Deadly Encounter

by M A Comley

  “I’m appalled you two are even considering it. What if these goons take things further next time?”

  “They won’t. I’m sure.”

  “You’re unbelievable. How can you say that, Simon?” Sally was gobsmacked by Simon’s blasé attitude despite her father just spending twenty-four hours in a hospital bed.

  “Okay, think of it this way: I’ll make sure I’m with your dad at the auction house. These guys are bound to be there, as well. That’s when your lot can swoop in and arrest them.”

  Sally relaxed into his chest again. “I should have known you’d be up to something. You have it all worked out in that complex mind of yours.”

  “Seems the logical course of action. If they’re as desperate to get hold of the house as we suspect they are, they’re not going to think twice about turning up and putting a bid in for a property they’re eager to add to their portfolio. It’s a no-brainer, right?”

  “Clever dick! You’re not just a handsome, superstar of a pathologist, after all.”

  He laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment, thanks. Let’s hope we can ensnare the menaces. The auction is set for next week, on Thursday, I believe.”

  “I’ll have a word with the desk sergeant at the station, see if we can make arrangements for a team of officers to do the necessary on the day. I’ll still ask someone to visit Dad with the mugshots in the morning, just to follow protocol.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Sally drove into work fifteen minutes earlier than usual.

  Pat Sullivan, the desk sergeant, had a twinkle in his eye that she hadn’t noticed before. “I like that idea,” he said of her plan concerning the auction. “Hope it’s not putting your father in more jeopardy, though, Inspector.”

  Frowning, she asked, “How, Pat?”

  “I’m just thinking there’s a week to go between now and the auction. What if these guys hear that your father has been released from hospital and think he’s likely to turn up at the auction to make a bid for that property? They’ll want to ensure that doesn’t happen before the auction, wouldn’t they?”

  “Good point. Can you get one of your guys to take the mugshots around to my dad this morning? If he identifies anyone, maybe we should pull them in early and not wait until the auction next week.”

  “I can organise that, Inspector. I’d be more inclined to get the nuisances off the street at the earliest opportunity, just in case.”

  “That’s sorted then, thanks, Pat. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem. Glad your dad is doing better now.”

  Sally continued through the reception area and up the stairs to her office. She was surprised to see Jack already stationed at his desk. “Blooming heck, I didn’t even look for your car in the car park. Didn’t realise you were already here, Jack. Everything all right?”

  “Don’t ask. I came in early for some peace and quiet.”

  Tutting, she nodded. “I want to get out to the factory by about ten this morning. Is that okay with you?” She popped a fifty-pence coin in the vending machine and selected a decaf coffee. “Want one?”

  “Please, white with one sugar.”

  Sally returned to his desk with the coffees. “You want to talk about anything?”

  “Nah, it’s just the usual. No need for you to be bothered with my domestic unbliss… is there such a word?”

  Sally laughed. “There is now. All I can offer is words of sympathy, mate, no solutions.”

  “We’ll work it out. Want me to gather all the background information together?”

  “Yep, everything. Let’s hope the boss of the factory offers no objections when we get there.”

  “Do you think we should ring ahead?”

  “Nope, let’s surprise them. I’m actually glad this is happening after Anne’s funeral. It’s good to strike while she is still in her workmates’ thoughts.”

  “I thought that also. Fingers crossed something comes up from the interviews today. Craig looked dreadful yesterday. Even my hard heart was bleeding for his situation. To have your kid cut you off like that… it doesn’t bear thinking about.”

  “Yeah, we all think we lead tough lives, but do we really? When you hear of someone being banged up for nearly half their life over a crime they possibly didn’t commit. To be frank with you, Jack, I think I would have found a way of ending my life had I been dealt such a low blow.”

  Jack chewed the inside of his mouth and nodded. “I hear you and wholeheartedly agree. Despicable miscarriage of justice if it turns out he’s innocent. How does one ever come back from that? Where would he begin in rebuilding his life? His existence?”

  “If we manage to get him off the charges, then that’s where the hard work really begins. He’ll need years of counselling. I’ll bloody make sure he gets any compensation due to him—mark my words on that one. Right, dreaded paperwork time. Be ready to leave at nine forty-five, matey, okay?”

  “Good luck. I’ll be ready.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The car park was full when they arrived. Jack managed to squeeze his car into a tight gap close to some trees. “Wow, this place is huge. How many people did the original investigation interview?”

  “Four. How bloody ludicrous is that?”

  Sally sighed heavily. “Crap, crap, crap. I wish I could go over to Falkirk’s house and give him a piece of my mind, but what would be the point? What a bloody tosser he is.”

  Jack followed her through the parked cars towards the entrance. “I truly don’t know how he can sleep at night. So glad his pension was stripped from him.”

  “Quite right, Jack. Okay, let’s push that to one side for now. If the manager is willing to give us the go-ahead to speak to more staff, then I think we should do it.”

  “We could be here the rest of the damn week if he allows us that privilege,” Jack grumbled.

  “And next week. Still, if that’s what it takes, then so be it. Let’s shake off all those negative thoughts and go in there with a positive attitude.”

  A brunette behind the reception desk peered over her half-rimmed glasses as Sally and Jack entered. “Are you the reps from Cartwrights?” she asked, no hint of a welcoming smile.

  Sally produced her ID and introduced them. “DI Sally Parker and DS Jack Blackman. We’d like to speak to the person in charge, if it’s convenient.”

  “I see. May I ask what this is relating to?” Her lips pulled tight into a line, and her eyes blinked rapidly.

  “We’ll tell that to the person in charge when they come to see us.”

  “Very well. Take a seat. I’ll place a call. I can’t promise anything, though.”

  Sally and Jack turned their back on the officious woman and sat down in the reception area. The woman stared at Sally the whole time she was on the phone to her superior, her voice hushed. After hanging up the phone, she called out, “Mr. Hammond will be with you shortly.”

  Sally smiled appreciatively and twiddled her thumbs around each other while they waited.

  “I wish he’d get a move on,” Jack complained, the way he always did when someone kept them waiting.

  When the door at the end of the corridor opened, a smartly dressed man with slicked-back greying hair and a face full of rage approached them. “Hello. What’s the meaning of this?”

  Sally stood up and showed him her ID. “Hello, Mr. Hammond. I’m DI Sally Parker and this is my partner, DS Jack Blackman.”

  “Yes, yes, that much I got from my receptionist. What do you want? Have I done something illegal?”

  “Not to our knowledge, sir. Would you mind if we spoke in your office?”

  “Not until you tell me what this is about,” he insisted, folding his arms stubbornly and tapping his foot.

  Sally could feel the temperature of her blood rising. “Mrs. Anne Gillan.”

  His foot stopped and his brow furrowed. “What about her?”

  Exasperated, Sally replied, “In your office would be preferable, sir.”

  The man rel
ented and led them through to a large cluttered office. “Excuse the mess. My new office is being decorated at present. Take a seat. I’m aware of the name but unsure how I can help you with your enquiries, Inspector.”

  Sally and Jack sat down. Jack withdrew his notebook from his pocket, ready for action.

  “Anne’s case has been reopened. My team have been instructed to go over the case and to interview all the witnesses again. Several members of your workforce were interviewed at the time of her disappearance fifteen years ago.”

  “I see. Why here?” His tone turned sour once more. “Why not after hours at their homes?”

  “It would be easier if we interviewed them here one after the other rather than go to four or five different addresses, Mr. Hammond.”

  He sighed heavily. “And if I refuse?”

  Sally stared at him, holding his gaze, for a long time. “Then I would plead to your good nature to rethink your actions. How do you think your employees’ families will feel when coppers show up at their homes?”

  “If you’re reinvestigating, does that mean Anne’s husband might be innocent? But why was he considered to be guilty of her murder if there was no body found around that time? And yes, I watch a lot of programmes about forensics.”

  “You regard yourself as an amateur sleuth, in other words,” Sally said, amused.

  “I suppose I do. I didn’t think a person could be charged without a body being found.”

  “There was a large amount of blood found close to Mr. Gillan’s house that helped to convict him.”

  “Fifteen years, you say? Shameful if the man was innocent. That was before my time, though. I took over running this factory around ten years ago, but I’ve often heard Anne’s name mentioned amongst the staff.”

  Sally’s ears pricked up. “May I ask in what context?”

  “Just the odd mention. The staff really liked her. I’ve never heard anything derogatory, if that’s what you’re implying.”

  “I wasn’t. Will you grant us permission, sir?”

  He picked up his pen and wound it through his fingers as he thought. “Maybe I should ring my contact in the police to see if I’m within my rights to deny your request. The last thing I need right now is my workforce to be disrupted. We have a huge order deadline to meet by the end of the week.”

  “If you need to verify who we are, then by all means do that.” Sally smiled, hoping to appeal to his more human side.

  “Maybe you’re aware of my friend, Inspector. Chief Constable Stockard?” Hammond said, looking smug.

  Sally nodded. “Very aware. Actually, he’s the person who initiated reopening the case. He’s instructed me and my team to deal with several cases apart from this one.”

  The man discarded his pen and sat forward eagerly. “Really? How interesting. Okay, you’ve persuaded me. Who is it you need to speak to? Are you sure these people are still working here?”

  Sally motioned for Jack to read out the names from his notebook.

  “Yes, I believe they are all still here. I can’t give you a specific room to use because of the renovations going on in the nearby offices. Would a table in the canteen suit your requirements?”

  “Perfect. Thank you very much for allowing us to speak to these people today.” Sally felt buoyed by the opportunity to conduct the interviews in public. She hoped that would put pressure on some of the interviewees and perhaps cause someone to slip up during the interview.

  “Give me ten minutes to make the necessary arrangements and to clear it with the section heads in charge of these people. If you’d like to take a seat back out in the waiting room, I’ll ask a member of staff to show you to the canteen.”

  “That’s very kind of you. We’ll try not to keep them too long or disrupt things too much.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” He picked up the phone, and Sally and Jack returned to the waiting area.

  Within ten minutes, a young man wearing stark white trousers and a matching top came to collect them. He greeted them with a curt nod and thumbed the direction he expected them to follow him. Moments later, they were settled at a table at the back of the canteen, where Anne used to work, awaiting their first interviewee.

  “This is kind of spooky, considering this is the area where Anne worked,” Jack observed under his breath.

  “I think it’s very apt. If she’s watching over us, maybe she’ll guide the interview process.”

  Jack’s face screwed up in distaste. “Don’t start believing all that mumbo jumbo.”

  Sally laughed. “I’m not. Just making an innocent observation, partner. Looks like this is our first interviewee. She seems pretty nervous.”

  The woman was wearing a red apron over her white overall dress. “Hello. I’ve been asked to come and talk to you. I’m Meryl Clegg.”

  Sally motioned for the woman to sit down. “Hello, Meryl, thank you for joining us. I’m DI Sally Parker, and this is my partner, DS Jack Blackman. There’s no need for you to be nervous. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

  She placed a hand on her chest and eased back into her chair. “Phew, that’s a relief. May I ask why you want to see me then?”

  “It’s about Anne Gillan.”

  The woman bounced forward and clicked her fingers. “You were at her funeral yesterday.”

  “That’s right, and I recall seeing you there.”

  “I had to go. She was my best friend. We worked together for years.” Her gaze fell to the table. “I always hoped that she would come back. A few of us just thought she’d taken off.”

  “Can I ask why you thought she would take off like that? Was her marriage in trouble?”

  “No, nothing like that. When someone goes missing, I suppose you try to think of the positives instead of going down the negative route. Presuming she was missing as opposed to her being dead… well, it’s what I chose to believe. It was a bloody shock to hear she had been discovered in the river last week. Her poor kids. Molly seemed okay yesterday, but her son… he simply seemed lost to me.”

  “He is. He’s struggled over the years, never once gone to visit his father in prison.”

  Meryl snorted. “And who could blame him? I’ve had my doubts about him over the years. Why shouldn’t he have been locked up the way he was? Even if she’d merely gone missing, would she have done that if everything was all right at home?”

  “But you’ve just told me their marriage was okay. Are you now telling me that it wasn’t?”

  “No. Anne always told me that she loved her husband, but when I thought she was missing, I couldn’t help wondering if she had been hiding the truth. It’s not uncommon for folks to do that, is it, Inspector?”

  “That’s true, I suppose. Especially where domestic abuse is concerned. Did you ever see any evidence of that, Meryl?”

  She gasped. “My God. No, nothing like that at all. I never even suspected it. No, I think they were a solid couple.”

  “Glad we’ve sorted that out. If she was a good friend of yours, did she ever confide in you about anything out of the ordinary, something that caused doubts to run through your mind?”

  Meryl thought over the question for a moment or two before she shook her head. “I can’t recall anything. Such as what?”

  “Someone making advances towards her, perhaps. Maybe a male work colleague had shown an interest in her, causing her to feel uncomfortable?”

  Meryl chewed her lip, first one side then the other. “I can’t remember anything like that, I’m sorry. Working in the canteen, we’re subjected to the odd verbal abuse, more like friendly banter, but we tend to shrug it off. It’s how colleagues react, isn’t it? My hubby is a proper tease. Never knows where to draw the line that one. He’s not alone, either.”

  “Did your husband tease Anne?”

  “Of course he did. He teased all the ladies—still does. No one has ever taken him seriously. He’s just an idiot, a court jester. The girls around here know that he means nothing by it. Hey, do you really th
ink I’d put up with him making a nuisance of himself? I’d cut his balls off and serve them up to our German shepherd if he ever stepped out of line like that.”

  “Your husband still works here then?” Sally asked, not recalling seeing another Clegg on the list of people they had earmarked to interview.

  “Yes, he works on the factory floor, stays out of my way most of the day. I couldn’t put up with having him under my feet all day long, grant me with some sense.” She laughed as a few members of staff entered the canteen and immediately looked in their direction the second they queued up at the counter to be served. “Oh my, looks like the masses will be descending soon. My supervisor will need me to help out with the rush. Gina rang in sick this morning, leaving us short staffed.”

  “One more thing before you leave us. Apart from your husband, are there any other members of staff who like to tease the womenfolk here?”

  “Crikey, you’ll need a bigger notebook than that, I’m afraid. Like I told you, it’s factory banter. You accept it in the workplace. Have you ever worked on a production line? It’s bloody mind-numbing, and some of these guys have worked here for the past thirty years. The wages are crap, too. They go out of their way to tease the women to brighten their day, and to be fair, the women give as good as they get.”

  Sally nodded. She would hate to work in such an environment. There were days when the solitude of her office gave her time away from her colleagues and space where she did some of her best thinking. Even then, the banter that went on at the station was mild in comparison to what the women working in the factory were subjected to. Maybe someone went a little too far with their cheekiness? “Thanks for talking to us. Maybe we can chat later if you think of anything else we should know.”

  Meryl pushed back her chair and stood up just as a man bellowed, “Come on, Meryl, get your arse into gear. Some of us are starving over here.”

  Meryl’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “That loudmouth is Alec, my husband. I better go. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

  “Maybe we’ll have a chat with your husband for a minute or two.”