The Chess Player

by Andrew Parker

  nightdisgusting it was about obese women and these

  women were so big they couldn’t get out of bed and wouldn’t even fit through the door’.

  Howcroft raised his eyebrows in surprise and gave a hearty chuckle.

  ‘No it was horrible dad, their husbands actually went shopping and brought back bags and bags of

  shopping to feed themthey were so dependent.

  These blokes were actually feeding them to death, surly there should be a law against that sort of thing?’ Lisa retorted quite animated about the subject.

  Howcroft laughed again ‘Don’t tell me it was in America?’

  Lisa nodded with a grin on her face.

  ‘What can you do?’ George put his arms in the

  air‘if the proper authorities know I’m sure medical

  help can be given and alert the police if need be’ he rationalised.

  Lisa nodded again but thought how could people let themselves get into such a state and how could the husbands be so callous in just letting them do it, surly if they loved them they would seek help?

  George Howcroft then said something, he never thought he would do and that’s discuss the investigation with his daughter. Maybe he was relaxed or had too much wine but it just came out. ‘Tell me Lisa what do you think of this? Our investigation led us to examine one of those deposit box things and inside was a piece a paper and if I remember rightly said something like, Let us make peace, let the dead be or God pardon you for anger towards me’.

  Lisa looked at her Father intently, hanging on every word but inside she was full of joy that her father was actually taking to her about the murder investigation, something he had never ever done before. Lisa scratched her head and deliberated on the words her father had just given her. ‘Erm…maybe, yes lets break it down in three parts. One is let us make peace, it could be they are saying I need to talk to you or I want to give myself up or even, you have the wrong person’.

  Howcroft considered his daughters thoughts, he took another swig of his wine ‘continue’ he said.

  ‘Okay next, let the dead be, it is obviously referring to Mrs Kenyon-Lloyd, maybe they are saying you’re not going to solve it, the person who killed her is untouchable or you are going to stir up too much distress over this murder?’.

  Howcroft nodded and was intrigued with the cerebration his daughter was coming up with.

  ‘Thirdly’ Lisa continued ‘And the most interesting God pardon you for your anger towards me—erm this seems like a warning, that maybe you are getting too cose and retribution may be sought’.

  Howcroft looked amazed that his daughter had analysed these words so skiHHy. ‘Maybe you should take up ajob in the police psychology department’.

  Lisa smiled and was pleased she had been given the opportunity to express her thoughts and hoped she had helped in some way. Although on reflection perturbed she had actually come up with retribution. ‘I don’t mean to scare you dad’.

  ‘Don’t be sillyyou have helped me, thank you’.

  Howcroft requested the bill and had thoroughly enjoyed the evening spent with his daughter. As they got outside, the cold air hit them and they hugged each other once again. Lisa was delighted to have spent some time, quality time with her dad. In the past she had followed through on every promise only for it to be broken, but now it was different and she gave her dad a small peck on the cheek.

  As Howcroft walked to his car he couldn’t get the thoughts of his daughter disseminating those words out of his head.

  Chapter 15.

  It was Saturday 13th December, and Zara Norton anxiously looked at her watch again, it was 9.1am. She was meeting Stephen Tarling at 11.30am in Hyde Park. Her emotions were doing overtime whilst she deliberated about what she was going to do. Entrapment.

  For some reason Zara fell guilty about setting her boss, lover, up in this way, but he was the number one suspect in a murder investigation. Not only that, but he had sex with her, possibly even raped her. Zara shook her head in repulsion and disbelief but had reaffirmed within hersetf she was doing the right thing.

  Zara was waiting in the car park behind the ‘Bunch of Grapes’ pub. She was meeting Howcroft and some other officers at 9.30am to be wired up and run through instructions on how the conversation should be handed. She fell beads of perspiration rise to the surface of her palms and wiped them on her jeans. She thought back to yesterday and how nervous she must have sounded over the phone when she spoke to him in trying to arrange this meeting. Did she sound too anxious? Did she arouse his curiosity?

  Stephen Tarling couldn’t concentrate in the weekly review meeting and called it short after twenty-five minutes. He returned back to his office, sipped from his mug steaming black coffee and pondered on why Zara was so eager to meet in neutral surroundings. What had she found out about the murder investigation? Why couldn’t she tell him here at the office? Was he a suspect?

  Harris, Howcroft and Williams drove into the car park. They could see Zara was already waiting. As they drew along side, Zara had opened her door and was hal way out.

  ‘Keen eh?’ Howcroft remarked. Williams and Harris both smiled.

  ‘Morning Miss Norton’ Howcroft said as he jumped out of the passenger seat ‘are you okay’

  Zara Norton smiled and nodded her head ‘Feeling a little bit nervous, but I’m sure Ill be alright’.

  Howcroft nodded in reassurance and then introduced her to Williams and Harris. ‘Zara pease get into the back of our car and well get started in wiring you up’.

  Zara climbed into the back seat next to Williams. Harris was in the driving seat puffing on a cigarette, while Howcroft sat back into the front passenger seat. Howcroft turned around to face Zara ‘ Right Zara, you know what we need! if you can get Tarling to confess to the murder’. Zara put her head down thinking ‘yeah just like that’. Howcroft looked at Williams frowned and pointed to Zara with his eyes, Williams nodded in acknowledgement ‘Zara are you alright?’ Zara looked up immediately, ‘last minute nerves’ she gestured.

  Williams produced the recorder and microphone he wanted Zara to put on. ‘I just need you to strap this recorder around your waist and if you can place the microphone on your top button hole’.

  Zara nodded and pulled up her big baggy beige jumper and attached the recorder to her bell around her waist. She then fed the slim wired microphone up her body and clipped it to the top buttonhole on her shirt, she then pulled her jumper back down.

  ‘Zara there is nothing to worry about, we will hear everything and as soon as he admits murdering Susan Kenyon-Lloyd we will be there straight away to arrest him’. Howcroft looked at Williams and Harris for support, although Harris continued staring out of the window puffing on yet another cigarette.

  Howcroft continued ‘ I you can use the relationship you have with Tarling I’m sure we can get the answers we are looking for’.

  ‘Ill do my best, I hope I don’t let you down’ Zara responded sheepishly.

  ‘I don’t think you will I get the feeling you are quite a strong lady’ Williams piped up trying to encourage Zara.

  ‘Thanks. Right I’d better get going’ Zara said looking at her watch.

  Howcroft nodded and made it cear they would be inconspicuous, Williams would be in the guise of park keeper and Harris will be in the vicinity but keeping a low profile in case anything goes wrong.

  ‘Goes wrong?’ Zara shouted.

  ‘Sorry wrong terminology, but you know what I mean, ,ust a precaution, because nothing will go wrong’ Howcroft said, realising she was still very jumpy and didn’t want her steaming off and refusing to do it.

  Zara slammed the car door shut and quickly moved into her car and sped away.

  ‘Do you think she’s up to it?’ Harris asked.

  ‘Well find out soon enough’ Howcroft
answered.

  Zara walked through the park to the rendezvous point she had discussed with Tarling, a park bench situated right next to the largest Oak tree. A meeting point they regularly used to meet at lunchtimes, watching the world go by and taking about nothing and everything. It was a bright sunny day with the warmth of the sun tingling her face, which psychologically took the coldness away from her feet and hands. She glanced at her watch 11.22am as she made her way to the park bench her heart beat began to race. ‘Can you hear me?’ she said.

  ‘Loud and cear’ Howcroft responded‘problem?’.

  ‘No, no…just checking everything was working okay, right I’m here now’.

  Zara sat down and waited, looked impatiently both ways waiting for the imminent arrival of Stephen Tarling. Could she do this? She prayed she could.

  ‘Hi Zara’ Stephen made Zara jump, she hadn’t noticed him. ‘Ooh we are a bit nervous’.

  ‘Sorry didn’t see you there’ Zara said, placing her hand on her chest after being startled.

  ‘Didn’t mean to scare you’ Tarling said as he sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘Williams are you in position?’

  ‘Yes Guv’.

  ‘Harris are you in position?’

  ‘Yes’.

  ‘So Zara why the secrecy? What are you so anxious to tell me?’

  Zara took a large gulp and focused on Stephen Tarling being a murder suspect. ‘I went to see Chief Inspector Howcroft as you told me’.

  ‘And‘

  ‘They seem to have you down as their number one murder suspect’.

  Tarlings face turned white, it then took on a look of anger. He stood up and looked directly ahead of him. He paused for a few moments before turning around to look at Zara, ‘you are definitely sure about that?’

  Zara nodded her head, but she fell afraid. ‘Be confident, don’t let him know you are scared, otherwise it could all WOW up in our face. Ask him why he would be number one?’ Howcroft whispered across the microphone.

  ‘Why do they think you killed her?’

  Tarlings anger rose ‘I didn’t bloody kill her!’

  Zara was taken a back with his tone and answer. ‘Ask him again’ Howcroft said.

  ‘Sorry Stephen but they wouldn’t be looking at you unless they had some sort of hard evidence’.

  Tarling sat back down again and moved coser to Zara. ‘I didn’t kill her Zara, I swear’. He suddenly looked away, she pulled him back and she could see the despair in his face, but also that he was telling the truth.

  ‘But they have DNA evidence Stephen linking you with the murder victim’.

  Tarling looked surprised ‘I’m so sorry Zara’, tears welled up in his eyes.

  ‘Whatwhat happened Stephen tell me?’.

  Tarling took a deep breath and composed himself. ‘I was at Susan’s house that night’.

  Zara looked upset, although she knew it to be true already. Although this time she was hearing it from the horses mouth.

  ‘I was having an affair with Susan and that night after we‘

  ‘…. had sex’ Zara blatantly finished the sentence with her feelings and affection she once had being eroded away.

  Tarling frowned and pulled his eyebrows in cose together. He paused with thought. He then barked back ‘

  Look Zara we were never in a serious relationshipI

  never bloody stopped you seeing anyone!’.

  Zara looked sternly back and found it difficult to bite back. Bastard she thought. She didn’t want to get into an argument and air their intimate relationship to Howcroft and his officer’s.

  ‘Zara look I’m sorry‘ Tarling was tired and

  confused, he had no idea the police had him down as their number one suspect, but now he was scared. They now might even find out about the money laundering? But he had been careful…hadn’t he? Now he was taking it out on Zara, he didn’t mean to say those things. He fell guilty?

  ‘I think it’s best I don’t tell you what happened, I just

  need to get away and cear my head’.

  ‘Zara keep him taking try to get him to confess’ Howcroft whispered over the microphone desperate to get his man.

  ‘Stephen it doesn’t matter’ she lied ‘I’m just very concerned and want to help you…please Stephen’ she pleaded and held his hand reassuringly, ‘what happened that night?’

  Tarling blew out heavy through his lips and tightened his grip around Zara’s hand. He looked directly into her beautiful blue eyes. ‘I was with Susan that night

  but left around midnight I think?I can’t be sure, but I

  had to be in an early morning meeting. When I got to my car I realised I had left my wallet on the bedside cabinet or somewhere’. Tarling paused as he relived the nightmare he awoke to. ‘I then knocked on the door and Susan

  eventually came down and opened it thenthen I woke

  up in the morning with a screaming headache and a bump the size of an egg on the back of my head’.

  ‘What someone had hit you over the back of the head?’ Zara gasped.

  ‘Yes, I didn’t know where I was for a moment, I then called out for Susan but there was no answer. I took a look around and then went upstairs, to my horror she was lying on the bed motionless. I rushed over to her but I

  knew she was deadit was horrible her eyes were just

  staring…I didn’t know what to do’.

  ‘Why didn’t you call the Police?….’

  ‘I don’t know..I just thought about my position, about Francis, the press would have had a field day, could you imagine the headlines and I didn’t want them investigating some private deals…everything just told me to get out’.

  Zara frowned and shook her head ‘ hold on what sort of deals?’.

  ‘It doesn’t matter, but I thought of a way that hopefully wouldn’t connect me’ Tarling put his hand to his head and tapped thinking how stupid he had been. ‘How wrong could I have been’ he murmured.

  ‘Go on’ Zara implored.

  ‘I thought someone had set me up because….’ Tarling was about to say because he hadn’t murdered her and that’s why Freddy Morales had finished the job for him and set him up at the same time. Punishment?

  ‘Why would someone want to set you up?’ Zara

  asked.

  ‘I don’t knowI fucking don’t know’ Tarling

  snatched his hand away and stood up again. Zara affectionately touched his hand again and got him to sit down.

  ‘Look Stephen the main thing is you didn’t do it, I believe you must tell the police’ Zara said feeling slightly sorry for him and tilted her head in that understanding way. ‘Anyway what did you do?’.

  Tarling sighed another heavy breath ‘I carried her body downstairs, put her in the boot of my car and drove to Sand Hills park, it was a freezing cold morning and still dark no one was around. I then undressed her and laid her in a ditch. I waited for a few hours to get my story straight and make it feasible then phoned the police to say I found the body. I gave a false name and address and got out of there. I still lust about made the meeting’. Tarling smirked at the end of his explanation remembering how some of his colleagues made jokes about him being late and his unshaven appearance. ‘So there you have it’.

  Zara raised her eyebrows in disbelief ‘Bloody hell Stephen what a complete mess’ with surprise she heard Howcroft telling Williams and Harris to arrest Tarling. ‘No’ she shouted. Tarling looked in shock at this sudden outburst.

  ‘What Zara ?‘

  Harris was concerned for the arrest of Tarling ‘he didn’t do it Guv shouldn’t we….’

  ‘Just do it Harris that’s an order’.

  Williams and Harris burst out of the covering trees and bus
hes and grabbed Tarling by complete surprise.

  ‘Hold on .what’s happening’. He struggled slightly as Williams bent his arms around his back and snapped the handcuffs on. Tarling looked at Zara for help ‘Zara?‘

  Zara bowed her head and looked back up at Tarling ‘sorry Stephen’.

  Tarling couldn’t believe what was happening and then realised that Zara had set him up. ‘You bitch Zara,

  you fucking bitchwhy’ he face was full of hate as

  Williams started to read him his rights.

  ‘Stephen Tarling, I’m arresting you for the murder of Susan-Kenyon Lloyd, anything you do say‘

  ‘Cut the crap I know the score’ Tarling shook his head as he was lead away, with Williams telling him his rights. Tarling looked at Williams ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, because I haven’t murdered anybody’. Williams stared back not saying a word. ‘I hope you didn’t want a long career in the force’ Tarling threatened.

  Harris walked over to Zara ‘Are you alright?’

  Zara was shaking her head in anger ‘He didn’t kill her and I believe him’.

  Harris nodded in agreement’ You could be right’.

  Zara stood up and shouted down the microphone at Howcroft ‘Happy?’ she then ripped off the microphone in disgust and threw it to the floor. ‘Bye’ she nonchalantly said to Harris and walked away.

  Howcroft spoke over the microphone to Harris ‘He could be lying .but we need to take him in and talk to him. You just heard him, he’s in this murder up to his eyeballs at worst an accessory’ Howcroft justified. ‘I don’t want you disobeying a bloody order again…got it!’

  ‘Yes sir’ Harris feebly responded.

  Howcroft sat in his car awaiting the arrival of Tarling speculating on the intriguing conversations he would be having with him. Was he lying Why would he be set up for the murder? Was he protecting someone? What were these private deals? Colombia.

  Chapter 16.

  Nikki was in a world of her own as she walked back from her mothers via the shops where she had picked up a few food items and goodies for Christmas. Although she had no idea how Christmas was going to be this year? John had walked in gone eleven last night, with ‘that Woody murder investigation’ she swore to herself. She didn’t even know if he was going to be at home for Christmas although it sounded promising from what snippets of information she managed to retrieve last night. At least they had made an arrest!