PART THREE

MORE DEAD COPS

Jock Peters, ex sergeant once of the Cheshire Police, now retired had taken up the civilian post as Coroners Officer.  He arrived at the hospital porters lodge, knocked on the door to which a voice responded, “Come in Jock”.

He went inside. Fred the dead the mortuary assistant was already holding the keys.

“Come to do these two coppers have you Jock?”

“Ah laddie a bad business two young men in their early thirties sounds strange too, both found dead in their police car”.

“Ah Jock I never heard of such a case”

Jock smiled and said “neither have I in all my now 35 years in the cops and doing this job, still all will be revealed when Doctor Hallam arrives, she is one of the top pathologists at the Home Office, if anyone knows or can find an answer it will be her”.

Fred rose from his seat and they both strode around the back of the hospital and soon had the mortuary doors unlocked, opened and after that, the fridge doors were also unlocked, the two dead officers were revealed, still in full uniform.

The arrivals slid out each tray and then wheeled the bodies to the post mortem room.

There was only one table so one body was put onto the examination table the other remaining on the metal tray on the trolley; there was a knock on the door.

 Fred went and answered it; Jock could hear him say, “Good day to you Doctor Hallam, long time no see”.

“Yes indeed Fred, meet my new assistant Miss Claris Percy”

“Good morning to you miss,” said Fred.

“Good morning Fred, nice to meet you”. She went into the chapel where the clinicians normally put on their examination attire.

“Good morning Doctor Hallam”, said Jock.

“Good morning Jock, a bad business this, two dead officers and so young, I never had such a case”.

 Claris then called, “Doctor your things are ready”.

“Ah yes”, with that she strode into the other room.

Some miles away, Blodwen Thomas had been a voluntarily helper at Wrexham Church of Wales Parish church for over thirty years, the new vicar was due to arrive later today.

It was the first lady to be appointed vicar, not the choice of all the Church Wardens but the disguised condition from the office of the Bishop with an offer of additional funds for a new church roof had been some persuasion.

This appeared to have gone some way to assisting the appointment committee to follow the senior clerics` advice that they had a lady vicar who they needed a post for and Wrexham was ideally suited.

 Miss Jeeves had thus been appointed to her first stipend and today was the day she was to arrive. She had of course been to the church on a previous visit and upon her arrival on that occasion; it was for the afternoon scone and tea gathering set up by the ladies and mothers union members some eyebrows were raised when Miss Jeeves arrived in Wrexham, the heart of Methodist Chapel country.

Sporting, white, grey hair cut drastically short and appeared to be greased flat.  She was wearing trousers, and a white shirt with a white spotted blue tie, her appearance went some way to giving the traditionalist parishioners who had seen her, the belief crossed their minds she was in fact a man.

The fact that her hair was cut short but also parted on both sides then folded in the middle like the teddy boys of the 1960s tended to back up the idea all was not as it appeared. Well that is, not as the women’s circle and mothers union had always experienced in their local clerk in Holy Orders.

Still, as she swept into church on this particular Saturday lunchtime Blodwen heard the clock strike two and realised it would soon be time for Miss Jeeves and the other ladies to arrive. This would be an important meeting prior to the first service early the following Sunday morning at 8am prompt.

She was taken aback as she entered the church for on walking past the rear pews she saw a policeman sitting there, alone.

“Oh, heavens don’t say there has been some crime or other, I really should have checked last night I had locked the church door.”

She said nothing but scurried through to the rear kitchen and took off her coat. She put on the kettle; the arrival of the other women was only minutes away.

She went back outside and on looking thought it was strange the policeman was apparently motionless, she recognised him, it was Constable Ifor Evans, he and his wife Ceinwen were not regular church attendees but did participate from time to time and always attended and donated at any function.

Ceinwen had said she would be attending “the get to know you function today and was to bring Ifor along, seems he must have arrived early”.

The strange thing was, Constable Evans seemed very still although in full uniform including his hat.

Her thoughts were interrupted, as the voices outside grew ever louder as the group of ladies arrived inside.

“Hello Blodwen got the kettle on have we?” Came the cry from Hilda Reece chairwoman or rather now a days the chairperson of the Mothers Union.

“Well now look you Ceinwen here is your man, here already he is now look you, bless him, he does look peaceful”.

“Heavens” cried Ceinwen “Ifor won’t you get into bother, being here on duty?"

Ifor made no response just remained seated and to all intents and purposes was staring.

Ceinwen crept over, whispering the onlookers, “he is day dreaming again”, then said to him, “now look you boyo”.

He made no response.

She arrived and put her arm around him to kiss him but then burst into a scream that filled the whole church.

There was a stampede of helpers from the ladies present but it was to no avail.

Ceinwen cried, “He is dead now look, you bloody died on me Ifor, died on me he has”.

“What on earth is happening?”

 Called a voice of authority, it was Miss Jeeves and on this occasion, she was wearing her full holy orders

“My husband we have just found him dead”, called Ceinwen.

Blodwen came into the scene “I have called for an ambulance”

“Good gracious we only had these seats varnished a day or so ago for the arrival of the new vicar, I only hope” he hasn’t messed on them”, thought Blodwen.

It was only moments before the ambulance crew arrived, causing the new clerk in Holy Orders to comment, “my, that was quick".

“Well” said Blodwen “the ambulance station is only next door”.

Edward Edwards the paramedic, bent down then looked up, “I am sorry Ceinwen, he is dead”.

“I could have told you that, you silly bugger”, shouted Ceinwen.

 “The reason is why?”

 “What’ll I do now; the cops will more than likely have me out of the house?”

With that she burst into tears and was comforted by May Evans and Rhoda Davies bother veterans of the Mothers Union.

Constable Evans was now duly trussed up on the stretcher helmet placed on top, lifted and carried away and soon lying in the rear of the ambulance, the driver calling his control with the update.

“Control from Whisky Alpha 20 we are enroute to Wrexham hospital having picked up Police Constable Ifor Evans, found dead in the parish church. There seems no foul play but the Heddlu will need to know”.

“Whiskey Alpha 20 from control we are ringing Wrexham police as I speak, when you have finished with this please call in, we have another visit”.

“Thank you from Whiskey Alpha 20 out.”

“Hello this is Wrexham police can I help you”?

“Hello, Tom Williams, Wrexham ambulance control yer, just to let you know we have attended a call to the Wrexham parish church and picked up one of your officers Constable Ifor Evans found dead sitting in church; his wife was present and is informed”.

“What did you say mun?" said the police controller, in the local welsh slang.