He sat down at the desk and picked up the telephone, Doris meanwhile went into the kitchen where she could hear voices. May Day had commenced her duties and had made the drinks.
“This is the Police at Shropshire, may I help you?”
“Hello, Chief-Constables office, please”.
“”Who is speaking Please?”
“This Jack Richards is it possible to speak with Chief Constable Alex Renton?” there was a pause”
“Sorry the Chief in not available”
“Oh I see. May I please leave a message?”
“Right thank you, it is brief”.
“Mr Renton I will be visiting your office soon in connection with the death of Constable Gerald Cheshire. I would be grateful to have a copy of the officer’s personal file under the usual security conditions of course.”
“You will find this is authorised by the Home Office.”
“I would very much like to speak with Gerald’s widow, Sandra. If someone could arrange that and finally if there is an officer available as a guide I would like to visit the scene.”
“Thank you so much. If you might just pass that message on any problems I can be contacted at The Police Museum at Chester.”
Yes that is the address I have an office here that is all. Bye”. The call ended.
“Hello, may I please speak with Chief-Constable Quinten Johns?”
“If you might tell him it is Jack Richards looking into the death of Constable Rick Masterton”.
“I will put you through, hold the line please”.
“Hello Jack I have been expecting your call, are you coming over?”
“Tomorrow I think”, replied Jack.
“Well, no problem, as far as I know I will be in, I would like a chat with you, but if I am out on something urgent my secretary will help out. I take it you will wish to see the officer’s file and visit the scene and the widow”.
“Yes all three Chief”.
“I have a copy of the file already done and will ensure Rachel, Rick’s` widow, is informed. I presume you will wish to see her informally at home”?
“Yes that would be better" replied Jack thinking this, is a friendly and efficient Chief.”
“Leave it with me Jack, if there is a hitch I will make certain you are informed in advance”.
The call ended and just in time, Doris and May Day arrived bearing a welcome drink and, oh no a chocolate biscuit, Jack should not indulge but he knew he would.
The refreshments over, Doris retrieved the personal file she had been handed placing it on the desk.
Jack leaned over and once again read through the pages and on completion he looked up, then said.
“There are some strange gaps, for example a young man, fit and well who arranges to meet his wife in church but for some reason arrives early.”
“During the shift he does nothing to suggest he could have been exhausted, or seemingly from his record he has been involved in anything controversial then to quote his widow at the time, he just died on her.”
“I think we may just follow up on this Sid fellow who is residing with her.”
“Doris if you would contact that constable who took us up there, Constable Idris Roberts, see if he knows anything about this fellow.”
“Once that is done check with the records office at New Scotland Yard. See if we know him.”
When done report back to me and we will see where we go from there.”
At that moment proceedings were interrupted when the telephone rang.
May was walking past the door, stopped and called, it’s probably Sergeant Striker he has been calling you on and off all day”.
“Hello Mr Richards office”, said Doris.
“Mr Richards office my arse”, it was Striker balling down the phone.
“It’s the bloody museum, so say so you twit, now get your arse over here I have a proper job for you and whilst you are at it get this Richards fella in here the boss wants to see him”.
“Yes acting Inspector,” she replied.
Jack hearing the abuse shook his head but said nothing.
Doris replaced the telephone handset and as she did so Jack stretched forth his hand and said, “Please, the personal file of Ifor Evans, hand it here we don’t want that lying around, I will look after that.”
Doris handed him the file but before she could speak further Jack rose to leave with her for the police station, the real one next door.
When they arrived Striker was standing at the counter, he looked up and said, “Ling we need you to sit in on a female shop lifter from Tesco, you know what the security personnel there are like, bloody hopeless. Go through to the female cells, and get her out of the lockup into the interview room and sit with her till the tecs arrive”
Jack stood and recalled the word, “tecs”
Doris spoke, “the tecs who or whatever are they?”
“The bloody detectives girl don’t you know anything?”
“Dear God you are a thick sod. Learn girl, learn, for Christ’s sake”
Jack thought he had not heard the phrase tecs for many years how the hell Striker could think Doris would know it failed him.
“Ah, Richards the boss wants you. Said Striker, “Do you recall the way from your last visit or do you want a guide, if so we can get the stray dog out of the kennel and we have a white stick somewhere”
“I can find my way,” replied Jack! Thinking if I don’t put a stop to this obnoxious bastard I will eat my favourite hat”.
With that he settled, on this occasion for getting his thumb and lifting up the hat from the front so that it slipped onto the rear of his head.
He turned and left and as he did so, Striker called, “I will give him a buzz, the Chief I mean.”
Arriving at the door of the Chief Super, Jack knocked but did not have to wait for there was a buzzing noise and the new illuminated lamp on the door read, enter.
He did just that and on arrival inside, he saw Craig Denton-Smyth seated smiling with a stretched out hand.
“Welcome Jack, are you all right?” he laughed, “alright Jack, yes I am alright Jack, very funny” said Craig.
Jack walked across the room to find a chair already placed in front of the desk of Denton-Smyth.
“Please Jack, you don’t mind if I call you Jack, as we are colleagues once again”.
“By all means” replied Jack, “how can I help you today sir”?
“Well, you may not know this but I will be leaving for a while, I am on a course at Bramshill, the senior command course. I just need to get the odd thing sorted out.”
He opened a desk drawer and brought forth two blue folders which he then handed to Jack as he reached forward.”
“Thank you” said Jack as he took the files, he could see they were marked “Personnel records”
“I assume you will want these on the two dead officers, they arrived from headquarters by despatch transport today”.
“Thank you, these will be useful, I am aware they are for my eyes only,” replied Jack before being told.
“Yes quite” replied Denton Smyth adding “I have checked them over, nothing in them of value but still I thought to help by getting them here save you bothering HQ, they are so long winded getting anything done.”
“Thank you” replied Jack.
“Well there is another matter Jack. Inside the files, you will as one might expect see the addresses of the officers. I have taken the liberty of contacting the ladies involved and I can confirm they are aware you may wish to see them. They have been told your name and Ling of course so I will leave that with you”.
“Thank you sir, you have been very helpful and most efficient,” replied Jack.
“Yes well it comes with the job you know these days; all has changed since your day. Its all about the paper work and efficiency, these command courses help, its all laid out for the budding Chief Constable”.
Jack grasped it immediately; he appears to be going on a senior command course, a budding chief, more promotion and a move away for Craig it appeared.
“There is one thing. I might just ask Jack a small favour”