‘Yes’ Howcroft put his hand to his mouth and coughed to ckar his throat. ‘One of our detectives was following a lead that took him to a flat in South Kensington. On arrival there was no one in and after pursuing all the available channels I gave the decision to make a forced entry’.
‘Bloody hell George, this had better be good’
‘While searching the premises they came across the dead body of a man called Jack Lyon’.
Chief Superintendent Hothi was astounded by the latest development, but gave a calm, stern expression on the outside.’ So what’s the connection to our murder?’ she asked. ‘I assume there is one?’ she said raising her eyebrows.
Howcroft shifted his seating position and was quick to continue and he hoped she would see reason. ‘I made a call right or wrong that this was definitely connected to the death of Susan Kenyon-Lloyd and took a team to investigate the crime scene’.
Hothi looked disparagingly at Howcroft and thought he would have told her the situation before sending in the troops. ‘It was out of our bloody jurisdiction George’.
‘Please let me explain Ma’am’ Howcroft requested and decided to stand up and pace about like a caged tiger. ‘We had reason to believe this man, Jack Lyon could identify a key suspect in the investigation and blow his alibi away. It would have given him the opportunity and the times fit‘.
Hothi shook her head as she began to lose Howcroft’s reasoning ‘hold on a minute’ she said holding her arm and hand out as though stopping oncoming traffic. ‘The times fitwho is this suspect?’.
‘The Judge’.
Hothi now stood up in surprise ‘ what! re-wind have I missed something You’re telling me now George our number one murder suspect is the judge?’ she said in disbelief.
Howcroft nodded ‘ after reviewing the CCTV recordings at the judge’s flat it would appear someone left the flat and returned later giving him the perfect opportunity’.
Hothi was still shaking her head not quite understanding what she was being told ‘On the recording is it cear that it was the judge?’
‘I haven’t seen it myself, but I don’t think it shows the judge ceariy, the one person who could have told us that for sure is now dead’ Howcroft said despondently and returned to his seat.
‘So that’s why you wanted your own team in first on the Jack Lyon murder’ Hothi reconfirmed and conceded in her own head that she would have probably done the same thing. ‘Okay so have the Scotland Yard boys taken over?’
Yes we made the call after our forensic team left and a DC Carter was running with case’.
‘So what’s your next move George?’
‘That’s why I wanted to see you Maam’ Howcroft adjusted his seating position again as though knowing what the answer would be before he asked. ‘I want to bring the judge in for questioning and a search warrant for his flat in London’.
Hothi was the caged tiger now and walked up and down the same piece of carpet for a few minutes digesting what Chief Inspector Howcroft had requested. ‘We have
no evidence, we have no motivewell have you ?’ she
barked at Howcroft.
‘Only the pieces of the jigsaw which are now fitting together and the picture is getting ckarer’ Howcroft snapped back.
‘Now I don’t think that answers either question do you?’ Hothi’s tone was still one of anger.
Howcroft shook his head in silence, biting his lip. The veins on his temple began to bulge and he fell his musces tighten.
‘I’m sorry George but unless you get me some hard evidence and I suggest you work in liaison with Carter, did you say that was his name, if you feel this other murder is connected’.
‘Yes Ma’am’.
Howcroft retired to his office where he noticed a report and an envelope had been put on his desk. It was Doc’s hasty report that he had hand written from the evidence he gathered at the scene. Howcroft ripped open the large brown enve!ope and tipped the contents onto his desk. It was the photographs that Jason had taken at the murder scene, he spread them out over his desk and decided to look at each one closely.
The first one was outside the flat, he picked up the second one of the one window to the left of the front door. No sign of entry. Next one was a dose-up of where the door had been forced, but that obviously told him nothing apart from reconfirming Lyon let his killer in. He then picked up a photo of the murdered Jack Lyon lying on his bed, knife in his throat. Doc was right, it was a knifefrom a set in the kitchen, no prints. Howcroft looked at Lyon, he was almost bald apart from the long strands of hair he tried to comb left to right. He had bushy eyebrows and sticky out ears, ‘no wonder he used prostitutes’ Howcroft thought to himself. ‘Pity them both’.
The more Howcroft looked at the pictures the more he was convinced the Judge was covering his tracks. Lyon would have known the Judge, and maybe the Judge was hoping to get back into the flat without being noticed, but he was. Howcroft quickly jumped out of his chair and summoned Harris.
Harris reached for a packet of cigarettes that was on his desk and shook one loose before making his way to see Howcroft. ‘Yes sir’ he mumbled as he tried to speak and light the cigarette at the same time.
Williams was sitting in the ‘Banana Café’ drinking his umpteenth cup of coffee while he awaited the call from Howcroft that would tell him what was going on. He fell very frustrated after hearing the news from Howcroft about Jack Lyon’s murder. Frustrated that he was now no longer part of the team, frustrated that he knew who the killer was, but his hands were tied.
As he looked around the café he noticed a middle aged man whose hair was thinning on top but was scooped behind his head into a pony tail, putting some more change into the juke box for another round of Elvis songs. He then noticed the teenage waitress walking over to him to ask if he wanted another cup of coffee. Smiley face with freckles running across her nose, curly ginger hair, long legs, button on her uniform slightly undone more than required revealing her cleavage.
‘Hello again’ she smiled ‘another cup of coffee?’
‘No I better not, 11l be peeing all night’ Williams smirked.
‘Okay you know where I am if you want anything’ She turned and walked away.
William’s eyes were transfixed for a moment and the sound of his mobile stopped him having immoral thoughts.
‘Where are you?’ It was Nikki sounding agitated with a hint of annoyance.
‘Sorry Nikki, I thought you knew I was working for George today, I thought it was him calling’ Williams responded trying to deflect any anger coming his way.
‘You could have called, where are you anyway You are off the investigation or have you forgotten that minor detail!’ Nikki sounded angrily and sarcastic.
‘Nikki, look Ill be home shortly….sorry’ Williams tried to apologise.
‘Get home as soon as you can, we’ve had a news reporter banging at the door a couple of times trying to find out about you and with mum’s condition at the moment, I don’t need all this John’ Nikki shouted.
Williams could sense the emotion building in Nikki and without trying to upset her further decided not to hang around for Chief Inspector Howcroft to call and told Nikki he was leaving now to come home.
Williams sat there for a few seconds shaking his head as he placed the mobile back on the table, he realised he should have called and was disturbed by the fact that a newspaper reporter had found out where Nikki’s mother lived. He was hoping that to be a safe haven for a little while after his removal from the investigation for his altercation. His mobile rang again making him jump. ‘Hello’.
‘John, it’s George, I’ve got Harris on his way to meet you’.
‘Oh shit’ Williams said despondently.
‘What’s up?’
‘I just promised Nikki I would be on my way home’.
‘I thought you still wanted to help on this investigation, bloody hell John I’m out on a limb for you’.
‘I know, it’s just that a reporter has found out where her mum lives and keeps pestering’.
‘Look John I need you on this, you know how cose we are and I trust you’.
‘Okay…okay, what do you want us to do?’
‘I need you to get into the Judge’s flat and find anything that will connect him to either murders, cothes he was wearing leather gloves anything’.
‘We got a search warrant?’
There was a pause ‘Sort of Howcroft answered, knowing that he had been refused an official search, but had got Sandra to knock up a false one and hoped the security guards wouldn’t be that thorough.
‘Sort of Williams sighed ‘if we don’t pull this off Guv well all be looking for new careers’.
Howcroft gave a nervous chuckle ‘by the way Harris thinks it’s official otherwise’
‘No problem’ Williams interrupted ‘although I think he’s shit scared of you and would do anything you say anyway’.
‘I’m not so sure’ Howcroft laughed.
‘So does Harris know where I am?’
‘No I told him to call you en-route you can either meet him where you are or direct him to the judge’s flat’.
‘Uh-uh’ acknowledged Williams, thinking that it would be better to meet at the Judge’s Knightsbridge apartment. ‘Just got to let Nikki know, that I won’t be home’. Williams said dreading the thought.
‘I’m sure you’ll sweet talk her John, by the way I’m off to see the judge while you’re having a look around his flat, for what he thinks is an update on the murder investigation’.
‘Good luck, I’ll call you later with anything we’ve found’ Williams signed off.
Howcroft looked upwards, as if wanting divine help. He realised the game he was playing was a dangerous one. One he had no idea how it would turn out
Chapter 20.
Jose Luis kicked over the chair in a raging temper ‘Rafael I’m going to London to finish off this fucking business, once and for all’.
Rafael who was seated behind his desk was hurt by the death of his cose friend El Gordo and knew that a mole had advised the police about the intended bombing of the Police Headquarters. They now believed it to be Freddy who had disappeared at the same time as Stephen Tarling.
Rafael had a calm exterior but anger in his eyes, he shook his head ‘we have field operatives already in London, who at the click of my fingers would do what ever I wanted. I need you to track down Freddy, someone must be protecting him, I want to know who and where he is!’.
‘Fuck Freddy, we know he hasn’t left the
countrysomeone will pick him up’ Jose still raged
‘I’ve got some unfinished business to attend’ as he pointed to his head.
Stephen Tarling enjoyed his cold winter walks in the woods near his home, the grey sky was now turning a deep purple and it wouldn’t belong before darkness took over. He fell his hands getting colder and the twigs snap under his feet as he and Flash neared the end of their walk.
As Tarling blew into his hands to keep warm he decided it was time to put Flash on his lead and head back. As he looked to see where his dog was he noticed that Flash had suddenly stopped, his body was rigid, ears extended and his gaze shifted without moving his head.
‘What is it boywhat’s wrong’ knowing Flash
only went into rigid mode when he had sensed something. Flash was an ex-police dog that hadn’t lost any of his skills in sensing Danger ? Normally it would be a rabbit or deer that was seen, on occasion it would be a loner or teenager that was walking passed by. Tarling’s suspicious mind always wondered why they were out on their own with no dog or companion. Harmless walk?
A rustle of some bushes made Tarling jump and suddenly became nervous, Flash began to growl. ‘Ill set him on you’ Tarling shouted trying to be brave, although he always fell safe with Flash around.
The bullet sliced through the air silently like a deadly torpedo aimed in a precise direction for ultimate impact. Tarling’s body jolted, his shoulders bent over as he took a sharp in take of breath. He fell a sharp pain coming from his chest, and instinctively put his hand to where the pain was coming from. His eyes widened as he looked down to see the trickles of blood pushing through the gaps in his fingers. He took his hand away to see an ever increasing crimson tide coming through his jacket. Tarling fell to his knees, then forward face first into the ground. Flash whined as he lay next to his master’s body.
Chapter 21.
Chief Superintendent Hothi fell confused and had a sense of guilt after she slowly placed the tekphone hand set down. Maybe she shouldn’t have doubted George Howcroft? A wave of disbelief spread over her as she shook her head remembering the words she had just heard. ‘Stephen Tarling and Francis Lloyd are involved in a money laundering operation, I believe their lives to be in dangermy name is Freddy’, the phone went dead.
Hothi fell a shudder through her body and she quickly jumped up from her desk trying to regain her composure and a sense of reality. She scurried out of her office in an attempt to find Howcroft.
‘Sandra’ Hothi called out spotting her in the corridor photocopying lost property forms.
A startled Sandra looked up ‘Yes Ma’am’.
‘Where is George, I mean Chief Inspector Howcroft?’ Hothi asked anxiously.
‘He has gone out, not sure where’ Sandra frowned rippling the lines on her forehead.
‘Blast’ Hothi snarled, ‘Ill call him’ she said out loud as she quickly turned around and went back to her office.
Howcroft took the coastal road towards Arne again, this time it was dark and the twisting, turning roads required skill and slowness with the sea crashing in at the right hand side.
As he drove with his headlights on full beam he glanced at the waves coming out of the blackness like
ghosts trying to grab you then quickly disappearing. The white arrows suddenly lit up as the glowing beam from the headlights hit them, guiding him around the corners instead of plunging him into a watery grave.
Howcroft took it steadily, the road was always quiet when daylight turned to darkness but it took a good forty-five minutes off the journey instead of the stop start annoyance through the main roads.
As his mind wandered to the meeting with the judge who was expecting him to update him on the murder investigation his mobile phone burst into life. It was Chief Superintendent Hothi.
‘Sorry Ma’am’ he answered ‘can’t talk at the moment, Ill call back shortly’.
‘But George‘ The phone went dead, Hothi let
out an angry sigh.
As Howcroft drove into the driveway he looked up at the imposing white stone house, which took on an eerie feel against the night sky. Howcroft stopped short of driving up to the house and called Hothi back, sensing the anxiety in her voice, which brought a wry smile to his face in making her wait.
‘Ma’amit’s George, sorry about earlier’.
Chief Superintendent Hothi didn’t want to hear Howcroft’s apology but was eager to tell him about the strange phone call she had received. Howcroft was stunned into silence after he had heard what she said.
‘So I want you to bring Judge Francis Lloyd in for questioning, maybe he might deny everything and be truly innocent or just maybe George he is involved in something and can throw some light on who this Freddy is and why his life is in danger. I’m going to inform Stephen Tarling as well’.
Howcroft raised his eyebrows and had a feeling of justification that Tarling and the Judge were up to their eyes in this investigation and now he knew he had his man.
As he carried on driving slowly along the gravel driveway the stones grinding making a crunching noise under
the wheels, he wondered how the Judge would react.
Howcroft slammed his car door shut and looked up at the trees surrounding the driveway as the wind got up and rattled through the branches and leaves. He also fell the first few spots of rain as though a storm was brewing.
Williams waited in his car for the imminent arrival of Harris, to whom he had given directions of how to get to the Judge’s penthouse flat in Knightsbridge. In the meantime he had called Nikki and anticipated the anger and hurt in her voice by not returning home. He fell the emotion go from her voice when he told her the ‘hound’ journalist Harry Morley had been called off. Chief Inspector Howcroft knew him and promised him a far bigger scoop if he left Detective Sergeant Williams and his family alone.
There was a tap on the car window, it was Harris. Williams pushed the button as the electric window whirred into action and slowly moved downwards. A puff of smoke came through the air, Williams waved his hand wildly trying to disperse the repugnant smell and coughed doing so. ‘Leave it out’ Williams said angrily.
The driver’s window shot back up a lot quicker as Williams clambered out of the car. ‘Sorry’ Harris murmured as he threw his cigarette onto the ground and stubbed it into the pavement with his shoe.
‘Not badnot bad’ Harris remarked as he
surveyed the surroundings and penthouse apartments before him. ‘How much do you reckon one of these pads cost then?’
Williams shrugged his shoulders in an uninterested way ‘Don’t know, two fifty?’
There was a rumble of thunder in the distance as Howcroft reached the Judge’s door and rang the bell.
Judge Francis Lloyd jumped as the noise of the doorbell startled him. He then realised it would be Chief Inspector Howcroft, he walked over to his stereo and turned down Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’. Out of curiosity the Judge walked over to his drawn curtains in the lounge and peered around, making sure it wasn’t another unexpected visitor. He smiled when he saw the cold figure of Howcroft.
As he opened the lounge door and made his way across the soft cream coloured carpet to the front door, the doorbell sounded again. ‘Impatient’ he smirked. He turned the handle and pulled open the large oak door.
The Chess Player Page 14
