Doors Without Numbers

by C. D. Neill

  “I hardly think his vegetarian preferences are relevant.” Morris scoffed as he resumed his walk down the corridor. His strides had lengthened and now he directed his speech over his shoulder. “Kathleen could have mentioned you sleeping with her the other night. She must have known that your indiscretion would compromise any court case later on which makes me wonder whether she values her friendship with you more than her desire to protect herself or Kelsey. That gives us something to work on.”

  Hammond guessed what was coming next. “You want me to talk to her?”

  Morris stopped outside the office door and turned around to face him. “It’s worth a try. Right now we need all the help we can get. If she knows anything that she wasn’t prepared to tell me in the interview, she may open up to you if you give her the opportunity.”

  Kathleen was nervous, Hammond couldn’t tell whether it was her guilty conscience showing or whether it was his direct manner that was making her so hesitant but she welcomed him into the house. Galvin stood in the doorway, unsure whether to follow them into the hallway, he knew he was needed as a witness but that didn’t mean he needed to make it obvious he was listening to the conversation being played out in front of him. He stood by the front door, his hand wrapped around his mobile phone, just in case his wife called.

  “Wallace, I..”

  Hammond interrupted Kathleen before she attempted to explain herself. He wasn’t there to listen to her excuses, he needed facts.

  “Kathleen, I need you to help us. We need to know where Bradley Kelsey and your Mother are. Can you tell us?” He knew his manner was short but enough time had been wasted.

  Kathleen looked up at him, she looked bewildered by his tone. “No, I don’t know. Why should I?”

  Hammond stepped closer to her, he wanted to appear intimidating. “Because it is only a matter of time before you contact them or they contact you. They are going to want to know what you told us in the interview. Am I right?”

  Kathleen’s left hand released its hold where it had rested on her right shoulder. She was still in defence mode but wanted to appear willing to co-operate.

  “Bradley sometimes comes here, I don’t know if he intends to come back. I don’t even know whether he knows I have been questioned, but if he asks I will tell him the truth, just like I told your Detective Chief Inspector. I don’t know anything!”

  “But you didn’t tell us the truth Kathleen, you said that Kelsey was an acquaintance, you never mentioned he was your biological father.”

  Kathleen’s face betrayed her astonishment. Hammond was surprised he hadn’t worked it out earlier, but when the thought had popped into his head it had made sense, enough to have voiced it aloud without fear of sounding as if he were bluffing, which of course he was. She hesitated for a second and glanced at Galvin who pretended to be studying his phone.

  “I don’t know him, that much is true. Like I said, Lloyd was my Father. Bradley is more of an acquaintance who just happens to share my DNA. We only met a few years ago and we don’t see each other often. When we do, we don’t talk much. There is no relationship to speak of.”

  “Yet you are protecting him by not telling us where to find him.”

  “Because I don’t know! I only know his mobile number. What is going on? Why won’t you tell me what this is all about? I swear Wallace, that I am as confused as you!”

  Her eyes were open wide but Hammond wouldn’t allow himself to be fooled again. “We need to find him Kathleen, if you don’t know where he is, then give us something you do know. When did you meet last? What did you say? Anything at all.”

  “The last time I saw him was when Dad had his episode. I lied when I said that I had called the Doctor. I called Bradley.”

  “Why?”

  “I had left the daily newspapers for Dad to read when he woke up before I left to go to town. When I returned, he was shouting, kept waving the newspaper at me and bellowing. He was saying things that didn’t make sense to me. I tried to reason with him but he went crazy. So I phoned Bradley, I asked him to help me.”

  “Why him? Why not the Doctor like you said?”

  “Bradley had told me that if I needed help with Dad to call him first.”

  “Did he help?”

  “He came to the house. When he got here Dad was still ranting and raving. I was told to leave, to give Dad some time to calm down.” She looked at Hammond for reassurance. “I was upset, I didn’t know what to do. Bradley said that I needed to take a breather, that I would be more helpful if I gave Dad some space, so I waited outside on the drive until the shouting stopped.”

  Hammond prompted her to tell more. “When you got back inside, where was your Dad?”

  “I don’t know, I guess he was in the office. The door was open, but I didn’t see him. I only saw Bradley.”

  “What was he doing?”

  “He was collecting the papers that Dad had been waving about. When he saw me, he told me that Dad had hit his head accidently. He was unconscious and Bradley was going to take him to the hospital.”

  “So why the secrecy? Why didn’t you mention this when you knew the Police wanted to talk to your Father?”

  Kathleen’s voice caught in her throat. “Because I knew he was dead, I could see from Bradley’s expression that something was wrong. I tried to get to my Dad but he stopped me, told me that I shouldn’t look.”

  Hammond studied Kathleen’s face for several moments, She was telling the truth, either that or she was a better actress than he had given her credit for.

  “How could I tell the police? I didn’t know where Bradley had taken Dad, I was told to report Dad missing, to say that he had wandered off. I didn’t know that Bradley had taken Dad to your house, how could I have known?”

  “Yet you tried to keep me from going there..it doesn’t add up Kathleen, you are not telling me everything.” Hammond resisted the temptation to continue questioning her, there was so much he didn’t understand but time was of the essence.

  “We’ll talk about that later, in the meantime, I want to find Kelsey and I need to know where he is. Think Kathleen, this is important, we need to find him.”

  Kathleen shook her head. “I have never been to his house. He approached me, never the other way round, but I do remember seeing an address in Aldington. I presumed it was where he lived.”

  “Aldington? Where did you see the address?”

  “He had written his mobile number on a scrap of paper that had been torn off an invoice for building renovations. It was addressed to him and I don’t remember the address, just that it was in Aldington.”

  “What was the name of the building company?”

  Kathleen shook her head as if trying but failing to remember.

  “Think Kathleen!” Hammond was infuriated by the slow progress he was making. He resisted the urge to shake her by the shoulders. Whether it was his wounded pride that had got the better of him or whether it was the need to have the answers in one go, Hammond felt desperate. He could feel Galvin’s eyes fixed on him from behind and forced himself to breath slowly through the nose.

  “The name was written in orange lettering. Champion. I think the name was Champion. Or was it Chapman? Yes, I think it was Chapman and Son’s.”

  “And the renovation work was definitely for an address in Aldington?”

  Hammond turned away from her, he directed Galvin to forward the information to the station. Kathleen’s reached out her hand hesitantly until it rested on his forearm.

  “Wallace, that night.. I want to explain.”

  He removed her hand from his arm firmly. “Kathleen. I want you to go back to the Station, speak to DCI Morris and tell him everything you just told me and anything you didn’t. Everything.” He met her eyes and retained the gaze until she nodded in agreement.

  “I know you think I can’t be trusted Wallace but...”

  Hammond interrupted her again. “The newspaper article that agitated your Dad, do you remember what it was about?”<
br />
  “It was about benefit fraud.”

  Hammond turned towards the exit, but stopped as Kathleen called his name. Her voice had a renewed confidence in the tone, it caused him to take notice and turn back around to face her.

  “They knew her as Goodchild, but really her name is Gutkin.”

  He nodded his thanks, reminded her to return to the station and left the house as abruptly as he had arrived.

  As Galvin steered the car southbound. Hammond updated Dunn over the phone and explained they were heading towards Aldington. He knew that it would be sensible to return to the station and debrief Morris but he didn’t know how he could convince his colleagues that he had found a lead worth concentrating all their attention on. By debating the plausibility of his theories, they would be losing time and enable Kelsey to get away. Dunn ended the call promising to call back with any update on her enquiries with the building company. Galvin kept silent. He was concentrating on driving but occasionally his head would turn towards Hammond with a perplexed expression. Hammond felt the heaviness of Galvin’s lack of faith in his actions rather than heard it but he pretended not to notice. He knew he was acting as a one man band again but reckoned this time, he had justifiable reason to do so. During the twenty minute journey the light had faded and Galvin turned on the main beam of the headlights as he navigated the car through narrow country roads. They parked the car in front of an entrance to a field just outside the village awaiting Dunn’s call. Minutes passed during which time Galvin made several checks on his mobile.

  “Why don’t you call her?” Hammond motioned to the phone.

  “We agreed it was easier if Anne called me when the time came, otherwise she’ll have to keep answering the phone every time I call to check.” The car was silent for several minutes before the pressure of Galvin’s thoughts forced themselves out of his mouth.

  “Where you there, with your wife?”

  Hammond looked at Galvin unsure what the other man meant. He raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

  “At your son’s birth.”

  “Ah.” Hammond wasn’t sure how to answer. He knew the man needed reassurance but he couldn’t give it to him. If he said he was there the moment Paul was born, Hammond would be asked to describe the scene which he had forced to the back of his mind as soon as it had happened, but if he lied and said Lyn had given birth before he had got to the hospital in time, Galvin’s desperation to know what he should expect would present itself with more questions which Hammond would be expected to answer. He decided not to answer at all.

  “Look Galvin, if necessary, just leave me here and get home if you need to. Don’t worry about me, I will find my own way back.”

  Galvin smiled and shook his head. “That’s not necessary, if it happens I will drop you back on the way.”

  The conversation stalled and the car was quiet. Hammond wondered why Dunn hadn’t called and said so. He felt stifled in the car, his body was riddled with nervous energy, part apprehension that Galvin would ask more questions about Paul’s birth. He wound down the passenger window and leaned his elbow over the edge of the door frame. The waft of farmland manure seeped into the car.

  “Don’t you think it would have been better to have organised surveillance on the place first? You don’t intend to go and confront him if this is where Kelsey is staying do you?”

  Hammond didn’t answer, he was embarrassed to admit he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

  The wait for Dunn’s call was too long. He suggested they drive the car through the village and look for evidence of building work. Satisfied with the distraction, Galvin drove through the village, they found nothing to encourage them. Hammond decided he was thirsty, the village shop was still open. He left the car and entered the shop, selected a bottle of mineral water from the chiller cabinet, paid for it and left the shop just in time to see Galvin’s car headlights flashing intermittently for his attention. Presuming it was to tell him Galvin’s wife had gone into labour, Hammond gestured for Galvin to leave but Galvin didn’t. Instead he continued to flash the car lights. Hammond stood at the entrance of the shop for several seconds before he realised what Galvin was trying to communicate. Kelsey was on the other side of the road exiting the Butchers. He was walking casually, swinging a red and white striped carrier bag in his hand as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Hammond glanced quickly at Galvin in the car and weighed up his options. He could run after Kelsey and take him there and then or he could follow him and see where Kelsey would lead him. He decided on the latter and gestured to Galvin to pull the car up. He got in the car.

  “Follow him, but stay back as much as you dare, if necessary I will get out and walk.”

  The car crept forward . Kelsey turned right at a bus stop and crossed a stile leading into a field of darkness. Hammond made a move to open the passenger door. Galvin looked across at him nervously.

  “You’re not following him in there! What if it is trick?”

  Hammond shook his head. “I doubt he knows we are here. I will keep in contact with you, only start to panic if you don’t hear from me in ten minutes.”

  He left the car and shuffled across the road towards the foot-stile. The grass was long and wet, the dampness sucked at his trousers as soon as his foot trod down on the soft earth on the other side of the stile. The field stretched downwards away from the pavement he had just left. Despite the urge to stay close to the reassurance of the street lights, Hammond trod further into the field. He couldn’t see Kelsey. There was silence apart from the faint drone of traffic that was audible even though the main road was a distance away.

  Hammond inched his way further, his eyes slowly became accustomed to the darkness and he could make out a faint line where grass had been trodden down to make a path. He followed the trail. The path went around a sharp corner towards the left. As Hammond made his way round, he saw a glimmer of light beckoning to him through the cluster of trees. A small gate was visible, obviously disused, the shadow of overgrown vegetation was woven around it. Light seeped from underneath a boarded window reflecting off scaffolding poles that had been left lying in a heap against the cottage walls. Hammond moved closer, he was beginning to question himself as to what he intended to do next but whilst deliberating he continued to move forward, leaving him less choice but to continue edging towards the wall of the building. He pressed his ear against the cold wall, hoping to get a better idea of how much activity there was inside the house but he could only hear the sound of his own blood being pumped around his head, the sound he had once believed had been the sound of the sea when he pressed a sea-shell against his ear. His eyes were now fully accustomed to the dark and he could see there was too much vegetation to allow him to get any closer to the boarded window without stepping on twigs and alerting his presence. He stood still whilst he debated what to do, conscious that the longer he stood there, the more his feet sank into the ploughed earth. He thought about what he was doing, how yet again he was acting alone, rebelling against the most fundamental rule of police work; to never go into a potentially dangerous situation alone. Swiftly he made a decision and turned around to head back towards Galvin and the car. His feet were caked in mud. As he placed his foot down to walk forward, the soul of the rubber sandal slipped under the added weight of his plastered ankle and slid forward causing his back leg to bend and throw his weight forward. He landed on his hands with both legs stuck behind him and he remained in the pose of a wheelbarrow whilst he attempted to pull his other leg out of the mud. As he eased his body upwards, he felt the rush of air on his upturned face as the pole came crashing down towards the back of his neck. Everything went dark.

  “When the Gods, to ruin a man, first make him mad, they do it, almost invariably, by making him an optimist.”

  Henry Havelock Ellis. The Dance of Life. 1923

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  When Hammond came to, he did not know where he was. He was lying on his stomach, his arms were outstretched above his head. The ground ben
eath him was cold and hard. His shoulders and neck ached. He moved his head stiffly trying to see where he was but it was pitch black, he couldn’t see his own hands as he drew them closer to his body. The air was heavy and warm which told him he was no longer outside. He groped the floor in the dark with the tips of his fingers, feeling the smoothness of ground that was interrupted by occasional gritty furrows. He detected he was lying on ceramic tiles. He must be in a bathroom. There was a lingering smell of disinfectant. He managed to sit up and strained his ears to pick up any sound but it was quiet. Slowly he willed his body to move and he got to his feet, shuffling to the side until his progress was hindered by a wall. He allowed his hands to explore the wall searching for a light switch. He continued this activity for a while before he heard sounds of someone approaching. The sound of a door opening was heard before light blinded him.

  The person by the door was quiet, and made no movement towards him. Hammond blinked to restore his vision and recognised Kelsey standing a few meters away from him. The two men stared at one another, neither spoke. Automatically Hammond looked to see if Kelsey had a weapon but the man’s hands hang limply by his sides with the assurance that Hammond wasn’t going anywhere. With the light now on, Hammond could see he was in an empty room. The floor was tiled, the walls bare apart from occasional hooks that poked out intermittently. The pain in his neck caused him to refrain from moving his head unless it was necessary. Then he heard the sound of heels tapping an approach before a voice he did not recognise addressed him.

  “I must confess, I didn’t expect to meet you like this.” She spoke clearly, articulating every vowel.

  Hammond studied the woman who now stood before him. He recognised her immediately. She was even more beautiful than her daughter, she walked with a confidence that Kathleen lacked. Her tall, lean figure was complimented by a fitted woollen skirt and matching jacket that she wore. It looked expensive, the kind of suit that his mother would have dreamed to have owned in her lifetime but never had.