Back in the hall his attention was then on his men. “Right you lot, let’s get organised.” He looked at the young constable with the camera. “I want you to go into each room and take photographs, I want everything captured so that I can study them later.” He turned his attention to the other officers. “Now when he’s done his bit, I want each one of you to take a room and I want you to look for any kind of weapon or implement that can do this kind of damage and if you find any kind of paperwork which might have an address on it let me know, we’re trying to find out his sister’s whereabouts, and wear gloves all of you we don’t want the powers that be on our backs.”
He looked at his sergeant. “This looks like a robbery gone wrong to me, but I don’t understand all this vandalism, it’s vicious. You come with me upstairs to the bedrooms; we might find something there that will tell us just how that fellow ended up on his drive that way.”
He looked at his men chatting to each other and clapped his hands. “Well come on, get yourselves moving, the sooner we find the bastards that did this the better.” His men scattered and with a smile on his face he began to climb the stairs.
As they reached the landing two constables came towards them and stood to attention. He looked at them. “Well, I take it you didn’t find anyone?”
They shook their heads. “There’s no one in the house, sir, but apart from that bedroom over there, nothing seems to have been disturbed upstairs.”
“Did you go into the room?”
“Yes Sir, we looked in the wardrobes and the bathroom but we didn’t go further into the room or disturb anything but we did find that the clothes have been ripped and thrown to the floor and the mirror in the bathroom has been smashed.”
“I don’t suppose there was any blood on the mirror?”
“None that we could see Sir.”
The inspector nodded. “Right, go downstairs and help look outside, we’re looking for footprints, fag ends, anything, you know the drill.”
The two men looked pleased and rushed down the stairs.
Just inside the bedroom door the inspector stopped and looked around the room. “Well, Tom, what are your first impressions?”
The sergeant looked at each corner of the room and nodded towards the bed. “If it wasn’t for all the chaos downstairs I’d say this was a crime of passion, the rooms in disarray but just look at the destruction of that bed.”
The inspector nodded. “That’s just what I was thinking, but could a woman have caused all the other damage?”
“Well she was strong enough to push that poor sod out the window and he wasn’t a little bloke.”
The young man crossed to the window and looked down on the pool of blood below him and turned and looked around the room again. “You might be right Tom. Listen I’m going to see that Mary Shaw woman, see if she knows if this guy had a lady friend. Keep an eye on this lot; they’ll be off for a quick fag if you don’t watch them.”
The sergeant nodded and watched as his inspector ran down the stairs and out the back door.
Mary was nodding in the chair when she heard the knock at the door. She opened it a couple of inches and peered out, seeing the young inspector on her doorstep she opened the door wide.
He took off his hat and smiled down at her. “I’m sorry to disturb you Mrs Shaw but I just have a couple of questions for you, may I come in?”
“Please do, I’m just about to put the kettle on it’s milk and two sugars isn’t it?”
He took a seat as Mary pottered about in the kitchen. The young man smiled as Mary placed the tray on the table and began to pour the tea.
“Now before you start asking your questions, let’s get one thing clear, it’s Miss Shaw, the only Mrs Shaw is upstairs in her bed not long for this world by the looks of her.”
The inspector looked embarrassed and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry Miss Shaw.”
Mary nodded. “Now what do you want to know?”
“Can you tell me if Mr Gardener had a woman friend?”
Mary sat back deep in thought. “Well I couldn’t say for sure.” She saw the man frown. “You see, he never told me as much but I think he did.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well I never saw her see, but suddenly he had a twinkle in his eye, you know what I mean, and things would get moved in my kitchen, put back in the wrong places and a couple of times my cooker was switched off when I was baking, I had to tell Master Richard what for over that.”
“So you never saw the woman, it’s just a feeling, is that right?”
“That’s right, call it woman’s intuition if you like but Master Richard seemed to change overnight, more kind natured, gentle like.”
“So Mr Gardener hadn’t always been good natured then?”
“Well the poor man had a lot of tragedy in his life, took to the bottle for a while, but he pulled himself together and got Moorcroft back on its feet.”
The inspector nodded he had heard most of the family history from the local plod. “So as far as you’re aware you think he had a woman but no one had ever seen her.”
Mary nodded. “That’s right.”
He stood up and thanked Mary for the tea. At the door he turned. “By the way, there are two horses in the stables do you know if anyone attends to them?”
Mary’s gave a heavy sigh. “Oh Lord, Dancing Lady and her colt, I had forgotten all about them. No, the only person who looked after those was Master Richard himself. The poor things will want turning out and fed.”
“I’ll get one of the farmers here about to look after them, thank you Miss Shaw.”
As he reached the gate, Mary called out to him. “Get in touch with Bill Walters up at Great Meadow Farm, he was a good friend to Master Richard, he’ll look after those horses until Sarah’s found.”
The inspector doffed his hat and got into his car.
Back at Moorcroft he was met by an excited sergeant. “Glad you’re back sir. We’ve made some discoveries in the study, what looks like a letter from a detective agency and some torn up photographs. We’ve also found a letter addressed to a Mrs S. Wesley. Could that be the missing sister?”
The inspector patted him on the back. “Good work Tom, let’s go and have a look.”
In the dining room the furniture had been put back in place and several bags of evidence were piled on the table. Tom walked in and held up a folder.
“Take a look at these.”
He passed him a polythene bag containing a patchwork photograph of a young man and woman sat on a park bench and one of a young boy. The Inspector took them over to the window; there was a definite likeness to the deceased.
“This was found close by the pictures.” Tom handed him an invoice, headed Parker Investigations, and read the information. He handed it back to Tom.
“Get on to the office and get someone to ring this bloke, see what he knows of our Mr Gardener and if he goes on about client confidentiality tell him I’ll have the VAT man go over his books, see if that loosens his tongue. Now where’s the letter?”
Tom reached for an evidence bag and handed it to the inspector. He looked at the address. “Mrs Wesley, I think Mary mentioned that name. West Midlands, this could be our missing sister alright, where was this found, in the study?”
“No, sir, it was wedged at the back of the bureau, looks like it had slipped down the back and got hooked up, when we righted the piece of furniture it fell out.”
He nodded. “Tom, pass me a pair of rubber gloves, I’m going to have to read it, see if it sheds any light on this enquiry.”
Tom watched as his superior read the letter.
“This is good, Tom, it identifies a woman named Charlotte, seems she hated the sister and made threats. She could be our killer. Send someone to our local copper to ask if he knows of any woman called Charlotte who might live here about. Then get in touch with our nearest police station to this address ask them to locate this woman but not to approach her and tell them I’m on my way to ta
lk to her. Got all that?”
Tom nodded. “Yes Sir.”
The young inspector held up the folder with the photographs and the letter. “Have these all been documented?”
A young constable sitting at the table looked up. “Yes, sir, all done.”
“Good, I’m taking these with me.” At the door he turned. “Don’t forget the detective and Tom get this lot moving, we haven’t got all day and we need to find this woman. Before you go home tonight I want this house closed up tight.”
Edward Crawley stood outside the semi-detached house and looked around. It was a good, quiet rural area; the house was grand, not up to the standards of Moorcroft but respectable. He had driven there in his own car, not wanting to cause any undue attention, a police woman stood at his side dressed in a dark suit and blouse. He rang the door bell and waited. Through the glass door he could see someone approaching, a young boy. As the door opened a woman chased down the hall way chastising the boy.
“Ben, what have I told you about opening the door to strangers.”
Edward looked down at the boy. “She’s right you know.”
Sarah nudged her son in the back. “Now go and clean out that rabbit hutch or I’m giving the smelly thing away.” She turned to her visitors. “I’m sorry about that, how can I help you?”
He handed her his warrant card. “I’m Detective Inspector Crawley and this is Constable Reynolds, may we come in?”
Sarah put her hand to her throat. “Oh Dear God, don’t tell me something’s happened to Charles.”
He walked through the door. “No, nothing has happened to your husband, please can we come in.”
She showed them into the lounge and they sat on the settee, while Sarah sat in an armchair. “You are Mrs Sarah Wesley, formerly Sarah Gardener of Moorcroft, near Preston?”
Sarah nodded. “Yes, what’s all this about?”
“I’m sorry to have to inform you that a body was found at Moorcroft early yesterday morning. We believe it is your brother Richard Gardener.”
Sarah stared from one to the other. “Richard’s dead, but how.”
“He was found lying on the drive; it looks like he may have disturbed a burglar.”
Sarah gasped and took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the tears from her eyes. “The last time we met, we argued, I said I would never set foot in Moorcroft again, poor Richard.”
“Mrs Wesley, can your husband be contacted?”
“Yes, he should be back soon he’s only gone to the shop for the papers.”
Just then the front door opened and a man’s voice called out. “There’s a strange car parked outside our house.” Charles walked into the lounge and looked at the strangers.
Inspector Crawley stood up and made the introductions and explained the situation, and then he nodded to the young woman at his side. “Perhaps Constable Reynolds could make us all a cup of tea?”
Charles nodded and sat on the arm of the chair and put his arm around Sarah’s shoulders and the young woman left the room. “I’m sorry Mrs Wesley, but we will require a formal identification, would it be possible for you and your husband to visit Preston.”
Sarah looked up at Charles and he answered for her. “Yes, we’ll come up whenever you want us. Do you know who did this?”
The constable entered with drinks on a tray as Edward Crawley took the letter from his folder; it was sealed in an evidence bag. “Mrs Wesley we found this at the house, obviously Mr Gardener intended to post it to you.”
Sarah reached for it.
“I can’t take it out of the bag as its evidence, but you can easily read it.”
Charles read the letter over Sarah’s shoulder, he could feel her tense and he squeezed her arm, she handed it back to the inspector.
“Can you throw any light on this Charlotte woman, we think she may be involved, was she a work colleague as the letter suggests.”
Sarah took a deep breath. “I’m sorry Inspector but I don’t know this woman, she’s definitely is no friend of mine.”
He took a drink from his cup and closely watched the pair, a look passed between them. “Can you think of anyone who would want to harm your brother?”
Sarah shook her head.
He looked at Charles. “And you sir?”
“Richard and I were very good friends before we moved down here, until then I don’t know of anyone who would want to harm him.”
Crawley put his cup on the tray and stood up. “Thank you for your time Mrs Wesley and I’m sorry for your loss.” At the front door he turned to Charles. “We are trying to put the pieces together to find the perpetrators of this crime and we would appreciate any help, no matter how small.”
“How did Richard die?”
Edward Crawley watched his face. “It looks like he was pushed from an upstairs window, he had several injuries, but it was the blow to the head sustained in the fall that killed him.”
Charles took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Poor Richard, Sarah hasn’t spoken to him since her mother’s funeral; you see he blamed Sarah for his fiancés death.”
“Yes, I read up on that, a tragic accident by all accounts. Could there have been another woman involved, a love triangle.”
Charles laughed. “No way, Richard only had eyes for Victoria and Sarah was her best friend she loved her like a sister. Richard never got over her death and Sarah never got over the burden of blame, she vowed she would never go back to Moorcroft, it held too many bad memories.”
Edward nodded and reached out his hand. “Perhaps if you could let me know when you arrive in Preston and I’ll get everything arranged.”
Charles watched as they closed the gate.
In the car Edward Crawley looked back at the house. “There’s something they’re not telling us, but I can’t put my finger on it, did you see her reaction to the letter, she knows this woman alright, so why won’t she talk to us?”
Back in Preston Edward Crawley sat at his desk the evidence laid out before him. They had found no foot prints other than Mary Shaw’s, the back door was locked and bolted from the inside and the front door was also locked and bolted. They had found no forced entry and no windows broken, so how had the intruders got in? Had Richard Gardener known his assailants and let them in himself before locking the door? The house still had expensive items on display, pictures, and jewellery, silver, none had been touched which would rule out burglary. The only fingerprints to be found were those of the deceased and Mary Shaw, so the intruders must have worn gloves. Then there’s the letter from the P.I. which only proves that the deceased and his sister were not on speaking terms. He picked up Richard’s letter. Now this is the key to it all. It all pointed to a lovers tiff gone wrong, the bed slashed to ribbons and then the malicious destruction in the rest of the house. After Richard had gone through the window burglars would have snatched what they could and run. But there was no foot prints, no tyre treads. No, whoever killed Richard Gardener stayed behind to destroy his belongings, it all pointed to a woman scorned, this Charlotte.
He picked up his phone. “Tom, can you bring in any information that has been found on this Charlotte woman.”
Tom walked through the door a frown on his face and handed Crawley a single sheet of paper.
“Is this it?”
“Sorry boss, but no one knows her. Fred Thomson, the village bobby, has asked around, there’s no woman named Charlotte in the vicinity of Moorcroft or that village. He even checked with the local vicar and the only records he had was of a Charlotte Worthington that lived in the house some sixty or seventy years ago.”
Crawley’s head sprung up. “Where is she now, perhaps she had a daughter and named her Charlotte and she’s come back to Moorcroft. Well go on, find out.”
Tom shuffled his feet. “There’s no point, the vicar said she was found dead at Moorcroft, died of natural causes. She never married, and there’s no off spring. We’ve reached a dead end there boss.”
Crawley banged his fis
t on the desk. “Everything points to this woman.”
Tom looked down at his young boss. “Sir, if it was a lover’s row and this Charlotte woman did it, how did she get out of the house after she pushed him through the window, all the doors were locked from the inside?”
Crawley looked up at his sergeant and frowned. “I haven’t the faintest idea.”
At the inquest the medical report showed that Richard Gardener had died from a blow to the head sustained when he hit the ground. After the evidence was given by the Medical Examiner, Mary Shaw and the policemen, the coroner found that Richard Gardener had been unlawfully killed by a person or persons unknown and an open verdict was recorded.
Outside the building Mary and Sarah held each other tight and sobbed, watched very closely by D.I. Edward Crawley.
Charles walked over to him. “What does it mean an open verdict?”
He looked into the anxious face of Charles Wesley. “It means that the case remains open and should any further evidence come to light we can reopen it and investigate further.”
Charles nodded. “So, this Charlotte woman was never found?”
“No, Mr Wesley, she wasn’t, but we will keep on looking, someone is responsible for Richard Gardener’s death and one day we’ll catch them.”
Charles looked at the confident expression on the inspectors face. “Well, I wish you luck with that.”
“Will you and your wife move back to Moorcroft?”
Charles looked startled. “Hell no, Sarah would never enter that house again, in her own words, ‘It can rot for all I care.’ need I say more?”
“Does she not want to sell it?”
“No, she doesn’t want anyone else to live there, as far as she’s concerned Moorcroft doesn’t exist, it can rot.”
After the funeral, in the village pub condolences were passed on to Sarah, many remembering Richard as the gentleman he was and a glass was raised to his memory. Sarah hugged Mary to her and wished her well. Mary cried knowing she would never see her darling Sarah again. She didn’t blame her for not wanting to go back to Moorcroft, but it seemed such a shame that a lovely house like Moorcroft should be left abandoned.
Moorcroft The Possession Page 26
