by Ken Blowers
‘Well.’
‘See you later, dear and go easy on the greens tonight dear. Just to be on the safe side, ok?’
He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and was gone.
Down at the Police Station, Grant had already arranged for Mrs Humphries to be brought in.
‘Good-day, Mrs Humphries, may I call you Vera?’
‘Yes. Er, Inspector.’
‘Grant, please. Everyone calls me Grant. I mean we’re certainly close acquaintances, if not friends.’
‘Yes, I suppose so, Grant. But why have I been brought in here. What will my friends and neighbours say?’
‘Oh, just a routine inquiry into the death of Fred Peebles. Such a nice old chap, wasn’t he?’
‘Yes. Yes, of course. A very nice man. I was shocked to hear of his sudden death.’
‘Me too. But since I was on the spot, so to speak, I guess it’s only reasonable that I should be asked to look into it, don’t you agree?’
‘Well, I suppose so; but what can I possibly tell you?’
‘You have a son, Eric – Eric Humphries, I assume?’
‘Why yes, Eric John Humphries.’
‘Good. Good. See, Vera, how easy it is?’
Grant could see from her face that she was surprised at the opening line of questioning, which was just what he wanted. He was hoping to catch her off balance.
‘Is it true that your Eric and Mr Peebles’ daughter Alice, are having a relationship? A fairly steady relationship, one perhaps leading to... marriage?’
‘Well I, I suppose that is a possibility. Yes. Though young people today don’t always favour a formal marriage, do they?’
‘No. That’s true. But formal or informal, would you agree that if they do marry, then they could possibly obtain benefit, quite a substantial benefit from the death of Mr Peebles?’
‘Oh, well, maybe. After all, anything’s possible. But why don’t you ask them?’
‘Oh, I will have to, Vera. But, since we are acquainted, I thought it more proper to talk to you first.’
‘Thank you, er...Grant.’
‘But before we go on, I must confess that at 12:22 am, I witnessed you swing your limbs out of bed and you sat there for awhile as if you were studying Mr Peebles very closely. As you may know, it was shortly after that, when he was found dead. Would you like to volunteer an explanation for your actions, Vera?’
‘Nothing. Nothing but a co-incidence.’
‘Thank you. Unlikely, but a reasonable line of defence, I would think.’
‘Defence?’
‘Oh, yes. I’m afraid you are clearly Number One on our ‘Who Did It’ list, for now. Until proven otherwise, of course.’
‘That’s nonsense!’
‘Nonsense or not, that is the case, Vera. Since you are an acquaintance, if not a friend, I feel obliged to help you as much as I can. Keep you informed how things are developing. That kind of thing.’
‘Oh, er, thank you, Grant.’
‘That’s alright. That’s alright, Vera. But please be aware that truth is always best. Hiding things, stretching the truth, refusing to answer questions during interviews, may appear to be the right thing, the clever thing to do. But, they can be extremely damaging to your case when they are exposed in Court. You must appreciate
from the very start that just about everything we do in our so called private life, is recorded and filed away somewhere.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yes, letters, notes, phone calls, emails, documents and then there’s cameras.’
‘Cameras?’
‘Oh, yes. Cameras. They are everywhere today, aren’t they?’
‘In hospitals?’
‘Yes. Especially in hospitals.’
‘What? In Emergency Wards?’
‘Especially in Emergency Wards. Primarily, because of the amount of violence against the staff, these days. All too common.’
‘I didn’t see any cameras in our Ward.’
‘You probably didn’t notice them, but being a Copper, I certainly did.’
‘You and me. Gary Smith. Old Fred Peebles.’
‘On camera? What did they see, then?’
‘Ah! Although I’m happy to help you all I can, there are some things I just can’t reveal. You will understand that, Vera, I’m sure.’
‘Cameras? I never thought about me, you and the others being on cameras.’
‘Yes and these cameras seem to get smaller and smaller every year, don’t they?’
‘Cameras.’ She shook her head in dismay.
So, Vera, if you did help dear old Fred Peebles with taking his pills, as I suspect, well, we could all understand that.’
‘You could?’
‘Yes, of course and if you got a bit over enthusiastic and gave him a wee bit too much.’
‘I did. I didn’t mean to you know. I just kept on giving them to him, until they were all gone. I was only trying to help, honest, I was. He looked so peaceful.’
‘Thank you, Vera. You look so much better now you have that off your chest. Confession, they say is good for the soul.’
‘Confession? I’m not confessing to anything! I’m out of here!’
‘Oh, dear! I’m so sorry. I must tell you I appear to have left my office intercom on! Dear oh dear, my staff may have heard some or all of our informal conversation. Yes, here comes Sergeant Williams and PC Jane Cummings, now.’
‘Excuse me, Sir,’ said Sergeant Williams. ‘I thought you might like to know we have the autopsy report: Death by involuntary overdose. Mr Peebles has left everything to his daughter, who is to be married to a Mr Eric John Humphries, next Saturday.’
‘Oh, good.’
‘Anything else, Sir?’
‘Yes, just a word or two, Sergeant. But first, perhaps Constable Cummings would kindly escort Mrs Vera Humphries to the ladies room to freshen up. Then to the interview room for a quiet cuppa.’
Mrs Humphries, in the care of Constable Cummings, left the room in something like a daze.
‘We’ve got her finger prints on just about everything, as you thought, Sir. But I’m sorry, Sir, there was nothing on camera of any use to us.’
‘I’m not surprised. I never thought there would be. Now you’ve heard it all on the intercom, so what say you handle the formal interview; then you can introduce Mrs Humphries to the Desk Sergeant and charge her with murder?’
‘Yes, Sir. I can handle that.’
‘Good. Good. Then I might as well go home now. I did promise my wife I’d be home early for a change.’
CHAPTER 7
AN INDECENT ACT
Fifth former Roger Hodges had been standing outside the Headmaster’s study for some time, probably no more than twenty minutes to half-an-hour really, but to him it seemed to be a virtual lifetime. For the umpteenth time he pulled up his socks and straightened his tie. He knew he was in pretty big trouble this time.
Visits to the Headmaster were anything but a novelty for him and he was well aware of the procedure. This waiting about bit was pretty much the standard thing, both to emphasise the importance of the Headmaster’s position and also to demoralise, weaken and deflate, any boy waiting to be judged. It was ever so in just about every school of higher learning across the land.
However, he knew that this time it was a much more serious matter than any previous transgression. This time it involved certain goings-on with a female person and on school premises to boot! This time he knew he would be lucky if he didn’t get kicked out!
Roger hardly dared to think what his parents would say to that. They weren’t rich and toffee-nosed like the parents of most of the boys at this school. They were in fact a thoroughly decent, hard-working, couple from working class families who had been surprisingly successful in their small online business and were very grateful for that. So grateful they were determined to give their only child the best possible ed
ucation they could get him. To this end, they had been extremely lucky in securing young Roger a much sought after place on a minor scholarship, at Woodberry Hall. A small private school of over a hundred years standing; a school of impeccable standards that counted many successful men, some famous, even titled, through endeavour of course; amongst its list of old boys.
The Headmaster, Mr Blitz, was obviously using the school’s in-house telephone for Roger could hear the Headmaster’s voice rising angrily as he remonstrated with someone, probably a staff member and most likely his Form Master Mr Snoddington-Jones. He was the one who had caught them doing it last night. Roger winced as heard words like “I’ll not stand for it!” “The school will not stand for it!” “We have two aims here. We must protect the girl and most assuredly we will. The boy must be punished and seen to be punished!” I shall expect no more indiscretions of this nature. Do - I – make myself – clear?”
Roger heard the sound of the Headmaster heavily pounding his fist on the desktop to punctuate his remarks. Then all went ominously quiet and he knew his time was coming. Roger took a tissue from his pocket, spat on it and quickly rubbed the toes of his shoes.
‘Come!’ he heard the old man bellow loudly.
Roger timidly opened the door to the Headmaster’s study with a somewhat shaky hand. He moved in, closed the door and turned to face the desk. The Headmaster looked him up and down and said, ‘Well boy, don’t stand there. Come over here!’
Roger moved tentatively forward.
The Headmaster removed his glasses and cleaned them with a tissue from a box on his desk before donning them again. Then he lent forward and studied the young man’s face. ‘Oh, it’s you again. I thought it might be. Dear oh dear. Some of you boys act like a lost tribe, wandering in and out of my study like an endless chain. Yes, well I intend to break that chain. Or die in the attempt! Now, I believe you’re a member of our small Cadet Force, hmm?’
‘Yes, Sir.’
‘Well then, stop fidgeting, boy and stand there, at attention, in front of my desk where I can get a better look at you.’
Roger did as he was bid. The Headmaster rose and came around his desk to inspect the miscreant. He was a tall man and he had to bend down to inspect the boy more closely. ‘Tut tut tut. You need a haircut, young man. A Cadet should know better, right?’
‘Yes, Sir.’
The Headmaster bent even lower and inspected his face closely. ‘Don’t suppose you happen to shave yet, what?’
‘No, Sir.’
‘My God! Not even shaving yet and, and…’ He shook his head in disapproval, left the rest unsaid and returned to sit behind his desk.
‘Stand at ease. Now, let me see. You’ve been here, what? Two years?’
‘Three. Three years at the end of this term, Sir.’
‘Ah yes,’ said the Headmaster, taking a closer look at the boy’s papers on his desk. ‘That’s about right and in those three years, Mr, Rogers – is it?’
‘Hodges, Sir.’
‘What! Oh, yes. Yes well, Mr Hodges, as I was saying, during those three years you would, in common with all the other students, if the school curriculum is being properly applied, as I’m sure it is; have received at least one hour’s instruction on three separate occasions as to certain standards expected of boys. Boys favoured to join this hallowed establishment, Woodberry Hall. Is that not correct, Mr... er… Hodges?’
‘Four hours actually, Sir.’
‘Four? Four hours? How come?’
‘The instruction was repeated in the second year, that is, my second year; after Billy Bligh got caught smuggling some inappropriate books into the school, Sir.’
‘Ah yes. Billy Bligh. A nasty incident. A very nasty incident. Are you, by any chance, er, an associate of Mr Billy Bligh?’
‘Billy Bligh is no longer with us, Sir. On account his parents quickly removed him from the school and it was rumoured later that his parents had sued you for excessive violence towards their son. In that you did..’
‘We will have no more talk of Mr Bill Bligh, Sir! There are far more serious matters before us this day. Yes indeed. Inappropriate material is one thing. Inappropriate conduct is something else!’
‘Now I must say, I simply cannot understand how a decent young man from a decent family and a Cadet at that, could behave in this way. You have had at least four hours specific instruction covering not only basic school standards but also, how certain ‘unhealthy’ practises should and in fact must, be avoided by vulnerable young men like yourself. It’s come, I must say, as a great shock to me. Me, young Sir, because I have personally on all too many occasions had reason to, to try and correct a certain failing on your behalf. On each and every occasion you stood where you are standing now and you assured me you would do better! Now tell me, Sir, is that not so?’
Roger fidgets, but cannot find the words to utter.
‘Come, come, Sir. Speak up. You have every right to defend yourself, if you can? Can you? Hmmm?’
‘I, I don’t think I can defend myself, Sir. I have done wrong and I have clearly offended you.’
‘Oh, I think you’ve done a great deal more than that, young man. You’ve offended me, you’ve offended your Form and you’ve offended your School. A lot of damage has been done and we mustn’t forget, your
co-conspirator, Ms, Ms.. er…’
‘Ms Clutch, Sir. Ms Wendy Clutch.’
‘Oh, yes. Were you aware, at the time of this, er, perversion; that she was a staff member?’
‘Staff?’
‘Yes. She may well be employed in a somewhat lowly job in the kitchen, washing vegetables or cleaning tables, whatever. But she’s staff nonetheless!’
‘Yes, Sir. As you say, Sir. I never sort of, thought of it like that.’
‘No. No, young men of your age never do. That’s why they are always trouncing in and out of my study, in trouble over this and that; expecting me and my staff, to wave some sort of magic wand, as it were, and put
everything right. Well sometimes things just can’t be put right. Surely you must have heard of Humpty Dumpty?’
‘Oh, er, yes. Yes, of course, Sir.’
‘Good. Well, there’s a moral in that story, Mr Hodges. Yes, it demonstrates quite clearly that some things when broken can never be fully restored, to, to how they were before. Trust and honour are like that. You broke the trust we placed in you last night. As a result, your honour lies in pieces on the floor. Whether we can do anything about that is doubtful. We will try. But the main effort must come from within, my boy. You will have to work extremely hard before people will put their trust in you again. Only then can you hope to regain your honour. Do you understand what I’m saying?’
‘I, er... I think so, Sir.’
‘Good. Good, I’m glad to hear it.’
‘May I ask, Sir, if Wendy, Ms Clutch…?’
‘I assure you Ms Clutch will be well taken care of. At this very moment in fact, Ms Clutch, is undergoing, I believe, instruction in Health and Hygiene, so as to help her better protect her future health, at the School’s expense, of course.’
‘Oh.’
‘Her job is hers as long as she wants it. Though every effort will be made to ensure her contact with you, or other young men like you, is minimized; absolutely minimized. She shall be watched over most carefully. It goes without saying of course that you must promise to have nothing more to do with her. I shall you’re your word on that?’
‘Oh.’
‘Don’t stand there, mouth open, oh oh-ing it, boy! This matter is a serious one.’
‘Yes, I appreciate that, Sir.’
‘Good. Now, how long have you known this girl?’
‘Oh.’
The Headmaster shakes his head.
‘Sorry, Sir. About, three months.’
‘Really? Three months? Hmmm and how long has this, this intimate activity, been going on?’
‘Yes, Sir. Activity indeed.’
‘Oh, er, three months.’
‘You mean, right from the very start?’
‘Yes, Sir.’
‘Really? Oh, how disgusting! Ah, hmm, er, tell me, Sir. Did you or did she instigate these improper proceedings.’
