very soon and we could think tonight about where we might all want to go."
"I'm sorry I can't join you at the pub because of the children", Tom said, "but don't stay too late and then we can have our own private celebration after we've had a round table on where to take our break!!"
Martin smiled to himself and said,
"If that's the option I won't be here very long. See you later! Love you!"
"Love you, too", came the reply from Martin's partner.
The Commander knew that it was not the ideal way to complete a case without an arrest and the prospect of a successful prosecution, but he knew that this was the best result he could hope for. The resignation of the Home Secretary had removed a potential source of embarrassment to the Government and the political party that, ironically, Martin supported. On the other hand, despite his suspicions, the Commander knew that there was absolutely no chance of pursuing the matter after the alibi evidence had been produced that would end the case against Ed Grantham. Martin had become unwittingly involved in a political game and had disliked the way in which he had been used. Like the rest of his team, the Commander was more than discrete when it came to investigations, but he would always act honestly and would never show any favouritism. To Martin, politics was a private matter and should never interfere with his professional duty and anyone who presumed otherwise would be, as James Broadbent had found to his cost, making a grave mistake. Although inwardly annoyed that he had been used in a political game, the Commander rejoined his friends from the Special and Sensitive cases squad for a short while longer. Then, after leaving some money behind the bar to pay for more drinks, Martin made his excuses and left the others still celebrating.
As he was returning home, Martin though first about possible places the four of them could go to have a break from work and school. The Commander knew that his preferred choice of a city-based holiday would not be popular with the children or with Tom. Martin resigned himself to at least the probability that he would be going on a beach holiday. Soon the London Underground Station nearest his home arrived and Martin got off the train and walked quickly to where Tom was waiting to give him a homecoming he would never forget.
That's the end of this story. There are others in the pipeline. Please let me know if you like this format.
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