The Rubicon

by Andrew Heasman

  And yet, Bev was still not happy. She called the doctor who had performed the procedure to clarify his report’s findings.

  “Your report was very clear and concise, doctor, but was there anything that stood out to you, anything that didn’t feel right, but which you couldn’t quite put your finger on?”

  There was a hesitation. “Well, no, nothing...not really.”

  “That suggests that maybe there was, Doc. What was it? What weren’t you happy with?”

  DS Carmichael smiled to herself. This was it. This was the crucial piece of evidence that would disrupt the whole case.

  “It was nothing really. It’s just that if the two men had been grappling for control of the weapon, if they’d bumped into doors and walls, I’d have expected to see more bruising to Turner’s back. I saw the photos of Greenwood and he clearly had bruising to his back and arms. That being said, if Turner had been the dominant fighter, the aggressor, which it is claimed that he was, then he might have done all of the pushing and not received any damage himself. It could be explained - that’s why I didn’t add it to the report.”

  “I see.”

  Bev’s heart sank. She felt deflated. Was she looking for something that did not exist? Maybe it was just self-defence, plain and simple? Why did she feel the need to disprove Adam, anyway? He was part of the police family, one of their own. He was the ‘hero’ of the day, having saved PC Johnston. Why did she keep trying to turn him into the evil aggressor when he clearly was nothing of the sort? And yet, that tiny voice in her head kept telling her to look deeper, that something did not add up. She felt confused and a little guilty for not trusting a former police officer, but she put her concerns to one side and called DC Barton into her office.

  “Have we had any more results back on the Turner/Greenwood case?”

  DC Barton pulled out a cardboard folder and flicked through the sheets of paper inside.

  “Well, there was nothing of importance found at the crime scene, Sarge. SOCO did a thorough search of everything, and all evidence suggests a struggle for the weapon followed by them both collapsing to the floor. Turner didn’t get up again. There were no blood marks to indicate that he had tried to move afterwards, so I’d assume death was pretty quick.”

  Bev nodded. Still there was nothing to suggest anything different to what they already knew.

  DC Barton continued, “Oh, as we thought, the knife has been confirmed as the one missing from the knife block in the kitchen. The only clear prints on it were Turner’s, but there were a few smudges which would probably be Greenwood’s.”

  Bev nodded again. That would make sense. His prints would be smudged if he had a poor grip on the weapon whilst fighting to prevent it being used against him.

  “Anything else?” she asked.

  “We sent off Turner’s phone to be checked by the Tech Department. It seems that he received a call in the early evening from a mobile number. We did a trace on it and it came back to a Callum Cliff, one of Turner’s associates. Coincidentally, the hoax call to Hawthorn Academy was received at about 14:00 hours from the same mobile number. It’s possible that Cliff was responsible for that call too.”

  “Really?” replied DS Carmichael. “You think, maybe, they had some sort of falling-out? This was Cliff’s way of getting back at Turner?”

  “Possibly, Sarge, but I don’t see how it’s related to the killing.”

  “It’s probably not, but get hold of Cliff anyway; we need to have a word in his shell, see what he was up to.”

  “I already got the local Bobbies to pop round his H/A, but he wasn’t there. His mother said he had disappeared, not been seen in a while. She had no idea where he was.”

  “Get him circulated, we need to find him to sort that hoax call out, if nothing else.”

  “Will do, Boss.”

  “I take it Turner’s next-of-kin has been informed of his death?”

  “Yeah, one of the lads visited his partner, a Kelly Jackson, to pass on the good, sorry, bad news.” He smiled at his deliberate mistake.

  “How’d she take it?”

  “Didn’t say a lot, but she actually smiled - would you believe it? I don’t think there will be many tears shed there.”

  As DC Barton exited the room, Bev was left alone with her thoughts. It looked as if the killing was as it first appeared; nothing more than an accident. She felt uncomfortable with that conclusion, but she could only go by what the evidence told her - police hunches were not accepted as reliable sources of information.

  A few minutes later, her desk telephone rang. It was Chief Inspector Bream.

  “DS Carmichael, what’s the situation with Adam Greenwood?” He was as abrupt as ever.

  “We bailed him, sir, pending further enquiries.”

  “And what sort of evidence are you awaiting? What do you expect to find?”

  “Well, forensic results, stuff like that, sir.”

  “It looks pretty straightforward to me, Detective Sergeant. Turner broke into Greenwood’s house and was armed. A struggle ensued and he got stabbed. End of story. Self-defence, simple as that, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Well, yes, but what about the fact that Turner didn’t have any injuries or bruising to his back? If they fought, he must have got pushed into a wall or door or something.”

  “Is that it?” Bream was incredulous. “Is that all you’ve got, your only discrepancy?” He went silent at his end of the phone line. “Right, forget all about that. Put the case file through to CPS - let them make a decision. If they say drop the case, that it was just self-defence, then apologise to Greenwood and tell him that it’s done with. Just remember that he is still a key witness in the assault on PC Johnston. If he gets charged with murder, we’ll lose that case too, plus any chance of getting the first conviction under the new law. Besides, we can do without him making accusations of poor police procedure against us. If it goes to the authorities, we could be liable for millions.”

  “But we’ve done nothing wrong, sir. We investigated every claim that he brought to us - the damage, anti-social behaviour, threats - everything. If the evidence wasn’t there, we can’t be expected to charge anyone – you know that, sir.”

  “Yes, I know that, and so does he. But it doesn’t stop him stirring the shit if he chooses to, does it? Remember what he was like when he left the force.”

  Bev did not actually remember it herself, but she had witnessed those in the upper echelon of the police force closing ranks to counter his allegations despite what he had said being totally credible. She did remember that Bream had not come out of it unscathed. Was he afraid that he would, once again, have to face questions about his leadership? Was he worried in case his imminent retirement and pension came under threat?

  “OK, sir, I’ll pass everything to CPS to decide how we should progress.”

  Chief Inspector Bream did not bother to reply. He simply ended the call.

  Chapter 42

  Three months later...

  Life had returned to normal for the Greenwood family, and yet nothing would ever really be the same again.

  Adam had been summoned to the police station to clarify a few additional issues relating to the night of the 9th/10th January. There were questions about Turner’s lack of injuries, questions about why the back door had been left unlocked, and questions relating to some of the points that had been raised during the first interviews. All information had then been referred to the CPS to decide if there was a case to answer and whether it was in the public interest to prosecute. Unsurprisingly, it only took them a matter of days to adjudicate. Adam received a call from DS Carmichael informing him that the investigation had been discontinued and that his self-defence plea had been accepted. He was no longer required to remain on bail and was a free man.

  The relief was palpable, for him, and for his family. Sarah’s doubts were instantly put to one side; after all, if the police were willing to accept Adam’s account, then why should she think differently? Family
life and work life resumed as normal.

  Initially, Adam’s sleep patterns became disrupted. He had random dreams and nightmares which haunted him. He visited a doctor who prescribed medication to help him sleep, but deep down, he already knew the cause - he was struggling to reconcile his actions. Only he knew the truth of what had really happened to Aaron Turner, and when he thought about what he had planned and executed, he was convinced that his response had been proportionate to the threats against him. But that was his sensible, logical brain talking. Subconsciously, he knew that he had murdered one man, that he had threatened others, and that he had used violence against many. That was the truth of the matter, and it was something that did not sit well with him. However, as time passed, so those dreams became less frequent. He became accustomed to the feeling of guilt - it was just something that he would have to learn to live with.

  The beginning of March brought Josh Turner’s trial, and Adam was summoned to court to give his witness testimony. Having wasted two entire days sitting in the court’s public reception area awaiting the call to enter the witness box, the Clerk of the Court informed him that he would NOT be required to give evidence after all. At the last moment, Josh had decided (on the advice of his legal team) to admit to all of the charges. He was duly sentenced to a term of six years behind bars - three if you take into consideration the automatic halving of all sentences for good behaviour (a quirk of British Law). Much to Chief Inspector Bream’s displeasure, the case had taken so long to process, so long to reach trial, that it was no longer the first to obtain a conviction under the new, ‘Assault on Emergency Workers Law’ - the Met having beaten them to it. As a consequence, there was minimal publicity and the Chief Inspector received no credit or personal praise in bringing it to court. He subsequently retired.

  PC Johnston eventually recovered sufficiently to return to work, albeit in a limited capacity, primarily concentrating on office work. Her confidence had taken a battering, as well as her body, and a police officer without confidence in their own abilities did not have a place on the frontline. She was awarded £300 in compensation by the courts, but, as was the norm, not a penny was ever received.

  If Josh Turner had harboured any thoughts of keeping a low profile whilst he was serving his sentence, he was sadly disappointed. Jimmy O’Rourke was furious when he discovered the demise of Aaron Turner, especially as he had yet to return his £50,000 cash. Not being one to allow a debt to go unpaid, he turned his attention to Josh. If Aaron was unable to pay him back, then the debt passed to his family members, namely his brother. O’Rourke had influence and contacts within the prison, and immediately Josh began to feel his wrath. It started with a softening-up process, random beatings, visits to his cell at night, and attacks in the food hall. He was living on the edge of his nerves, unsure when, or where, the next assault might come from. Then came the demands - his visitors were required to smuggle certain items (drugs) into the prison. If they refused, they too, would suffer the consequences. Josh thought that he might be able to endure this regime until his time behind bars was over, but O’Rourke destroyed any hopes that he had of a fresh start after his release by telling him that he would remain in his debt until the full £50k (and interest) had been paid off. Josh was desolate! He was later found in his cell, a homemade plastic knife lying by his side, as he died a slow and lingering death from blood loss having cut his wrists.

  As one life ended, so another began.

  Jenny continued to flourish under the medical care of the County Hospital. As her condition improved, she was tested for long-term side effects of her injuries. As far as the experts could ascertain, there were none, she would eventually lead a full and normal life. It was as if she had been born again, a new beginning, a fresh start. However, whilst her physical injuries healed fully, her mental health was not quite so fortunate. In subsequent years, she suffered from anxiety attacks, particularly in open public spaces, particularly near busy roads. Although not life threatening, this was to prove life limiting, affecting her socially and knocking her confidence. It was something that she needed to learn to live with and to control as best she could.

  As for the members of Turner’s gang – Archie Smith and Mark Danson were found guilty of possession-with-intent-to-supply and possessing an offensive weapon. They vigorously protested their innocence, claiming that they had been set-up, presumably by the police. They had no idea of Adam’s involvement and they were never to discover the full extent of it.

  Jared Brown eventually recovered from his broken leg - although he always walked with a slight limp, as a result. He never made mention of what Adam had done to him, in fact, he never spoke about the whole affair. He constantly lived in fear that his footage of the hit-and-run would eventually come to light and he would find himself facing attempted murder charges. Although he remained on the fringes of estate gang culture, he had learned one valuable lesson - he no longer filmed anything that he, or his mates, got up to. It was far safer for all concerned that way.

  Callum Cliff was circulated by the police and eventually discovered living in Scotland, working as a farm labourer. He was arrested and brought back to Barrington to answer questions relating to the hoax call to Hawthorn Academy and his possible involvement in, or knowledge of, Aaron’s death. Of course, it turned out to be a fruitless task as he had no knowledge of either incident. He denied any falling-out between him and Turner and claimed that he had lost his phone prior to any calls having been made. As he was not in possession of the said phone, the police had no evidence to counter with. He was released without charge. He made no mention of Adam Greenwood, no mention of the arson to his house, and no reference to Adam having exacted his own form of revenge on him and Sam Barr. The threat that Adam had made to pass their filmed confessions to the police was still as potent as it had been at the time that it was given.

  As for Samuel Barr – he was never suspected of any involvement in the arson, never questioned in relation to Aaron’s demise, and not suspected of having made any of the threats or intimidation towards the Greenwood family. He managed to get off scot-free!

  -

  In the weeks following Adam’s exoneration, a package containing three mobile phones and a handwritten account of his full involvement in Aaron Turner’s death (and everything leading up to it) was deposited into a safe-deposit-box at a bank in Churston.

  The account was opened in the name of Smith, John Smith, but the person making the deposit bore a remarkable resemblance to Adam Greenwood. It was his insurance policy. Should the police ever decide to resurrect the investigation into Turner’s death, or if any of his associates ever decided to open their mouths, the recordings and confessions would be sufficient to ensure that all of them, himself included, would spend many years behind bars. For the time being, they were in the safest place, out of harm’s way, protected until that fateful day arrived – if it ever did.

  Around the same time, another package was hand-delivered to the home of Kelly Jackson. Her heart nearly stopped when she unwrapped it. It contained £45k in cash. It had no note to explain where it had come from, but she did not need one, she knew immediately. Within a week of its arrival, she had vanished from the Glebe, along with her son, Kyle. Where they had gone, nobody knew, but Adam was sure that their new life would be far better than the one that they were leaving behind.

  The £5,000 that remained unaccounted for was absorbed into Adam’s locksmith business, aiding the cash flow situation and acting as compensation for all that his family had been forced to endure. Sarah remained none the wiser as to its existence.

  DS Carmichael did not have time to dwell on the Turner/Greenwood case for long; she was always in demand for high profile jobs within the county. However, despite the court and CPS judgement, she still retained a certain amount of doubt regarding Adam’s apparent innocence. She was a seasoned detective and she trusted her gut instinct above all else, and at that particular moment, her gut was screaming at her, telling her that things we
re not as they appeared. However, there were only so many hours in the day, and she was far too busy to waste time chasing a hunch when those senior to her had decreed it to be a closed case. Even so, it still niggled her.

  -

  One warm spring afternoon in April, Adam bumped into Lloyd in the pedestrianised shopping precinct. They exchanged pleasantries, Lloyd asking after Sarah and Jenny’s wellbeing, before each headed off in their separate directions.

  Lloyd stopped, hesitated, and then turned back towards Adam.

  “You really went ahead and did it, didn’t you?” He spoke in hushed tones.

  Adam turned to face his friend, smiling.

  “Sorry? Did what?” He appeared confused, unsure what Lloyd was talking about.

  “You got away with it.”

  “Got away with what? I dunno what you mean.”

  “I remember a little chat we both had on a boring night shift many moons ago. We were sat talking crap, talking bullshit to pass the time.” Lloyd looked Adam in the eyes. Adam returned his stare, unflinching. “I remember us talking about what we’d do if we got brought in for murder, what we’d say, and how we’d get away with it because we knew how the system worked.”