CHAPTER TWELVE
Elizabeth McGregor looked in the mirror and patted her hair and then the sash, which went over her shoulder. She had not worn traditional Scottish dress since she left Scotland in her early twenties to find fame and fortune as she thought in the south.
She had seen a poster advertising Scottish dancing at one of the Halls that was a meeting place for Scottish exiles and impulsively she decided to go. She had been watching the couples weave their intricate steps when she found a huge man standing in front of her. He had a large red beard and wore the tartan. He effortlessly picked her up and said, "Ye will dance with me woman."
She found herself on the floor and soon her feet were twinkling to the steps she remembered from her youth.
"Ah ye dance like a little girl so you do."
He linked her arm in his and led her to a table in the corner. "Now we will have a little wee dram."
"Oh no!" she held her hands up in protest.
"Oh but ye will because Ewen McIntosh represents one of the finest Distillers in the land and will be mightily offended if you don’t."
The fiery spirit burned as she sipped it refusing to down it all in one go as he did.
He had escorted her home and extracted a promise that she would come on the following Saturday. So here she was dressed as a Scotswoman and actually looking forward to seeing a man.
Basil Trubman was normally a level headed individual who never lost his temper, but he was pacing up and down muttering imprecations. Caroline heard the noise and knocked and went in.
"I am the world’s biggest fool Caroline. I am an idiot."
Caroline held up her hands. "It can’t be as bad as that whatever it is."
"Oh yes it can. The investigator from the Association found the whole place locked up and he’s gone!"
"Do you mean Marles?"
"Yes, that slimy little toad. The people downstairs said that he told them that he was going on holiday and would be gone for a while. He took the girl with him."
"Do you think that he will have taken people’s money with him?"
"That’s almost a certainty. I wish I had asked that detective sergeant to get his warrant and search. It might have stopped him."
The pub was crowded on a Friday night and Roberts and his bikers pushed their way to the bar, getting annoyed complaints as people were jostled.
A few minutes later Compton and Martin also pushed the door open and saw the group straight away.
"Watch my back son."
Compton slowly made his way through the crowd until he was almost face to face with Roberts. He said over his shoulder, "Short hair and scar where she said it would be."
Roberts had sensed the danger and a space opened around him. One or two of the bikers slid around behind Martin.
"I am Detective Sergeant Compton of Canonsfield C.I.D and I am arresting you Edward Roberts for the murder of Elsie Vine. You need not say anything..."
Roberts had pushed himself off the bar and the hand, which was in his pocket, came out and there was a click as the knife blade sprang out. He lunged, and although Compton moved to the side the blade went into his arm. Compton’s hat came off and he clutched his injured arm.
Martin pushed Compton aside and moved quickly. As Roberts slashed the knife at him with an evil grin, Martin’s hand was quicker and seized the wrist. He held it and smashed a fist into Robert’s face. The knife dropped and Roberts went down too.
A voice shouted, "Behind you Martin!" Martin was just a little too slow as the Ted who had smashed a pint mug on the bar drove it into his upper back. There was no further danger from that quarter as Ramsay who had been sitting quietly in a corner and making his way to them, tackled this Ted to the floor.
The rest were making for the door when the wireless car crew pushed their way in and there was a scuffle until the remaining two were held.
Mathew helped a white faced Compton to recover his hat and he looked down at the dazed Roberts.
"Nice one son. Now bag that knife and let’s get them down to the Station."
"I think you should get to hospital sergeant."
Compton sniffed, "Have you taken a look at yourself. There will be time for that when these wayward citizens are under lock and key and I have told Dusty what he is going to do."
Compton looked at the Publican. "Joe can you get me the names of some of your customers that were standing close enough to see and hear what happened."
The Publican was concerned with the sergeant’s condition. "That I will Daniel and you’ve got me for a start."
The police van came for the prisoners and Compton allowed himself to be persuaded to leave in the police car with Martin and let the C.I.D. car stay outside the pub. Derris arrived at the Station shortly after them and was shocked at the appearance of the two detectives.
Compton had the coat still on but there was a regular drop of blood from his fingers leaving a trail on the floor. There was also a large patch on the back of Martin’s coat showing where he was still bleeding from the broken glass.
Somehow the Superintendent had heard about the arrests. Derris later came out with a possible solution if the senior officer kept a short wave radio tuned to the police car wavelength. He took in the sight of Compton and DeVere and gave a satisfied smile.
"You two will have to go to hospital and I will take over here."
Compton carried on as if the Superintendent was not there. "Separate cells Dusty and no talking between them. No contact with anyone until the lad here and I can get back to deal with them. That means no phone calls."
The Superintendent pushed his way in front of Compton, "I think you heard me sergeant. I gave you and order. Besides they are entitled to a phone call."
Martin put his hand on Compton’s good arm. "The sergeant is in charge of this investigation sir. If you persist in trying to help us I will personally put you in a cell with their leader Roberts to see if you can learn anything."
There was a strangled, "What!...what!" from the portly figure which seemed to wilt in size.
"Sergeant...sergeant" he called to Somers. "You heard what he just said to me, I am going to call you as a witness."
Somers shrugged his shoulders, "Didn’t hear sir. What were you trying to do? I thought that you told me that you were going to leave it to them and hope they messed it up."
It was difficult for Martin to keep his face straight but he moved meaningfully closer to the Superintendent.
He said lamely, "You will all hear more about this constable."
After he had made a hurried exit, Compton looked seriously at Martin, "Nice of you son but I could have straightened him out."
"You have got a lot more to lose than I have sergeant."
Derris had been an interested observer. "Don’t worry Daniel. If he comes back I will tell him I’m going to do what our young friend here promised."
Compton grimaced, "Now I expect that someone will have to tell the ladies and we had better be at the hospital before they get there."
The dance was almost over and the same worried volunteer came to Nancy. "Mrs Compton this time it’s for you."
Nancy listened carefully and then showed that years of experience meant that she would not panic.
"Caroline dear we have got to go to the hospital. I wish I knew how to drive Martin’s car."Caroline had her hand to her mouth.
"I will drive if you will show me the quickest way to get there."
Neither woman cared about the cold and Nancy shouted above the wind. "They just said that he had been injured and so had Martin."
At the reception desk the woman who was used to dealing with all kinds of enquiries was entirely unprepared for Nancy. "Sergeant Compton and Constable DeVere?"
"They are in Emergency and you will not be able to see them until they have been treated."
"Come on Caroline..." and Nancy marched down the short corridor and into the area, which had a number of curtained off beds. The first one she stuck her head into had a white faced
Compton who had been relieved of his clothes and who was sitting up on the bed with a sheet over his legs and without the benefit of pillows.
More in relief than anger Nancy said, "What have you done now you silly old devil!" Seeing the hurt look in his eyes she said over her shoulder, "Caroline, go and find Martin."
Then she went quickly to him with moist eyes, "Oh Daniel you do scare me to death sometimes." She could see the blood on his arm and took his face in her hands and kissed him.
"It’s a good job you waited until the lass had gone Nancy. Setting her a bad example that would. He’s two beds down and if he hadn’t floored the Ted it would have been a lot worse."
They had heard Caroline’s anguished cry, "Oh look at your clothes Martin, you must have lost a lot of blood."
The receptionist had raced to find a Nursing Sister and she had come into Compton’s cubicle. "You can’t come barging in to a treatment centre. Everything has to be kept germ free."
Compton said, "Keep your voice down Sister. Now if you don’t want to adversely affect the condition of your patients, please sit on the bed for a few moments and we will see if romance is in the stars."
She was going to protest again when she saw Compton’s finger held to his lips.
"Oh Martin I am sorry this has happened to you are you badly hurt?"
"Now don’t fuss Caroline, everything is going to be alright." Then they heard the sounds of sobbing.
"Mrs Compton can keep her head in a crisis but I can’t."
Martin’s voice sounded different. "I don’t ever want to see you cry Caroline. Besides if anything ever happened to one of the children you would have to act first and cry later."
There was a lessening of the sobbing. "Come here Caroline. I prescribe a proper kiss to make sure that the patient recovers."
She said haltingly, "Did you mean what you said...about children I mean?"
"I don’t know if I could have built up my courage to ask you but yes I hope that we have lots of children."
There was a different sound then and Compton said to the Sister, "Oh the path of true love. It always finds a way. Now you can go and make yourself known before you blame incidents of hospital carnal lust on me."
Both women were laughing as the Sister left. "You are a wicked old devil Daniel. Did you guess that was going to happen?"
"No girl is able to resist the wounded warrior and now that he has made that kind of announcement his goose is cooked."
Caroline came in to see them after coughing first in a discreet way. Compton could not resist saying, "It’s alright Caroline she was just about to jump into bed with me but I reminded her that we might have an audience."
Nancy spluttered, "If you were not hurt I would hit you Daniel Compton."
Caroline tugged at Nancy’s arm. "Mrs Compton I have something to tell you."
"Come along dear we will leave this old satyr to get his treatment...and I hope they use big needles."
Her eyes belied any malice as she kissed him again before she left.
The doctor hummed and hawed. "I don’t think it needs stitches but it is a deep wound and may need the arm to be rested until the muscle heals. Our biggest danger is infection and I will give you some tablets for that. The nurse will bathe it with antiseptic and put on a large dressing."
Compton was pleading, "I have got a very big investigation that is coming to a head and I have to be back at work."
The doctor threw up his hands, "Exactly the kind of argument I am getting from your colleague and he did need stitches. The only way I can approve that is if you sign a disclaimer and you will have to wear a sling."
The wireless car picked them up and Martin’s eyes opened wide when he saw the Alvis in the parking area. He did not have long to think about it because Compton claimed his attention.
"That Ted that used the glass on you is probably the one that helped Roberts in the rape. If you have an ounce of drama in you I think you can scare him to death. Not in Judge’s Rules but we have the girls saying that Roberts actually killed Vine and if this Ted confirms that and he was there then that should be enough to put him away."
Martin thought that over. "What about the rape sergeant?"
"Depending on what you get from your man we will hold an Identification Parade tomorrow morning and by that time we will probably let them have lawyers. From then on we will have to rely on things that they will not help us with. I will get Bridgeman to work on the knife."
Martin was puzzled, "I suppose that the pathologist might be able to say that a knife like that was used on Elsie Vine...but that’s all isn’t it?"
"You will be surprised at what Bill might be able to do. Any blood traces will include mine but we might be lucky and he might find the girl’s blood group. Funny thing with blood, no matter how hard you try to clean there is generally some of it left."
Derris was smiling and a lot more confident. "They are screaming for lawyers and Roberts wants a doctor but so far I have turned Nelson’s ear Daniel."
"It was Nelson’s eye Dusty but never mind. What’s the name of the Ted that used the glass on Martin?"
"Conley. I have got all the details but waited for you to decide the charges."
Compton said, "You will have to write. Now what have we got? Murder but that is wait and see if there is any corroboration for the girl’s statements. They weren’t there so it’s hearsay. Rape...that will be decided if they are picked out tomorrow morning. I will have to go and see McGregor and make sure she doesn’t go weak at the knees. Ivys...now that’s attempted break and enter or burglary depending on when they were actually out there. There was a firearm used so the wireless car says and they won’t have a permit. Can’t say attempted murder so we should be able to find something which says discharging a firearm with intent to injure.
Assault causing grievous bodily harm...for Roberts and Conley. Bill will have to take some photographs in the morning and you will go and get some statements from the hospital. Have you got all that?"
"All down Daniel. Now when are we going to charge them?"
"Martin, you go up to the C.I.D. office and have one of the W.P.C’s sitting somewhere so that she can see and hear what is going on. She will have to make a statement later but just watch and let her listen to you do your stuff. Dusty will bring Conley up and leave him with you but he can stay on the stairs until you are done just in case he makes a run for it."
Martin was very conscious of the trust that Compton was placing in him and did not have too much time to worry when he got up into the office because the prisoner in his Edwardian jacket and string tie was brought in.
"Sit down Conley," was all that Martin said.
"Think I’ll stand. I don’t have to do what you tell me."
There was a different tone now, "Oh you will sit down or it will give me great pleasure to sit you down."
Martin turned slowly to look at the youth who slumped down into the nearest chair.
"Now I really don’t have much to do with you except to tell you the kind of trouble that you are in and the charges that you will probably face."
The youth opened his jacket and leaned back in the chair. "Only got me for helping my mate and that’s no problem."
Martin laughed...and then said, "Don’t make me do that it hurts the stitches. Do you know how many years you will probably get for assaulting a police officer and causing grievous bodily harm? On top of that there is rape and probably murder."
The youth sat up then. "What’s that you said about bodily harm?" and then as the full import sunk in his voice almost became a falsetto. "Murder? What’s that you said about murder?"
"Don’t try and sound surprised. You murdered Elsie Vine."
"Here come on you can’t be serious. Why would I want to murder Elsie?"
As if it was not too important Martin said, "Because she helped Squiller keep the money from the Postal Orders from the Post Office break in. That’s another add on but in view of the more serious charge it wi
ll probably be taken into consideration. You won’t see the light of day for many years."
The youth started to gnaw at his nail bitten fingers. "Someone’s been talking and you are not going to plant this on me. You saw Ted with the knife. He is the one you should be charging not me."
"Now how do you expect me to believe that if someone says that you did it?"
He was starting to get out of his seat in his anxiety.
Martin’s voice had the crack of authority. "Sit down...now you can just think about what I have told you and in a minute or two I might let you make a statement. I might have second thoughts about that because I don’t really like you."
He went to one of the cupboards and pulled out a binder. It was the one that contained Bridgeman’s photographs of the girl’s body and he pretended not to notice that Conley was straining his neck to see what was on the pages.
When he finally turned back to Conley he could see that his eyes were wet.
"I didn’t want him to do it. He’s a mad eye sometimes if he thinks someone can show he is not the boss."
Martin called to Thompson. "Bring some paper over here please."
He put it on the desk and gave Conley a pen. "Write this down while I say it...my name is Richard Conley and I have been cautioned that I need not..." and so the formal caution went on until he had completed it. Martin said, "Now read it to me so you can tell me that you understand it."
He knew that he was taking a big chance in doing so but felt that it was worth it. "Now you start to write down in your own words what happened when Elsie Vine was murdered and for your own sake it had better match the facts that we have already."
The youth started to write and now and then he chewed the end of the pen. He asked how to spell some of his words but Martin was pretending not to notice him and just said, "Don’t worry about any spelling mistakes."
Finally his head lifted and he said, "I can’t remember any more."
Martin picked up the sheets of paper because he had covered more than one page. He scanned the writing quickly. "Is there anyone else called Ted in your group."
"Only Ted Roberts."
"So when you say Ted, that’s who you mean."
"Yes can I go now?"
"Sign it and then you can."
As Derris was escorting him back to the cells he called, "I don’t suppose you’ve got any fags?"Derris nodded at Martin to show that he could supply some.
Martin sat down in his own chair and put his hands to his head. Thompson was worried and said, "Are you alright?"
"It’s been quite a day and that just about took the last ounce that I’ve got."
She said, "I’ll get you a cup of tea."Remembering his instructions Martin quickly stopped her.
"I would rather that you made your own statement... and don’t forget to say that he read back the caution and said he understood it please."
Compton came in a few minutes later. He looked at how tired Martin was.
"Are you happy with it?" and he nodded at the sheets that Conley had left on the desk.
"I think that you will be sergeant."
"Come on. I have got a wife to go home to and you soon will have but until then I will just have to drive you home and make sure that you get a hot drink. No bed for you tonight. I think that you should put a pillow on the table and sit in a chair and try to sleep that way."
Martin said tiredly. "I really didn’t know if she would want me as a husband. Not a policeman that is."
"Can’t predict couples old son. Some of your willowy upper class girls marry sweaty sports types that never shave."
Martin was almost asleep when he got home and had trouble downing the hot drink of milk, which his mother prescribed instead of a sleeping pill. He asked for a cushion from the sofa and his head went down to it on the table.
"I am going to get married mother."
"Oh how nice," then under her breath she said, "I hope it’s Caroline," but his even breathing told her that he was asleep.