by Harry Nankin
“What did the woman look like?” Asked, Jack.
“I didn’t see her,” said Rachel Friday “I only know what you said Wendy”
Wendy thought, and then replied, “Well I can’t really recall except she was in her early thirties, very beautiful had a very tanned skin, not black, not white just nicely tanned. She had very long black hair”.
“If you saw her again do you think you might recognise her”? Asked Jack”.
Wendy hesitated then replied, “Yes, I think I would”.
“Thank you” said Jack
“Well ladies is there anything else anything at all suspicious you can bring to mind that might give me a clue in which direction to look to find any cause other than natural causes as it appears at the moment?”
They both shook their heads, Doris and Jack rose and were about to leave when Jack stopped and asked
“Does the name Sid, other than your husband I mean, or Morgan, Roy, Royston or Cedric mean anything.
There was silence then they both simultaneous said “Morgan that rings a bell”, they looked at each other.
Wendy said, “It was Morgan, Rachel that chap from the hospital in Wrexham. He came round here after the lads who stopped him found some drugs on him, they warned him and took the drugs off him”.
“That is right,” said Rachel, “he came round shouting the odds, then burst into tears saying he had the drugs in connection with his work, he accidentally had them in his pocket and was searched when they caught him speeding and he didn’t want the lads contacting the hospital in case he got the sack. Some bloody traffic Warden in town gave him the lads’ addresses.
“Yes that is it Mr Richards”, said Wendy, “it was all resolved, they said they would give him the drugs back to take to work and he would hear no more of it”.
“Thank you for this ladies” said Jack. “It is vital that you speak to no one of our visit or of anything that has been said here today”.
“You do understand that, both of you?” Said Doris.
They both nodded their heads; Doris and Jack shook hands, stating someone would be in touch if there were any developments.
They left the house and on arriving at the car a voice said, “Are you the cops?”
“Yes”-replied Doris
It was a lady very obese, aged around fifty years of age smoking, wearing bedroom slippers and a very dirty brown jumper, and what had been a red pair of trousers, which were now mottled in many colours and stained with of every possible item of food.
It seemed the previous ladies were correct; people did visit police houses in this area.
“Can I help?” Asked Doris
“You can get some bugger up here to sort these druggies out”.
“What is your name and address?” Asked Doris
“My name and address where the hell do you come from, do you think I am going to give you my name and address, not from the fire brigade as well are you?”
“What do you mean?” Was Doris next reply.
Jack knew what was coming but said nothing.
“If I give you my name and address the bloody house will be burned down by morning, just do your job, you get paid don’t you, get it sorted”.
The lady turned and walked off
Jack and Doris finally were on their way.
“Where to next Mr Richards?” Said Doris
“Manchester Police Headquarters” was the reply.
After some moments Doris spoke. “What did you make of that?”
The mystery woman and the drugs. I will check the records, when I get back,” she said confidently.
Jack thought momentarily then replied. “Well the woman appears to be the same one who visited Wrexham”.
“The Sid fellow or whatever name he uses from time to time. He certainly needs closer investigation. With his record how the hell he was employed in a hospital job with access to drugs beats belief.”
“He is obviously violent. In addition he may well be psychotic, I note he was angry then broke down into tears.”
“It may have been a show for sympathy on the other hand he may be a Looney. I have seen men like him for forty years, shouting and threatening one minute in tears the next”.
“The truth is they are the worst to deal with, violent and unpredictable.”
“You check the records concerning the speeding and drug seize I will bet you find nothing. I have a feeling these cops cuffed the speeding, then took the drugs but didn’t enter them up, either they forgot or intended another use of them”.
“When the Morgan fellow traced them they probably went down to the nick retrieved the stuff from their stash or locker and gave them back to him to keep his mouth shut. It seems they were either two corrupt officers or were two lazy buggers, we will never know.”
Doris thought and nodded but before she could reply, her telephone rang. She reached it and handed it to Jack who in turned answered.
“Jack Richards here, Oh officer Idris, going to speak to me this time Inspector Scott-Ling is driving?”
There was a pause when he said, “Thank you officer, yes thank you”
The call finished and he said, “You may have guessed that was our Idris.”
“He is reporting he was out on his patch today when an informant told him that our suspect, Sid Morgan, call him what you like has it seems found out that we are asking about him”.
“He has made it known he is not too pleased. If he finds we have been here and know about the drugs from the hospital and the cops he will be even more rattled”.
“If you like” said Doris, “I will contact HQ and report it”.
“No, no, certainly not if there is more in it and Morgan is a candidate and it is looking that way, we don’t want to spook him”.
“Ok” she replied.
This caused him to think and mumble, “trouble is, nothing we have found so far gives any indication that these coppers were murdered, not a smell of it, it’s still a natural cause with just a few items of suspicion but nothing to account for them dying from a crime”.
“I will put on the sat nav,” said Doris, “I will never find Manchester HQ without some help”.
Doris was well used to the satellite navigation and so they arrived at Manchester Police Headquarters with all haste, that is to say travelling ten miles per hour outside and into the city then at walking pace in three lanes of traffic from one set of traffic lights to the next.
This caused Jack to realise why the successful business community in Tarporley had moved south to Cheshire though having to negotiate the horrendous journey each morning and evening, at least their off time from work or business was more pleasant.
The car parked, the duo of investigators walked on, Jack in the front Doris in close pursuit her main duty in hand, carrying the briefcase. One blind and the other leading the blind thought Jack walking at a brisk pace to the front entrance then stopped and pressed the who is it at our door button upon which a voice asked “Who seeks admission?”
This phrase reminded Jack that it was used in Freemasons Lodges and caused him to wonder if this Chief was also a Free Mason. If so, could there be a change of suspect from Wrexham Sid to a secret conspiracy of Freemasons.
They appeared to get blamed for everything else why not this?” thought Jack but then,
Doris called “are you ready?” Mr Richards.
He realised he had been fantasising yet again having not heard Doris make any reply to the who seeks admission.
He would never know if she had replied, Jack a poor brother in a state of darkness”
“If she had, those inside may well anticipate him coming inside led by Doris, he being blind folded, his shirt open at the chest with a cable tow or to the uninitiated, a rope around his neck and a trouser leg rolled to the knee”.
“Good morning” it was a lady of colour very handsome and well suited to her very smart and neatly fitting grey suit. She was aged in her early forties and had an exceedingly pleasant welco
ming voice and approach.
“We have come by appointment to see the Chief-Constable Mr Quinten Johns,” replied Doris, thinking her uniform looked a little on the shabby side compared with that of the immaculate Miss Harper-Johnson, Reception liaison Officer, according to her name badge.
It also crossed her mind if the Chief was just as finely attired Jack who was still wearing his grey trilby hat and old grey raincoat would look like a phrase used by her mother, “a dog’s breakfast”
“Ah yes, I am Clarice. If you would care to follow me I will take you directly to the Chief’s Office.”
“I might just add that due to the area in which you will be making your enquiries once you have finished your interview with Mr Johns, arrangements have been made for a suitable escort for you to visit Mrs Masterton and Chorlton Lake”.
“Thank you so much” replied Doris as they arrived at the lift, entered and were on their way up, in what appeared to Jack had been one continuous motion.
The lift stopped and they alighted and walked the short distance along the corridor to the office marked, The Office of the Chief-Constable, Manchester Police, Quinten Johns QPM
Clarice pressed the buzzer and an illuminated sign came on, “enter” they stepped inside what was a mediocre office only containing a desk, and three chairs.
A computer fitted onto the modern but small desk and a telephone. Around the walls were several photographs of Her Majesty the Queen.
The lady seated at the desk was not a posh Clarice but a relatively common Vera who spoke with a relatively common accent when she said, “Welcome very nice day “tint it” then added for good measure, “Cum tu see Chief?”
“Yes I am Inspector Scott-Ling, this is Mr Jack Richards”
Vera smiled and pointed to the vacant seats indicating the visitors would be more comfortable seated during their wait, they did so and so did Clarice.
Vera was about to pick up the telephone when she looked and realised the Chief was already speaking to someone and so turned to the visitors and smiled then asked, “ Hast thee been tu cita much”
“Ah no” replied Doris.
Jack was not a regular visitor but during the occasions he had he had heard this northern twang before, they appeared to miss out the word “the” in a sentence so instead of asking, “Are you going down the road?”
“They said, are you going down road?”
He was expecting any moment dear Vera would ask, “Hast thee been in tu Ali or worse”.
“Thee knows, the Chief, he is a Rate Moonkay”
With that all thoughts suddenly changed has her telephone rang, she immediately picked up the handset and said, “Yes Sir, both are here sir, I will yes”.
She walked from her desk, opened the door and said, “Mr Johns will see thee both now”
Doris and Jack entered wondering what they would be greeted with, it was the norm.
“Good morning Jack and you also Inspector, please do take a seat”.
It was apparent the Chief at least appeared to speak the Queens English, which for a southern boy like Jack was an advantage.
His office was large and nicely furnished with a large heavy oak desk, which was carved, an equally decorative chair, which appeared to rock, often referred to as a captain’s chair.
The view from the vast window was of the city but unlike Myers office in Wrexham, there were no hills in the background all solid city and motorway.
“How can I help you?” Asked Johns, adding, “Oh here is a copy of the officer’s personal record file”.
“Well” replied Jack “unless you have any logical explanation or some good ideas whether anything other than natural causes was behind the officer’s death I doubt you can help much.”
“I have nothing. I was hoping that you might be able to shine some light on the situation, I presume you will have already made some enquiries”.
“Yes we have” replied Jack “preliminary mind you”.
“And they have revealed”? Asked Johns
“Until today sir, not much, we endeavour to persevere”, added Jack.
“I see, right well this officer didn’t have much service, looking at his record just before you arrived I see he joined only three years ago”
“I recall it for it was January, we weren’t actually recruiting anyone due to the cuts but then it appears there was an exception made in the case of Rick and so he joined”.
“What would the exception be?” Asked Jack, the date of his joining the force had rung alarm bells.
“I have no idea, I myself, didn’t arrive here until some weeks after that so the subject never came up”.
“I see” said Jack, “I wondered if him being a mounted officer had anything to do with it, it being a little on the specialised side”.
“You may be right, just a moment I will ask Vera she is a wealth of information, Vera would you please step inside?”
Before he could replace the phone Vera was in the room and without prompting asked, “Can I help thee?”
“Ah, yes Vera we were just wondering if you had any idea as we were not recruiting at the time how Rick Masterton came to be admitted to the force?”
“Oh Rick, Oh yes it was because of the last Chief, he was a big riding man. We were short of jockeys for ponies and Rick was a rider at a stables in North Wales, near Wrexham and the Chief had a cottage near there.”
“I recall he had a weekend away and took some police bosses with him; the HMI at the time was one. The next minute we had a new horse and rider, that’s all I know”.
“I see thank you Vera”.
She left the room then the Chief smiled and said.
“There you have it, Jack, problem solved seems it was wheels within wheels, a boys week-end out and Manchester gets a new horse and rider.
“Are you going to the scene?”
“Yes sir, I had intended to”, replied Jack.
The Chief opened a draw and handed Jack a Leaflet, “here Jack take this. Where you are going is a beauty spot, a nature reserve but it wasn’t always like that.”
“You will be impressed with the scenery and wildlife. I recently took my son, his wife and our grandchildren there so picked up this leaflet. A fine example what Manchester can do?”
“Thank you so much for this. I will read this and await my visit there with interest; if it is that good I will come again and bring Anne”.
“You consider doing that Jack, you will see it is a very attractive place, loads of people taking photos and there are even some films on You tube, only of the birds and other wild life of course”.
“Chief, thank you for all your help. A good job done there, you have been very helpful. We must get on I would like to visit the widow next”.
“Yes of course Jack, keep me posted of any developments though it still appears a no goer crime wise”.
“Yes” replied Jack “it does appear that way at the moment”.
They stood shook hands and both investigators were soon in the foyer when a large police van pulled up.
“There is your escort, a sergeant and ten officers should suffice,” said Miss Harper-Johnson”
Jack looked at her causing her to reply, “Don’t worry they should be enough, unless you would be any happier with a dog handler coming as well”.
“Ah no, no” replied Jack wondering where the hell they may be heading, he was soon to find out if only a taste of life in the north.
They drove off following the police van and had not travelled far when they past large group of youths some armed with dogs on thick leads and harnesses. The youths were getting the dogs to bay at each other in a fighting stance.
Looking up at the rows of terraced houses he saw here and there were roof lights and incredibly, he thought he could see young men sitting on the roof outside the windows only one slip away from certain death.
The police van suddenly veered to the right and so did Doris in her car, a group of youths on the road side had thrown a pedal cycle into
the road obviously at the police van, they jeered “Cita,. Cita”. As the convoy passed them. Jack assumed if translated into English they were chanting “City” the slang an indication they were supporters of Manchester City football club, which only goes to prove that Jack had made the best choice when he had taken up golf.
As they travelled along, Doris’s phone rang and being unable to answer it, she handed it to Jack who placed it into the car phone holder and pressed louder speaker, “Hello Jack Richards”
A voice answered, “The Sergeant here in front. Stick close, we are coming to the nasty area now”.
Jack thought and then said, “Christ after what we have seen so far what is the next bit like”.
He thought at any moment a helicopter would fly over head with a loud speaker blazing, “This area is now under the command of the 5th Armoured brigade”, and immediately he anticipated a convoy of armoured vehicles joining the convoy, the members of which would be armed with fixed bayonets.
As it turned out a message arrived, saying “Welcome to the arse hole of the empire”, there was a laugh, then.
“I was only joking we have gone through the Labour area. Here we are coming into Tory town”.
The area had changed and it appeared they had arrived in a reasonably attractive area. The convoy stopped and the sergeant arrived by the car.
“Here it is Inspector, the house is just here. Rachel Masterton is expecting you”.
“Thank you Sergeant”, replied Jack.
They alighted from the car and as they did so, the officers left the van some began to smoke and others simply leaned on the side of the van.”
Gone it seems was the nicely pressed police surge with a crease in the trousers and polished boots. Instead, the officers were dressed in some type of black overalls and boots, which if anything had ever been placed on the footwear it, was either black car oil, axle grease of at best waterproof dubbing.
