“They are all out,” replied Ethel “there is a big protest on today, no one here but me”. She added.

“Any cars spare?” enquired Doris.

“You must be joking even Striker is using his own car”.

“I see,” replied Doris she looked at Richards then went inside the office to use the telephone.

Jack looked as non other than May the cleaner arrived. He had been grateful for her additional hours of cleaning at home.

“May, might I just have a quiet word”?

“Why certainly Mrs Richards” and the three of them sauntered along the corridor.

 May could be heard saying, “Why of course your friend may use the toilets here, I will show you where they are, staff only you see” were the last words that Ethel could hear May speak.

An hour later Doris was driving Jack and the Professor along the road out of Chester, just in time as she saw the large crowds gathering for the demonstration, by the, “Workers Party”.

They arrived at Wrexham Church nearly an hour later.

The doors of the church were open and so Jack and Bolister went inside leaving Doris in charge of the car, she was not going to permit the fiasco of the last occasion when she received a parking ticket to occur again.

Jack and Bolister were only minutes when they arrived back, putting the brief case into the boot, Bolister was soon seated and ready for the off.

It was just before lunchtime when the hire car stopped on the high and lonely road of the Long Mynd in Church Stretton. All three now left the vehicle, causing Jack to call, “Inspector, you have set the handbrake?” I wouldn’t like our car to roll over the top”.

Realising he was acting like Striker, treating her with contempt he turned off the subject and said.

“Come look over here. This is what real policing is all about”.

The professor walked back and forth and took samples from here and there.

Fifteen minutes later they were on their way and at 2pm they arrived at Sefton`s Garage in Crewe, Cheshire.

A small man met them in his fifties he walked with a limp.

“Mr Sefton” asked Doris.

“Yes Inspector Ling and Mr Richards I take it”.

“Yes” replied Doris who thought she must get a bloody name change the good, bad and the ugly it seems were reluctant to use her double-barrelled name, Scott-Ling

“We have come to inspect the police car I spoke to you about” she said

“Ah, its round the back” replied Sefton, “no-one has been near it, for cops they seem bloody windy”.

Arriving at the back of the garage, they saw the police car still wrapped in its protective covering.

Sefton momentarily left then returned with a man wearing an oily overall, the two removed the covering permitting Bolister easy access inside the vehicle.  He was only minutes taking samples from the interior of the vehicle and under its wheel arches.

Thanking Sefton they were gone and enroute for Manchester stopping for a late and light lunch at Northenden only a mile or so from Chorlton Lake.

They arrived at the lake at 5pm. The three arrived at the scene of the death of Rick Masterton.

They were disturbed the see the memorial that had been placed there was now vandalised with spray paint the letters ACAB being clearly visible. Jack and Doris recognised the letters, as being all coppers are bastards but made no comment as Bolister went about his examination and sample taking.

At 7pm, they made their final stop at the lay-by at Broxton, and once again, it was only fifteen minutes when the necessary samples had been taken and stored.

“They arrived back in Chester at 8.30pm Jack then produced the axe he had found on his door step, handing this to Bolister.

“Ah right yes”. Said Bolister, “the axe and Wrexham Sid, thank you, Jack”.

“I will do the necessary and include my findings with the rest. I will send you my report as soon as possible”, said Bolister, “by courier I take it?”

Yes please,” replied Jack

They shook hands and parted company.

It was 10pm before Jack finally sat in his chair, what a long exhausting day he had suffered. Doris had said she was required at the Police station for several days so he thought that other than making up his notes, contemplating and commencing to start his report, the dinner being only days away, he could catch up on some rest.

He did spend a moment to sympathise thinking of Bolister having to travel back to Birmingham. Jack realised they had, had little to eat and strangely enough he did not feel hungry.

He was about to leave for bed when he heard a noise at the door.

“Christ” he thought, “Wrexham Sid”.

His fears were allayed when Anne walked in saying “I knew you would never come back so Craig arranged a seat on a flight for me and here I am”.

“Well how very pleasing to see you my dear” he said.

“My," she replied “the house looks spic and span, no dirty crockery, nor pots and pans, my how you have been looking after things.”

He made no mention of the additional services of May; neither did he as he settled down to sleep it now being just after 1am.

The following morning he was sitting in his study when the telephone rang, it was Craig.

“Hello Craig do you wish to speak with mother”

“Yes, but first I wonder if I might ask a favour”.

“If I can help I will”, replied Jack

“Well” said Craig, “a lady from Daram the name is Ramona she appears to have disappeared over there, she was making some enquiries of some police officers but has disappeared. Her family are worried I wondered if there have been any reports”

“I will look into it,” replied Jack then handing the telephone to Anne.

“Blast” he thought, he could smell trouble, the enquiry more or less completed now this.

He rang Doris “Sorry to bother you about work but the lady who was making enquires of the dead officers.”

“I have just received a call from Craig it seems a lady named Ramona from Daram has gone missing possibly here in the UK”

 “It appears she is the one who had been visiting the dead officers. Can you make some enquiries with Scotland Yard to see if there are reports of a missing person or I am sorry to say a death?”

“I will do that and come back to you”.

 He sat and contemplated on everything that had occurred. There was one possibility that came to his mind; it was a way out thought but, in the event of nothing else.

If this woman was not traced, he would have to check it out way out or not.

It would be dodgy, possibly the end of him if he went into a blind alley.

After some time Doris rang back, all negative on Ramona, nothing on any Ramona.

He took the plunge. He rang Professor Webster and Garden Rescue and that night they visited the isolated church of Wixton.

 The grave was opened, the coffin lifted, the contents examined.

All present made a gasp at what they discovered inside the coffin.

Webster made his usual examination and sample taking, and then announced all was completed and that which was removed from the grave was replaced.

Professor Webster looked, smiled and said, “Now that was a bloody shock but I found what you suspected. I confirm it is another case of the natural cause syndrome, I will do the tests but believe me, it will be another case”.

Within the hour, all was quiet. It would seem he had got away with it.

No one had visited, he had told neither of his associates he had no court order, nor had he told Doris, not wishing to involve her if it all went wrong.

PART TWELVE

THE LAST SUPPER

It was 6pm, Doris had just telephoned to say she was carrying out the last enquiry he had allocated her and she would hope to complete these in time to be at the venue at 7pm or just after.