Murders Without Motive (14 page)

She stood. composed herself, then said.

“I will just put these on the rear table”

She turned and said, “Yes gentlemen how can Templeton’s help?”

“I require to speak with Mr Templeton please”.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

“I do not but I am a police officer Detective Inspector Pearson. Please notify Mr Templeton I am here and wish to speak with him upon the matters of the Crampton murders

“I am so sorry Sir, but Mr Templeton is so busy I will tell him you called and I am certain he will contact the police station and make you an appointment”.

“That is not good enough; I will see him now please”

“Oh very well, but he will be most displeased, he is currently doing a review of the Crampton Estate”.

She turned and after some steps she looked behind to see the two visitors immediately behind her

Arriving at the end of the passage she knocked on the door.

A voice called “Who the hell is it? I thought I gave instructions I was not to be disturbed”.

The door opened it was Templeton himself”.

His immediate response was to blurt, “what the hell do you want Jocelyn?”

“The police are here Sir; they demanded to see you, even followed me down here”. She replied.

He looked around her and on seeing Pearson and Richards his face stiffened” he said, “Ok Jocelyn you can go I will deal with this.”

Turning to the visitors he said,

“What the hell is your idea bursting in here unannounced? I have already made one complaint about you lot, if you don’t leave I will call the Chief Constable. Now go and make an appointment like the rest”.

Jack looked he saw a box on the desk marked Crampton estates.

Templeton seeing his glance turned and closed shut a cupboard, it was self locking.

Pearson spoke “We are making enquiries into the Crampton murder, you are fully aware of that Mr Templeton”

“Indeed I am” said he, “what the hell is that to do with me?”

Jack Richards spoke next, few words as always.

“We need to check the records of the Crampton Estate”

“Indeed you will not” said Templeton. The records here are privileged client information. Please gentlemen, have regard I still represent the estate and the only surviving member Mr Wilson Crampton, thanks to your ineptitude”

“I see” replied Pearson.

He was about to the hit the Jackpot with this arrogant solicitor, “I have here Mister Templeton a search warrant issued today by Lord Justice Stevens at Chester Crown Court”.

Templeton, visibly stunned, looked with open mouth and held out his hand obviously for the warrant.

Pearson went on, “This warrant gives me the right to search you, your office and any other place to recover documents relating to the Crampton estate and its members. Further, the warrant gives me authority to seize such items I consider are relevant in the case.”

Templeton replied, “The warrant man, give me the warrant”.

“Now, now Mr Templeton” said Jack wondering if Pearson being so young and up against a very popular and crafty solicitor, may just lose his calm.

“You know the rules, Templeton. Police officers never part company with a warrant. You are entitled to hear its contents and to read its contents but to take possession no, and you full well know that or at least should”.

Templeton left the room but returned within moments with two of his staff, saying, “You two sit here, Wendy you write down everything they say, look at, handle and take. Marisa, here is a tape, record everything.”

There was a knock on the door; Jack opened it, four uniform officers carrying boxes walked in.

Pearson looked and said, “Right officers you stack into these boxes all I hand to you, two do the stacking and two making out the inventory.”

The whole thing took two hours, when Pearson said, “That is it, I think?”

“Just a moment” replied Jack, “I think we have missed something?”

All eyes were upon him.

He added this cupboard, here by the door, when we arrived it was open, Mr Templeton closed it, I heard it lock.”

“Right you are Jack I recall it now, Mr Templeton, please open the door”.

“It is a waste of time, it is all personal items”.

“Mr Templeton please open the cupboard” said Pearson.

Templeton shook his head, I don’t have a key.

Pearson called, “Johnson open the door” looking at the very large uniformed officer built very well some might say, like an old brick shit house”, again police jargon

The officer went and was away about five minutes. When he arrived back he was holding a metal bar with a flattened end known in police jargon as a jemmy.

Johnson inserted this and the door flew open. The were several boxes  containing documents.

They were seized and logged.

“Right Mr Templeton Sir,” said Pearson, “here is a list of all the items seized, now recorded in the police seized property register”.

“What will you do with them?” asked Templeton.

“Examine them of course”

“Yes, I bet you from what I see of you in court you can hardly read, write or add up, the best of luck. Bring them back when you come up with a blank.”

They all left, and it was only half an hour before they arrived at Chester police Station.

“Well” said Pearson, “Templeton did have a point, I doubt any of us will make jack shit of them especially if they are accounts, what about you Mr Richards”

Jack smiled and replied, “Me, I am or was, only a thick copper remember but what knowledge I do have is to know a man who can”.

Jack picked up the telephone dialled the number and after a few moments he said,

“Hello, Mr South, yes, it is Jack Richards are you still doing any part time work in retirement?”

“I see you are, is there any possibility you might spend a couple of days here at Chester police station checking some documents?"

“Thank you very much”, the call ended.

Jack looked up, Pearson was standing waiting for an explanation.

“Ah” said Jack, “an old friend of mine worked in the city of London all his life, an accountant by trade, spent his life looking through city accounts for insider dealing and worse, these papers will be a piece of cake to him. He will be here first thing tomorrow. Can you arrange an office and a girl to take note, as he is retired that is?

“Well I bloody well never did” said Pearson” then he smiled and said. “Certainly it is as good as done”.

“What will we do” he asked.

“We will see anyone on the list who is outstanding, say nine in the morning?”

“Indeed” replied Pearson as Jack walked off.

He turned to Gibson and said, “What do you make of that?”

“Amazing?” said Gibson”.

“Indeed” replied Pearson, “the old fox had this up his sleeve all the time. Never said a word, the crafty old bugger”.

Thursday the 9
^th
of May 2013

Jack had met up with Pearson on time at nine in the morning. About to leave, Jacks telephone rang.

“Who the hell might that be?” he thought as he scrambled to retrieve the handset from his trouser pocket.

He opened it and to his surprise it was his son Craig, currently in Daram. It was so unusual he had to take the call.

“Hello Craig, what a surprise”.

“Yes father, I thought to tell you I will be home tomorrow for some time”

“You will, why what is wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong it is the summer school break here, and in any event Mr Wilson Crampton has decided he must return home, that is in spite of all advice against such a visit at this time”.

”Indeed very surprising” he gave a smile,

 He had something up his sleeve thought Pearson, eavesdropping as Jack had put the loud speaker on.

“I see I am rather engaged.  May I ask you to ring mother and update her?”

The call ended and nothing more was said but as they entered their car outside, the phone of Pearson rang. The call was brief.

“Jack we have to diver to call at HQ. There is a meeting, to do with the call you just received”.

Jack smiled for Pearson had unwittingly admitted he was in fact eavesdropping on the call Jack had received.

They arrived at Chester Police Headquarters in a matter of moments and were shown by the duty security officer to the conference room.

“Yes” thought Jack “anyone on the outside would be surprised even laugh”.

The police headquarters was guarded, not by the police but by a private security firm. Most of whom he had seen were either too old or to overweight to mix it with any villain or terrorist.

Arriving inside, it seemed all who were invited were in attendance.

The usual pecking order applied, The Chief Constable, her deputy, The Police Commissioner, Head of CID, Jinton head of Chester city police, The Superintendent in charge of the traffic car and the force control room. Two unknown officers presumably from New Scotland Yard Anti Terrorist Squad to name but some.

Chief Constable Watkiss stood; “I have called this emergency briefing as a result of information received from the Home office, in turn from the Foreign Office”.

“Information has been received from Daram that in spite of advice from Sultan Sulliman of that state, his ward Mr Wilson Crampton has insisted on returning home”.

“This young man eighteen years of age and currently in a wheel chair as a result of illness is the only remaining member of the influential Crampton family.”

“We are all aware as to the demise of the other members of the family, without me referring to that now.”

There were shaking of heads, the arrival of this Wilson Crampton would be a headache for everyone and worse it was rumoured a Royal Prince had decided to visit his other close associate in the County, Lord Chumley. There would have to be additional security there.

Some fears were soon to be allayed, when the Chief announced “Against all advice Mr Wilson Crampton has declined any police assistance and security”

There were sighs all round but a smile from Jack, bingo, just the ticket he thought”.

Pearson looked and saw the grin on the old coppers face, He may have seen the grin, the reason however was unknown to him and it wouldn’t pay to ask.

The Chief continued her briefing; “In spite of this we as a force will have additional officers on duty in the Chester area and around the estate, traffic cars, beat officers. Am I making myself clear?”

There were heads nodding save one, who’s head was shaking, that of the Commissioner.

As far as he was concerned, there had been a series of unsolved murders, the worst ever known in the history of the local police and it had happened on his watch. He was unable to do anything about it and so it appeared were the professionals, even this old cop. The fellow in the hat, so highly regarded it appeared he had achieved nothing.